By Stephanie Smith
WILMINGTON, OHIO — Wilmington’s ongoing homelessness challenges resurfaced at Thursday’s city council meeting, with officials weighing in on the situation.
“I’m not one to shy away from tough issues, especially when the people I serve ask me to be their voice,” said Mike Crowe, the city’s public service director. “Call it what you will: homelessness, vagrancy, criminal activity. The fact remains it’s real, and it’s getting worse.”
Crowe has been with the City of Wilmington for over 28 years, working as a guard with the Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and serving as the city’s former landfill superintendent. His experience offers a unique perspective on the homeless problem the city has been dealing with.
While at the sheriff’s office, he helped an inmate detox and get sober. When the inmate was released, Crowe asked him what would trigger another relapse. The inmate said his friends and added, “My only chance is to get out of Wilmington.” According to Crowe, he did – and he thrived.
“He got into church, got involved with his son’s life, helped counsel others that were struggling, and even sent Facebook requests to us guards so we could follow the progress,” said Crowe. But he saw the young man again months later back in Wilmington, back in with the same crowd.
Crowe witnessed Wilmington’s homeless problem from a different angle when he was the city’s landfill superintendent with his work crews getting knives pulled on them. “They had to keep bats on their trucks for protection,” said Crowe.
To illustrate what the city has been dealing with, Crowe presented photos of abandoned tent camps, discarded aerosol sprays used for huffing and weapons, including a sword found at a small camp near the bike trail. The public service director believes that the city is at a crossroads.
“We can continue down the path of enabling destructive behavior, or we can find a way to balance compassion with accountability. We owe it to the hardworking people of this city to make Wilmington a place where everyone can thrive,” said Crowe.
Mayor Pat Haley echoed this sentiment, acknowledging the complexity of the homeless situation. He noted that “a helping hand is a lifeline” for some, while others “exploit that hand,” choosing criminal activity instead of rebuilding their lives. “As mayor, I will not ignore the first group, but neither will I tolerate the actions of the second,” he said.
One factor contributing to the homelessness issue is investors buying up properties, renovating them without building permits, then renting them out without certificates of occupancy — and at inflated rates to those facing hardship.
“Our city – our home – is being pulled apart by forces of greed and disorder,” said Haley.
Haley emphasized the need for new ordinances and stricter penalties for offensives like trespassing, loitering and disorderly conduct. “It’s time to stop talking about solutions and start implementing them,” he said.
Justin Dickman, the city’s law director, has drafted legislation addressing local homeless encampments. Before presenting it to City Council, he will review it with his office, other municipal attorneys in Ohio, and the city’s insurance carrier.
On Monday, the City of Wilmington announced a “zero-tolerance policy” for illegal encampments on public property. According to the news release, the city will actively enforce laws against camping, cooking and storing personal property in public areas. Regular patrols will be conducted at encampment sites to enforce trespassing and illegal camping violations. Repeat offenders will face increased fines and, where applicable, misdemeanor charges.
The city is also considering legal measures against individuals and organizations for illegally supporting or enabling encampments.
“Those who choose to violate the law by establishing illegal encampments will face swift and serious consequences,” said Haley in the news release.
Additional measures include allocating more funds to law enforcement and sanitation resources and assigning more police officers to handle the encampments.
City seeks bids for on-call emergency water repair services
The City of Wilmington will advertise for bids for emergency water repair services.
Crowe explained that the water department plans to have a contractor on call to handle repairs when there’s a problem with the city’s water system — such as a water main break — or when water department crews are unavailable.
This will help the water department with staffing and equipment issues.
“Right now, we’ve got a fairly new crew. A lot of our experience is gone,” said Crowe.
The crew leader will assess the emergency on-site to determine if the contractor should be called in or if his team can handle the repair.
“Even if you have a full crew, we don’t have the equipment for [some emergencies],” said Crowe. “If the water main breaks on 73, that’s 9.5 feet deep. We don’t have trenching. We don’t have a track hoe that big. We’d have to hire out anyway.”
Council approves annual street lighting fee for homeowners
City Council approved the annual special assessment to pay for street lighting, which will take effect in 2025. The cost will be covered through a charge on property taxes, starting at 2% but capped at $277,00 annually. According to Resolution R-24-46, the cost will be “assessed by a percentage of the tax value thereof upon the properties in said City.”
The cost is minimal for a property owner who lives in an average house and pays average property taxes. According to council member and finance committee chair Bob Osborn via email, “I live in one of those average houses and my assessment was $39.98 for the year.”
The next Wilmington City Council meeting will be at 7 p.m. Sept. 19 at the City of Wilmington Municipal Building Council Chambers, 69 N. South St.
