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.”
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