Bastrop’s existing 1,000-foot sex offender buffer could soon extend from where registered sex offenders live to where some registered sex offenders can work, following a split City Council vote.
The vote
Officials approved the first reading of Ordinance No. 2026-11 in a 3-2 vote June 9. Council members Perry Lowe, Cynthia Meyer and Kevin Plunkett voted in favor of the ordinance, while Mayor Pro Tem John Kirkland and council member Kerry Fossler opposed.
During the meeting, Kirkland raised concerns about the ordinance’s grandfather clause and whether it could affect people with pending, unresolved registration-related charges, while Fossler said she supported people’s right to work and recover but felt the ordinance remained “too broad of a brush” and “too targeted.”
Some context
The proposed ordinance would bar covered sex offenders from working within the same 1,000-foot buffer around places children commonly gather, including:
- Child care facilities
- Day care centers
- Parks
- Recreation centers
- Schools
- Video arcades
- Youth centers
Churches are excluded.
Diving in deeper
The restrictions would apply to Risk Level 3 offenders, Risk Level 2 offenders whose offense involved a minor, and certain offenders without a numeric risk level. Risk Level 1 offenders would not be included, according to the proposed ordinance.
The Texas Department of Public Safety categorizes registered sex offenders in three risk levels, with Level 1 being the lowest and Level 3 the highest.
Something to know
If approved, the ordinance would grandfather covered sex offenders already employed at a business as long as they stay at that location and comply with legal requirements.
The proposed ordinance also includes a case-by-case hardship exemption process.
The June 9 draft gave final authority over those requests to the police chief, but council members asked staff to revise the process to include the city manager before the ordinance returns for a second reading June 23.
