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WHEELING -- Members of Wheeling City Council cast a majority vote Tuesday night to support a recommendation to City Manager Robert Herron to close the city's homeless camp effective Dec. 1.
Councilwoman Connie Cain made a motion to support the move, which can be done at the discretion of the city manager without a vote from council. However, city leaders voted to show their collective support for the measure. Councilman Ty Thorngate cast the only dissenting vote.
All other members of Wheeling City Council voted to support the recommendation, including Mayor Denny Magruder.
"In my opinion, the exempted camp has been a failure," Magruder said. "We're more than two years in. I think it's been a failure not only for the camp residents, but for neighborhood citizens as well."
The city of Wheeling in recent years passed a camping ban on public property, but the ordinance allows for an exemption to the ban at the discretion of the city manager.
The exempted property has been located on Industrial Drive south of the entrance to the Peninsula Cemetery near the Interstate 70 overpass over Wheeling Creek.
As more and more resources and options for homeless individuals have become available, the number of homeless individuals at the camp has not declined, officials indicated. It has instead grown, as have the number of issues related to the camp.
Cain said she believed there are enough beds in the city to accommodate the number of unhoused individuals who last winter chose to continue staying outdoors in the camp. Officials indicated that, through the exempted camp, the city is basically providing the option for people to live outside on public property when more suitable options are available.
"Winter is approaching fast, and it is my understanding that last year, a small number of people remained in the exempted area over the winter, which I believe to be well within the number of beds available through the appropriate providers," Cain said. "It is my opinion, and I hope it is shared with my colleagues on city council, that providing such an outdoor area during freezing temperatures in deteriorating conditions is not in the public's best interest and does not serve the goals of council in furthering the health, safety and welfare of those in the community."
Cain moved to request that the city manager exercise his discretion and withdraw the designation of this area, therefore eliminating the exempted location beginning on Dec. 1 of this year. She asked that her fellow council members support the request, as well.
"I fully support the motion made by Councilor Cain," Magruder said.
"No one should be sleeping in a tent through the winter," said Councilman Tony Assaro. "I would like to see the homeless brought indoors, so I'm in support, as well."
Councilman Ben Seidler said that what is supposed to be happening at the exempted camp has not been happening.
"The intent of this camp was to be a temporary triage for service providers to be able to get down there and get these folks the help they need," Seidler said. "It was never supposed to be permanent housing. It was always supposed to be temporary. It was supposed to be a central location for resources to be consolidated. That process has never happened."
Seidler described the conditions at the camp as hellish.
"That camp is not a great place. It is a special spot of hell, and it's time to close it," he said. "Those folks deserve better. They need to be around the resources that are there."
Seidler noted that local agencies - from Northwood Health System to the Wheeling Police Department's Crisis Response Unit to The Life Hub - have all expanded their services in recent years to help address issues related to the local homeless population.
"The city of Wheeling has worked incredibly hard to make sure resources are available," Seidler said. "We worked with Northwood Health System to make sure they have immediate access to detox, rehab and mental health programs. There's no more excuses that 'we can't get a bed' or 'there's no rehab.' That problem has been solved. Our Wheeling Police Department has done an incredible job in putting together our Crisis Response Unit, which is a team of dedicated social workers and specially trained officers who are tasked with responding with these things."
Officials discussed the procedural nature of the motion to support the closure of the camp. Council members noted that they were voting to support a recommendation to the city manager to pull the exemption effective Dec. 1.
"The city manager could exercise this - I personally would like to give our support - or non-support - to the city manager so he is not alone on this issue," Magruder said. "It is an issue that has been of high criticism at times, so I for one would like to show our support - whatever way we go."
Vice Mayor Jerry Sklavounakis, an attorney by trade, mentioned the U.S. Supreme Court case last year that upheld an Oregon city's ban on homeless people camping in public places. Despite that landmark ruling, Sklavounakis recommended that the city comply with 2020 order issued by U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey's order to provide a two-week notice to occupants of a homeless encampment prior to clearing the property.
If Herron elects to pull the exemption, officials noted that Dec. 1 is nearly six weeks away.
Seidler noted that the last time the city closed a homeless encampment, there were "pitchforks and protests" about short notice.
"I'll say it loud and clear," Seidler said. "Please don't let anybody come to us the day before and say we didn't know this was happening.
"It's time to close this camp."
Cain said city officials have been criticized in the past for having homeless individuals sleep out in the cold. Cain said she recently visited the camp and The Life Hub, which earlier this year announced that they were expanding their operation from a winter shelter to a year-round shelter.
"I did visit the camp. I talked to some of the people who were there. It just breaks my heart to see that people are living like this - not because of the winter, but in general. We have several places that are providing beds and shelter."
Thorngate said he voted against supporting the recommendation because he was not certain that there are actually places for homeless individuals to go if the camp is closed.
"I understand where my fellow councilors are coming from in terms of compassion," Thorngate said. "I also have a hard time knowing that people are sleeping outside during the winter months. But at this time, I'm not 100% comfortable with the data provided - like, do we have enough beds? Will a facility be open 24 hours a day? So at this point, I just didn't feel comfortable supporting it."
Cain indicated that 25 people were staying at The Life Hub on 16th Street earlier this week, adding that the facility is looking to expand with additional beds and can accommodate approximately 50 individuals currently.
Herron said the city administration is looking to meet with officials from The Life Hub in the coming weeks.
"We've reached out to them," he said. "We're trying to schedule a meeting with them before the first of November."
The city manager noted after the meeting that when he makes a decision on the homeless encampment exemption, he will let everyone know.
In other action during Tuesday night's meeting of Wheeling City Council, officials voted on several ordinances related to its routine distribution of annual federal Community Development Block Grant funding to area charitable organizations. All ordinances for CDBG allocations were approved, however, there were a couple of notable votes against certain distributions.
Councilman Dave Palmer voted against an ordinance to provide $10,000 to Catholic Charities, and both Palmer and Seidler voted against a $10,000 allocation to the Soup Kitchen of Greater Wheeling.
"Upon review of their financial state by looking at their 990 forms and their report forms - I don't think that they each needed our $10,000," Palmer explained after the meeting. "I think they have enough assets to cover it, and we could have redirected that to other organizations that need it more."