PHOENIX — The Tempe City Council has voted to rescind a controversial ordinance that put restrictions on how parks and other areas in the city could be used by residents.
“We need to preserve the quality of life for Tempe residents who live near the parks and we need to protect the constitutional rights of our residents who use our parks as a place to gather,” Tempe Mayor Corey Woods said during the Tuesday night meeting.
The vote took the ordinance passed in July off the books. It will be replaced by the city’s original code, which was written in 1967.
Originally, the meeting was scheduled to take place last week, but a security threat deemed credible by the Tempe Police Department led to it being pushed back and held digitally.
Tempe City Council decision: A win for homeless service providers?
The July ordinance imposed new restrictions on how parks and other city spaces could be used for community events, leaving much of the approval process to the discretion of city staff.
For Tempe residents who assist unhoused people, the policy sparked fears that their outreach efforts would be blocked.
Those fears were founded by the August 2024 arrest of Austin Davis, founder of the Valley homeless advocate AZ Hugs. His nonprofit uses city parks to distribute food, resources and services to people living on the streets.
Davis later expressed relief when the controversial park regulations were revoked.
“The people really came together to show elected officials what they’re doing is not aligned with what residents of the city believe in and they need to change course,” Davis said.
Another community leader named Deanna Alvarez said the Tempe City Council’s decision to backpedal on the controversial ordinance made her hopeful.
“It’s a step in the right direction and we look forward to having continued conversations around parks, around community building and also around our unhoused community in Arizona,” Alvarez said.
Deanna Alvarez with Arizona Asian American Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Advocates, credited Tempe leaders for listening to community output.
What’s next for ongoing controversy over Tempe park rules?
It’s time to go back to the drawing board, according to Woods. He said he wants to craft an updated events and park use ordinance for Tempe with additional community input.
However, Davis is skeptical about the city’s willingness to honor the perspectives of unhoused people and those who provide homeless relief services.
“If our goals are aligned, service providers and elected officials, where the goal is to provide dignity, respect, care and basic human rights to the most vulnerable in our city … Then yes, let’s all take a seat at the table,” he said.
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