Local business owners said they are fed up with the increase in aggressive panhandling and vagrants in the mining city.

Business owners like Don Heffington of Front Street Laundromat and Terry Reed an agent for Rimrock Trailways at the bus transfer station on Harrison Avenue said vagrants are impacting business.

Wednesday council commissioners, Butte law enforcement, business owners and a handful of local leaders met to try and solve the issue of aggressive panhandling.

The group brought in Chief Deputy County Attorney Samm Cox to help address what legal action they can take to put an end to the constant loitering.

Instead of going ahead with new ordinances, the group agreed business owners should serve the unwanted vagrants with a no trespass notice.

"They can be arrested for trespassing which carries a stiffer penalty and fine than any misdemeanor ordinance that we were looking at drafting so I think this is the good solution and I think if we get the business owners behind it I think that it's going to work well," Council Commissioner Chairman Dave Palmer said.

Business owners like Reed and Heffington OK'd the idea and said they hope it works.

Palmer said they plan to check in with business owners in a couple months to see how the resolution is working.

The group hopes to have a basic form made for business owners in the community to use if they want to serve a no trespass notice.

For more information on how to create or obtain a no trespass notice contact Butte-Silver Bow at 497-6200.