The Salina City Commission approved two ordinances at their September 23, 2024 meeting, adopting updated versions of the Standard Traffic Ordinance (STO) and Uniform Public Offense Code (UPOC) for Kansas cities.
City Prosecutor Brad Sutton presented the changes to the commission. The main updates to the STO relate to restricted driver's licenses. The new provisions allow judges to issue restricted licenses instead of full suspensions in certain cases, enabling individuals to drive to work, medical appointments, and other essential activities.
For the UPOC, changes included removing language about "engaging in noisy conduct" from the disorderly conduct statute, based on a state law finding it to be protected speech. Additions were made to statutes related to marijuana, drug paraphernalia, and possession of controlled substances, recommending that officers not arrest individuals seeking assistance for drug overdoses in certain circumstances.
Sutton recommended maintaining previously adopted local amendments to both codes. He also advised against adopting certain sections of the UPOC, such as those dealing with crimes against public officials, worthless checks, and possession of controlled substances, suggesting these are better handled by the county attorney's office.
At the request of Animal Services, the commission also readopted Section 7.46 of the city code regarding animal care requirements. This gives Animal Services staff more authority to enforce basic care standards for pets without resorting to criminal cruelty charges.
The commission voted unanimously to approve both ordinances, adopting the updated STO and UPOC with the recommended local amendments and exclusions.
