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Council approves parks code changes but delays ordinance that would limit medical outreach in parks
Summary
Phoenix council approved an ordinance aligning city code with park rules but voters paused a separate draft ordinance that would have restricted organized medical treatment and distribution of harm‑reduction supplies in parks; council directed staff to work with health providers and stakeholders and set a delayed effective date.
Phoenix City Council on Dec. 17 approved changes to city code that align park rules with the Parks and Recreation code of conduct, but it stopped short of adopting a draft ordinance that would have broadly restricted organized medical treatment and distribution of certain harm‑reduction supplies in parks.
The first measure — a code‑alignment ordinance — passed after debate over language that would make certain park code violations subject to police enforcement. Council members and park advocates described the change as a way to make park rules consistent and give park rangers and police clearer tools to respond to repeated public‑safety complaints; opponents said the language risked criminalizing people experiencing homelessness.
The more controversial…
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