By: Lydia Crawley – The Parsons Advocate
The City of Parsons has had issue with a homeless individual taking up residence at Mill Race Park. City Manager Michael Simmons informed the Parsons City Council at the Council’s regular meeting on June 3rd.
Simmons said that staff had been regularly encountering the individual in the restrooms. The individual had been asked to leave on numerous occasions, but continues to return and locks staff and park patrons out of the restrooms.
“We keep moving him out, we keep locking the doors. They get in, they lock the doors behind them,” Simmons said. “Every morning when they go to clean up, they are in there.”
The individual has been spoken to numerous times by staff and the Parsons Police department, according to City staff present at the meeting. City staff also informed the Council that the individual has taken up residence in the gazebo since he was told to vacate the restrooms.
A letter was had been drafted by Simmons to officially bar the individual from City property. City staff felt that having the man trespassed was the only option left to them to remedy the situation. Chief of Police Kevin Keplinger requested that City Attorney Timothy Stranko review the document prior to him serving it.
“I’m not only protecting the public, but protecting us as a city, as well,” Keplinger said.
There were concerns raised over City policies concerning the parks and closing times. The Council discussed measures it could take to adjust the current policies, such as “no overnight camping”. City Attorney Stranko said he would work with Chief Keplinger and the Council on the matter.
