The Bloomington Police Department sent downtown resource officers into Seminary Park a week ago to remove tents so that people experiencing homelessness did not violate park rules and sleep there overnight.
READ MORE: BPD Removes Tents And Camping Structures From Seminary Park Wednesday Night
City council took some time Wednesday night at the beginning of its last regular session of 2020 to address the issue.
"I disagree with the action of clearing out the tents in the park on humanitarian grounds and on health grounds," councilmember Isabel Piedmont-Smith said.
Piedmont-Smith said the council was not made aware this was going to happen and that it goes against CDC COVID-19 guidelines to displace people from homeless encampments during the pandemic.
"If we [the city] move ahead and enforce the policy against camping in our parks, we need to have better back up options," Piedmont-Smith said. "I think there are people in our homeless community who do not feel safe going into congregate shelter environments because of the pandemic and we need to recognize that and respect that."
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She said the city should provide accessible restrooms and handwashing stations in all parks.
“We need to figure out a way to make it work because it’s a matter of both human dignity having a place to use the toilet and of public health," Piedmont-Smith said.
A recent public statement from the Monroe County Democratic Party on Facebook calls for long-term solutions for breaking the cycle of homelessness, which includes immediate access to public restrooms.
"Solutions such as allocating funds for long-term housing for those unhoused, placing portable restrooms in the park, and hand-washing stations are the bare minimum," the statement said.
The Monroe County Democratic Party has released a statement on those experiencing homelessness in our community: Posted by Monroe County Democratic Party on Sunday, December 13, 2020
Piedmont-Smith said she has reached out to both Mayor John Hamilton's office and Parks Director Paula McDevitt to request basic sanitary facilities in Seminary and Switchyard Parks.
"And I have not received a positive response," Piedmont-Smith said. "I will keep pushing for that. I know it's not as easy as just plunking down a portable facility."
Piedmont-Smith said she would also like to see a moratorium on clearing out encampments in the future as long as the pandemic continues to be a serious health concern.
Mayor Hamilton spoke on the issue when he sat down for "Ask The Mayor" this week.
"If there are not safe beds available, that's what the CDC recommends. There are safe beds available in our community," Hamilton said. "We want people to be safe. And it is not safe to be sleeping outdoors in an Indiana winter."
Hamilton and the city have continually said throughout the last week that Seminary Park was not technically an encampment, but more of a social gathering place during the day.
"I really think that the mayor's office was misinformed about people spending the night there," Piedmont-Smith said.
After talking with case workers and other individuals who have been working with the people experiencing homeless in the park, Piedmont-Smith said people have been sleeping there.
During last Friday's "Hands Off Homeless" rally at the Monroe County Courthouse, several local activists corroborated the fact that people have been sleeping in the park.
READ MORE: Downtown Rally Addresses Bloomington Homelessness
"I'm sorry, but if anybody closes their eyes and lays on the ground with their eyes closed, they're sleeping," Harry Collins of the Bloomington Homeless Coalition said during the rally.
Several members of the community virtually joined Wednesday night's council meeting to talk about homelessness in the community.
Local activist Vauhxx Booker said he drafted a preliminary “Unhoused Bill of Rights” and sent it to certain members of the city council for review.
“I would hope that next year that we will look into putting forth some type of resolution of rights or some action to make sure that we’re protecting the least vulnerable members of our community.”
Founder of No Space For Hate Bloomington Abby Ang said the city has to focus on the bigger picture of housing people experiencing homelessness.
“Working towards long-term solutions that are compassionate and that lower barriers to housing, better mental health and more accessible mental health treatment recovery, and other services," Ang said.
But the council will not have the opportunity to adopt any new legislation this year as it ajourns for a brief recess over the holidays.
The next regular session will take place on Jan. 13.
