Idaho Falls City Council drafts new homeless ordinance

IDAHO FALLS, Idaho (KIFI) - In late June, a group of migrants set up camp at Idaho Falls Japanese Friendship Gardens - one of the city's most visited areas along the greenbelt. Since then, city leadership has been working to find solutions to protect the civil liberties of people without homes while keeping Idaho Falls safe.

Now, the city council may have a solution with a draft of a new ordinance for city parks and cemeteries.

"It would allow for the parks and public properties to close from 11 p.m. to 5 a.m," Parks and Rec director PJ Holm said. "Not a lot of good happens after it gets dark."

Parks and Rec tested a lights-out park closure at Tautphaus Park for the last month. While there were bumps in the road, Holm says it was largely positive.

"It really helped to clear folks out. We used to have issues from time to time, where the lights go off and we'll have three or four cars that pull around and turn on their headlights. That should put an end to that. Once those lights are off and the safety is no longer there for that, that park would be considered closed," Holm said.

The new ordinance would make being in city parks or cemeteries after-hours a city misdemeanor. Which would allow officers the option to judge each situation individually.

"The officer would have the discretion to be able to say. 'Well, you know, yes, it's against the rules. You guys take off now. I won't have to write your ticket, sir.' you don't have to arrest anybody," Mayor Rebecca Casper said. "But if they feel like this situation needs to be remedied. Now they have that authority."

The council moved for a vote on the ordinance on Oct. 8.