Council adopts emergency downtown civil‑exclusion ordinance; sets appeal path and exceptions

City staff presented a draft ordinance to create a downtown civil‑exclusion zone and give law enforcement the authority to issue written exclusion orders for qualifying offenses. The proposed boundaries would roughly extend from the river to north-side streets and from 4th to 9th Streets (map to be attached to the ordinance). The ordinance borrows language from Medford and Ashland and sets out qualifying offenses, a process for written exclusion orders, graduated exclusion lengths (30 days for first offense in a year, 90 days for second, six months for third), and an appeal pathway handled by a hearings officer.

Staff emphasized built‑in safeguards: the ordinance excludes sleeping in doorways, alleys or parks as a sole basis for exclusion orders (sleeping remains enforceable as trespass if participants refuse to move), explicitly protects constitutional activity such as free speech, and allows variances for compelling needs (residency, employment, court attendance, essential services). Revocation language ties cancellation of an exclusion order to an acquittal or judicial finding of insufficient probable cause.

Public testimony was mixed: downtown business and community members supported the measure as a public‑safety tool; others raised implementation concerns and asked how the city would track trespassers. Police representatives confirmed operational procedures and said exclusion records would be entered into their system. Councilors discussed scope, exceptions for court and religious attendance, and the potential to expand boundaries later.

On a roll call, council adopted Chapter 6.48 for first reading and then adopted it on second reading as an emergency ordinance to take immediate effect. The city directed staff to transmit copies of the resolution and ordinance to state legislative representatives and the petition chief petitioner for SB 48.