TOPEKA (KSNT) – Topeka’s mayor, Michael Padilla, and interim city manager, Richard Nienstedt, held their monthly press conference after it was moved back a week.

The press conference at the Law Enforcement Center was moved back from Oct. 24 due to scheduling conflicts, according to the city.

The mayor addressed a number of topics including the status of the city’s camping ordinance, the city’s consolidated action plan, trunk or treat at the law enforcement center and voting and voter registration.

“There’s a number of success stories of our agencies being able to work with people who don’t want to be homeless and we get them into housing,” Nienstedt said in regard to the city’s homeless problem. “We don’t have enough housing to do it, we don’t have enough money to do it, but there is a segment of the homeless that we’re working with.”

“What we have on the books now in regard to the camping ordinance is enough to allow the officers and the police department to focus on those high-priority areas that have been pointed out to us by the community,” Padilla said.

Padilla discussed the city’s Consolidated Action Plan (CAP) which combines the planning and application process for the Community Development Block Grant, the HOME Investment Partnerships and the American Dream Down-payment Initiative and the Emergency Shelter Grant programs.

Padilla said there will be meetings for the CAP open to the public on Nov. 15 and Nov. 30 at the New Mt. Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Topeka.

“Often people ask ‘where are my tax dollars going, how are they being used’,” Padilla said. “This is a way to find out.”

Padilla reminded residents to go out and vote before the general election on Nov. 7.

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