“There was one story after another of really scary things going on,” Tompkins County Legislator Rich John said at Wednesday night’s Common Council meeting.
John spoke not as a County Legislator, but as a City of Ithaca & West End resident. His comments follow last week’s discussion between property owners, business owners and residents of Ithaca’s West End with Common Council members Cynthia Brock and George McGonagall. The meeting with residents discussed deteriorating conditions in Ithaca’s West End, specifically the expansion of illegal camping.
“And what also came out was that we really don’t have a city policy about camping. And because there doesn’t seem to be a policy, that starts to look a lot like the policy. That nothing is being done about it. And the consequences really seems to be getting out of control.”
Illegal campfires burn frequently in The Jungle, with large plumes of acrid smoke wafting across the inlet. A recent propane tank explosion behind Wal-Mart resulted from a campsite that was torched, in what is said to be a dispute over counterfeit money. Other fires in the area have been caused by methamphetamine cooks gone awry. Discarded needles are also frequently found in the area.
Legislator John’s comments can be seen in their full context on the City of Ithaca’s YouTube channel at this timecoded link, as well as Mayor Svante Myrick’s response.