Summit council introduces new camping ordinance, tables two earlier drafts after heated public comment

The Summit Common Council voted Tuesday to table two earlier proposed ordinances on camping in public places and introduced a revised ordinance (ID 11920) that would add Section 3‑19, "Camping on public property," to the city code. Council members set a final public hearing for June 3.

Council president McTiernan said the two earlier drafts (ordinance nos. 25‑3339 and 25‑3340) were tabled ‘‘meaning they would not be considered, and there would be no further public comment on that’’ and would need to be reintroduced if the council chose to pursue them again. City solicitor Giacobbe explained that tabling the ordinances “means that it's basically withdrawn. There'd have to be a reintroduction of it and another second hearing.” Both tabling motions passed unanimously on roll call.

Councilman Boyer, who introduced ordinance ID 11920, framed the measure as the outcome of months of committee work and public input and repeated that the ordinance is intended to formalize practices he said Summit officers and courts already follow. “This process is what good governance looks like,” Boyer said, adding…