Jill Schramm/MDN The atrium of the Ward County Administration Building has become a hangout at times for some individuals. Luggage is stacked at the building entrance March 19.

The Ward County Administration Building is meant for public use, but sleeping, meal preparation and lines of luggage are beyond what some county officials consider appropriate in the building’s lobby.

County Commissioners John Fjeldahl and Jim Rostad, meeting as the commission’s building and grounds committee Thursday, directed State’s Attorney Roza Larson to tweak the Ward County Library’s rules as a starting point for creating a code of conduct for patrons of the administration building. The commission is expected to take up the matter at its April 16 meeting.

It was noted that homeless individuals from a nearby warming house relocate to the county building when the warming house closes each morning.

“We can’t keep them from our building unless they are misbehaving,” Larson said. “If it’s a public building, they have a right to be here, but we can prescribe what sort of conduct is expected.”

Occasional belligerent behavior and panhandling have been issues requiring the assistance of the Sheriff’s Office, although Vangsness said often those loitering do not create problems. He said letting individuals know they can be banned from the building for a period of time for misbehavior might address some of the problem.

Other concerns have centered around multiple pieces of luggage stacked at the entrance or near stairs, smoking in restrooms, sleeping in the atrium, plugged-in crockpots and meal consumption.

“It doesn’t look good and, basically, it’s not safe,” Sheriff Robert Roed said. He said generous individuals wanting to help the helpless have brought in spaghetti, pizza, hot dogs or cereal.

“They have good intentions, it’s just that this is not the place for that to happen,” Larson said.

Rules for the building could specify where food can be consumed and require that it be covered outside those areas. Rules also could prohibit weapons and allow for bag searches as well as spell out situations that would result in expulsion from the building.