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South Coast Mayor's Roundtable Swamped With Citizens Worried About Homeless, Retail Issues

Over 100 people turned out for the Mayor of Santa Barbara's roundtable Wednesday morning.

At issue were concerns about downtown Santa Barbara's homeless population and the number of vacant retail properties, roughly 40 spots.

Mayor Helene Schneider brought out police, healthcare workers and city staff to talk to the group.

Business owners were very outspoken about the perceived impact of panhandlers on their customers, along with the overuse of benches.

Police say certain rights are protected, but they are trying to find services or help for those on the streets that want it.

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