No Camping Ordinance Passes First Vote
COLORADO SPRINGS — City Council has passed the first vote in eliminating tent cities in Colorado Springs.
During a meeting Tuesday afternoon, council voted 8-1 to pass a ban on camping within city limits. The vote came after hours of testimony both in favor of the ban and against it.
“Running out the homeless out of this city and even the county is not a solution,” said one person against the ban. “It does not end homelessness.”
Doug Bruce says the ban should be rewritten before council makes a decision.
“If there is no bed available, no citation will be issued,” he said reading from the proposal. “what kind of a criminal code is that? That is absurd on it’s face. They either committed a crime or they didn’t.”
The only member of city council voting against the ban was Tom Gallagher who said the decision is personal.
“This a personal issue for me. I started under a hole in a bridge under Colorado Ave. and I-25. I came dangerously close to buying a tent along a creek.”
The vote came on the first reading of the bill. City Council could still request up to three readings before making a final vote.
