The Pensacola City Council will be discussing a proposed ordinance this afternoon aimed at “aggressive†panhandling. It is the final proposal in a collection of proposed ordinances that critics charge will “criminalize†homelessness.
The first three proposals—addressing ‘camping,’ various activities in public restrooms and public urination and defecation, respectively—have already survived a first reading. This fourth proposal lags behind because council wanted more time to consider it.
In an email this morning, Councilwoman Sherri Myers has suggested tabling the proposal. She is requesting additional information from the city administration.
Myers runs down the requests in her email:
Request the Mayor provide to council the following information.
For the year May 2012 to May 2013, documentation from the City of Pensacola Police Department calls and responses to the downtown area regarding persons who engaged in the acts described in the proposed ordinance. Produce a summary of the dispatch calls, incident reports and any other data which will document the need for the Panhandling ordinance.
For the same period, the number of calls regarding nuisance, noise, disorderly conduct, public drunkenness, or any other criminal conduct in the downtown, Palafox area.
Request from Mr. Reynolds, as the Mayor’s “designeeâ€, the studies the ordinance refers to in paragraph (d) (e) (f). Request any similar studies that have been conducted on the City of Pensacola.
Request from the Pensacola Police Department any documentation regarding the “criminal activities†Mr. Reynolds says he has witnessed the including any documentation regarding an alleged event occurring on December 10, 2012 and set forth in a letter to the Mayor and attached in a December 26th e-mail from Mr. Reynolds to Council.
Proof that specific streets in the downtown CRA area meet the federal or state definition of “Arterial roadway†as set forth in the ordinance as to the amount of traffic volume, long trip length and high operating speed. Ask the Mayor’s office to provide council with a list of streets in the City of Pensacola that meet the definition.
Request from the Mayor why the CRA district is provided a higher level of protection from “aggressive panhandling†that any other area of the City including the city’s primary business core (Uptown).
Request the Mayor’s office identify with specificity as regards Sec. 6 (d) which roads in the CRA district are “arterial roadsâ€.
Request the Mayor’s office provide a list of all resources for homeless persons.
Request the Mayor’s office provide detail plans for improving and funding resources for the homeless in the City limits.
The city council meets for its Committee of the Whole today at 3:15 p.m at Pensacola City Council. The first three ‘homeless’ ordinances receive a second, and final reading Thursday.