Nicole June Reporting
njune@clarksvillenow.com
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – The Clarksville City Council voted to amend ordinance 7 during the first reading Thursday, Aug. 7.
The ordinance dictates the distance between a homeless shelter and a residential area. Currently, shelters must be at least 1,000 feet away. If the change passes, the limit will be reduced to 500 feet.
The council voted 8 to 4 in favor of the change, but any further action will require a second reading and vote in the future, which will likely occur at next month’s meeting.
Per City Council regulations, two citizens were permitted to speak in favor and two could speak in opposition. Following their five-minute speeches, a three-minute rebuttal was allowed for each side.
Manna Café Ministries, a local organization dedicated to helping the homeless, has expressed interest in establishing a shelter on Frosty Morn Dr. if the ordinance is changed. Residents of the area voiced concerns about the implications of this change, including the safety of property and business owners.
A local business owner said her family’s business had experienced security issues while the building on Frosty Morn Dr. was established as a temporarily warming shelter this past winter.
Those who support the shelter said it is in the best interest of the community to provide this service for the homeless to get them off the streets.
Another business owner who has property on Frosty Morn Dr. said he does not believe the shelter would pose a threat to the community’s safety.
The council members took turns addressing their own concerns from both sides before voting 8 to 4 in favor of the new ordinance. However, the fate of Manna Café’s proposed shelter and any other future shelters remains unsettled.