Sarnia council has rescinded its decision to dissolve an encampment at Rainbow Park.
Sarnia council waived the rules to reconsider the issue Monday, voting in favour of referring the matter -- with the immediacy of a state of emergency -- to the provincially mandated community safety and well-being leadership group to draft an encampment protocol.
Councillor Brian White said the protocol will include the outside legal opinion recently received, which stated that the city doesn't have the legal authority to evict encampment residents from the park at Front and Johnston Streets.
"While we wait for the province, or the Federal government to come up with a national strategy, we're here trying to manage the best we can to care for our neighbours, to care for our children, to ensure that our parks are safe, and to ensure the dignity, safety, and sanctity of those folks who are living unsheltered," said White. "A protocol, which is lacking, is like a safety plan for this room."
The leadership group includes representatives from the city, county, police, fire and health services.
"The idea here is to know what the process is and what the reaction is by which agency," White said. "Whether it's in regards to sanitation, public safety, [and very clearly define] which parks are strictly prohibited for encampments."
White said developing a protocol takes into account that it will take time to build a permanent housing solution.
"So, if we say Rainbow Park is off limits... the first time a tent pops up it gets moved. The folks who don't have the option to go into a shelter, for whatever reason, now have a clear set of expectations as to where they can safely congregate," he said.
White said not having a protocol is why council has been "spinning our wheels trying to figure out what to do."
"We move them from one place, they'll pop up across the street from some other neighbours and I feel for every neighbour that's suffering through this right now. I've been there," White said.
Councillor Terry Burrell voted against the move.
"I just see this as another motion to do nothing, and to kick it down the road," Burrell said. "I think we made a real mistake by not just passing [the dissolvement of the encampment] today. We had the proper information we needed. We don't need anymore. We don't need all these other people jumping in, giving their two cents worth."
Councillors Bill Dennis, Chrissy McRoberts and George Vandenberg also voted against the motion.
Councillor White said developing a protocol is not "kicking the can down the road."
"It is giving the people, who have been tasked by the province, the mandate to create the plan to deal with this issue in the name of community safety and public wellness," White said.
Sarnia Mayor Mike Bradley said he will call a special meeting as soon as the protocol is ready to deal with the urgency in the Rainbow Park neighbourhood.