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Council amends camping ordinance to expand prohibitions; ordinance passes after extended debate
Summary
The council voted to approve amendments tightening definitions and expanding locations where camping is prohibited, including a 10‑day limit on private‑property temporary camping; the change drew sustained debate over effects on people living in vehicles and on private property.
An ordinance amending the city’s camping prohibitions (amending sections 9‑45, 3‑50 and 3‑60 of the Topeka Municipal Code) passed the Topeka City Council on Feb. 4 after extended discussion and public comment.
Council members Ricardo Valdivia Alcala and Jeff Dobler introduced and led the ordinance. The updated language tightens definitions, adds private‑property restrictions with a 10‑day limit for temporary camping on private parcels, and reduces certain buffer distances from 500 feet to 100 feet around public infrastructure in some provisions, sponsors said. Councilman Dobler moved to approve the ordinance and Deputy Mayor seconded the motion.
Council members and the city attorney debated precise effects: whether the ordinance would prohibit temporarily camping in a backyard for family activities, whether a person living in a vehicle (for example, a person who stays in a car overnight while searching housing) would be criminalized citywide, and how the rules interact with the separate RV code. The city attorney said the 10‑day figure was added by the governing body during prior policy discussions and that the ordinance does not ban people from ever living in a vehicle, but does prohibit camping in the defined restricted zones; she also advised that modifcations to the RV code would require a separate ordinance.
Councilwoman Hiller raised concerns about private‑property restrictions and the potential effect on people fleeing dangerous situations who use a vehicle or an RV as temporary shelter. Several council members said the ordinance responds to persistent and sometimes violent encampment‑related complaints on private and public property and to safety concerns cited by constituents. After procedural motions (a call of the question was moved and seconded), the council voted to approve the ordinance. The council recorded the final outcome as an approval; the mayor did not vote on the ordinance and the clerk reported that the motion carried with eight yes votes and one no vote (Councilwoman Hiller voting no).
Ending: The ordinance was approved as amended; the city attorney and staff indicated future work on RV rules could be pursued as a separate ordinance and staff will continue outreach and enforcement under the revised municipal code.
