Ban on camping in public areas approved in Manchester

ONE POINT, THERE WAS A HEATED EXCHANGE. NOT ENOUGH. THAT IS NOT PART OF A CIVIL DISCOURSE. YOU KNOW YOU CAN’T STAY. IT’S A FACT. NOT YESTERDAY. TENSE MOMENTS DURING A PUBLIC MEETING IN MANCHESTER TUESDAY NIGHT AS THE BOARD OF ALDERMEN WEIGHED CHANGES TO ORDINANCES THAT WOULD PREVENT PEOPLE FROM CAMPING OUT ON THE STREET OR IN PARKS. WHAT THIS DOES IS IT ALLOWS EVERYBODY IN THE CITY, NOT JUST THE HOMELESS, BUT THE RESIDENTS, TO USE OUR SIDEWALKS AND TO USE OUR PARKS. EQUALLY, THE PROPOSAL TO PROHIBIT CAMPING ON STREETS AND PARKS AT ALL TIMES WAS INTRODUCED IN RESPONSE TO LAST WEEK’S SUPREME COURT RULING ALLOWING COMMUNITIES TO BAN CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY. PREVIOUSLY, MANCHESTER ONLY BANNED CAMPING IN PUBLIC AREAS BETWEEN SUNSET AND SUNRISE, AND ONLY WHEN THERE WAS SPACE AVAILABLE IN AN OVERNIGHT SHELTER. PEOPLE HAVE DONE COMMUNITY OUTREACH, SAY THE AMENDED ORDINANCE DOES NOT ADDRESS THE ROOT ISSUES OF HOMELESSNESS, BUT SUPPORTERS SAY SOMETHING HAD TO BE DONE DURING WALKS WITH MY KIDS, WE’VE ENCOUNTERED HUMAN EXCREMENT. I’VE HAD TO TEACH THEM TO BE LOOKING OUT FOR NEEDLES, NOT TO MENTION THE CRIMINALS THAT ARE LEAVING THEM. WHERE MY CHILDREN USED TO PLAY THEIR HUMANITY, THEIR WORTH AS INDIVIDUALS AND GETTING TO KNOW THEM AND FINDING THAT THE STEREOTYPES ARE JUST THAT. THEY AREN’T ALL DRUGGIES, THEY AREN’T ALL CRIMINALS. THE BOARD VOTED TO SUSPEND ITS USUAL RULES, SKIPPING OVER COMMITTEE VOTES IN ORDER TO HAVE THE BAN TAKE EFFECT IMMEDIATELY. ALL THOSE IN FAVOR? AYE. OPPOSED? OPPOSED. ALL BUT TWO MEMBERS VOTED IN FAVOR OF THE BAN. MANY PEOPLE AGAINST IT EXPRESSED CONCERNS THAT VIOLATORS COULD BE ARRESTED, BUT MAYOR JAY ROONEY SAYS THAT’S NOT THE CASE. I TRUST THE POLICE TO USE THEIR DISCRETION AND USE IT WISELY. NO ONE IS GOING TO PRISON OR JAIL AS A RESULT OF THIS. ANYONE WHO VIOLATES THE ORDINANCE COULD BE FINED UP TO $250. REPORTING LIVE IN MANCHESTER OUTSIDE