The Ellsworth Village Board approved a new ordinance that targets sex offenders in transit within the village.

Village Attorney Robert Loberg said the new ordinance will help the Ellsworth Police Department with a current problem with a person in the village.

“He’s dealing with a unique problem,” Loberg said of Police Chief Eric Ludwig. “This is tightening (village ordinances) in that we’re trying to get a better definition of that which we’re prohibiting.”

The new ordinance reads: “The Sex Offender is within a motor vehicle in transit. The phrase ‘in transit means operating a motor vehicle, or being a passenger in a motor vehicle, operating at the speed limit for the streets traveled and taking the most reasonable direct route from the point of beginning (normally a residence or the last place visited by the Sex Offender for a reasonably purposeful activity) to a destination at which the Sex Offender will engage in reasonably purposeful activity. ‘At the speed limit’ means operating not less than five miles per hour less than the speed limit, nor over the speed limit, except where to do so would constitute reckless driving having due consideration for traffic hazards as they may exist. ‘Reasonably purposeful activity’ is activity relating directly to employment, appointments for professional services, shopping or visiting friends or relatives. The most ‘reasonably direct route’ is the route which avoids being within 250 feet of a Child Safety Zone. Where complete avoidance of a Child Safety Zone is not possible then encroachment of the Child Safety Zone by the vehicle in transit must be the most minimal encroachment possible. When in transit the motor vehicle may not stop nor may its speed be slowed (other than to obey traffic codes) in the vicinity of any Child Safety Zone.’” In essence, if a sex offender is driving village streets, their vehicle must be going the speed limit and can’t slow down.

Trustee Neil Gulbranson said that current village ordinance has made it difficult for such people to reside in the village.

“I know for a fact because of our ordinance, a person couldn’t find a place to live,” he said. “This person moved on.”