Council discusses recovery‑housing listings, camping enforcement and plans for cameras

Councilmembers raised concerns about a Department of Behavioral Health list that appears to show 35 recovery‑housing locations with 235 beds bearing an Ironton address but without clear street‑level locations. Members asked staff to confirm whether each facility has a city business license that discloses physical addresses and to verify whether supervised beds should be located in business zones rather than residential ones.

Staff said some entries appear to be outside city limits or use regional addresses and that records do not consistently disclose addresses. Council asked staff to follow up with the licensing database and zoning enforcement to determine compliance and to correct the public list if needed.

The council also discussed enforcement of the city’s anti‑camping ordinance after reports of people camping under a bridge and leaving hazardous waste. Staff said the department gives warnings and issues citations if people remain; one citation for riverbank camping had been issued and cleanup coordination was arranged.

Separately, councilmembers scheduled a strategic planning session at 5 p.m. on July 9 to discuss AI‑enabled cameras (''Flock'' style) and ordinance 2638 zoning changes. Members noted several existing cameras are nonfunctional and discussed whether signage or increased officer presence at parks could help address public safety concerns raised on social media about sex offenders near recreation facilities.