Greater Napanee council is holding a special meeting tonight, September 3rd, to discuss a new parks and public spaces by-law aimed at addressing concerns over tent encampments. The meeting will start at 7 p.m. at the Strathcona Paper Centre, soon to be renamed the Best and Bash Arena.
The proposed by-law would set rules for how close tents can be to amenities like parks and schools. This discussion comes after increased reports of people setting up tents in areas such as Conservation Park, which accounts for 43% of public complaints about encampments.
Town clerk Jessica Walters highlighted the need to carefully draft the by-law to avoid legal issues, citing Section 7 Charter Rights. The town also discussed possibly designating a specific encampment area but has not made any decisions yet.
Residents are encouraged to attend tonight’s meeting to share their thoughts and help shape the by-law.