Kalispell proposes crackdown on panhandlers
A proposed law aimed at cracking down on panhandlers in Kalispell will be discussed tonight during a City Council work session.
The workshop, at which no formal votes can be taken, begins at 7 p.m. at Kalispell City Hall, 201 First Ave. E.
The city has gotten several complaints recently about an upswing in panhandling activity within city limits, so city staff drafted a sample ordinance that would withstand a legal challenge, City Manager Doug Russell said in a report to the council.
The new law would replace a weaker loitering ordinance now on the books with a detailed explanation of where and when panhandling would be allowed and what would constitute a violation of the ordinance.
Under the proposed ordinance, panhandling — soliciting people for immediate donations of money — would be forbidden within 20 feet of any street intersection and at bus stops. The activity also would be restricted within 20 feet of an automated teller machine or in vehicles. Solicitation also could not be done on private property unless the panhandler has permission from the property owner.
The ordinance sets parameters for how panhandlers can approach people and limits how much panhandling can be done without a permit. No one would be able to panhandle for five or more days a year without a permit issued by the police department.
The proposed law further stipulates a permit would not be granted if a person had two or more violations of the panhandling law or had been convicted of two or more offenses involving aggressive or intimidating behavior while panhandling or misleading people while panhandling.
Former Kalispell Police Chief Frank Garner, who now works as chief of security for Kalispell Regional Healthcare, wrote to current Police Chief Roger Nasset about his concerns.
“It has been my observation over the past few years that there has been a significant increase in the number of people standing in or adjacent to streets in our community requesting money from passersby,” Garner wrote. “Some of those individuals have endangered themselves and have interrupted the safe flow of traffic by aggressively soliciting drivers at or near intersections near our [medical] facility. It is my opinion that this ordinance will improve safety by providing a buffer from intersections and better clarifying where those activities can occur.”
Kim Vierra also wrote to support a panhandling ordinance, saying panhandlers “block sidewalks and intimidate people.
“What kind of a first impression does this give to tourists, not to mention an eyesore for us residents,” Vierra wrote.
Features editor Lynnette Hintze may be reached at 758-4421 or by email at lhintze@dailyinterlake.com.