JANESVILLE — The Janesville City Council on Monday voted to pass an ordinance amendment to remove homeless people from the public parking lot behind Hedberg Public Library. (AGENDA)
The motion passed 6-1 with council member Heather Miller voting no.
The ordinance amendment repeals permission to sleep in parked vehicles on the Hedberg Public Library parking lot. Read the staff memo HERE
Janesville police are expected to begin enforcing the ordinance in early September, according to a staff memo.
Now, the only option for unhoused residents to sleep overnight in their vehicles is in the city parking lot across from the police station downtown, but they would have to leave by 7:01 a.m.
Supporters of the measure said they believed the homeless population was deterring people from going to the library.
However, others at the public hearing questioned why the city hasn’t been more proactive in finding a solution to homelessness in the city, rather than simply removing them from the library lot.
Violators could be fined from $20 to $200 or jailed for no more than 60 days as set forth in Janesville city ordinance 38-258.
A companion ordinance also passed 7-0 prohibiting motor homes, campers and related vehicles on city of Janesville public parking lots, with penalties. Read the staff memo HERE.
A proposal by council member Michael Jackson to create a task force to look into possible solutions was not acted on by the council.