A report heading to Windsor’s Community Services Standing Committee next week is recommending against QR code signs being installed around the city in an effort to help the homeless.
Ward 3 Coun. Renaldo Agostino said he’s not disappointed, after he called for the report last February to look into the potential that QR code signs could have to encourage digital donations and combat aggressive panhandling.
“No, certainly not a disappointment,” Agostino said. “It's just moving the conversation forward and I look forward to Wednesday.”
“Anything you can do to help a situation or any conversation, you can start to make things better not just for the people that live and work downtown, but also for the people in need is a good conversation and an important conversation to have.”
Agostino pointed to other communities like Greenville, South Carolina where similar programs with QR code signs are already in place, but the administrative report found the signs there produced little in terms of monetary donations or reducing panhandling.
However, it did indicate the QR signs helped with education and awareness in the community.
“I think that this is going to take a lot of minds together to come up with a solution because clearly we have a problem,” Agostino said.
He explained he initially envisioned QR codes on street signs, bar coasters or tables and tents, suggesting it could be a city wide campaign, believing the cost to be minuscule. However, Agostino noted he remains concerned about QR codes being easily manipulated for fraudulent purposes.
“People will cover the QR code with another QR code and you know, even I've seen it happen in traffic calming surveys, where people will try and move it around. So it's certainly an issue that I want to discuss and see if there's any ways around it.”
Agostino told CTV News that even though the report doesn’t recommend the approach, it’s still important to have the conversation, suggesting some out of the box thinking should be embraced. He said a downtown safety plan is still in the works with more details expected soon.
“We want everybody's ideas. We want everyone's solutions. We want everyone's issues. We want to hear it all the good and the bad and the ugly. And that process is is really starting to get fired up at city hall and I'm sure this will be part of it.”
The Community Services Standing Committee meets Wednesday, Sept. 6 at 9 a.m. at Windsor City Hall.
