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Youngstown council not ready to vote on anti-loitering ordinance
YOUNGSTOWN
City council members postponed a vote to make it illegal to sit, lie down or loiter on downtown sidewalks, streets or within 50 feet of a business.
Some members expressed concerns Wednesday that the proposal is too restrictive and that police officers need more training before the law is enacted.
Mayor John A. McNally, who sponsored the legislation, however, said after the meeting that police would enforce the proposal “ordinance or not.”
Council members referred the legislation to its safety committee for further discussion with a possible vote during the next full council meeting July 13.
Most council members said they support the proposal, but it needs to be discussed further and fine-tuned.
“I’m all in favor of an ordinance like this,” said Councilman Nate Pinkard, D-3rd, a retired Mill Creek MetroParks police chief.
“I think an ordinance of this nature is going to require extensive police training.”
Councilwoman Lauren McNally, D-5th, said the proposal could discourage people from coming downtown because they’ll be concerned that police will approach them while waiting for friends.
Officers aren’t going to harass or question “everyone about what they’re doing,” said police Chief Robin Lees.
McNally, Lees and Law Director Martin Hume said downtown business owners and residents are complaining about large groups of people standing outside their places of business and their apartments.
Some of the people are drinking alcohol while others are doing drugs, McNally said.
“This is directed at folks who, quite frankly, are dragging down the quality of downtown,” he said.
The ordinance states those engaging in conduct that violates this proposal for the first time will get a written warning by police and be ordered to leave.
If the person refuses to go or already has received a written warning, that person would be charged with a fourth-degree misdemeanor.
Those convicted under this proposal would be charged with a second-degree misdemeanor for additional violations.
Al Aldi, owner of Downtown Circle Convenience & Deli at 116 W. Federal St., said the loitering outside his store has gotten so bad that he had to remove exterior tables because they were being used by people who aren’t his customers.
“In the past week, I called the police 10 times,” he said.
“It’s been a problem for a while, and it’s getting worse.”
The mayor said, “Even if we don’t have the ordinance, we’ll keep people moving in the downtown area. We’re not looking to make downtown a police state, but my directive to the chief is to move people along, ordinance or not.”
Also, council declined to vote on ordinances outlining what will be permitted to be dumped into new 96-gallon garbage receptacles being distributed to the city’s 22,000 residential garbage customers and restricting the amount of trash that could be placed curbside without additional fees.
Each customer can fill the garbage bins and put up to two bulk items with the receptacle weekly.
A proposal sponsored by the mayor adds a $10 fee on customers’ water bill for exceeding that limit by up to four extra items.
Those exceeding the limit by five or more items would have $200 added to their water bills.
“I have some concerns that a $10 fine is excessive right away,” said Councilman T.J. Rodgers, D-2nd.
The city, which created its own residential garbage system May 2, will deliver the new bins to its customers by early August.
Council also postponed a vote on giving the city authority to board up a vacant structure’s doors and windows immediately.
The current law requires the city to give up to 30 days’ notice before taking that action.
Council did vote to borrow up to $5.6 million for an $8 million project to convert the city hall annex at Front and Market streets into new municipal court and clerk of courts facilities as well as the location of the city health department.
The relocation will be at the end of 2017.
The rest of the money will come from a court fee collected for years and from water and wastewater funds, said Finance Director David Bozanich.