Encampment protocol additions specific to Rainbow Park will be considered by Sarnia council on Monday.
City/County Councillor Chrissy McRoberts is proposing that about a dozen rules be added, while the city waits for the County of Lambton to report back on its role if a member municipality pursues an injunction to remove encampments in municipal parks.
"In the meantime, because that could be a timely process, I'm trying to mitigate the effect on the neighbours," said McRoberts. "For instance, moving all of the campers to the south end. That will hopefully give the seniors in the nursing home an opportunity to come back out to where they used to sit at the waterfront and watch the water."
McRoberts recommends personal items, with the exception of two bikes, be contained to the inside of tents, and that wood structures, trailers, and fires be prohibited; barbecues, ladders, and hanging laundry on fences and structures be banned; and that material be added to the fence to block the view of the encampment.
"I think that they can be implemented and help at least a little. Blackout fences going around the camp... that will maybe hide some of what's going on in there," McRoberts said.
McRoberts also thinks the protocol should specify that dogs must be licenced, only one person or couple can occupy a tent, no new people can join the encampment, and when an existing resident moves out they're not allowed to return.
"If we all communicate together, all the services and first responders, to say we've got an empty site -- bylaw [staff] can come by and help clean this up -- nobody gets to replace that spot," McRoberts said.
McRoberts developed the list after speaking with neighbours and other Sarnia residents.
"It's not going to be 100 per cent but at least it's something, because if we have to wait up to two years to try and get an injunction to clear the park... that's not fair to anybody in the neighbourhood," McRoberts said.
In a separate motion, McRoberts is asking that property taxes on all residential homes across from Rainbow Park (not including apartment buildings) be reduced by 50 per cent for one year.
"There's a crisis that's happened in every neighbourhood, of every block, of this city at some time or another. But, this is really pushing the limits as far as folks that are defecting in the area or possibly on your property, the theft, lewd acts, drugs [and the] paraphernalia, and I feel for them. Lets just give them a break for right now," McRoberts said.
McRoberts thinks the gesture is deserved.
"Unfortunately, we're kind of cornered until we can get everything lined up and places for these folks to go. We need institutions, or at least a hospital where they can go, detox centres, rehabs... and until that can come we've got to figure out how to best make this work for the safety of our residents," said McRoberts.
Meantime, City/County Councillor Bill Dennis is asking council to support his motion for Sarnia police to act immediately when becoming aware of illegal drug activity at the park.
Both he and councillor George Vandenberg are also asking council to reconsider obtaining a court injunction to clear the homeless encampment.
Sarnia council's regular meeting begins at 1 p.m. and will be streamed online at www.virtualsarnia.ca.