Amarillo council to weigh 1,000-foot sex-offender residency proposal

Amarillo City Council is scheduled to consider a first reading Nov. 17 of a proposal that, according to the agenda caption, would bar covered sex-offender registrants from living within 1,000 feet of property where children assemble or gather. The caption also describes a ban on renting or leasing residential housing to covered registrants, affirmative defenses and a process to request a variance.

Does the agenda item change current rules? No. It is a proposed ordinance, and no council vote has occurred; the scheduled first reading alone puts no new restriction into effect. If adopted, the measure could affect covered registrants and residential landlords.

The item’s identifying numbers and supporting text are inconsistent: the city’s Oct. 28 agenda planner lists No. 8281, while Amarillo Ledger reports the later agenda lists No. 8282 and the attached draft is labeled No. 8279. The draft also contains other inconsistencies, so the agenda caption provides only a high-level account; the proposal’s complete coverage and terms cannot be treated as settled. The council’s decision remains pending.