Clarksburg camping ban petition fails

A petition filed last week in an attempt to repeal a Clarksburg camping ban was not successful. 

A five-person committee submitted the referendum petition Dec. 9 to have city leaders reconsider the law, which prohibits camping on streets, parks or trails, public property and private property without permission. 

In accordance with Clarksburg city charter, the committee was required to collect signatures of at least 10% of the number of registered voters during the last city election, which the city determined to be 1,015 people.

Clarksburg city attorney Richard Marsh said the petitioners submitted 249 signatures. 

Had the petition been successful, city council would have been required to repeal the ordinance or put it to a vote of the city. 

“We were not successful, however the positive takeaway is that we engaged residents who otherwise would not have met, formed a collaborative effort which will continue to develop, and are working to build a framework for success in the future; as well as a more streamlined process,” Tracy Brady, a member of the committee, wrote in an email to West Virginia Watch.

Reached Tuesday, Rev. Christopher Scott, another of the five-member committee who submitted the petition, said the committee was under a time crunch and that the Thanksgiving holiday shortened availability to reach people. 

He added that the number of signatures collected is enough to sway a city council election. 

“So I would hope that the council would at least take notice,” he said.  

Scott said the petition is just the beginning of the committee’s work. 

“[The committee and supporters have] been offered a grant to do some of this work more long term, specifically around coalition building to make a more compassionate, transparent and responsive city government,” he said. 

Clarksburg City Council approved the law Nov. 7. The city is one of more than 100 across the country that have passed camping bans in response to homelessness since June, when the Supreme Court upheld a similar law in Grants Pass, Oregon. 

Penalties for violating Clarksburg ordinance are fines of up to $500 for a third offense, but do not include jail time.

The camping ban is expected to go into effect Jan. 1.