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Downtown clinic owner tells Wheatland City Council of encampment behind office; staff point to property-owner enforcement and sheriff contact
Summary
Chelsea, owner of 307 Health (doing business as Wyoming Mental Health), told the Wheatland City Council that an unofficial shelter behind her downtown office has created safety and public-health concerns and asked whether staying or sleeping there is legally permissible.
Chelsea, owner of 307 Health (doing business as Wyoming Mental Health), told the Wheatland City Council during the public-comments portion of the meeting that an unofficial shelter or gathering point behind her downtown office has become a lasting presence with couches, clothing, and people she said sometimes use drugs and alcohol.
Chelsea said the presence has affected customers and staff and asked whether it is legally permissible for people to sleep there. "There appears to be an unofficial shelter or gathering point in the back of our office," she said. "We just wanna know if it's legally permissible to stay there and or sleep there because that's what is happening."
The issue prompted responses from city staff. Willie, a city staff member, said enforcement depends on property ownership and that private property owners may remove personal property left on their land. "If it's on your property, you know, the city doesn't control that at all. And so, if they're bringing property there, you can dispose of it," Willie said. City staff and council members recommended posting conspicuous "no trespassing" signs and serving notices to remove property when appropriate.
Brad, a city staff member, said public-intoxication enforcement is an officer-level decision and encouraged business owners to report incidents so law enforcement can respond case by case. "That is something that is officer discretion," Brad said. Staff and council members also advised check-ins with the county sheriff's department when behavior creates safety concerns.
Chelsea asked whether the council could place ordinance changes on a future agenda to address downtown loitering and safety. City representatives said they would look into relevant ordinances and coordinate with law enforcement, but a formal timeline for any ordinance review or changes was not specified in the meeting.
The commenters linked the problem to downtown safety and business climate; Council members and staff urged continued reporting of incidents so officers can respond and so staff can gather information about whether new local rules or signage are needed. No formal action, motion, or vote related to this item was recorded on the transcript.
