Chillicothe — Pushback against the “Anti-Camping” proposed ordinance continued as it received its first reading as a formal agenda item in Chillicothe Council.
The legislation refines penalties for camping without permission on city property (but not private property). It has raised the ire of advocates for the unhoused since a council committee started discussing it in January; search the Scioto Post for my other stories on it.
Advocates had marched to the council session in old City Hall with small protest signs, and filled the audience seating to overflowing before dominating the public address portion of the council session.
Watch the first two speakers in the below video, a sample of many:
- Beverly Wilkes offered an “alternative ordinance” of positive rights for the homeless
- Linda Hoover, founder of So. Ohio HART (Homeless Advocacy Response Team), criticized council.
Council president pro tem Julie Payne finally cut off addresses on the issue after half an hour, twice the time allowed by council rules on a single topic….but, later speakers touched on the topic, among others, for about another half hour.
Council member Dustin Proehl moved to table the “Anti-Camping” item – but no one seconded it, and the motion died to complaints by the audience. It moves on to a second reading on March 24th.
Two ‘citizen reporters’ videorecorded the council session. While council has a live video feed that is archived on their Facebook and YouTube accounts, it uses only one mounted camera that shows only the back of speakers.
One of the citizen reporters, Stephanie Renner, has posted two videos on her Facebook page. The other citizen reporter and a repeat speaker on the topic, AJ, has newly started the “Chillicothe City Tracker” page on Facebook, where one of Renner’s videos is also shared.
Below is the latest copy I have of the proposed ordinance, dated March 4th, shared with me by the council clerk. Listen to the Chillicothe Law Director’s office on the intent for it – including creating lower penalties for police to use under discretion – in “Chillicothe Council’s Review Session on ‘Anti-Camping’ Proposed Ordinance is this Afternoon” (03/03/2025).
Council also held an earlier review session on the proposed changes to city streets around Yoctangee Park, including roundabouts, in the ACGP plan for the park. Find my story on that…soon.
An official copy of Chillicothe Council’s “Anti-Camping” proposed ordinance, dated March 4th:
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