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Sit-Lie Ban May Return To Chico

Marc Albert

Following several hours of contentious accusations, theorizing, and finger-pointing, a tense hearing about homelessness in Chico boiled over at Tuesday'scity council meeting. 

As a decision on reimposing a local law barring people from sitting or lying down on downtown sidewalks drew near, pandemonium broke out as activists drowned out proceedings with noisy tactics borrowed from the Occupy Wall Street demonstrations of a decade ago.

But, while liberal activists grabbed headlines, conservatives owned the night, albeit narrowly. By a 4 to 3 vote, City Attorney Vince Ewing was told to draft a new version of Chico’s so-called ‘Sit-Lie’ ordinance. The new law will likely focus on the doorways of downtown businesses, and comply with a new ruling by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals prohibiting cities from enforcing sleeping bans when homeless shelters are full.

The votes came after heated confrontation in the gallery moved to the dais after Mayor Sean Morgan directed police to eject the public from council chambers following loud protest.

Members of the public were sharply divided. Speakers complaining about human excrement were answered by those demanding 24-hour restrooms. Some called for a harder line, others for a helping hand. Kasey Reynolds, operator of Schubert’s Ice Cream and Candy said her employees face random threats without provocation.

“When my 19-year-old Chico State college student asked somebody to leave the other day, held his hand up to her face and said, I can shoot you in your head right now, and nobody would miss you,” Reynolds said.

Others retorted that the homeless don’t have a monopoly on crime. Cheryl King argued for more services over more rules.

“We need mental health evaluations for the homeless people on our streets. We need shelters for them,” King said. “We do not need a sit-lie ordinance. It’s not solving anything, it’s just moving them around.”

A draft ordinance will return to the council for further debate, likely in time to raise passions during a bitter election campaign.

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