The Grants Pass City Council passed an ordinance banning people from parts of downtown after being charged for certain crimes within that area.
The civil exclusion zone is located between 4th and 9th Street, extending from A Street to the Rogue River.
People will face immediate expulsion if charged with a felony, "person misdemeanors" like assault, or two "non-person misdemeanors" such as property damage within a year. Police can cite or possibly arrest those who enter the zone while banned for trespassing.
“I looked at Medford and Ashland for guidance,” City Attorney Stephanie Nuttall said at the council meeting. “They've been successful with their exclusion zones.”
Medford won in a legal challenge to its civil exclusion ordinance. Ashland recently expanded its enhanced law enforcement area.
But while ordinances in those cities sparked public pushback and long debates, Grants Pass approved its exclusion zone quickly. The city council declared an emergency in the interest of public peace, health and safety, allowing the ordinance to go into effect immediately.
Citations for sleeping in public do not count towards an expulsion, similar to language in Ashland’s law meant to show it didn't target homeless people. Nuttall said that other Grants Pass ordinances could apply in those cases.
“We did include that if you're sleeping and refuse to move, you can be cited for trespass,” Nuttall said. “So there's still provisions in there to make sure that those laws are enforceable.”
The expulsion order lasts one month for the first citation and up to six months if cited three times within a year. People facing expulsion can request a hearing if they submit a petition within five days of their charge. At the hearing, the city may approve exceptions to the expulsion for things like work or medical care.
Council members left open the possibility of expanding the exclusion zone in the future.
