WHEATLAND — The town of Wheatland joined a growing list of municipalities Monday with ordinances restricting where registered sex offenders can live.

The Town Board voted unanimously to adopt an ordinance to “promote, protect and improve the health, safety and welfare of all residents of the town of Wheatland” by creating buffers around locations where children regularly congregate. Registered sex offenders would be forbidden from living within those zones.

“We didn’t want to be the only spot out here without protection,” supervisor Andy Lois said.

Neighboring municipalities have adopted or are considering similar ordinances. However, it is possible all of the local regulations will be superceded by proposed state legislation. That legislation is silent on the proximity issue.

The Wheatland ordinance, nearly identical to one adopted in Somers, restricts offenders who are not returning to their home community from living within 2,500 feet of such a location, defined as a school, park, trail, playground, church or “any other” place designated by the town. It also prohibits sex offenders who are being returned to their home community from living within 500 feet of a designated child-safety location.

Exceptions are included for those who took up residence within the buffer areas prior to the passage of the ordinance.

In the “findings and intent” section of the ordinance, it states sex offenders are “a threat to the moral standards of society” and are “likely to use physical violence and to repeat their offenses.” A sex offender is defined in the ordinances as any person who is required to register as such under state statutes.

The new ordinance also includes rules for property owners who rent or lease residential space.

The penalty for violating the ordinance is a fine not to exceed $500 per day of offense, or jail time if the fine is not paid.

The village of Twin Lakes is expected to act on a similar ordinance later this month.