LANE COUNTY, Ore. — Eugene city councilors resumed a conversation started in September, examining concerns over the safety of panhandling — specifically, people on street corners asking for money from motorists.
The concern mainly centers on the risk to panhandlers walking into traffic to get a donation, and the possibility that they may be hit by a motorist, or inadvertently cause a collision. And the possible solution being discussed is to ban that type of panhandling within Eugene.
The debate is not whether to pass an ordinance, but to put the question to the residents: should the city council pass a ban on panhandling in Eugene? If the councilors agree, the question would go into a public comment phase before the city takes any formal action…