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Residents urge Farmington Hills to consider 'no public camping' ordinance and clarify petition‑signing rules
Summary
Multiple residents told the council about an encampment near Grand River and Halsted service drive, praised police responsiveness, and urged the council to adopt a 'no public camping' ordinance similar to a neighboring community; another commenter raised concerns about restrictions on collecting petition signatures on city property.
During public comment at the Dec. 9 Farmington Hills council meeting several residents reported a small encampment on the triangular lawn at Grand River and the Halsted service drive, described repeated contacts with police and fire staff, and asked the council to consider adopting a local 'no public camping' ordinance (one commenter provided a copy of a Farmington ordinance as a model).
Residents described safety concerns for both homeowners and people camping at the site and thanked police—naming Chief Jeff King and Sergeant Larry Hernandez—for responsive and compassionate interactions. One resident said staff from the police and fire departments were accommodating on site but that the city’s existing authorities limited the response options available to first responders.
Another speaker, identifying herself as a petition organizer, said volunteer circulators had been told that many city properties and facilities prohibit signature gathering, limiting where they could lawfully collect signatures; she asked the council to revisit those rules to allow greater access to residents for signature drives. Councilmembers accepted copies of the Farmington ordinance and indicated staff would review proposed language.
No council action to adopt a 'no public camping' ordinance was taken on Dec. 9; the comments were received and council asked staff to accept the sample ordinance for review.
