Morgantown Council approves camping ban in seven-hour meeting

September 4—MORGANTOWN — In a 4-3 vote at 1:25 a.m. Wednesday morning — six hours and 14 minutes after the meeting opened — the Morgantown City Council passed the ordinance banning “camping” on public property.

The result of the vote was the same as in the first reading: Mayor Joe Abu-Ghannam and councillors Danielle Trumble and Brian Butcher voted in the minority.

The law defines camping as “the setting up, construction, or occupation of camping facilities or the use of camping equipment, or both, for residential purposes as evidenced by the use of camping equipment” and prohibits it on all public property.

The ordinance states that a first offense will result in a warning, a second offense will result in a fine not exceeding $200, and a third offense within 12 months may result in a fine of up to $500 and/or up to 30 days in jail.

However, “no summons shall be issued nor any criminal sanction imposed under this section unless the person who violated this article has been offered alternative accommodation and has declined that offer.”

“Shelter” would include an alternative location where the person can find shelter overnight, including but not limited to a place in an emergency shelter or other alternative indoor or outdoor location…”

In addition, alternative sentencing will be possible if offenders inform the district court that they need treatment for substance abuse or mental health problems.

Prior to passing, the Council unanimously approved an amendment proposed by Butcher to add case management for detention to the existing provisions for substance use disorders or mental health treatment under the alternative sentencing process.

The duration of the meeting, which finally ended at 2:05 a.m., depended on the public hearing before the vote.

Although the mayor or a majority of the City Council have the ability to limit the number of speakers at public hearings — similar to how the board limits the length of regular public comments to four minutes — they have chosen not to do so.

About 30 speakers gave feedback on the regulation for five hours and 13 minutes. Two of them spoke in favor of the law.

Like every time since the topic of a citywide camping ban first came up, the Morgantown City Hall meeting room was packed.

An even larger crowd gathered in the building’s ground floor lobby to watch a live stream of the event.

The law comes into force on October 3.

If an emergency shelter — Catholic Charities’ triage shelter at Hazel’s House of Hope — is not available on the day the law takes effect, the facility will be delayed until the shelter opens.