DANVILLE, Va. – Danville City Council has postponed voting on an ordinance which would ban camping on city property.
A vote was expected at Tuesday night’s city council meeting but was unanimously tabled, meaning it will be voted on at a later date.
The ordinance defines camping as sleeping on city streets, underpasses, and sidewalks.
Councilman James Buckner said the council decided to postpone the vote so they could get more information about the ordinance and who it would affect.
A handful of people spoke out against the ordinance at Tuesday’s meeting, saying it would disproportionately affect people experiencing homelessness in a negative way.
“When a person is under that bridge homeless and they are setting a fire to keep themselves warm, we are concerned about those individuals, we are concerned about the safety of those individuals laying out there,” said Mayor Alonzo Jones.
A vote on the ordinance has yet to be rescheduled.