Marietta Clerk of Council Michele Newbanks, left, conducts the first reading of a resolution Thursday evening. (Photo by Michelle Dillon)

MARIETTA — Marietta City Council approved a camping ban on city property Thursday and authorized a subrecipient agreement with the Washington County Homeless Project for its drop-in center on Front Street.

During Thursday’s regular council meeting, members conducted the third reading of Ordinance No. 105 (24-25), which would ban camping on city properties except in authorized areas. Unauthorized encampments would be a fourth-degree misdemeanor and repeated offenses a third-degree misdemeanor.

No specific sites have been chosen as authorized areas for camping yet, though council members and the administration have discussed several places since October including Gunlock Park, a portion of the Washington County Fairgrounds, a site on Douglas Avenue, a property off Alden Street near the city garage and Goose Run.

After the third reading, council voted unanimously to approve the ordinance.

“I am inclined to vote yes on this ordinance because I recognize the need to address immediate public safety concerns raised by my constituents,” Ward 4 Councilwoman Erin O’Neill said, reading a statement prior to the vote. “It is my duty to respond to those concerns, and this ordinance is a step toward restoring a sense of safety in our community.

“However, I want to be clear, this legislation is only one piece of the puzzle. While it addresses the symptoms of a larger issue, it does not solve the underlying problem of homelessness in our city,” she said. “They deserve more from us than criminalization or displacement.”

O’Neill said it is council’s responsibility to make sure those who are unhoused have a safe, designated place to go whether it is on city property or through private entities. She urged council members and city administration to act swiftly and collaboratively to develop a comprehensive plan for relocating the individuals.

At-Large Councilman Jon Grimm said the intention of the ordinance is for public safety and sanitation.

“I recognize the issue of the homeless but I believe this is a measure that needs to be taken sooner than later,” he said.

The efforts to institute a camping ban in Marietta were spurred by complaints shared in September by the owners of several downtown businesses near the Washington County Homeless Project’s drop-in center on Front Street. Concerns included fears for safety in relation to the center, noise and people yelling or cursing, bothering employees and camping at or behind businesses on Front and Second streets.

Council also conducted the first reading of Resolution No. 45 (24-25) which would allow the city’s safety service director to enter into a subrecipient agreement with the Washington County Homeless Project to provide them with $10,000 to help with the rent of the drop-in center on Front Street.

After the first reading council voted unanimously to suspend the rules and dispense with the second and third readings of the resolution. Then council approved the resolution with a vote of 7-0.

“I’m comfortable offering this for a vote tonight,” said Ward 2 Councilman Bret Allphin, who introduced the resolution. “I’m also comfortable expediting this this evening because we kind of have had long-term conversation on this that many people have contributed their time (on),”

At-Large Councilman Ben Rutherford, who has previously expressed agreement with business owners that Front Street is not the right location for the drop-in center, said he is glad to see the subrecipient agreement has better structure than in the past.

“I think that’s a great first step,” he said. “I still harbor concerns about an accountability piece associated with that.”

Rutherford said City Development Director Geoff Schenkel assured him accountability is something the city can monitor.

Rutherford said he will be looking next year to see that there is a decrease in concerns around the drop-in center as opposed to an increase, “to determine whether or not we continue that funding.”

The subrecipient agreement and whether or not to include a requirement for a security person at the drop-in center has been discussed by council at length since September. Council members’ interest in security at the center is also a result of the security concerns of Front Street business owners. The details of the security plan have been worked on by Washington County Homeless Project Chairwoman Robin Bozian, City Safety Service Director Steven Wetz, Mayor Joshua Schlicher and Police Chief Katherine Warden.

During a Dec. 2 Police and Fire Committee meeting some of those details were discussed, including that the center’s volunteers will receive mental health first aid training in January, staff will call police using a radio provided by the city if de-escalation techniques don’t work in a timely manner and more stringent supervision will be provided for certain areas of the facility.

Michelle Dillon can be reached at mdillon@newsandsentinel.com