Distributing the facts

CSU and the city of Fort Collins will join forces to distribute

information on city codes and ordinances today during the annual

Community Welcome.

About 100 volunteers, including CSU police, students, staff and

faculty, Fort Collins police, city staff, and local residents will

team up between 6 and 9 p.m. to distribute brochures to areas of

the city with high concentrations of rental property and noise and

party complaints.

“We believe it’s important to welcome students back and let them

know we’re pleased they’re here, but we want them to know what the

community expects. By going door-to-door and providing them with

literature about laws and ordinances, it can help in facilitating

good neighbor relations and minimizing problems,” said Rita Davis,

spokeswoman for Fort Collins Police Services.

The brochures contain information on city laws unbeknownst to

many students, such as noise, trash, snow removal and parking

violations, as well as tips on building strong relationships with

neighbors.

“Sometimes when (students) move off campus, they can be

unfamiliar with city ordinances and codes and the consequences that

follow for violating them,” said Jen Johnson, community liaison

coordinator for the city of Fort Collins and CSU. “Proactively

educating them before they get caught up in fines and tickets is

really the best way to approach the situation.”

Jeannie Ortega, director of Off-Campus Student Services/Resource

for Adult Learners, said information will also be distributed to

non-student residents living in the designated neighborhoods, as it

attempts to integrate students into the community.

She said it also creates a more comfortable, open environment

between student and non-student neighbors and fosters communication

between the groups.

“If you know someone and you know they’re a good person and they

care, it’s a lot easier to resolve some of these problems at a

ground level rather than making them into bigger issue than they

are,” Ortega said. “Communication is key. This initiative is all

about encouraging people to communicate with each other so they can

live peaceably.”

The brochure also contains tips on hosting a party responsibly

and suggests informing neighbors of party plans ahead of time,

calling police to break up the party if it gets out of control and

assigning a sober “monitor” to control the situation and talk to

the police if necessary.

For students attending a party, the best thing to do if the

police arrive is to leave immediately, the brochure advises.

Similar, shorter brochures will be passed out to students in

residence halls and Apartment Life, detailing information on

parties, general city codes and ordinances, and campus and city

resources.

Students who live outside the selected door-to-door

neighborhoods or those who want additional information can visit

the Neighborhood Resources Office or Off-Campus Student Services,

200 W. Mountain Ave.

“You have to take pride and responsibility in being a part of a

community,” Ortega said. “We hope this is the first step in helping

(students) realize that.”