McKinney council discusses citywide no-camping, downtown sit/lie and aggressive-panhandling rules

City staff presented draft changes to the McKinney Code of Ordinances on Tuesday proposing a citywide ban on camping in publicly accessible places, a downtown-specific prohibition on sitting or lying in pedestrian rights of way, and a new offense for aggressive panhandling.

The proposals, compiled by the city manager’s office with legal, police, code services and housing staff, would add definitions and enforcement tools to chapters 70 and 78 of the Code of Ordinances. Under the draft, "camping" would be prohibited between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. on publicly accessible property except in designated park camp areas (Erwin Park), and property owners could be cited if they knowingly allow camping on publicly accessible portions of their land.

The code change for sitting and lying down would apply to a defined downtown area that aligns with the McKinney Town Center zoning boundary (about 212 acres), making it unlawful to sit or lie where an area is not intended for that use unless the sitting place is an exception such as a city-supplied bench. The aggressive-panhandling provision would not ban solicitation outright — which staff said would be a First Amendment concern — but would target blocking, physically interrupting patrons, or using threatening language.

Why it matters: council members said the measures are intended to give officers a clearer legal footing to engage individuals who are obstructing sidewalks, endangering patrons or creating chronic problems in the downtown core. Supporters at public comment urged action to improve safety and business conditions; opponents urged caution,…