Metro Government Considers Temporary Occupy Permit to Allow Camping

Louisville Metro Government will likely approve a new permit that continues to allow Occupy Louisville demonstrators to remain at Founder’s Square for another three months.The city is working out the details this week, said Jim Mims, director of Codes and Regulations.“If indeed it is more or less a continuation of what we’re seeing now, at least from Codes and Regulations' standpoint, we’re inclined to re-up the permit for another 90 days and see where it takes us," he said.Occupy Louisville was previously told that any new permit for overnight camping would not be approved. Demonstrators filed suit against the city claiming the ban on camping restricts their First Amendment Rights.Camping could be allowed in a new 90-day permit, but there are still other stipulations that need to be worked out, said Mims. Occupy Louisville's application for a  new permit requested allowance of over to 400 people in Founder's Square, which does not reflect the number of demonstrators who use the park, he said.Further, Mims said the city may ask demonstrators to pay part of the electricity costs, "if there’s any way of telling how much power they’re consuming.”The case is still waiting to be heard by the Western District Court of Kentucky.