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Residents and council raise safety concerns at Marion meeting about panhandling near school and dim downtown crosswalks
Summary
A councilmember reported seeing a person soliciting near a junior high school and asked whether that posed a security issue; the mayor said officers would check welfare. Councilmembers also flagged several underlit downtown crosswalks and asked staff to inspect pavement lights and consider additional lighting options.
During public comment and the miscellaneous portion of the meeting, councilmembers and residents raised two distinct public-safety concerns.
A councilmember (identified in the meeting as Alan) said he observed a person asking for money near Main and Park close to the junior high and asked whether that presented a security issue for students. Mayor Absher said panhandling on public property is generally allowed unless the person is threatening, but emphasized that the city will dispatch police for welfare checks. “I will call a police department and ask a police officer to go check on somebody, and they'll inevitably will, at minimum, take them water,” the mayor said, noting the city’s usual approach is a rapid assessment for health or safety needs.
Separately, councilmembers reported that several of the downtown pavement-embedded crosswalk lights—used to highlight pedestrians—were not working and that some crossing approaches remain dim. One commissioner suggested installing solar-mounted lights on existing poles as a low-impact option; council directed staff to inspect the bulbs and return with options, noting overhead or ground-mounted flood lighting could also be considered.
No formal policy or ordinance changes were proposed at the meeting; council members asked staff to inspect the specific crosswalk fixtures and to consider timing and budget implications for adding permanent lighting.
