Georgetown City Council members have approved new ordinances related to homelessness, including a ban on people sitting, lying down or sleeping in public spaces downtown.
The vote Tuesday was unanimous. It came after advocates for people experiencing homelessness expressed concern during public comments about the impact of the rules.
Georgetown Police Chief Cory Tchida told council members at a meeting June 10 that his department has received numerous complaints about people and objects obstructing sidewalks downtown.
"After discussing the ramifications and the issues, we recommended some changes," he said. "I think it’s important to note that this particular ordinance [ban on sitting, lying down and sleeping] that we're recommending we change to is actually copied from the city of Austin."
"I don’t want them sleeping around the square or out in the streets, but I don’t know where they’re supposed to go at night."Michelle Augustine, Georgetown Coalition for the Unhoused
Michelle Augustine, with the Georgetown Coalition for the Unhoused, said she believes the rules do more harm than good.
"I don’t want them sleeping around the square or out in the streets, but I don’t know where they’re supposed to go at night," she said Tuesday. "There isn't a safe place. We don't have housing. We don't have transitional housing. We don't have overnight sheltering."
Tchida said there are exceptions to the rules � people can sit or lie down in the case of a medical emergency, for example, or during a parade or festival. He said the rules will also apply only to people who received a warning from law enforcement within the past 12 months.
The police chief said another new rule seeks to protect people from "aggressive panhandling."
"It is established case law that panhandling is a First Amendment protected activity, but we can ... place restrictions on it," he said at the June 10 meeting. "So this will be a 'manner restriction,' if you will, that doesn't allow someone to lawfully panhandle or solicit in a violent or threatening way."
Council members also passed an ordinance that prevents the distribution of food and supplies in public parking lots. It also bans people from stopping, standing or parking a vehicle in a publicly owned or operated parking area for more than 24 hours.
Anne Bustos, a volunteer with Helping Hands of Georgetown, said every town has residents who are homeless and hungry and "it's our responsibility to try to address that."
Her group hands out free lunches every Monday through Thursday in the parking lot outside the library. Now, it will have to stop.
"What bewilders me, or surprises me, is homeless people do sort of come out of the woodwork. They know it's 3 o'clock, it's time to come and eat, and once they get their sandwiches ... they're gone," she said. "So we're only there six hours on that public property a week, handing out food and truly feeding truly homeless people who are our neighbors."
Bustos said her group is trying to find a new place to hand out lunches.
"Instead of dismantling Helping Hands, Georgetown should be working alongside Helping Hands to make all Georgetown residents have purpose," she said.
