Public hearing set for city's proposed "camping" law
Saratoga Springs: Safety Commissioner Tim Coll’s proposal drew public criticism at last week’s meeting.
The public will have their say on a new “no camping” law introduced by Saratoga Springs Department of Public Safety Commissioner Tim Coll on Tuesday June 17. An official public hearing on the proposed law is scheduled for the start of next week’s council meeting, 7 p.m. Tuesday July 1. Find the proposed ordinance here.
If last week’s city council meeting is any indication, the proposal may generate some heat with the public. No one during the meeting’s public comment period spoke in favor of the proposed legislation. Most spoke against the ordinance, with the aim of improving housing options for the homeless, not making homelessness illegal, which the speakers feared would happen.
Holiday Hammond, a local civic leader with MLK Saratoga, agreed with others and added that arresting the homeless for being homeless is “not a good look for Saratoga.”
Although Coll maintained during the meeting that the proposed law aims at regulating the activity of camping on most public property in the city, and therefore does not target the city’s homeless population directly, he also said that the city should discourage people from “inhumanely” sleeping on the street.
The proposed camping law says:
No person may engage in Camping on any City Property.
No person may sleep or lie or sit on or in any City Property.
No person may sleep or lie or sit in any doorway that is adjacent to a public sidewalk.
No person may place any Camping Material on any City Property.
No person may lie across any public bench on any City Property.
No person may sit on any curb of any street or landscaped area, or place any item or items of personal property within any landscaped bed of any City Property.
The proposal also comes with limitations, saying the law shall not apply to:
Any person who sits or lies down due to a medical or other emergency.
Any person who sits down on a curb during a parade, demonstration, exhibition, or other lawful event designed to attract the attention of the public.
Any chairs, tables, or collections of other items, that are used for approved outdoor dining or commerce.
Any person who sits on any public benches on City Property.
The law comes with fines of up to $250.
Radio station WAMC had an early story on this last week (before The Dispatch began publishing).