Council tables ‘public camping’ proposed to battle growing homelessness

Published 8:59 pm Monday, August 3, 2026

QUINCY — The Quincy City Council had limited action on Monday’s agenda but heard from passionate members of the community on a number of topics.

For more than an hour, the public comments portion of the meeting saw a line of residents taking a turn at the microphone, with the majority speaking out against an ordinance presented that would be a step toward outlawing homelessness within the city limits.

The ordinance, proposed by Ald. Jake Reed, R-6, would make “public camping” illegal on city-owned property not specifically intended for camping. It would also outlaw sleeping in vehicles for more than two hours between the hours of midnight and 6 a.m.

The ordinance was on Monday’s agenda for the first of three required readings.

Reed said that he’s less concerned with comments posted on social media sites and is more concerned over the people who stand up and speak out for their views. He admitted that, based on the voices raised during the meeting’s public comment portion, the ordinance as presented was not supported by the community.

The council voted unanimously to table the ordinance indefinitely, effectively killing all movement on the proposal.

On a motion from Ald. Karol Ehmen, R-4, the council created an ad hoc committee with at least two council members, representatives of the social service organizations, and medical professionals to determine more viable options to help relieve the growing issues of homelessness in the city.

Another ordinance that was approved was a budget amendment to create a separate budget fund for the Quincy Clay Sports Park. The ordinance was presented for a first reading, but aldermen elected to waive additional readings and voted unanimously to create the new line-item in the city’s budget.

Ahead of the regular start of the meeting interim chief of the Quincy Police Department Mike Tyler presented the council with the department’s annual report for 2025. Year over year from 2024, Tyler said the city has seen a 25% decrease in violent crime categories, though property crimes increased 40.9%, leading the city to have an overall increase in crime of all types by 40.5% of so-called index crimes.

Tyler said calls for service decreased around 2.5% from around 31,000 calls in 2024 to 30,537 in 2025.

In other business, the council:

•Approved event applications for a ceremony to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks.

•Approved the special event request for the Salvation Army’s Bubble Run/Walk on Sept. 12.

•Had the second reading of an ordinance that would extend the city’s Food and Beverage Tax through 2049.