Georgetown council hears mixed feedback on ordinances affecting unhoused community

“I see a lot of issues that you guys are concerned about, and I understand the need to do something, but I believe we have a better way,” coalition member Dwight Richter said.

District 1 council member Amanda Parr, who represents a portion of downtown Georgetown, said she's happy to see the community coming together on this topic but believes in enacting the ordinances.

“These could be revisited in the future if you all have other solutions, but at this time, I think that these short-term measures are important,” Parr said.

The five ordinances will require a second vote at a future City Council meeting before changes go into effect.

A closer look

Georgetown Police Chief Cory Tchida said the ordinance change that would make it unlawful to sit or lay down on public property only applies in the downtown overlay district and to people who received a warning from law enforcement within the past 12 months.

“This particular ordinance ... is actually copied from the city of Austin,” Tchida said. “They also had significant issues with this in their downtown area.”

While the city has an existing ordinance relating to sleeping in public, it only applies from 10 p.m.-7 a.m., Tchida said. According to city documents, the ordinance has six exemptions, including someone laying down due to a medical emergency, viewing a festival or waiting in line for services.

Tchida said the police department is not suggesting the ordinances will fix the homeless and unhoused situation in Georgetown, but they will instead serve as a tool for law enforcement to handle “recalcitrant," or uncooperative, people.

Tchida first presented the ordinances during a March 11 City Council workshop, where he said the Georgetown Police Department has regularly handled issues with individuals and objects obstructing public sidewalks, walkways, streets and other property.

Additionally, a parking ordinance amendment would prevent people from distributing food or materials in publicly owned or operated parking lots unless otherwise noted by law, an act community members said a local nonprofit relies on to distribute food to people experiencing homelessness.

What they’re saying

Four people spoke in favor of the ordinance relating to laying down or sitting in public, while seven people spoke against it. The ordinance also addresses aggressive panhandling in public streets and medians, per city documents.

After having unexpected costly maintenance issues with his vehicle, one public speaker said he now lives out of his car in the Georgetown area and is unable to drive home. He spoke against the ordinance, saying that there’s often a lack of compassion shown to people in the unhoused community.

Georgetown resident Kathy Bond said she works with the unhoused community on a weekly basis and disagrees with the prohibitive sitting section of the ordinance since it will affect a small portion of the population.

“We do say that Georgetown is the most welcome,” Bond said. “But it does appear that we do tend to welcome land owners and business owners and not people ... struggling and stuck in our city.”

Jennifer Powell lives near Edwards Park in downtown Georgetown, an area people experiencing homelessness frequently sleep in, and said she’s concerned about the unintended consequences of the ordinance amendment. Powell asked if it could be revised to include the historic overlay and nearby neighborhoods.

“Where are these people going to go?” Powell asked council members. “Is it going to push people out into the residential area, into the park systems, that much more?”

On the other hand

Downtown Georgetown Association President Tammey Stokley advocated in favor of Tchida’s ordinance amendments. With the historic district home to over 200 small businesses, shops, restaurants and service providers, Stokley said the ordinances are necessary for maintaining safety and accessibility.

“Unfortunately, we have seen a noticeable increase in concerns tied to public safety ... directly impacting foot traffic, customer comfort, employee safety and the overall perception of our downtown Georgetown,” Stokley said.

Georgetown resident Joshua Oglesby said he was in favor of the ordinance, but suggested the city consider shelter options, better police funding, additional Crisis Intervention Team personnel or a homeless task force committee.

“I think that if someone's aggressive, they need to be dealt with. I think if someone is sleeping in a public park, they need to be talked to,” Oglesby said. “But at the end of the day, I think this is only the beginning.”

One more thing

During the meeting, the parking ordinance received five public comments opposed and none in favor.

Georgetown Coalition for the Unhoused member Michelle Augustine said amending the ordinance would prevent the Helping Hands of Georgetown nonprofit from parking at the Georgetown Public Library to distribute weekly lunches to unhoused people and low-income families each week, which it has done since 2016.

“We'd like to collaborate with the city. We'd like to work with you,” Augustine said. “We have volunteers who are ready to address homelessness. Tell us what you need.”

Bond said community members should be fostering relationships and building trust with people experiencing homelessness to better understand their needs.

“I love this town,” Bond said. “I'm proud of it, but I am disappointed that we're not willing to care for those in need.”

The parking amendment would also update no parking zones, expand the downtown parking zone and more.

Also on the agenda

The three remaining ordinance amendments council members gave initial approval to June 10 relate to:

• Solicitor and peddler permit exemptions
• Noise control exemptions
• Park hours and amenities