GREENSBORO, N.C. — The Greensboro City Council voted to repeal and replace its ordinance regulating panhandling in the city during a meeting Tuesday night.
The council expressed concern that the current panhandling and soliciting ordinance, referred to as Chapter 20, unfairly targeted homeless people.
The motion to repeal and replace the existing ordinance was moved by city council members after a vigorous debate during the presentation of the city attorney, Tom Carruthers' recommendations. The presentation was made at the council's work session Tuesday afternoon, ahead of a formal meeting Tuesday night.
The decision to scrutinize the city's Chapter 20 ordinance stems from a supreme court ruling which now requires cities to review the wording of ordinances which govern and regulate panhandling. The city attorney has recommended that the new ordinance should govern how people panhandle and solicit and not a quasi-prohibition or restriction of the act of panhandling itself. He recommended that the new ordinance instruct that panhandlers cannot be aggressive, abusive or interfere with public safety.
We've all been there before. Walking down the street, stopped at a red light, when someone holding a sign asks you for money.
Unlike the old ordinance, which gave preference to charitable organizations, this new language will be void of bias and will cover any organization. For example, the same way representatives of a church, charity initiative or a fire department can ask for funds should be the same way anyone can solicit for the funds.
"We really don't want poor people to suffer at the expense of the justices system when they are simply sometimes just trying to survive," said Councilwoman Sharon Hightower.
Earlier in the day, members of the newly formed Homeless Union of Greensboro convened a press conference to express their displeasure with the ordinance. Some of those present said the current panhandling law criminalizes the poor and want the city to set up a commission to address poverty. Members of the union were present at the city council work session. The spokesperson for the group said the changes were still inadequate.
"It gives the police a broad sweeping tool to push poor and homeless people out of public spaces and that's all that panhandling laws have been about and we won't stand for it," said Marcus Hyde of the Homeless Union of Greensboro.
The new ordinance will not require a panhandling permit or a criminal background check in the City of Greensboro.
Some council members indicated that there would be a need for continued scrutiny throughout the process of creating a final ordinance to avoid duplicating other existing laws or running afoul of constitutional rights.