New Panhandling Laws
USG President Peter Koltak commended Columbus City Council under the leadership of Councilmember Andrew Ginther for passing Ordinance 1062-2008. Councilmember Ginther wrote the ordinance after convening a working group of community leaders, including representatives of the local business community, homeless advocates, neighborhood associations, and the Undergraduate Student Government. The ordinance was passed on December 15th, 2008 and went into effect March 15th, 2009. The new legislation makes the following changes to city code:
· Increases the distance from ATMs and financial institutions within which panhandling would be prohibited;
· Establishes a distance from public parking meters, pay parking lots and public telephones within which panhandling would be prohibited;
· Establish a similar distance from outdoor patios, café's and restaurants within which panhandling would be prohibited;
· Establishes hours of the day (sunset to sunrise) when certain types of solicitation (verbal) would be prohibited.