South Salt Lake council advances discussion of citywide camping ban; item moved to Jan. 22 meeting

The South Salt Lake City Council on Jan. 8 moved discussion of a proposed ordinance that would prohibit camping in all public places to its Jan. 22 meeting after debate over enforcement, legal risk and state funding.

The measure, presented by Josh Collins of city staff, would expand the city’s current camping prohibition — now limited to parks — to all public property and give police clearer authority to enforce camping restrictions. Collins told the council the change is linked to state mitigation funding that supports homeless services and local shelter operations: "The state legislature has given us direction ... that we need to enforce camping, or we will not be able to proceed [with] mitigation funding," he said.

Collins said the city currently relies on a mix of county health rules and other code sections to address encampments and that a single municipal ordinance would streamline enforcement and the work of South Salt Lake’s Homeless Resource Officers (HROs). "I think that this proposed ordinance would help not only individuals that live in the city, but also those who are suffering from homelessness and looking for a place to reside by connecting them with services," Collins said.

Council members pressed staff on enforcement details and legal limits. One council member, identified in the record as Nick, summarized his view bluntly: "This is being forced on us by the state, pretty much." Collins and other staff cited discussion at the Utah Homeless Services Board and said the state has linked mitigation funding to local enforcement actions.

The city discussed legal precedent noted in the meeting. Collins referred to litigation in the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals (citing Boise) and a more recent U.S. Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass that, according to staff, changed aspects of how courts view camping bans. He said the legal landscape has shifted and that South Salt Lake police aim to connect unsheltered people with services rather than only pursue punitive measures.

Council members asked how personal property would be handled when people are removed from encampments. Collins said the city stores property for safekeeping and the police previously obtained a ConX storage container to manage larger items. "We also have an obligation legally to do that as well," Collins said. He explicitly denied plans to dispose of personal property in the manner of some larger jurisdictions: "We have not done that, and I don't believe the police intend to do that."

Several council members praised the city's HROs for on-the-ground outreach. Clarissa (council member) said HROs often know people by name and work to find alternatives to simply moving encampments. Clarissa also noted restrictions such as enforcement during Code Blue (cold-weather) shelter events.

After discussion, Councilmember Charlotte moved to place the proposed ordinance on the Jan. 22 agenda so staff could provide additional information; Clarissa seconded the motion. The council approved the motion by voice vote. The item will return to the council on Jan. 22 for further consideration; no ordinance vote was taken on Jan. 8.

Ending: Councilmembers and staff asked for follow-up information before the next meeting, including data from the police department on time spent responding to encampments and details about how mitigation funding is tied to enforcement. The Jan. 22 meeting will include the ordinance as unfinished business.