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WHEELING -- Wheeling City Council Tuesday adopted a ban on camping on public property similar to the measure passed in September in Parkersburg.
The city of Belpre in October also passed on first reading an ordinance banning camping.
An amended ordinance to ban camping on public property in the city of Wheeling was passed by a majority vote from members of city council on Tuesday night.
The controversial issue has been a brewing topic over the past few weeks since the camping ban legislation was introduced in October, prompting several members of the homeless outreach community to express opposition to any type of action that would displace a number of people who have nowhere else to go. A second and final reading of the camping ban legislation was passed by city council Tuesday night by a vote of 5-2, with Mayor Glenn Elliott and Councilwoman Rosemary Ketchum dissenting.
Amendments to the ordinance prohibiting camping on public property will allow an exception for approved camping locations that may be designated by the city manager with one or more locations will be exempt.
Wheeling City Manager Robert Herron after the meeting said there are "templates" that will be examined from other communities across the nation that host successful managed homeless encampments.
The city of Wheeling has no plans to manage or provide funding for a camp. The amended ordinance gives the city administration authority to grant exemptions to the ban by allowing a camp at a designated location whether that be on public or private property.
"Our intent would be to work with the agencies that provide services to the homeless to figure out an appropriate location for a managed camp, and I feel as though we'll be successful in doing that," Herron said.
While the amendment seemed a compromise, individuals at the meeting who held up signs stating "Don't Criminalize Homelessness for Christmas" applauded council members who chose not to vote for the legislation.
"I made it clear to folks that I've spoken to that I do support a managed camp system, and while I do believe these amendments and this current ordinance is incrementally better than the previous one that we saw, it's still not a solution," Ketchum said. "The issues that we're facing are broad and complex ... and cannot be banned. We all remember the 'Just Say No' response from the federal government to drug addiction. This is a 'Just Say No' response to homelessness that unfortunately will not solve the issue that we have."
Councilman Jerry Sklavounakis proposed the amendment and credited Councilman Ben Seidler for working with homeless advocates toward a compromise.
Sklavounakis, an attorney, said there is case law that goes against the argument that camping bans are unconstitutional, especially that managed camps are to be permitted.
Councilman Ty Thorngate said the city council over the past eight years has committed millions of dollars to support local nonprofit organizations and their efforts to address this issue.
"We established a homeless liaison position to help bridge the gap between these nonprofits to provide city council and city government with vital data and help us comprehend the true extent of our own homeless population," Thorngate said. "No matter what obstacles we've faced, we've approached them with unwavering compassion. But, unfortunately, our empathy and willingness to explore all avenues to assist our homeless population have been taken advantage of by a select few individuals."