Chillicothe – Council heard more than 90 minutes of facts and opinions on their proposed “Anti-Camping” ordinance, and on the homeless in Chillicothe, in a review session on March 3rd, 2025.
Held in the Main Library Annex of the Chillicothe & Ross County Public Library at 40 West 5th Street to allow more space, many spoke from the audience of about 100.
Council President Kevin Shoemaker had promised the public forum, and noted that there was a quorum of council, and of the Community Affairs Committee. That committee, chaired by Lisa Bennett, has been hearing debate on the proposed ordinance to create more, but smaller, penalties for camping on land owned by the city.
(Hear the perspective of the Law Director’s office on the intent of the draft legislation, and the process to shape it with public input, in my previous story “Chillicothe Council’s Review Session on “Anti-Camping” Proposed Ordinance is this Afternoon.”)
Monday’s review session began with an almost half-hour encore presentation on the state of homelessness in Chillicothe.
Julie Bolen introduced herself as the Executive Director of Ross County Community Action – and also the chair of the Ross County Continuum of Care, known as the Coalition to End Homelessness in Ross County.
Bolen said she was reprising her slide show she had recently given to the council committee. It was concise, clear, and full of data. Find her entire presentation in two parts in the below videos.
Tricia Hall with the Planning and Development Department of the City of Chillicothe also briefly spoke on what the city has been actively doing regarding homelessness and housing. (View that as my third video below.)
About an hour of audience participation followed…with rather more statements, than question-and-answers. Outline notes on the gathering were recorded by the council clerk.
(The founder of a local homeless advocacy group asked me to share her prepared address that she was not able to read in the review session; see my report on that in a side story “Statements from a Chillicothe Homeless Advocacy Group by their Founder.”)
