Ames law enforcement officers on Wednesday began notifying sex offenders they’ll have 60 days to change residences, after a map released by Story County officials shows much of Ames is off-limits.

Passed late last summer, a state law mandating any person who has committed a criminal, aggravated or sexually violent offense against a minor cannot live within 2,000 feet of a school or child care facility.

Marcus Baker, Story County senior planner, said most of Ames is off-limits, except areas northwest of the city near the North Ridge housing developments, and a few subdivisions southwest of U.S. Highway 30.

“There are a couple of roads that aren’t completely covered in the center of the city – it’s hit or miss on what’s covered and what’s not,” he said.

Gary Foster, chief deputy for the Story County Sheriff’s Office, could not say exactly how many residents will be displaced by the boundaries, but initial reports show more than 70 of the approximately 84 sex offenders registered with their office will be affected.

“We’ll be recontacting sex offenders, probably through a letter describing their duties and responsibilities and where they may not live,” he said. “There are very few open spots; very few streets are excluded in Ames.”

According to the Iowa Sex Offender Registry Web site, more than half of those registered in Story County reside in Ames.

Ames Police Commander Randy Kessel said at least 22 of approximately 51 will be displaced because of the proximity rule.

“We have discussed the issue with the county attorney, and we’re prepared to begin notifications,” he said. “Once they’ve been given notification by law enforcement agencies, offenders within the 2,000-foot buffer will have 60 days to relocate.”

Story County Attorney Stephen Holmes said he decided the 60-day grace period would allow most offenders time to find new residences; the exception could be those who own their property, of whom an exact count was not available. Boundaries over the ISU campus are also having an effect.

“According to records provided by the county, there is one person that will be affected by the residency law on campus,” ISU Police Capt. Gene Deisinger said. “We’ll provide that individual with information from the map and direct him to the sheriff’s office and county attorney for further residency information.”

ISU Child Care Coordinator Julia Hagen Minnihan said there are three child care facilities located on campus: 100 University Village; the Child Development Lab School, located in the Palmer Building; and another at one at 1700 Christiansen Drive, near the College of Veterinary Medicine.

Deisinger said the individual affected by the newly defined boundary is within 2,000 feet of the school in the Palmer Building. Holmes said offenders who ignore notifications and do not move could face aggravated misdemeanor charges, which can result in a five-year prison sentence and up to $5,000 in fines.

According to Chapter 692A of the Iowa Code, offenders who live within the 2,000-foot boundary before July 1, 2002, are exempt from residency violations.

Minnihan said each child care location has secure entry points and is supervised at all times. A background check is also conducted for every child care teacher and student who is employed or participates at any of the locations. Because day care facilities continually change addresses, agencies found it difficult to compile information for the map – keeping it up to date will also be challenging, Baker said. In the future, Baker said he hopes the map will be interactive and include a property search engine for county residents to find specific locations.

The map is scheduled to be available through the county’s Web site soon.