Hampton ponders enacting curfew for Homecoming week; public meeting set

HAMPTON – High school football is over, and next season is a distant thought for some, except for public officials in Hampton who want to put a stop to vandalous behavior by minors.

At a city council work session held this week, Hampton Mayor Brook Boehmler updated the Council on recent efforts by the City to reach out to work collectively with Hampton-Dumont School District administrators to develop a plan to curb unruly behaviors during future homecoming events.

According to meeting minutes, in recent meetings between the City and Hampton-Dumont administrators, the agreed upon goal was to eliminate the negative and destructive behavior and to replace it with positive activities that will be inviting to H-D alumni and the entire community to celebrate the homecoming events in a positive light.

To accomplish this goal it has been determined that a temporary curfew for minors under the age of 18 is necessary, and law enforcement will be issuing tickets to individuals or groups who are breaking the law. Fines for tickets could be approximately $100.

Joel Heuer, H-D Liaison Officer, addressed the Council with his input and how he and the H-D staff could assist in eliminating some of the destructive behaviors.

A meeting is scheduled for December 17, 2014, at 5:30 PM, in City Council Chambers to further discuss this matter. H-D students, faculty, administrators, parents and the general public are invited to this meeting to share their ideas for moving forward in a positive manner.