Resident raises concerns about homelessness and litter; city manager outlines programs and partnerships

A resident, John Cox, used the public-comment period at the Florence City Council meeting to raise concerns about homelessness and litter across the city.

Cox said he sees individuals “pandering on public property” and called for action on homelessness. He also told the council that “everywhere I go in Florence, there's litter all over the place,” and said the trash makes the city look bad and is “embarrassing.”

City Manager Scotty responded with details of current city efforts. He said the city provides $75,000 annually to an entity that helps unhoused people and that police officers can transport unhoused individuals to local shelters using those funds. He described partnerships with Keep Florence Beautiful — to which the city provides $10,000 — neighborhood associations and volunteer groups that adopt streets for cleanups. He also said the sanitation department services about 500–700 households per day and cannot stop at every litter hotspot, so the city has two staff assigned to respond to litter areas on call and uses cameras to catch repeated dumping.

Council members pointed to upcoming cleanups and encouraged residents and neighborhood associations to request cleanup assistance; staff provided a city contact phone number (843-665-3113) and said keep Florence Beautiful maintains a website for sign-ups.

The exchange concluded with staff and council noting limits where city jurisdiction ends at county lines and clarifying that enforcement or penalties are constrained for properties outside the city and for businesses located in the county.