Aaron Holland, 22, of Reno, Nevada, panhandles near the intersection of Louisiana Avenue and Chamber Way in Chehalis on Monday afternoon. Holland said he and his boyfriend has been in the area for two days looking for a job.
The Chehalis City Council on Monday night passed an ordinance that prohibits panhandling in the city’s busiest retail district.
The action comes after members of the city council received numerous complaints from citizens of the “serious public harm caused by panhandlers and person(s) engaged in coercive and aggressive solicitation,” according to city documents.
Approved on second and final reading, the ordinance will essentially prohibit panhandling on Louisiana Avenue from Kmart to I-5 Toyota (within 300 feet of the entrance of any present or future businesses between the 1200 block and 2100 block of Louisiana Avenue and any on Arkansas Way); within 300 feet of the Chamber Way and National Avenue intersection, down to the Chamber Way and Louisiana Avenue intersection; on all of the city’s highway on- and off-ramps; within 25 feet of any business entrance (unless they’ve been given permission); directed at a person’s parked car or anyone getting into or out of their car; and at night.
The ordinance was passed unanimously by Mayor Dennis Dawes and councilors Isaac Pope, Bob Spahr, Daryl Lund and Terry Harris. Councilors Tony Ketchum and Chad Taylor were absent.
Several of the councilors expressed concerns over panhandlers intimidating people as they were loading or unloading their cars.
“You’re a lady or man loading your car with groceries at night and to have somebody come up to you — it’s gotta be intimidating,” Councilor Bob Spahr said.
“I almost hit a guy,” Councilor Isaac Pope said. “He walked up behind me and I turned and there he was right in my face.”
Dawes expressed concern that the panhandlers might just move to another area. Chehalis Police Chief Glenn Schaffer said the ordinance had to be specific because panhandling is a constitutionally-protected behavior and it cannot be banned outright in the city. City Attorney Bill Hillier reminded the council that the ordinance can be modified in the future.
“The problem we have now is if they come within 25 feet of you the people can’t do anything about it,” Spahr said. “...It’s not going to stop people from doing that kind of thing but it gives us a little teeth (so) we can stop them if we catch them.”
It also bans “coercive solicitation” which is defined as “persistent, encroaching, false or threatening manner of asking, begging, requesting or pleading made in person, orally or in a written or printed manner…” anywhere within the city limits.
The penalties would start as a civil infraction punishable with fines of up to $250. The second infractions, as well as any additional instances, would be a misdemeanor punishable with by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or up to 90 days in jail. The ordinance will be effective as of Sept. 2.
Schaffer drafted the ordinance similar to the one passed by the city of Centralia last year. According to city documents, Chehalis has seen an increase in panhandlers and an increase in the number of complaints from business owners and patrons. The documents also say the panhandlers are a traffic hazard while standing in the driveways and along the roadways and leave litter along the road.
By passing the ordinance, city officials claim they will provide the city with a means to combat coercive and aggressive panhandling, protect business owners from unwanted activity near their businesses, reduce traffic hazards in congested areas and still provide leeway for peaceful panhandling in non-congested parts of town.
Centralia’s ordinance prohibits panhandling at on- and off-ramps, certain busy intersections, ATMs and fuel pumps, and bans aggressive begging.
The ordinance was passed on first reading at the Aug. 10 city council meeting. The issue was first brought to discussion by Councilor Chad Taylor during the May 26 council meeting and brought up again in June.
