KALAMAZOO (WKZO AM/FM) — Kalamazoo City Commissioners did not take action on a revised ordinance that would have decriminalized most park rules, following three hours of public comment, most of it negative.
None of the commissioners were willing to make a motion to even discuss it, so Mayor Bobby Hopewell declared it dead.
But there is a good chance it will be back.
During the meeting Monday night, the City Attorney who drafted the ordinance Richard Cherry, admitted that he was homeless when he was a child, and said it was not his intent to discriminate against the homeless.
To the contrary is was to reduce the chance of them going to jail.
The homeless and members of the group Occupy Kalamazoo bashed the Gospel Mission, demanded more low income housing, and claimed the ordinance would make their lives more difficult.
But Commissioner and Social Work Professor Don Cooney says Kalamazoo is doing a lot more than most communities.
The ordinance changes would have decriminalized 16 park violations and clarified 6 others that would remain misdemeanors. Now that won’t take place.
All park violations remain subject to jail time.
