Pella council advances camping ban but residents and officers urge clearer language

The Pella City Council on Monday advanced Ordinance 1083, a proposal to prohibit camping and the storage of personal property in parks, public buildings, right-of-ways and sidewalks, while members of the public and some council members urged clearer language to avoid unintended consequences.

City staff described the ordinance as a way to prohibit daytime camping and storage in public spaces and noted violations would be a simple misdemeanor. Staff also said the Pella Community School District reviewed the draft and reported no concerns. ‘‘This ordinance prohibits camping and storing personal property in public locations,’’ a staff presenter said, summarizing the draft.

During public comment resident Hans Kelp said the ordinance’s definitions — including terms such as “establishing or maintaining,” “camping paraphernalia,” and time-storage limits — are vague and could unintentionally prohibit routine park uses. ‘‘If we wanted to come in to the park, practice setting up our tents just doing a general program for a few hours, somebody could come and say we were camping and have law enforcement remove us from that park,’’ Kelp said, urging clearer wording and examples to protect youth groups and event users.

A police representative confirmed that parks already close at night and that the ordinance is primarily targeted at daytime camping and conflicts involving reserved shelters. The representative also said special-event permits can allow temporary, authorized uses: ‘‘If they wanted to do some sort of camping event during the day, they would apply [for a permit],’’ the officer said.

Councilmembers asked staff to work with the city attorney to refine the language ahead of the ordinance’s third reading. One councilmember suggested direct conversations between the resident who raised concerns and staff to identify specific problematic terms and to draft targeted revisions.

The ordinance drew media attention after its first reading; council discussion on Monday focused on balancing enforcement of prohibited camping with preserving legitimate, short-term park activities such as scouting exercises or family barbecues. Staff emphasized that adjustments to definitions could be made before the third reading and that the council retains the ability to amend or delay adoption.

The council voted to advance the ordinance on its second reading and agreed to revisit the language with staff and the attorney before the final vote.