The large majority of those who spoke during a one-hour town hall before The Dalles City Council on a proposed exclusion zone ordinance were against it, citing it as unnecessarily punishing the homeless and other vulnerable populations and difficult to enforce. Barb Seater of Mid-Columbia Center For Living was among those who spoke against the idea, saying people who need services will be less likely to seek them for fear of being stopped. A pair of small business owners pointed out the need to provide education and skills training to those in need of jobs to help them make enough money to find a place to live. The exclusion zone ordinance would allow for repeat offenders of various misdemeanors to be banished from two different downtown areas for up to 90 days if a court determines the person chooses not to accept help, refuses work crew, or fails to complete other forms of accountability.