A council committee will decide whether to introduce legislation criminalizing certain aspects of homelessness in New Philadelphia.
In a 6-to-3 ruling earlier this summer, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld an Oregon community’s ban on sleeping outside at parks and other public places.
New Philadelphia law director Marvin Fete thinks city council would be wise to adopt something similar.
“If council is willing to consider something like that I’d be happy to help guide you through it and draft legislation to that effect. I think it’s really badly needed in our park system.”
Two individuals experiencing homelessness sued over the ban that Fete says was enacted to get people off the streets and minor misdemeanor.
“You could be cited and fined and it’s a minimum fine. It’s a minor misdemeanor. If you are a repeat offender, you could be barred from the park, in this instance, and if you violated that order then you would be subject to a trespass order.”
Councilman Mitch Pace, who’s in favor of a more wide-reaching policy applying to all public property.
The matter was assigned to the parks and cemetery committee, which hasn’t yet scheduled its next meeting.
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