SALT LAKE CITY — In a major move against unsanctioned camping in Utah’s capital, city leaders are eyeing a formal ban on people living or sleeping overnight in vehicles on public property.
The changes are part of a larger overhaul of the city’s decades-old camping ordinance and come nearly 16 months into Mayor Erin Mendenhall’s latest public safety plan. Among the goals, representatives for the mayor say, is to widen enforcement that has focused until recently on parks to include other public spaces.
Along with people sleeping or camping outdoors, the ordinance would apply to folks bedding down in any kind of vehicle — including RVs and campers — located on public property that is closed for public use between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
In addition to parks, the new rules would cover park strips, sidewalks, streets and other public spaces, with exceptions for short-term camping along parade routes, when a government property owner grants permission or when the mayor might declare a special emergency.
Enforcement would also be suspended during so-called Code Blue periods, coinciding with the coldest months of the year.
The new ordinance is tentatively set for a public hearing in early May, with a vote by the City Council scheduled later that month.
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