FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ — The town of Fountain Hills prides itself on being a desirable and beautiful community. Its residents want it to stay that way.
"We want to protect what we love. It's a natural instinct. We want to protect it. We want to defend it," Fountain Hills resident Matthew Corrigan said during Tuesday night's town council meeting.
Corrigan attended the meeting in support of an ordinance prohibiting camping or sleeping in any Fountain Hills public park, public street, alley, or other right of way.
"Huge problems start as small problems and our job is to protect our town from huge problems happening," council member Allen Skillicorn said.
At any given time, town officials say there are maybe four or five homeless people taking up residence in Fountain Hills. But Skillicorn says dealing with a problem that doesn't really exist is not the issue. "We do see in Phoenix and Tempe there's a large problem with people in shanty towns. Literally on public right of ways and we have to prevent that in Fountain Hills," Skillicorn said.
While the measure passed, not every council member supported it.
"There's a homeless issue. It's bigger than all of us. This isn't a solution. Criminalizing camping is not a solution," council member Peggy McMahon said.
The town attorney says as long as Fountain Hills can offer a shelter option, it won't be in violation of a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ruling preventing cities from arresting the homeless for camping unless there is a shelter option.
The ordinance can't be enforced until Fountain Hills can work out an arrangement with either another city or social service agency, as there is no homeless shelter in Fountain Hills or agency that can provide the social services needed.
