City Council is mulling Councilman Michael Berry’s proposal to broaden panhandling restrictions on Houston roadways:
What began as a limited plan to ban younger children from soliciting charity money on Houston streets is now a broader discussion on City Council about reducing the numbers of window-washing, homeless panhandlers.
The council delayed a vote Wednesday on a narrowly tailored proposal that would have introduced new regulations for charitable solicitations, most notably banning minors younger than 16 and requiring adult supervision for older youths.
The panel delayed the vote a week after Councilman Michael Berry proposed changes that would prevent all minors from performing such solicitations — and would ban anyone from entering roadways or obstructing traffic to get money from motorists.
City employees — firefighters conducting “fill-the-boot” drives, for example — wouldn’t be affected by the proposed regulations.
It’s better than the original proposal, but would appear not to affect Chron vendors. Perhaps councilmembers are paying attention to what’s happening in League City.
UPDATE: KPRC-2 has this story of creative panhandling.
