Soup-Kitchen Supporters Win Ordinance Repeal
By a vote of 3 to 2, the City Council this week repealed the city’s ordinance requiring a special license for soup kitchens.
The ordinance had been suspended after supporters of the House of Yahweh, a Lawndale soup kitchen, submitted a petition with 953 signatures to force a referendum to overturn the ordinance.
The repeal of the ordinance on second reading Monday did not put the issue to rest, however.
A workshop meeting set for April 30 will attempt to reach compromise solutions with the House of Yahweh, the city planning commission and other interested parties. Neighboring residents and businesses have complained about the presence and behavior of the homeless who eat at the facility, one of only two soup kitchens in the South Bay.
In addition, Mayor Sarann Kruse--who along with Councilman James Ramsey opposed the repeal--proposed a task force “to address the many concerns relating to the House of Yahweh.” She proposed that the task force include representatives from the ministry, law enforcement, the House of Yahweh, city staff, the Chamber of Commerce, mental health experts and others.
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