MOBILE, AlabamaWALA) – The Mobile City Council held a meeting on Government Square in which three potential changes to city ordinances sparked debate.

Mayor Sandy Stimpson is sponsoring all three and the goal is to amend these ordinances to redefine some outdated policies in the city code.

City officials said the changes would give Mobile’s new Homeless Outreach Team additional tools to approach and interact with homeless people, making it easier to connect them to local services.

Kendall Young is Mobile’s new Homeless Outreach Coordinator.

He said the homeless were at the forefront of discussions about these changes.

“These orders can impact the homeless. We are concerned about them, we are compassionate towards them and they are the center of conversations when we are at the table,” he said.

“This is not about criminalizing the homeless,” Young said. “It gives us the opportunity to engage homeless people as they find themselves in their situation.”

But not everyone feels the same way. Some community members believe the program specifically targets the homeless.

“These people are in desperate need, so we shouldn’t even talk about a begging law,” said one community member. “No, you’re investing over $500 million in a civic entertainment center. You put entertainment before humanity.

One of the changes is to better identify when Mobile parks close, which is supposed to be after dark.

A woman who works in the area thinks it might help.

“I think it’s a good thing, it will definitely help with safety,” she said.

If these changes are adopted, Young said plans are in place to educate those who may be affected.

“We are going to educate the homeless. We will educate our partners to ensure everyone is on the same page going forward. We’re going to teach officers how to recognize and deal with these individuals when they encounter them,” Young said.

These city ordinances were presented to the city council today but have not yet been voted on.

The vote is expected to take place next week.

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