The mayor of Costa Mesa, Calif., has asked city officials to investigate nonprofit social service groups he contends attract homeless people to the Orange County town, says the Los Angeles Times.

Mayor Eric Bever said the city could take steps to solve complaints about vagrants in parks and public facilities “if we managed to put the soup kitchen out of business.” He cited two organizations, Share Our Selves and Someone Cares Soup Kitchen, which offer meals and medical care to the poor and homeless.

Rick Francis, Costa Mesa’s assistant chief executive, said the city “can’t infringe on the rights of the service providers to do what they do” but will encourage the charities to focus on serving city residents.

Shannon Santos, executive director of Someone Cares, said a 2011 survey by the soup kitchen found that 86 percent of its patrons are from Costa Mesa and about two in five live in a nearby apartment complex that serves low-income seniors.