PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) – A workshop was held Tuesday night to discuss a new camping ordinance for the Town of Presque Isle, prompted by residents’ concerns about a visible increase in homelessness in the town.

The issue of the regulation was first raised in June. After hearing public reactions against the regulation, the Council decided to hold a workshop to discuss some changes.

On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, a revised ordinance was proposed that would prohibit people from camping or sleeping on public property, including on sidewalks, benches, or doorways. The draft ordinance states that people camping on public property would have 24 hours to leave the area and that police would have the right to throw away or retain certain personal items.

Police Chief Chris Hayes expressed some concerns about the ordinance, noting that 24 hours would not be enough time to provide adequate assistance to homeless citizens. He also expressed concerns about the possibility of law enforcement seizing personal property.

Chief Hayes explained that while a police ordinance could help in some cases, he would recommend changes to make the bill more “sensitive.”

“They see the opioid epidemic, they see the homeless, they see the mental health issues, and they see how many people are walking the streets every day – that’s not going to change that problem,” Police Chief Hayes said at the meeting.

“We need a long-term solution to this problem and I think we need to seriously consider finding a place for these people to go,” Chief Hayes told the council.

Chief Hayes also addressed public concerns about increasing homelessness in the area, stating that the current situation will likely be “the new normal.”

“This will probably be the new normal around the world until we find an answer, which could take years, if not decades,” Chief Hayes said. “But we’re working on it, I can assure you of that… we don’t want these people to have to live like this, and we don’t want the citizens of Presque Isle to be afraid.”

In addition, Chief Hayes addressed the misconception that many of the people experiencing homelessness are not from the area. “I’m tired of repeating this over and over again, but these are locals, people I’ve been dealing with for 15 to 18 years,” the police chief said. “These are locals who are suffering here.”

Homeless services experts agreed with Police Chief Hayes that relocation would not work without a place to relocate residents.

“We can’t enforce an ordinance that relocates people until we have places for them to go,” said Shelby Wilson, Hub 9’s homeless services coordinator for Aroostook County. “I think we’re putting the cart before the horse, and I think if we focus our efforts on passing an ordinance after we’ve met some of our community’s needs for those services, we may be able to have a better impact on the community itself.”

Chief Hayes, Councilman Hank King and experts who work directly in homeless services expressed concerns about the ordinance as written, particularly the notice period, and advised against enacting an ordinance until further solutions are presented.

Councilman Kevin Freeman moved to adopt the ordinance as it stands. However, since the meeting was a workshop, no official decisions could be made.

According to city ordinance, the ordinance will be subject to a second public reading at a later date.

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