After Complaints About Treatment Of Homeless People, Sacramento To Allow Public On City Hall Grounds Overnight

Homeless advocates have been complaining recently about the Sacramento Police Department rousting people from tents near the entrance of City Hall — and on at least one occasion moving homeless campers off the site, sometimes into the rain.

Last week during a city council meeting, Mayor Darrell Steinberg apologized for the above incident. And on Tuesday, the Sacramento City Manager's office will introduce amendments to its current ordinance that would allow the public to be on City Hall grounds after hours.

Assistant City Manager Chris Conlin says the city council Law and Legislation committee will hear be a request to change its ordinance that had prohibited people from being on the grounds from 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.

"What we wanted to do was ensure that everybody had unfettered access during the work day, and that staff was able to safely come in and out, and that if the public wanted to come in here, they also had unfettered and safe access to the building,” Conlin said. “So, in the course of looking at that, we said, ‘You know a curfew doesn't make much sense.

Under the ordinance, people will be allowed to sit or lie down at City Hall from 9 p.m to 6 a.m.  

But no one may obstruct any doorway, or maintain less than an eight-foot-wide open space surrounding any entrance or exit during business hours.