Pueblo council members vote on sit-lie ordinance in downtown

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) - A big item on Pueblo's city council Monday night agenda is the adoption of a sit-lie ordinance in the greater downtown area.

The ordinance prohibits people from sitting or lying down in public right-of-ways in the downtown business area during regular business hours.

A similar ordinance was proposed and defeated back in 2022.

As of 9:45 p.m. on Monday, the council was still in session and had not yet gotten to the ordinance.

Downtown business owners tell KRDO13 that after several altercations with people lying outside their businesses, they're really hoping the city adopts the new law.

Asia Thompson-Chavez is the owner of Cakes Plus and says she has to run off people sitting or lying outside of her downtown Pueblo business, "Typically, when we ask them to move, they will, and usually with no problems."

"Unfortunately, we can't keep them from doing anything. Really, truly, but if we could keep them as far away from our door as possible, from our business hours, I think that's all I ask," Asia said.

Asia says she's in favor of the ordinance to prohibit persons from sitting or lying down in public right-of-ways in the downtown business area during regular business hours.

"That would help our business so much and so many of us down here, too. For us personally, we do experience people lying and sitting in front of our doorway,s and that prevents our customers from coming in entirely," Asia said.

However, while Asia believes the ordinance is a step in the right direction, she doesn't see it as a solution to the much bigger problem. "They need help more than they need like put in jail. So, if we could lean more towards the actual helping of them and not just telling them to move along, I think that would help our city drastically."

Council member Joe Latino is the sponsor of the new sit lie ordinance. 

He says he's heard from a lot of business owners, and he's concerned with the steady uptick in vandalism in the downtown area. 

If passed by cthe ouncil, those who violate the sit-lie ordinance could be fined up to $200.