Bill 07-10 would explicitly require a person to obtain a permit to erect a tent in a city park. Bill 08-10 would make it unlawful to be in possession of, or leave behind, a shopping cart at a city park.
Both bills will get their first airing before the City Council today, and both are already drawing the ire of the American Civil Liberties Union of Hawai'i.
The bills are not targeted at homeless people, Hannemann said. He said the bills are designed to ensure that parks are "accessible and available to everyone — families, seniors, youngsters, all types of activities."
Managing Director Kirk Caldwell said the city consulted constitutional experts to ensure the bills would pass legal muster.
Violators would be subject to penalties of up to $500 and/or 30 days in jail, similar to that of existing park rules and regulations.
The bills appear to be addressing issues that have arisen recently at Kapi'olani Park, which many consider the epicenter of the homeless issue.
An illegal-camping ordinance that took effect in August 2008 bars people from using a public park as a "temporary or permanent dwelling place" between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. daily.
To skirt the issue, many homeless people at Kapi'olani Park have been pitching tents during daylight hours, causing Waikíkí businesses, residents and visitors to complain.
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