Some new amendments have been introduced to strengthen provisions of the city’s Panhandling and Public Behaviors Bylaw.
Bylaw amendments were introduced Monday to tighten up the panhandling bylaw in order to discourage unwanted behaviour downtown.
The bylaw amendments increase the distance in front of certain locations where persons are not allowed to panhandle, from 10 metres under the existing bylaw to 100 metres.
Those places designated under the existing bylaw are doorways to banks, credit unions or trust companies, ATMs, bus stops, bus shelters, doorways to liquor stores or beer and wine stories, and pay telephones. Under the bylaw amendments, three more locations are being added to this list: pawn shops, quick cash locations and any business with a licence from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority.
The rationale for the changes, according to Mayor Ryan Bater, is to encourage greater safety.
“There were parts of the downtown that were not within the existing bylaw,” said Bater. “This is meant to enhance the scope so our community safety team can appropriately deal with those.”
With 101st Street re-opening soon, city manager Jim Puffalt said, the city is looking to increase the presence downtown of RCMP and community safety officers with joint foot patrols. Tickets will be issued for panhandling and other improper behavior, he said.
Addressing panhandling is a complicated issue for council as cities cannot eliminate the activity completely, due to the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
“Panhandling cannot be prohibited,” said Puffalt, but you “can put regulations around it.”
But while bylaw amendments were introduced Monday night, it was not smooth sailing.
Councillor Kent Lindgren voted against both first and second reading and then voted against unanimous consent for third reading, along with Councillor Don Buglas. This means the bylaw will need to come back at the next meeting for final ratification.
In announcing his no vote, Lindgren made it known he believed a different approach was needed.
“I don’t see a panhandling bylaw as a best response to the issues that we see in our community,” said Lindgren.
“There’s people in our community who have every right to be in our community. To me, this goes against really good governance of people in our community.”
In speaking after the meeting, Mayor Ryan Bater did not seem bothered by Lindgren’s position, saying “good public policy has good debate.”
