Supporters of a Denver City Council measure that would limit the city’s ability to clear homeless encampments in sub-freezing weather fell short Monday in their attempt to override Mayor Mike Johnston’s veto of the ordinance changes.
No 32-degree temperature threshold will be added to Denver’s municipal code.
The council voted 7-6 to override Johnston’s rejection of what has come to be known as the “freezing sweeps” bill. That was the same margin by which the bill originally passed on Jan. 29.
But it takes a nine-vote supermajority for the 13-member council to override a mayoral veto. The bill’s sponsors and their allies could not get two more council members to join them in supporting the legislation.
Council memers Kevin Flynn, Darrell Watson, Amanda Sawyer, Diana Romero Campbell, Flor Alvidrez and Chris Hinds all maintained their opposition to the weather restriction on encampment clearing in the veto override vote.
“The complexity within this bill will stop, stall and frustrate the process of closing encampments and moving people into shelters,” Watson said Monday, reaffirming his opposition to the legislation.
Watson’s District 9 contains several downtown neighborhoods that have a history of large sidewalk encampments, including Curtis Park and Ballpark.
Sponsors of the measure, led by at-large Councilwoman Sarah Parady, had argued it was unsafe and inhumane to allow the city’s public health, transportation and infrastructure, and police departments to shut down homeless encampments and move people along when temperatures were 32 degrees or below.
In his Feb. 2 veto letter to the council, Johnston emphasized that having the authority to shut down encampments was a key component of his administration’s House 1,000 homelessness initiative. With the council’s support, the initiative has greatly expanded the city’s ability to offer people living on the street rooms in non-congregate shelters, including hotels.
The mayor reiterated that he would not order sweeps when temperatures were at or below freezing unless there was a greater health or safety risk at play.
The council’s vote Monday afternoon was met by boos from some of the homeless advocates who had gathered in the chamber after spending months holding rallies and lobbying both council members and Johnston to support the changes.
Jerry Burton, a prominent activist who was previously homeless, had to be led from the chamber after the vote.
He stood up and challenged council members to stay in tents outdoors on a cold night.
Sponsors of the bill, including Councilman Paul Kashmann of southeast Denver, encouraged the administration to bring forward a bill of its own that would set clear guidelines for conducting camping ban enforcement during dangerous weather conditions.
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