City imposes new restrictions on homeless shelters, service providers

Apr. 20—The Brunswick City Commission imposed a new ordinance on Wednesday restricting homeless shelters and services in the city limits.

Commissioners imposed a moratorium late last year on new shelters and services, which is slated to end next month.

Under the ordinance, any homeless shelters, day shelters or service providers are required to get a conditional use permit approved by the commission. Conditional use permits must be reviewed by the city's Planning and Appeals Commission first and are subject to a public hearing.

At a recent meeting, Commissioner Julie Martin said FaithWorks, a nonprofit organization that operates The Well, intentionally avoided providing services that would have necessitated a permit from the city when it opened five years ago.

The ordinance applies to homeless shelters, day shelters and service providers. It includes rapid rehousing services, homeless prevention programs, homeless educational services, hygienic services, job and job-training programs, mental health services, homeless management informational data collection, substance abuse programs, family crisis programs, homeless veteran services, domestic violence prevention programs, youth counseling, food preparation and distribution, supplying clothing and other daily necessities, counseling providers or "other endeavors intended to provide aid to homeless individuals on an exclusive basis."

The ordinance also lists some considerations commissioners may make when ruling on a permit, including the applicant's "character and mental capacity to conduct the business;" personal associations; past arrest records; reputation; and past performance operating similar facilities.

Other considerations are whether the applicant has met with the area neighborhood planning assembly and the facility's proximity to other homeless services, battered women's shelters, children's shelters, drug rehabilitation facilities and schools, among others.

The draft of the ordinance lays out other restrictions for shelters and services, including bans on loitering and camping, and sets a minimum distance from facilities like schools.

Some revisions were made before the meeting on Wednesday, said City Attorney Brian Corry. One revision requested by Commissioner Julie Martin allows the city to shut down shelters and service providers for three days and revoke their permits following an investigation of violations.

Commissioner Felicia Harris asked that the ordinance also include a provision that requires shelters and services to have their own security and a security plan.

"It would be on the provider to ensure compliance with those laws," said Corry, but he did suggest that if the commission wanted to impose such a rule, it be limited to shelters with hours outside the nine-to-five business day.

During a public hearing on the ordinance, the Rev. Wright Culpepper, executive director of FaithWorks, which operates The Well, said the ordinance is a little restrictive but that it won't interrupt FaithWorks' plans.

Nancy Wilkes, owner of Maggie Mae's, pleaded with the commission to take some action to curb violence.

"We have been downtown for many, many years. The times, they are a-changin', but not for the good. I want to support the ordinance, and I want to support anything you can do for downtown," Wilkes said.

Pat O'Shea, whose wife was allegedly attacked by a homeless woman in front of Maggie Mae's, was very upset the commission has taken so long to address the issue.

"That wife of mine has donated to the homeless, she's helped the homeless, she's given love all her life," O'Shea said.

At the time of the assault, he'd just looked down for a second at his phone to take a call. When he looked back she was on the ground. Her injuries were bad and she's still in recovery and has a hard time walking, but they could have been much worse, he said.

"Our doctor said (if she'd fallen) 18 more inches...I'd be a widower," O'Shea said.

He looked into the alleged assailant's background and found out she'd been arrested several times. She was released from jail shortly after her arrest in the recent assault.

"I enjoyed that phone call three hours later knowing she was on the street, yelling and aggravating people over at Walmart," O'Shea said.

O'Shea's son also spoke and asked why the security of citizens took second place to The Well.

Also during the public hearing, Samantha Mixon, a Brunswick resident, said the ordinance is not ideal, but that the real issue is the lack of housing in the city.

Other area residents shared their thoughts, including a Glynn Academy teacher who worried about where the homeless would go with The Well closed. She worried they'd head over to the city's downtown core or to the school.

"Please think about the cause and effect of your actions," she said.

Starling Sutton, a Brunswick resident, said the city has been talking for months about the problems, but he said part of the solutions is already happening. Nearly 100 beds for the homeless will soon be available between Hand-in-Hand's tiny home village and the Golden Isles Veterans Village Project.

A project led by St. Mark's Episcopal Church would add 50 more beds for homeless persons, he said, adding the city needs to support the groups that are already building.

The Well isn't providing the kind of service people need to get off the street, Elizabeth Milburn said. It should be reworked or shut down.

"Security for this city should be top priority, and we're not seeing top priority. It's dangerous to be in the city," Milburn said.

Brunswick resident Roxanne George said the city's actions so far have continued to put an emphasis on increased law enforcement involvement by criminalizing homelessness. She said the city should be developing relationships with the homeless and trying to get them to help, as well as supporting efforts to provide places for them to sleep. Paying for housing options for homeless people is cheaper than the cost of where they end up — in the emergency room, shelters or jail, she said.

In other business, commissioners denied a liquor license appeal from the owners of the former In & Out liquor store on L Street. Commissioners denied the store's permit request last month citing a substantial amount of disorder and alleged criminal activity taking place on the property.

Several residents of the Urbana-Perry Park neighborhood, where the store is located, opposed the liquor license. Anita Collins said the area is already saturated with liquor stores but needs more groceries, meat markets, cafes, restaurants, donut shops and other community service businesses.

"We are absent the mom-and-pop businesses that foster neighborhood cohesion and prosperity," Collins said.

Another resident who said he's lived in Urbana-Perry Park for 66 years said he's tired of the neighborhood being flooded with liquor businesses.

Commissioners were also scheduled to rule on a revised alcohol ordinance, but Wednesday's meeting ran past The News' deadline.