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St. Pete Homeless Clear Possessions Off Sidewalks

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By CARLOS MONCADA, The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 6, 2008

ST. PETERSBURG - Homeless people had until noon Tuesday to remove their personal belongings from sidewalks and public rights of way downtown.

For the most part, they already had done so, heading off a potential confrontation with the city.

"In most cases, the items and materials have been removed," said St. Petersburg Deputy Mayor David Metz, who was not expecting any immediate enforcement action.

An ordinance the city council passed Jan. 25 prohibits people from keeping their personal items outdoors on public and private property, including outside city hall, where piles of sleeping bags, bicycles and other belongings were being kept for weeks.

The day after it passed, city officials handed out fliers to homeless people informing them about the measure and when enforcement would begin.

On Friday, code enforcement officers posted notices outside city hall and at another location giving homeless people until noon on Tuesday to remove their items before the city would put those items in storage.

"We're in a position where we could enforce that today, or anytime in the next day or so," Metz said.

By late Tuesday morning, most of the piles outside city hall had disappeared, but an advocate for the homeless said they may reappear later.

"In most cases they've been moved to storage," the Rev. Bruce Wright said. "Or those who are able to carry them just carry them into the park during the day and then at night go back to the sidewalks."

Wright said some police officers wrongly have tried to enforce another ordinance at Williams Park downtown banning sleeping, lying or reclining on sidewalks and rights of way during the day.

"To say you can't lie on a blanket in a park - I mean, everybody does that," Wright said. "So there's some confusion about some of that."
Metz said he had not heard of police enforcing the no-sleeping rule but agreed it did not apply to parks.

"The ordinance doesn't prohibit sleeping in a public park during daylight hours," Metz said. "It's only really the right of way, including the sidewalk area."

Reporter Carlos Moncada can be reached at (727) 451-2333 or cmoncada@tampatrib.com.

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