AFTER A GROUP of skateboarders protested a bill before City Council Thursday, the lawmakers opted to hold off.
The bill, sponsored by Councilman David Oh on behalf of the Nutter administration, would expand the city's ban on skateboarding, biking and rollerblading on public property, and would increase penalties. Under the measure, damage to public artwork would be added as an offense. Violators could face up to a $2,000 fine and 90 days in jail.
The skateboarders were concerned about the tough penalties and questioned the definiton of artwork. Robert Williams, a Temple University student, told Council that the bill was "unclear and unreasonable. It does not define what [artwork] encompasses. Any slab of concrete could be construed as artwork."
