Council looks for ways to curb panhandling

The Spokane Valley City Council is looking to crack down on panhandlers, or at least discourage people from giving them money.

At Tuesday’s council meeting, the city’s legal team presented a number of options to restrict begging in public.

“Recently there’s been a proliferation of complaints,” legal intern Erik Lamb told the council.

The city, though, is limited in how it regulates the behavior of those on the street.

“Panhandling is considered expression and is given strong protection under the Washington state constitution,” Lamb said.

The city’s options include restrictions on aggressive begging or on people donating from cars, though such rules are difficult to enforce.

The city also could draft rules that restrict the time, place and manner of solicitations that would have to apply to everyone, including charities like the firefighter’s fill-the-boot fundraiser.

So far Tacoma is the only city in the state to put those kinds of rules in place, which required extensive research to prove the government has a legitimate interest in imposing them, Lamb said.

The option a majority on the council seemed to favor Tuesday would rely less on laws and more on advertising to discourage people from donating to panhandlers.

For example, the city could place large signs at busy intersections where beggars work encouraging drivers to donate to established charities instead of panhandlers. It also could distribute information outlining the difference between donations to panhandlers and donations to charities.

“I’m absolutely convinced that the education process can make a difference,” said Councilman Dick Denenny.

Instead of a mother giving to a panhandler from the car to show her child what a good person she is, Denenny said, the driver might realize she is doing a disservice to the homeless.

While the council and legal staff agreed the city should look more into what other cities are doing about panhandling and address the topic in the future, Councilman Mike DeVleming indicated he wasn’t sure why panhandling in Spokane Valley was suddenly such a big deal.

“We don’t have a problem with this,” he said.

His colleagues on the council disagreed.

Councilman Steve Taylor said he would also like to see more enforcement of panhandling rules at busy intersections and off ramps, where it slows down traffic.

“It’s affecting our level of service,” he said.

Councilman Rich Munson suggested that panhandlers be charged a registration fee, like every other business in the city.