New day at City Hall?

Something interesting happened at the City Council Tuesday.

The council showed that it could "walk and chew gum at the same time," in councilman Joe Brown's words, when it voted to approve two measures that could restrict aggressive panhandling and help the legitimately homeless.

Instead of taking an either-or approach - approving one law and rejecting the other - the council approved both measures, acknowledging that merging the two proposals would provide a more holistic approach to curbing aggressive panhandling.

"I thought the council recognized that we had to do something about the panhandling and the impact it has on our tourism and quality of life for downtown residents," said council chairman Harold Collins. "But also, we recognize that there are people who by no fault of their own are suffering and need a helping hand, which in some cases is what government should do, assist its people."

The council approved an amended ordinance Tuesday that restricts passive begging Downtown and limits panhandling anywhere in the city.

The measure was sponsored by the Center City Commission in response to mounting complaints that panhandling was hurting Downtown's quality of life and threatening businesses and tourism.

Social justice advocates strongly opposed the amended ordinance and created their own plan, which focuses on access to mental-health resources, substance-abuse rehabilitation and housing opportunities for nonviolent or occasional offenders. The resolution called for strict and consistent prosecution of violent or repeat offenders.

Brown liked the proposal so much that he created legislation based on it, which the council also approved.

The votes were notable because both measures gained overwhelming support and weren't split along racial lines. Over the last two years a divided council has produced many 7-6 or 8-5 votes breaking along racial lines, but that didn't happen Tuesday.

The amended panhandling ordinance was approved 8-2-2, with council members Shea Flinn and Janis Fullilove voting against it and Wanda Halbert and Joe Brown abstaining. Councilman Bill Boyd was absent due to the birth of a grandchild.

Brown's resolution based off the Peace and Justice Center plan was approved 12-0.

"How often do you get me and Joe Brown on the same side of the issue?" said Flinn. "No one injected race and we just discussed the merits of the solutions. We're too often described as having a black-white color line and on this issue it didn't exist. It was one of those moments where government worked. "