Wichita City Manager Robert Layton says two ordinances are being developed in response to a recent U.S. Supreme Court ruling that gives cities more authority to remove homeless encampments.
The Supreme Court ruled in June that cities can ban people from sleeping and camping in public places. Layton said the ordinances being drafted will address notification issues and time frames, along with definitions of items that would be defined as valuables. He said staff has been working on the second or third draft of the ordinances and it’s not known when they will be ready for consideration by the City Council.
The City Council heard concerns Tuesday from a citizen about homeless encampments and trash along the Arkansas River, urging the city to take action. Vice mayor Maggie Ballard said the city has not used enforcement measures because shelter space is not available, and that’s why the Multi-Agency Center that is being developed will be important. The city is planning to convert the former Park Elementary School at 1025 North Main into an emergency shelter this winter, and next year it will become a Multi-Agency Center with programs and services.
City Council member Mike Hoheisel said a new police recruiting class will allow the city to beef up its Homeless Outreach Teams in the next couple of months, and the city has been working with Sedgwick County’s COMCARE agency to provide services. He also called attention to the regional mental health hospital that Sedgwick County is developing at MacArthur and Meridian in a partnership with the State of Kansas. Hoheisel said when the Multi Agency Center is open the city will focus more on enforcement.
