Business owners along a portion of 4th Street in downtown Louisville say panhandling is still a problem.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WHAS11) – Construction along 4th Street, near Broadway, in downtown Louisville is now complete and the sidewalks are back open. With that, Forest Ramsey says it's also open season for panhandling.

He owns Art Eatables and says after the city cleared this homeless camp under the downtown bridges two weeks ago, some of the homeless migrated near his store. "We saw a quick uptick almost immediate," he said.

One man even took out a glass window to Ramsey's business. He says police are quick to respond to incidents but rarely sees them passing through.

"A little presence could go a long way in shaking things up," Ramsey told WHAS11.

He says there's more loitering when the weather gets warmer and expects more of it around Derby time. "That seems to happen around Derby every year. So, we suspect there will be more folks down here," he said.

"We have to find a way forward and we are going to have to find a way forward together," Metro Councilwoman Barbara Sexton Smith said.

Her district covers much of downtown. She's spoken to business owners about their concerns and is working on solutions but says with budget cuts coming, some homeless initiatives, which are funded only through June, could see the budget ax. "Such as the low barrier shelter, the temporary storage and outreach workers. It is my concern that we may not be able to continue those services," she said.

Ramsey hopes the city does something, not only to help improve the look of downtown but to help the people who could benefit from a hand-up and not a hand-out.

"Make sure they are getting access to services that would maybe help reduce panhandling some because they are getting their needs taken care of," Ramsey explained.