DULUTH, MN (Northern News Now) – A long Duluth City Council meeting on Monday night ended with a controversial ordinance package being passed.
The council meeting began early and lasted for 7 hours as councilors approving the ordinance to expand the ban on outdoor camping to all city properties.
However, rather than keeping the punishment worthy of a misdemeanor, councilors amended the ordinance to make it only worthy of a fine.
Before councilors cast their votes on the ordinances, more than 80 people spoke during the public comment portion of the meeting.
Despite the amendment to the controversial ordinance, many people during public comment said the ordinance would continue to marginalize un-housed people by putting them in a situation where they could likely get in trouble.
People at the meeting noted how shelters at CHUM and Safe Haven are overwhelmed and currently not able to support everyone who comes to their doors.
Others spoke in support of the ordinance saying that encampments like the one outside of City Hall are unsanitary and unsafe for everyone involved.
Duluth City Councilors also passed eight other ordinances that were on the agenda and tabled one ordinance that would modify the language for false soliciting.
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