Business owners spoke out following city council decision to table ‘public camping ordinance’

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — A day after Wilmington City Council postponed action on a proposed ordinance that aims to combat vagrancy and lawlessness, several downtown Wilmington business owners are speaking out.

On Tuesday night, Councilman Luke Waddell introduced what he called a “public camping ordinance,” which would have made it illegal to camp on city property between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.

Waddell said the ordinance was meant to help deal with vagrancy, drug use, and other issues caused by people in the downtown area.

Kevin Ullman is the co-owner of Rally Point Bar and Arcade.

He said he’s dealt with those issues.

“Bothering patrons when they come in and out,” Ullman said. “I’ve had issues of them coming into our establishment, asking for stuff. We’ve had actually a homeless, someone, I guess he slipped by the bartender or what not, but was in the males restroom and doing some kind of drug in our bathroom.”

Despite nearly 10 people speaking in favor of the ordinance during the meeting, the council voted 5-2 to table it for now.

Josh Cranford, who owns Front Street Brewery, spoke during the meeting.

He said more needs to be done to help the downtown area.

“Downtown really needs help, we need attention,” Cranford said. “We need more ordinances to help clean it up, figure out issues for the unhoused people, because right now, obviously, there’s not enough resources and we need to help get it in a direction where we can help these people so they’re not left to their own devices.”

Several council members, including Kevin Spears, said at the meeting that the council needs to do more to make services available for homeless people.

“What we should do is try to come up with more help,” Spears said. “So us waiting for other options or wearing our options out is not weak. It is us preserving the lives of people in this community. But we hear you, we hear your privilege loud and clear.”

“It was deflating,” Cranford said. “Because we do need help and there was a lot of talk about there going to be help. But I didn’t, with that being tabled, it says ‘ah, you guys can wait’.”

WWAY reached out to Councilman Spears for clarification about his comments, who says he had said enough about the subject and will have more to say at the council’s September 9th meeting, where the ordinance will be further discussed.