Sarasota, Florida -- A battle over signs about the homeless is brewing in downtown Sarasota. The controversy has city commissioners considering possible changes to its sign ordinance.
Merchants say this use of freedom of speech is hurting downtown business. One signs reads, "World's Meanest City." Another sign says, "Don't spend $$$ downtown 99% of everything is cheaper elsewhere."
Ron Soto owns Soto's Optical Boutique along Main Street. When he saw the signs go up last month he started to take them down.
"To me I felt it was a hate crime on downtown," says Soto.
Michael Barfield a paralegal with the ACLU says he put up the signs.
"I don't hate them. I don't want to run them out of business. I do want them to be compassionate towards the homeless and not run the homeless out of town."
Barfield says he put up the signs in response to the signs for the Downtown Cares program by the Downtown Merchants Association. Soto, the association's president, says the program discourages panhandling.
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Soto used one of the recommendations given by Dr. Robert Marbut, a national homeless expert hired by the city.
"93% all money you give to people on the street goes to drugs, alcohol or illegal activities," Soto says.
Downtown Cares encourages visitors to use donations boxes in stores to assist organizations that help the homeless.
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"The merchants are putting a Band-aid on the problem," Barfield says.
Barfield says there's nothing wrong with either Soto signs or his signs.
"It's all about market place of ideas and the 1st Amendment," he says.
On Oct. 30, Barfield filed a complaint with the Sarasota Police Department against Ron Soto for taking several signs down.
On Saturday, Sarasota police had to once again respond over the sign dispute. According to the police report, Soto and Barfield were in a verbal dispute over a zipped tied posting on a light post downtown. The two were "face-to-face (inches apart) arguing."
According to city officials, if Barfield isn't doing anything illegal by putting up the signs and Soto isn't doing anything wrong by taking down the signs, then the next step is with City Hall and commissioners taking a look at the city's sign ordinance.
City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell says she is not happy with the message Barfield's signs sends out.
"When you go at the heart of the city, you stab the heart of the city," she says.
Atwell says the city will take a look at its sign ordinance.
"We will look hard at the ordinance to see if something like what just happened can be prevented."
Barfield says if the sign rules change, he will hire someone to carry his signs on street corners.
