The Sebastopol City Council on Tuesday night will consider an ordinance to ban some forms of panhandling and whether to defer payment of city fees for the developer of the big cannery-area commercial project.
Panhandling has not been a problem in Sebastopol and takes place only by a couple of regulars, but this past summer it has generated complaints about traffic safety from some residents, said police Chief Jeff Weaver.
The ordinance would ban soliciting money from people in vehicles on roads, which can cause traffic to stop suddenly, and in parking lots where individuals feel trapped in their cars, Weaver said.
It would be similar to bans enacted by Ukiah and other cities in California.
The City Council also will consider setting up a payment schedule for the $505,000 in building and development impact fees to be levied on the developer of The Barlow, a proposed mixed-use project in Sebastopol's old cannery area.
Under the proposal, developer Bernard Aldridge would pay $50,000 when getting the first building permits and then monthly payments of $7,583 per month for five years when 75 percent of the space is occupied or beginning on Oct. 1, 2012, whichever is first.
Aldridge is proposing to revitalize the defunct Barlow apple processing plant, creating 220,000 square feet of space for artist studios, a winery, food and beverage startups, a bocce court, children's playground, public restrooms and a farmers market.
Aldridge had asked that the fees be waived.
The issue will be discussed by the City Council at its Tuesday meeting, which starts at 6 p.m. at the Youth Annex.
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