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Ottawa adopts civil camping ordinance after public debate over winter timing and notice
Summary
The commission passed an ordinance regulating camping and storage of personal property in public spaces, applying a civil enforcement process with at least a 24-hour written notice before property removal and a redemption fee cap of $499. Public commenters urged delaying enforcement until spring or extending notice to 48 hours.
The Ottawa City Commission voted Dec. 18 to adopt an ordinance that prohibits camping and the storage of personal property on public infrastructure, in parks and within 10 feet of designated dangerous or unsafe structures. The ordinance frames violations as civil (not criminal), requires at least a 24-hour written notice before property may be removed, and caps redemption fees at $499 as set by the municipal court judge.
What the ordinance does: City Manager Silcott and staff said the rule is designed as a tool of last resort, crafted after stakeholder engagement and in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s Grants Pass v. Johnson decision. The…
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