Residents urge changes to Rock Island social service ordinance, councilors note updated language

Several residents urged the City Council to revisit the social service ordinance adopted in October, saying the rules constrain shelters and neighborhood services.

Amy Patton told the council the ordinance’s 1,000-foot buffer ‘‘affects zones them out of existence’’ and that capping shelters to 12 hours a day effectively legislates loitering; she recommended reducing the buffer to 300 feet, removing a 49-person cap in favor of fire-code limits, allowing 24-hour wraparound service models and implementing a sliding-scale fee for small pantry operators.

A councilor later responded that some public points reflected the original ordinance language and not the updated version on file, and suggested speakers consult the city clerk for the current ordinance text. Councilors indicated the city is engaged in ongoing conversations about homelessness and service provision, and noted a roundtable on affordable housing and homelessness with service providers and neighboring cities.