GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A Grand Rapids city commissioner opened up about her husband’s assault after the commission expressed its overall opposition to a proposed ordinance idea from the Chamber of Commerce.
Tuesday night the Chamber asked the city to consider an ordinance addressing issues and concerns its brought up repeatedly, including one business owner who quite literally described a person entering her business on Monroe Center, urinating all over themselves, and refusing to leave.
The Chamber is asking the city to consider adopting an ordinance to prevent people from lying or sitting in the public right of way, without targeting people experiencing homelessness. The Chamber says in their request to the city that they also want local government to crack down on aggressive panhandling, but also without violating panhandlers' First Amendment rights.
RELATED: GR Chamber requests city address homelessness, promote downtown safety
But it was Commissioner Milinda Ysasi’s remarks about the assault of her husband this summer on August 17 that we looked into.
“When I think about that situation, and the laws that are on the books… The police department, he got an immediate response from our police department, from our fire department, from our emergency services, from health care providers in this town. The day after it happened my husband asked, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ And I didn’t have an answer for him. But I think the answer lies in this work. It is not one thing. It is not one ordinance. It is not one investment. It is not one city,” said Commissioner Ysasi.
Court records show the person who attacked Ysasi’s husband lived right across the street from where it all happened on Bridge Street in August of this year.
It’s unclear what caused the attack but the address listed for this incident is the Tacos el Cunado on Bridge Street.
The person was charged with a misdemeanor of aggravated assault.
Ysasi says her husband had six stitches and broken bones.
This was all part of a citywide conversation about assault and safety in Grand Rapids.
Ysasi brought up that yes, she’s been endorsed by the Chamber. But that doesn’t mean that one ordinance regarding panhandling and safety downtown is the solution.
The Chamber of Commerce pointed out someone has to do something to protect the well-being of everyone in Grand Rapids.
