Panhandling Ordinance (An email from the Economic Development Director for Downtown)
The Salt Lake City Council held a public hearing on November 16th for the proposed Commercial Solicitation (panhandling) ordinance. The turnout at the public hearing was overwhelmingly against the passage of the ordinance. The Downtown Alliance and the Downtown Merchants Association were the only organizations that spoke in favor of the ordinance.
It is very important that the City Council hear from residents and business owners in Salt Lake City about problems associated with aggressive or assertive panhandling. The ordinance does not ban panhandling, but limits assertive panhandling and places restrictions at TRAX stops, at night, at ATMs and in other places where a reasonable person would feel threatened by a panhandler. We strongly urge you to contact your City Council member and urge them to vote in favor of the commercial solicitation ordinance. The City Council will be discussing this item at the next City Council meeting to be held on December 7, at 7:00 p.m. at the City and County Building. Please plan to attend this meeting to make sure your voice is heard during the general comments period.
If you are unable to attend the meeting, please contact your city council member by phone. A link to the City Council website is here: http://www.slcgov.com/council/pages/CouncilContactInfo.htm or you may submit your comments via a comment form at http://apps.slcgov.com/general/absolutefp/councilAll.htm (you will need to select “panhandling” in the drop down menu).
The Downtown Alliance worked very closely with social service organizations in the downtown, residents, business leaders, Mayor Ralph Becker’s administration and law enforcement when advocating for a panhandling ordinance in Salt Lake City. In conjunction with the proposed panhandling ordinance, the Downtown Alliance launched a public education campaign urging people to give to reputable homeless service providers rather than to panhandlers.
For additional information on the panhandling ordinance, please visit endpandhandling.com, an educational website developed by the Downtown Alliance as part of that campaign. Please also consider making a generous donation of time, goods, services or money to a legitimate social service organization including the Salt Lake Mission, Catholic Community Services, Volunteers of America, The Road Home, Family Promise and the Salvation Army. There are well organized, strategic resources in our community to help people who find themselves in need, but they can’t succeed without your support. The best way to make a difference is to help build on the good work of these organizations.