(July 9, 2008)

ALICE-- Alice skateboarders are upset about a city law that won't allow them to skate in the city. After several were given tickets and lost their skateboards, now City Council leaders will hold a meeting to possibly change the law.

The city of Alice has an ordinance banning skateboarding on city streets and sidewalks. If skateboarders violated the law, they'll get a ticket and have their skateboards seized.

Now because of some recents complaints, police have started patrolling the city, looking teens breaking the law for their safety and to protect businesses.

"Of course, we also have to be considerate to the merchants where they complain about damage being done to the rails, their sidewalks and their ramps," said Alice Police Chief Danny Bueno.

For now, Anderson Park is the only place they can skate.

"But the sidewalk, that's just retarded," said Justin Johnson, a teen skateboarder, who has been given a ticket and had his $100 skateboard confiscated. "They should let us skate on the sidewalks."

The skateboard law was passed in 1986, which was more than 20 years ago. On Thursday night, city leaders will consider changing the ordinance.

"Allowing and making it legal for these young folks and anyone to partake in any of these activities, (like skateboarding) on city sidewalks," said Shane Valverde, Alice City Councilman.

City leaders also plan to build a 17,000 square foot Skate Plaza at Anderson Park by next January.

"They don't want to be breaking the law anymore than anyone else, but the fact is they don't have anywhere to do it," Councilman Valverde said. "So we are going to do that for them."

"If they build a skatepark , there will be less destruction and graffiti," Johnson said.

For skateboarders, these changes are something they'll be looking forwarding to seeing in the future.

--Manuel De La Rosa, Area 3 News, mdelarosa@kiiitv.com