Residents raise downtown hygiene and parking concerns; council outlines policing and social‑service responses

Several downtown residents and business owners told the council Monday that homelessness, human waste and trash are creating problems in the Heritage Plaza area and nearby blocks, and that existing portable restrooms and policing measures are not fully addressing the issue.

Bill Scully, a downtown resident and business owner, told council he and his staff have found human waste and trash in public restrooms and alleys and have been forced to clean areas ahead of events. “Twice within a week, I've had to clean up places where somebody's defecating,” Scully said, adding that porta‑potties near the train platform had been used and sometimes left in unsanitary condition during a recent large event.

Scully also raised parking concerns after private signage for spaces at the Columns Building was removed following parking changes, and he said downtown businesses face practical challenges with new parking‑app systems.

Mayor Pacifico and other council members said the city is aware of the problems and is working with social‑service partners. “We're very aware of this problem down there,” the mayor said, and he described meetings with social‑service agencies and increased police patrols in the downtown area.

Council members credited a coordinated local response: law enforcement has increased patrols, the fire department has assisted with outreach, and local nonprofits have provided warming‑center services and meals. Council members said portable restrooms were a deliberate mitigation step in response to public‑health and sanitation complaints, though the permanent restrooms at Heritage Plaza remain under the discretion of plaza renters to open and maintain.

Council members and staff said the homelessness and blight problems are complex and often stem from underlying issues such as mental health and substance‑use conditions; they described ongoing efforts to connect people to services and to reduce visible encampments. Officials emphasized that while short‑term measures (portable toilets, increased patrols, cleanup) address immediate sanitation concerns, longer‑term solutions will require sustained social‑service engagement and housing resources.

Several council members also thanked volunteers and local businesses for beautification work at Heritage Plaza and said continued neighborhood cleanup can help reduce some quality‑of‑life impacts.