Title
Ordinance to Amend and Reenact the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia by Amending Chapter 24, Offenses - Miscellaneous, Article I, In General, Section 24-50, to prohibit camping and storage on public property.
Purpose
PURPOSE/BACKGROUND:
The proposed ordinance would make it unlawful and a class one misdemeanor, for any person or persons to camp, lay or sleep, or store items on, upon, or about any public property at any time. If adopted, prior to charging any person pursuant to this section, Hampton Police Division Officers would give such person a verbal warning to cease such activity and reasonable time to comply with such warning, as well as information on alternative accommodations.
Recommendation:
Rec
Adopt the ordinance.
Body
BE IT ORDAINED by the City Council of the City of Hampton, Virginia, that Section 24-50 of Article I, Chapter 24 of the City Code of the City of Hampton, Virginia be amended to read as follows:
Chapter 24 - OFFENSES - MISCELLANEOUS
ARTICLE I. - IN GENERAL
Secs. 24-50. - Unlawful public camping and storage.
(a) It is unlawful for any person or persons to camp, lay or sleep, or store items on, upon, or about any public property at any time. This section’s regulations are not intended to regulate activities on property that is privately owned.
(b) Definitions. The following definitions apply for the purpose of this section.
Camp means to reside or sleep on public property with or without the use of tents, temporary shelters, vehicles or equivalents, or as evidenced by the use of beds, blankets, cots, hammocks, mattresses, sleeping bags, tarpaulins or equivalents, or cooking tools or fire. Camp shall not mean the authorized use of a governmental entity’s public property, including the use of public beaches during the hours that they are open to the public.
Public Property means any and all property in which the City of Hampton, or another governmental entity, has a property interest (i.e. control, e...
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