When you write a weekly column about local politics that clocks in at around 430 words, you frequently have to simplify parts of issues in order for the column to still be readable. Hence, in my column this week, I wrote, “With a 3-1 vote, city council decided to begin enforcing a law that bans (homeless) people from sitting or lying on the sidewalk downtown.”

And while that’s accurate, it left one tedious detail. Technically, what city council voted on was to accept a report from the SAFE committee proclaiming that all of the promised homeless services (benches, lockers, showers, bathrooms) are in place. Since enforcement of the Sit-Lie law had been blocked until this report was accepted, council’s vote, in a very real way, was a vote to begin enforcing the law—even if the vote was simply on accepting a report.

My technical “oversight” was pointed out by Commissioner Randy Leonard—the only no vote—though he admitted it might be a “a distinction without a difference.”

He also added this, for the record: “I did vote no on the sit-lie ordinance when it was passed by the council.”

Now that that is settled, I’ll move on to finding other things to bore you with.