Soldotna City Council members have voted down a policy that would have outlined the city’s process for trespassing people from city buildings. Late last month, the council unanimously rejected the policy, which city administrators proposed over the summer.
As proposed, the policy outlined steps city officials could take to bar someone from a specific building for up to one year. Any trespass order would have needed to be narrowly tailored and to describe the conduct that resulted in someone being trespassed.
City Manager Janette Bower penned the ordinance, which she said would help curb behavior that disrupts city services or threatens public safety. She now says those are rules the city can implement and enforce without council permission.
“Administration will develop guidance addressing staff responsibilities, documentation, appropriate responses, and supervisory review,” she said. “The procedures will emphasize consistency, fairness, protection of constitutional rights, and continued access to essential governmental services.”
After Bower proposed the policy, multiple council members voiced concerns over the message it could send to the general public. The council postponed a vote with plans to rework it to address their concerns. But at the last council meeting, Bower asked the council to vote the ordinance down.
State law already gives cities the authority to trespass people from city buildings, but Soldotna has not enacted its own internal policy.
In a memo, Bower says she still thinks city buildings should be safe and welcoming for staff and visitors.
