Overview

• Following a Monday committee-of-the-whole meeting, village officials are considering rules that would restrict camping on public property and sleeping on benches, with staff exploring an ordinance.
• Mayor Jim Tinaglia backed Trustee Scott Shirley’s call to give police an additional enforcement tool focused on public-space sleeping and related conduct.
• More than a dozen residents and social-service advocates urged a service-first response, warning that new rules could criminalize people with nowhere to go.
• Speakers pressed for a coordinated task force or consortium of local leaders and nonprofits to address needs and connect people with services.
• The debate stems from complaints about a bench near the Metra station at Northwest Highway and Vail Avenue, as officials noted that some, but not all, of those congregating there are homeless and cited earlier 2023 crackdowns in garages and stations.