Downtown Pueblo merchants ask what’s next after City Council’s rejection of proposed ‘Sit-Lie’ ordinance

PUEBLO, Colo. (KRDO) -- City leaders and business owners are looking for more solutions to the issue of transients and people experiencing homelessness downtown after a proposed City Council ordinance was denied by a 4-3 vote this week.

The so-called "Sit-Lie" ordinance would have covered the downtown commercial district and banned sleeping, sitting or lying down on sidewalks or other public access areas in front of businesses during business hours.

Colorado Springs enacted a similar ordinance in 2016 and expanded its boundaries earlier this year; however, the Pueblo proposal was modeled after a similar idea in Durango.

Several merchants spoke for and against Pueblo's proposal at Monday's City Council meeting followed by considerable Council discussion and the vote around 10:30 p.m.

Councilwoman Regina Maestri spoke for many business owners frustrated with people who congregate at or near store entrances, asking customers for money and discouraging customers from entering.

"There's one thing about being homeless," she said. "There's another thing about being disrespectful to other people's property with defecation, trespassing, littering."

Councilman Larry Atencio, in opposing the measure, said that he doesn't want to criminalize people who may experience homelessness through no fault of their own.

"This ordinance doesn't help anything," he said. "It doesn't do anything to solve the problem. Our abject failure when it comes to these issues is abhorrent."

An unidentified business owner expressed her disappointment at the vote.

"I don't feel safe at night," she said. "(Transients) are walking around at night, you can't see them. If I hit them with my car in the street, then it's my fault. It seems like they have more rights than we do. What's happening here in Pueblo is absolutely insane."

Ryan Cambo, general manager of Brues Alehouse, said that he has sympathy for transients and people experiencing homelessness -- but he was still in favor of the ordinance.

"Not in any fashion to criminalize these folks for being in the position they're in, but being in favor of it in the sense of maybe (in) passing this, we could find a way as a community to help relocate these folks."

Cambo said that the popular brewery and restaurant has had fewer issues since more gates around the business were installed.

There's mixed feelings about whether four police officers assigned to patrol the district, and private security along the Riverwalk and in other district areas, are effective in reducing the problem.

Chena Montes, co-owner of Papa Jose's Mexican Cafe, said that she and her husband use tough love to respond to almost daily visits by transients and people experiencing homelessness.

"We tell them that we'll be happy to feed them, but they have to leave," she explained. "A lot of times, they stay and loiter and want to sit down at the tables, and ask our customers for money. We can't have a situation where they're making our customers feel uncomfortable."

Members of the Pueblo Downtown Association said that they aren't ready to comment publicly on the matter but are planning a special board meeting to discuss options.

"We're all waiting for the next step," Montes said. "But no one's sure what it is, or when we'll see it."

Sonya Ashcraft, 38, is currently staying in a shelter and is glad the ordinance didn't pass.

"I understand the perspective of business owners," she said. "If you look at me and make a snap judgment, I'm homeless. But there are a lot of reasons why someone may be out here. An ordinance isn't helping anyone because it doesn't take every situation into account."