A public meeting was held in Greater Napanee to discuss parks bylaws and a proposed encampment protocol.
The meeting began with a brief introduction from Mayor Terry Richardson, thanking those who attended the previous session for their community involvement. The focus of the night was to educate the public on the parks bylaws and gather feedback on the proposed encampment protocol.
The town brought in a moderator for this meeting whose role was to impartially moderate and facilitate the meeting. He stressed the importance of staying on topic during the discussion and invited questions from the audience.
The meeting’s focus was on understanding and improving parks bylaws while considering the needs of both housed and unhoused individuals. CAO Matthew Grant explained that municipalities face legal limitations, making it essential to develop a reasonable and defensible bylaw regarding encampments. He highlighted that recent court rulings emphasize the need for communities to manage camping rights effectively.
Various agency partners were present to explain their roles in addressing homelessness. Representatives from the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) discussed their compassionate approach to homelessness, emphasizing the importance of public safety and community support. They highlighted their collaboration with mental health teams to assist individuals struggling with addiction or mental health issues.
Kevin Alkenbrack, Executive Director from the Morningstar Mission, shared how they provide vital services, including a warming center and food assistance to the homeless. Lynn Chenier from Prince Edward Lennox and Addington Social Services discussed available housing and support programs, while Sean Preston from Addictions and Mental Health Services outlined crisis intervention strategies.
During the meeting, residents expressed concerns about the effectiveness of current bylaws and their enforcement.
The OPP noted their service mandate to the community does not include bylaw enforcement as the town has their own bylaw, but that does not mean they do not assist. Grant shared they do do enforcement on a number of areas. “Most recently, our fire chief, has been a number of areas identifying fire hazards and risk to life and has taken action there as recently as last week.”
Grant reassured attendees that the town is actively reviewing and strengthening bylaws related to parks and encampments. He emphasized the importance of community feedback, noting that input from this meeting would inform town council’s decisions.
When asked what their short term and long term plans were, Grant shared their longer term plan, “is to manage this issue as best we can. It’s not within the town’s ability or anyone’s ability, in this room to solve this issue. It’s a national issue. It’s a societal issue.”
In terms of municipal lands for affordable housing, “we are having conversations with the County of Lennox and Addington, who is has expressed interest to us in writing, about how we might support them in their efforts to fulfill their mandate of providing affordable housing. And those conversations continue, because we are interested in being part of the solution.”
As the meeting concluded, attendees were encouraged to submit further questions and feedback online as the survey closes Friday.
Council will review all input before reporting back to the community on proposed changes, highlighting the ongoing commitment to creating a safe and fair environment for all residents.
Written by Emily Chatwood