DAVIS-
After receiving numerous fines for her sons’ basketball hoop, Jennifer Chapman is asking the Davis city council for a change to the municipal code language regarding them.
“I feel that it needs to be specified in our municipal code, right now basketball hoops just fall under the category of merchandise, so right now it’s very vague,” Chapman said the fines can add up. “It started at a hundred, if you didn’t move it it went to 200 and then up to 500.”
Fortunately, Chapman said she’s been able to work out a deal with Davis Police.
“Now they say as long as it’s not blocking the storm gutter and isn’t on the sidewalk and is in good repair, and frequently used, we could have the hoop up,” Chapman said.
But she feels the city should change the language officially, which is why she brought the idea to the city council this week.
Now, Chapman said it is reviewing the municipal code.
One issue Chapman said opponents of changing the code have is the hoops can impact parking.
But in her neighborhood that’s not a problem, and there’s plenty of parking.
Chapman also said her kids have tried to play with their hoop off the street but it’s not the same.
“In this neighborhood all the driveways are on a slant, and it’s really hard to really play ball,” she said.
Chapman said as strange as it sounds, she feels safer about having the hoop on the street.
“Kids at this age don’t have the inclination to stop, and they’ll just run after their ball. But when they’re in the streets they really are looking out for each other,” she told FOX40. “And when they see a car a block away they yell car and they all disperse.”
