I.C. City Council to discuss downtown anti-panhandling measures

Panhandlers in downtown Iowa City may be pushed farther away from storefronts and see donations go into old parking meters rather than their hands.

City staff have unveiled several anti-panhandling measures, which the City Council will discuss on Monday and vote on on Tuesday. The council also will consider banning smoking in the Pedestrian Mall.

The proposals include taking nine out-of-service parking meters, painting them purple and encouraging people to donate to them instead of panhandlers. The money would go to organizations that help the needy.

A proposed ordinance also would ban soliciting for money in the Pedestrian Mall, except for a small strip running through the middle of much of the area, and within 20 feet of an ATM and 10 feet of a mobile vendor.

In the downtown outside of the Ped Mall, solicitations would be banned within 10 feet of a building and within 15 feet of crosswalks and other solicitors.

The city currently prohibits asking for money within 10 feet of downtown building entrances, sidewalk cafes, the playground and mobile vendors. But business owners say panhandlers continue to scare away potential customers and asked the city to expand those rules.

Council members last month expressed support for a meter donation program, which has been tried in other communities nationwide.

The city would start with nine meters, focusing on the Ped Mall and Washington Street.

If the council gives final approval, the program probably would start as soon as the meters could be installed, said Wendy Ford, the city's economic development coordinator. It's not known how much money the meters could bring in, but other communities have generated more money by having organizations sponsor meters, she said - something Iowa City would consider.

The meters would include a message saying what they are for, and brochures would be made saying that donating to the meters can better help those in need than giving to panhandlers who may use the money to buy alcohol or drugs.