Council refers proposed no‑camping amendment to public‑health committee after extensive public opposition

The Salem City Council on April 10 voted to refer a proposed amendment to the no‑camping ordinance to the Committee on Public Health, Safety and Environment co‑posted with the Committee of the Whole. The referral includes a public hearing scheduled for April 15 at 6:00 p.m. in the council chamber.

The proposed amendment would change how and when officers may remove encampments, including a provision that would shorten the removal window in some circumstances from 72 hours to 12 hours and allow sweeps when no shelter is available or when public health or wildfire risk is identified. Councilor Cohen moved to refer the matter to committee; the motion carried.

Public testimony at the April 10 meeting featured numerous residents who said the amendment would harm people experiencing homelessness and called for enforcement alternatives and better shelter resources. Resident Jason Doherty, who has worked with people living outside, said stricter enforcement “is going to harm people within our community.” Resident Jess Tower told the council: “Allowing Salem cops to sweep local encampments when there is no other shelter available is extremely inhumane,” and said the city’s publicly posted list of available shelters had not been updated as required by the existing ordinance.

Other public commenters echoed those concerns. Resident John Coverdell said people should be free to choose the places where they sleep and described the amendment as limiting “self‑determination.” Resident Kaitlyn Tricombe cited three unhoused residents who died in the past year and warned a move to 12‑hour removals would cause more harm. Several speakers also tied the issue to the city’s transgender community, noting elevated rates of homelessness among queer and trans people and asking the council to consider the overlap of vulnerabilities.

Councilor Davis said she could not support the amendment in its present form and emphasized the need to consider impacts on queer and transgender residents, who are more likely to be unhoused. The committee referral means the council will hold more detailed hearings; the April 15 meeting was announced in council chambers.

Action taken: Councilor Cohen moved to refer the ordinance amendment to the Committee on Public Health, Safety and Environment co‑posted with the Committee of the Whole; the motion carried (vote recorded as carried). The committee will hold a hearing on April 15 at 6 p.m.