Foster-care ordinance defeated

SOUTH JORDAN — A proposed city ordinance requiring foster families to register annually with police and limiting the number of free emergency calls they can make was defeated Tuesday night without a vote of the City Council.

The proposed ordinance was pulled from the agenda at the start of the South Jordan City Council meeting to allow the city to work with state foster care agencies to address problems city officials say they're having with some foster families making "excessive" calls for emergency services.

City manager Ricky Horst said media reports about the ordinance "prompted a renewed dialogue" with state foster-care representatives and brought to light an issue that "needs legitimate attention."

"We now feel we have an appropriate venue for dialogue to reach resolution to the concerns whereby all of us may further and better work with our foster community," Horst said.

The ordinance was drafted, city officials say, because calls from foster care providers to the police and fire departments have resulted in an "unreasonable expense" and workload for the city.

By creating a registry, city officials said they would be able to monitor foster parents and make sure they partially reimburse the city for "excessive" emergency calls. The ordinance called for a $100 per-call fee to be assessed if more than three emergency calls were made from a foster home in a 12-month period.

State foster care officials and some South Jordan residents were upset that such an ordinance was being considered, calling it unfair and discriminatory.

Mike Hamblin, who represented the Utah Foster Care Foundation at Tuesday's meeting, said the ordinance was "overkill."

"If there are problems with some of the (foster) families or individuals who are overutilizing some of the emergency services, I understand that needs to be addressed," said Hamblin, the foundation's Salt Lake Valley area representative. "I don't see that as being an issue with most of the families. I think it's more appropriate to identify who has the actual need versus targeting a whole population."

Horst said discussions with foster care agencies and other concerned parties will take place "over the next several months."

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