Greenwood council approves first readings on liens, encampments, zoning and site lease; rezoning for 60-unit project advances

The Greenwood City Council on April 21 approved a series of first readings and related actions covering municipal code changes, encampment procedures, zoning and a site lease, and voted to enter executive session to discuss economic development.

At a glance (votes): All motions described below carried unanimously with six votes.

What the council approved or acted on

- Ordinance 25-005 (first reading): Amend Chapter 18 (Environment) to remove inconsistent time frames for lien filing so that liens may be recorded when abatement work is completed. Staff explained liens are effective when the work is done but that filing provides public notice; the change removes conflicting 30/60-day references and allows filing immediately. County collection cooperation is under separate negotiation; county tax-collection integration was discussed as a later step with a target timeline of 2026.

- Ordinance 25-006 (first reading): Add an encampments-on-public-property article (Chapter 26, Article 8). The ordinance, modeled on a municipal association template, gives police written procedures: generally post a 24‑hour removal notice for city-owned property and a 3‑hour notice for emergency/safety hazards; property left may be collected and logged into evidence; controlled substances and medication would be handled according to SLED and other evidence protocols. Police and staff cited public-safety and hazardous-waste concerns, including used syringes at…