By a 5-2 vote, Tempe City Council members made it illegal to sit or lie on Mill Avenue sidewalks between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 7 a.m. and 2:30 a.m. on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
The new ban comes after a year of hearing complaints from merchants like Chad Wilford who owns Fat Tuesday’s on Mill Avenue.
“When I’m constantly berated by people asking my guests that are trying to enjoy themselves for money it’s a problem," he told council members during Thursday night's meeting.
Residents on both sides of the issue also commented before the council's vote.
“This is outrageous that I can’t walk down Mill Avenue without fear of being assaulted, insulted and urinated on," one man said.
“I’ve been harassed by people that definitely have homes on Mill Avenue more often than people without them," a woman said.
“Passing an ordinance like this does nothing to show that Tempe is a compassionate oasis that I believe that it is.," another woman said.
One business owner told the council that Mill Avenue merchants have agreed to raise $100,000 over the next year to help people who are homeless.
The sidewalk ordinance calls for a warning first with a second violation resulting in a $100 fine for a Class 3 misdemeanor.
