‘We’re not an evil city’: Resident urges Yorkville to amend ordinance fining homeless

Through thunderstorms and unforgiving heat, organizers against Yorkville’s recently adopted ordinance fining and possibly jailing the city’s homeless, are making waves.

Their campsite outside City Hall protests what the ordinance labels a “public camping” nuisance.

Yorkville resident and protest organizer Alicia Castillo said a meeting is planned at City Hall on Tuesday morning. After a visit to the campsite by Yorkville Mayor John Purcell, Castillo said she’s optimistic city officials will be open to change.

The meeting was confirmed by Police Chief James Jensen.

Along with city and police officials, accompanying the organizers in the meeting is an attorney from the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness.

“We have the opportunity to together repair the reputation of the city that all of us love,” Castillo said. “We are out here fighting against a bad ordinance that went through sloppily. We’re not an evil city. It breaks my heart seeing people saying that online. We are going to fix this.”

The city council passed the ordinance with a 6-0 vote with little discussion during its Aug. 13 meeting. Little advance notice was given to the public and zero public comments were made during the meeting.

The ordinance enables law enforcement to fine individuals for sleeping in their cars overnight, camping on public property, sleeping on benches, using a blanket or sleeping bag, or constructing any type of living shelter.

After a 24-hour notice period, fines for a first offense begin at $75, climbing up to $750 for a fifth offense. A sixth offense may result in possible incarceration for up to six months with a misdemeanor charge.

City administrator Bart Olson said several public complaints, ranging from harassment of people, to threats, trespassing and vandalism, have been made about four homeless individuals in town. He said the Yorkville Police Department offered social services to them but each person declined.

Castillo said the eclectic support they’ve received inspired the organizers to hold the “Yorkville Community Camp-Out Festival” from Aug. 18 – 24.

“We want to celebrate that as we risked ourselves out here, the community showed up and protected us,” Castillo said. “It was a harrowing weekend and looked like pain and misery, but solidarity can be joyful and it can be fun bringing change to your community.”

The event kicked off Monday night with “Voices For Change,” a collaborative discussion with all community members to streamline the community’s perspective.

Also on the week’s itinerary, parents and children are invited for a read-aloud session with primary-age books provided by the Yorkville Public Library to learn about the issues being discussed.

“What’s really needed in most communities is the coming together to share ideas and build-up connectivity and solidarity,” Castillo said. “Being from the same town, we share a lot of the same concerns. We want to hold events bringing different types of people together.”

Castillo said the community support has been coming from all corners. She said the concerns of local truckers were shared by a local project manager who said it could become a public safety issue if sleepy truck drivers feel they have to push through and can’t “public camp” in town.

To highlight this concern, the organizers are hosting a brunch with truckers on Sunday morning to discuss how the ordinance impacts their businesses.

Castillo thanked Jensen for warning the campers to seek shelter before the incoming thunderstorm on Saturday night. She said the warning provided them just enough time to close camp and rush to their cars before the storm hit.

While city officials say their ordinance is based off a template from the Illinois Municipal League, Castillo said the timing of it coinciding with the Trump administration’s crackdown on homelessness in Washington D.C. isn’t lost on anyone.

“Dozens of people are being arrested in D.C. and homeless encampments are being scraped by excavators to the ground and now we pass a similar ordinance in our city,” Castillo said. “We need to find a way to come together to see the reality of this in a way that doesn’t make people feel pain and misery.”