City Council passes compromise panhandling law

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TheAtlanta City Council approved by a vote of 14-0 a compromise ordinance thatwill allow the city to regulate aggressive panhandling across the entire city.

Keisha Lance Bottoms

Thesubstitute ordinance, which was sponsored by Council members Keisha LanceBottoms (District 11) and Michael J. Bond (Post 1 At-Large), expands thedefinition of aggressive solicitation by prohibiting someone from continuing toask for money after he or she has been told “no.”
Itrepresents a compromise between the administration and City Council after anamendment to the city’s commercial solicitation ordinance was vetoed by themayor last month. That amendment, as proposed by Councilman Bond, called for upto 180 days in jail upon conviction of a first offense for an aggressivepanhandling violation.
Underthe compromise ordinance, upon first conviction, a violator could be sentencedto the performance of up to 30 days of community service.
Asecond conviction for aggressive panhandling will require the violator to servea mandatory minimum of 30 days in jail. Upon the third or future convictions,the violator will be required to serve a mandatory minimum of 90 days in jail.
Thejudicial system would have discretion in sentencing and social services optionswill be available.

Michael Julian Bond

“Thisis not a heartless piece of legislation,” said Bottoms. “A judge will stillhave the discretion in sentencing and to make available assistance for those intrue need of social services.”
“Thislegislation protects our citizens from those wolves who—to the detriment ofthose truly in need—cloak themselves in sheep’s clothing,” said Bond. “Forthose who need it, they will be able to obtain the help and services they sodesperately require.”
Supporterssay the new legislation combines the successful elements of the city’s previouspanhandling ordinances and adds provisions that make it relevant to today’scircumstances. For example:

• Likethe 1996 and 2005 commercial solicitation laws, the pending legislation outlawsmonetary solicitation within 15 feet of locations where people feel intimidatedwhen someone asks them for money, such as at an ATM machine or at a parking lotpay box.
• Likethe 1996 but unlike the 2005 commercial solicitation laws, the pendinglegislation makes it illegal to monetarily solicit someone who is within 15feet of a building entrance or exit, or is standing in line to enter a buildingor event facility.
• Thelegislation re-defines monetary solicitation so that it applies to allcommercial solicitation performed by anyone. This ordinance does not targetspecific types of commercial solicitation performed by certain city residents.

 Thelegislation applies equally throughout the city. There are no specialprovisions for tourist areas.

C.T. Martin

Inother news, the City Council,  approvedan ordinance by Council Members C. T. Martin and Bottoms requiring bi-weeklyreports of building permit applications received and building permits issuedfor commercial development within District 11’s Cascade Heights NeighborhoodCommercial Zoning District and within any commercially zoned district withinCouncil District 10’s boundary.
TheOffice of Buildings is to make the reports to the two  City Council representatives so that they mayshare pertinent information of such development with their constituents.
Thislegislative comes on the heels of a concern that certain communities are beingoverly saturated with retail discount stores, specifically Family Dollarstores.