A citizen complaint about people camping on municipal property

A citizen complaint about people camping on municipal property near the community pool and possibly washing their clothes in the pool has led the Select Board in Bethlehem to mull options and consider an ordinance to present to town meeting voters. During the board’s Aug. 12 meeting, some also said the June 28 Supreme Court of the United States ruling that allows municipalities to limit or ban camping on public property, coupled with Littleton’s 2024 town meeting approval of an ordinance to ban overnight camping on town property without permission and that town’s plan to clear an encampment behind Littleton Water and Light (LWL) could push more homeless people into Bethlehem. Bringing up the topic was Bethlehem Select Board chairman Mike Bruno, who said the area that involved the camping has since been posted with no trespassing signs, and while the board might not settle the issue immediately, it can at least have a discussion and chart a direction forward.