A trio of homeless men who camp along the Kansas River east of City Hall came to the podium at Tuesday’s Lawrence City Commission meeting to ask commissioners to reconsider plans to prohibit camping in city parks and and public right of way.

They made their case for being left alone as long as they didn’t destroy property or cause trouble, but some of their statements probably will tap into growing concerns among some local residents.

City commissioners are expected to consider next Tuesday a group of ordinances aimed at restricting behavior that has made some homeless people unwelcome, especially in downtown Lawrence. One ordinance would ban “aggressive panhandling,” such as repeatedly speaking to the same individual, touching people or blocking their path. Another ordinance would make it illegal to lie or sit on a sidewalk in a way that blocks pedestrians.

The speakers at Tuesday’s meeting had no objections to those two ordinances but were concerned about the camping ban, which specifically is aimed at starting fires to cook or stay warm. Although a number of downtown business owners have complained about fires being set in alley doorways or trash bins, the men from the river contended that their controlled fires in barbecue grills or smokers posed no threat. They also pointed out problems that could be created by displacing river bank campers, who then would compete for space in the city’s two homeless shelters.

“We’ve got to have some place to stay,” pleaded one of the men, who estimated there are 5,000 to 6,000 homeless people in Lawrence, far more than estimated by the city’s task force on homeless issues. Why so many? According to this man, part of the reason is that officials in Manhattan and Ottawa seek to reduce their homeless populations by buying people bus tickets to Lawrence.

Another of the river campers announced, “I actually chose to be homeless because I like the lifestyle. : It’s the simplicity of it.” He likes living on the river, he said, as opposed to the “tyranny” of rule-laden homeless shelters. He and the others just want “a place we can call home.”

Lawrence is a compassionate community, but at what point do we become victims of our own compassion? Are we willing to take responsibility for providing services for everyone some other city sends to us on the bus? How much can we spend on supporting the lifestyle choice of someone who just likes living on the river?

These are not easy questions for a caring community like Lawrence as it seeks to deal with this complex problem. While many taxpayers may be willing to reach out to homeless people with mental illness or those who are actively trying to better their situation, some may not feel the same way about people who come to Lawrence because its policies and services best support their homeless status or even their choice to remain homeless.

The sidewalk and panhandling ordinances are a step in the right direction because they deal with behaviors that are troubling to many Lawrence residents. A majority of commissioners also support a ban on camping in city parks, but there is discussion of trying to accommodate camping in other areas to keep from displacing too many people.

Like most Lawrence policies concerning the homeless, that approach reflects the community’s compassion, but it also raises questions about how far the city should go in putting out the welcome mat.