Astoria council pauses vote on proposed civil exclusion zones after lengthy debate

The Astoria City Council on April 7 declined to adopt a proposed civil exclusion ordinance that would give police the authority to bar people from specified downtown areas and city property after repeated violations. Instead, councilors agreed to send the measure to a work session for more study and public comment.

City Manager Paul Spence introduced the ordinance as a tool modeled on an ordinance used in Medford, Oregon, saying the proposal was in response to “concerns from the downtown business community and residents citing negative behaviors that are impacting community standards” (City Manager Paul Spence). Chief Kelly of the Astoria Police Department outlined how the proposal would work, emphasizing the department’s stated goal of using the ordinance to secure compliance with existing law rather than to criminalize homelessness.

Chief Kelly said the draft would allow a chief or designee to issue written exclusions, after probable cause that a listed offense had occurred.…