City Council votes to not suspend cyclist harassment ordinance
The council tabled an amendment expanding the ordinance's protections.
Published Aug. 18, 2009
Supporters of the cyclist harassment ordinance left Monday night’s City Council meeting with mixed feelings after it voted against suspending the ordinance and tabled an amendment that would immediately expand its protections.
The cyclist harassment ordinance, which was passed during a June 15 meeting, makes it a Class A misdemeanor to, among other things, throw an object at a cyclist, honk at a cyclist with the intent to frighten them and act in a way that puts someone riding a bicycle in danger.
Since the ordinance was put into place, Fourth Ward Councilman Jerry Wade expressed concerns that the council approved the ordinance without fully exploring other options. Due to that and other concerns, City Manager Bill Watkins chose to form a task force that would provide recommendations to the council about how to best implement the ordinance.
Wade had been in favor of suspending the ordinance until this task force issues its report, which will be in about four to six weeks, Watkins said.
Wade said the manner in which the ordinance was passed has already alienated many citizens.
"I requested the suspension because the ordinance was passed without the kind of public process that is necessary for this kind of thing to begin bridging the gap," Wade said.
Third Ward Councilman Karl Skala said leaving the ordinance in place made the streets safer for people.
“Your local city government, above all else, has the responsibility for public safety and I don’t think it is something we can suspend until we get a little bit more advice to decide how to tailor make this ordinance in a fashion that seems to suit a few more folks,” Skala said.
Several cyclists and advocates of the law appeared at the meeting and spoke in support of it.
Tim Overshiner, a cyclist and supporter of the ordinance, said the law helps keep people safe.
“I think we all need another form of protection other than laws that are existing,” Overshiner said. “And we need something with a lower level of punishment but still have enough teeth to make people think twice about doing these sorts of activities.”
No one who opposed the ordinance was present to speak in favor of its suspension, but Wade said the tension about this issues goes much further than many supporters of the ordinance realize.
“I am absolutely amazed at the extent at which this issue has captured the attention of the community,” Wade said. “I disagree with the statement that there isn’t a schism, I think there is a very deep one, and to deny that basically creates a situation of avoiding engaging in the kind of actions that will change that.”
In a 4-2 vote, the council decided to not suspend the ordinance. Wade and Second Ward Councilman Jason Thornhill were the only council members to vote in favor of suspension. Sixth Ward Councilwoman Barbara Hoppe was not in attendance.
In another 4-2 vote the council decided to table an amendment that, if passed, would expand the ordinance to cover pedestrians and wheelchair-users. Mayor Darwin Hindman and Skala voted against tabling the issue.
Janet Godon, program manager for the PedNet Coalition, a cyclist and pedestrian advocacy group, said she had mixed feelings about the council's decision.
"I wish they had included the pedestrian and wheelchair aspect of it, but the fact that they didn't suspend the ordinance and the fact they are going to include a task force now is great" Godon said. "We're going to be alright with that, still a little disappointed, but we'll be alright."
In other business, the council held a public comment section on the city budget, which is still in the approval process. More than 10 people from the community came forward to speak during the period, and many were leaders of Columbia social programs. Under the proposed fiscal year 2010 budget, funding for social services would drop by 5 percent from the previous year.
Several agencies said this would hinder their ability to help those in need. All of the organizations that were represented pleaded for even level funding, meaning they would like the same amount of funds that were allocated to them from last year.
Rainbow House Executive Director Jan Stock said she received the funds she asked for from the city but her organization still had to cut a significant portion of its services.
“Now instead of serving 14 children at a time we now only serve seven,” Stock said. “We turned away 25 kids. So I’d really ask you to try and give all these agencies as much money as you possibly can because we need it.”
