ZELIENOPLE — Borough council members are considering altering an ordinance that is broken by many residents in the summer: no skateboarding.

Council members Monday night discussed changing its ordinance to make it legal to skateboard in certain areas.

Chapter 213, section 1 of borough code, passed in 2003, reads: “It is hereby prohibited to use skateboards or other like instruments on any public property, including, but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, public parks, parking lots anywhere within the borough.”

The code also states that it is only permitted on private property if the skateboard operator is the owner of the property or has consent.

Since there are many people who violate the ordinance, the police only enforce it if the skateboarders are doing tricks that cause damage to property or if they get complaints, Chief Jim Miller said.

Officers can write a citation, for up to $300 per the ordinance, though they give warnings first, Miller said.

Council member Ralph Geis said that skateboarding should be allowed in some places because it is something that a lot of young people enjoy doing.

“I think it’s a great idea for our kids, instead of standing on the street corners doing absolutely nothing,” Geis said.

Council asked Miller to come up with a proposal of certain streets, sidewalks or other areas where skateboarding would be safe.

“Let’s come up with something a bit more livable and reasonable,” said Allen Bayer, council president.

Miller said that skateboarding would not be safe on the sidewalks on Main Street in the business area, but could be permitted on less-busy residential roads.

A safe, designated area for skateboarding could be built later.

A community group has been raising money, working toward a goal of $400,000, to build a skate park in the Community Park. The park would be in honor of three teenagers, Trevor Barkley, Sam Bucci and Elijah Lunsford, who died in a vehicle accident in 2010.