PRESQUE ISLE, Maine (WAGM) — In a decisive move, the Presque Isle City Council voted 4-2 to indefinitely table a proposed camping ordinance during a public hearing on Wednesday night. This decision follows months of discussion, including a prior public hearing in June and a workshop in September.
The draft ordinance aimed to prohibit individuals from sleeping or camping on public property. It included provisions requiring police to notify individuals sleeping outside at least thirty days in advance before removal. Council members initially proposed the ordinance to address rising concerns among residents about homelessness in the city.
During the hearing, numerous community members voiced their opposition to the ordinance, urging the council to explore alternative resources to support the city’s homeless population.
Heidi Rackliffe, director of programs at the Aroostook County Action Program, emphasized the need for supportive services rather than punitive measures. Drawing from statistics related to the recently opened Norman L. Fournier Place, she highlighted that many individuals living without shelter in Presque Isle are from Aroostook County and are either employed or disabled. Rackliffe argued for the necessity of providing alternative housing options, stating, “We need to give alternative housing options. If they are not to be where they are, where can they go safely?”
She cautioned the council about the consequences of the proposed ordinance, predicting that without suitable alternatives, vulnerable individuals might congregate in the lobbies of police departments or overcrowd emergency rooms, as those facilities currently represent the only 24-hour resources available in the community. “They’re going to go to the social service agencies who do not have an answer or resource to be able to assist,” Rackliffe added.
No supporters of the ordinance spoke during the hearing, underscoring the community’s unified stance against the proposed measures.
The council’s decision to table the ordinance indefinitely marks a shift in focus toward finding more supportive solutions for the unhoused residents of Presque Isle.