The people who formed a mini-encampment next to Burlington City Hall appear to have moved on, and not just because snow arrived this week.
An official city notice hanging against the building’s south wall warns that “no camping is permitted at this location at any time.”
Posted November 1, the notice says that any belongings found on the site after 8 a.m. November 4 would be removed.
“If you do not stop camping or if you return to camp at this spot after it is cleaned up the city may pursue legal action against you,” the notice added.
Burlington City Attorney Eileen Blackwood said the advisory was posted after someone used the code enforcement website SeeClickFix to report blankets, a lawn chair and trash in the bushes next to city hall.
In an email, Blackwood said that “individuals known to be homeless had been gathering in that area earlier in the fall but the items had been left unattended.”
Because no one picked up the stuff, it was put in storage, Blackwood said. If the items are not retrieved by December 5, the city will toss them or give them away to a nonprofit.
Blackwood said that, to her knowledge, no one was cited for camping illegally at the spot. Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger declined to comment.
The encampment formed in July after the renovation of City Hall Park began, displacing homeless people who were accustomed to spending much of their day there.
Some told Seven Days they felt they were being evicted by an unnecessary project in the park. They vowed to stay at the spot next to the south door of city hall in protest.
Complaints about trash and fights at the spot followed. In August, the city expanded the construction fencing around the park, displacing the mini-encampment but not by much. Several members of the group simply moved their chairs and blankets a dozen feet to the side. They continued to spend much of the day there through the fall — at least, until the sign went up.
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Lea, there is another side to this, the ones who do not want housing and ones who as stated panhandle for money saying they need to eat. This happened to me one time, a panhandler was asking for money because he hadn’t eaten in days and was hungry. There was a deli 3 doors down the street so I told him I would buy him a sandwich at the deli. He got all upset with me and was spitting at me, he did not want the food, he wanted the money fro drugs or whatever else.
Some of the people who panhandle money get more in a day then a person that works..
Actually Lea, what they are saying is; “spare change? Gotta dollar? Gimme something for nothin”
It’s not camping, its illegal homesteading on public property
Homeless must remain visible, in full sight, to challenge City to work toward housing for all. These people have courage. They are saying LOOK AT US.
“These folks should go camp on Miro’s front lawn.”
Or maybe yours.
These folks should go camp on Miro’s front lawn.
At least the city posted the places to try and apply for housing even though the shelters are full. A lot of them are against going to those places to try and get housing for some reason.
“they felt they were being evicted by an unnecessary project in the park”
Evicted? Is it really “evicted” to be stopped in the commission of an ordinance violation and trespass?
22-7 Camping in parks prohibited.
(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to camp in any public park in the city unless otherwise authorized by this code. Camping may occur at public areas designated as campsites by the parks and recreation department.
(b) The term “to camp” shall include the placing of any bedding, sleeping bag or other material at a site to serve as a sleeping area; the placing of any tent, lean-to, other structure or vehicle at a site to serve as a sleeping or living area; or the use of any public park for sleeping between the hours of 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m.
It is amazing that complaints on *a phone app* were the decisive enforcement factor here, not the actual existence of the problem, downtown, directly adjacent to City Hall, staring Chittenden leadership in the face every day.