Muskogee council bans sitting, lying or standing in roadways; $150 fine adopted

The City of Muskogee City Council on Sept. 22 approved Ordinance No. 4274a, which adds definitions and a prohibition on sitting, lying upon, or standing in or adjacent to a roadway. The council also adopted Resolution No. 3054 to add a $150 fine to the fee schedule for violations.

Counselor Evans presented the ordinance, saying council offices have received an increase in panhandling complaints and that the proposal is intended to address safety concerns where people are standing on center medians or obstructing motorists’ sight lines. "We're not saying you can outlaw panhandling," Evans said, according to the record; the ordinance was described as a safety measure modeled in part on a similar Tulsa ordinance.

The council debated the measure briefly and voted to adopt the ordinance and the associated fine. The ordinance vote carried with the full roll call recorded as affirmative; the fine resolution passed 8–1, with Councilor Melody Cranford recorded as the lone dissenting vote.

The ordinance text that was provided to the council includes definitions, a sitting/lying/standing prohibition, and standard repealer and severability clauses. The resolution amends Appendix A, the schedule of fees and charges, to include the $150 penalty tied to the ordinance. Council discussion focused on pedestrian and motorist safety rather than attempting to ban solicitation outright.

The ordinance and fee schedule were approved as presented; the record does not specify the ordinance's effective date beyond the package presented to council.