Palmer council votes 4-1 to adopt illegal camping ban

Palmer’s city council voted 4 to 1 in favor of a new city ordinance banning illegal camping in the city. The proposal, which has been pending, prompted strong opinions both pro and con voiced by members of the public.

Comments, some of them emotional, were made both in the public hearing on the ordinance and in the “audience participation” part of the meeting, where citizens voice their opinions on any matter.

The one council member voting no was John Alcantra, whose opinions were colored by seeing problems of homeless people close up. Mayor Jim Cooper said he personally disliked the proposal but voted yes in the face of community support.

Comments made against the ordinance argued that the ban on illegal camping really won’t solve anything. A proposal for fines, yet to be set up by the city, would be imposed on people who can’t afford to pay and the net effect will be just forcing people go somewhere else but with nowhere to go.

Part of the ordinance would have police or city workers informing people on where they can go but the reality is that Palmer does not have any shelters to offer safe places. Given that, the ordinance is toothless, it was argued.

Others disagreed, seeing the proposals as a start in addressing the city’s homeless problem. There seemed wide agreement that it must be followed up by action by the city to establish a shelter or at least coordinate with local nonprofits in doing it.

One commenter asked: “How is imposing a fine going to get people off the street? This is a ‘silver bullet’ that won’t hit the mark. This plan should be tabled and a citizen task force with members of the public, nonprofits and the city be appointed to develop a plan to deal with this.”

There were other objections from the public that the wording in the ordinance was imprecise and lacked precise definitions. How can police draw a fair distinction between public use of a park and recreation and a homeless person using the park?

Council member Sherry Carrington objected to some comments that in approving the plan Palmer was being heartless. There are a wide variety of local organizations that offer charitable support services, she said.

Downtown Palmer business owners who object to their customers being accosted by panhandlers, some who exhibit aggressive behavior, voiced strong support for the proposals. The Palmer Chamber of Commerce said a survey of chamber members showed 90% in support.

In another development, the city has selected H5 Construction LLC’s bid of $12.08 million to build a new public library for the city, replacing the library damaged by a roof collapse. The bid is within funds available for the project, which include a mix of money from an insurance settlement, a $5 million state capital appropriation secured two years ago by Palmer’s state Rep. DeLena Johnson, and funds raised by local contributions. Palmer voters also approved the sale of general obligation bonds, but the use of these may be minimized.

City Manager Kolby Zerkel has scheduled a discussion of the best mix of financing options for the next council meeting. The council has meanwhile authorized the manager to negotiate a contract with H5 Construction for the library.

Other issues raised by the public in audience participation included the possibility that expansion of Palmer’s city-owned airport could take land now used by the city’s popular golf course. City manager Kolby Zerkel said the city has put out a Request for Proposals for a fair market value value assessment of airport land now used for the golf course.

This is needed so that decisions can be made based on realistic financial information. The matter was discussed at the most recent meeting of the airport’s advisory committee, and public comments made at the Oct. 28 city council meeting supported the idea of the city asking to be released from Federal Aviation Agency rules that airport land be used for aviation purposes.

Currently the FAA allows non-airport use of land if there is no demand for it to be used to support aviation, which has been the case for years. Now, however, there are new requests for airport leases that could demonstrate that there is demand, possibly jeopardizing the future of golf course.

There was no airport proposal on the table at the city council meeting but that didn’t stop people from voicing opinions, all in support of the city retaining control of the golf course an continuing to operate it.

“How could the city replace this valuable recreation asset?” one person asked. It is also a big support for local business. “In 2024 there were 24,000 rounds of golf played at Palmer’s course. I’ll bet 10% of those people stayed around to buy things,” after playing.

“The golf course is a big part of making Palmer what it is,” with its pleasant, small-town character. “An expansion of the airport could jeopardize this, and add noise with more aviation.”

In additional developments at the meeting, consultants to the city on its downtown parking and pedestrian use study provided an update to council members. An extensive public consultation process under way includes comments from the public and downtown business owners as well as city officials.

The schedule calls for a draft plan to be submitted to the city in January followed by a 30-day public comment period. The goal is to have a final plan proposed in first quarter 2026.

In another matter, the city’s contract attorney, Sarah Health, said she will not be seeking an extension of her contract to perform legal services. The decision was difficult, she said, but it is time explore other opportunities, she said.

Mayor Cooper thanked Health for her years of service and wished her well. Council member Alcantra thanked her for her service through some difficult times for the city.