After a quick meeting last week, city council members are slated to discuss a whole range of issues during its Tuesday committee of the whole meeting, including what to do about the homeless on library grounds to a $5.9 million tax-increment financing request to a new electric rate for charging vehicles.

During committee meetings, aldermen discuss ordinances and vote on whether they should be considered for final approval during the next week’s city council meeting. The meeting starts at 5:30 p.m. in city council chambers.

Closing the library grounds

After seeing an uptick in the homeless population sleeping outside of the library, Mayor Jim Langfelder proposed an ordinance that would have the grounds closed between 9 p.m. and 7 a.m.

The grounds include the brick overhangs where homeless people often congregate, and the ordinance is crafted based on what other cities have done, according to city attorney Jim Zerkle. Enforcement mechanisms could include ticketing and possibly arrest if there is disorderly conduct.

Recently, city officials and aldermen have been concerned about some of the behavior by those that sleep outside of the library, such as public defecation and urination. Council members expressed their frustration for not seeing progress by the city on reaching solutions to correct homelessness.

The ordinance has the support of library director Will O’Hearn and nearby all-men’s shelter Helping Hands executive director, Erica Smith. Behavioral health professionals, neighborhood police officers who are trained in homelessness outreach and Helping Hands have visited the library in recent weeks to provide resources and support for those who frequent the grounds.

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The State-Journal Register