Volume 126, No. 75 Wednesday, January 25, 2017
NEWS
Support camp comforts kids PAGE 4
SPORTS
Protesters stand outside Fort Collins City Hall prior to the City Council Work Session in which the topic of Compassion and Consequences: Disruptive Behavior Solutions was being discussed. PHOTO BY ELLIOTT JERGE COLLEGIAN
Citizens protest anti-homelessness legislation outside City Council By Gabriel Go @rgabrielgo
Standing in front of the Fort Collins City Hall in frigid January weather, a few more than 20 Fort Collins citizens held a demonstration against a set of proposed policies deemed to be discriminatory against the City’s homeless population during a City Council work session on Tuesday night. The proposed policies are collectively referred to as the “Compassion and Consequences Proposal.” The proposal seeks to introduce a series of measures meant to address issues with
homelessness in Fort Collins. There are four policies outlined in the Compassion and Consequences Proposal. The first proposal would reserve three year-round jail beds with the Larimer County Jail for repeat offenders of the Fort Collins Municipal Code, which are petty non-violent offenses that result in low-level citations. According to the City Council agenda, the City has had difficulty in “stopping certain individuals” from violating the Municipal Code, despite an increased police presence in downtown Fort Collins. The document also says that although police officers are able
to cite offenders, the jail’s current capacity has decreased the available bed space for Municipal Code offenders. Furthermore, the document states that “(City Council) staff (are) excited about this agreement, as they believe that this will give the City a tool to impose consequences on those individuals who consistently fail to meet community expectations and follow our laws.” The second proposal would prohibit sitting, reclining and lying in places in the downtown area. These include public sidewalks and plazas between 9:00 a.m. and 2:00 a.m., objects de-
signed for sitting such as benches or chairs, public restrooms with the exception of toilets, and on objects not designed for sitting such as drinking fountains or bicycle racks. This proposal also prohibits sitting on a bench for more than one hour. Personal property would also be prohibited to be stored in the right-of-way citywide, and would also be barred from being left unattended in public spaces. Exceptions to the proposed ordinance include vendors, public performers, children in play areas, and those experiencing a medical emergency. see PROTEST on page 5 >>
Nystrom: a humble hero PAGE 8
A&C
“Split” depicts rare disorder PAGE 12