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By Anita Varghese
Special to The Lookout
May 10 -- Leaving food, clothing and other property
for homeless people in city parks, adjacent sidewalks and
parkways will soon be prohibited under a new law approved
by the Santa Monica City Council Tuesday.
The move comes after City staff noticed more people in recent
years donating food and clothing to the homeless by leaving
those items in city parks and walking away. At times, large
amounts of catered food from private parties have been left
in city parks for the homeless to pick up, staff said.
Despite reservations by at least one council member, the
law was approved unanimously
“So I guess it is okay to leave a picnic basket on
your friend’s front step North of Montana, but not okay
to leave food for the poor in the parks?” asked City
Councilman Kevin McKeown.
“I am uncomfortable with this, but it is the right
thing to do,” he said before voting for the ordinance.
“There are places like OPCC that will store and serve
food and clothing. I think it is humane to implement this
ordinance, so long as we do it in conjunction with an education
program.”
While the ordinance will add a new section and misdemeanor
violation to the Parks Maintenance Code prohibiting the practice
of leaving items in parks and walking away, it does not bar
physically handing items directly to a homeless person.
According to City staff, food that is not refrigerated can
become contaminated, endangering the health of those who eat
it, and encourages rodent and other types of infestations.
Leaving behind food, as well as clothing and blankets, detracts
from the park’s beauty, can interfere with recreational
activities and can obstruct the work of maintenance crews.
“The reason we are recommending this is that the practice
of leaving donated food in the parks is damaging to the park
environment,” said City Attorney Marsha Moutrie, whose
office, along with Community Cultural Services (CSS), recommended
the ordinance.
A new ordinance is necessary, Moutrie said, because the only
other City law that comes close to prohibiting this kind of
activity is a littering law.
“This is not littering,” Moutrie said. “Littering
depends on intent. The intent of just discarding a piece of
trash is much different than leaving food and clothing in
the park for people, which can be seen as a charitable act.”
City staff will return to the council with additional recommendations
on how to communicate to the public and assist in finding
other ways to donate to the homeless, such as giving to nonprofit
organizations.
Council also directed staff to ensure that the new law is
posted on park signs and suggested that they consider signage
informing the public on how to make donations.
Community activist Jerry Rubin testified against the new
law.
“I never realized there were throngs of people coming
with food and clothing and leaving them for the homeless,”
he told the council. “There are people who are hungry
at certain moments and cold at certain moments.
“There should be something done than an outright ban
with no other compassionate alternatives in place.”
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