Residents urge stronger enforcement and limits on homeless services near neighborhoods during public comment

At Tuesday’s council meeting several residents used the public-comment period to call for stronger enforcement and zoning limits related to homelessness and nuisance properties.

Clarence Carr raised two issues: he said Jackson County sheriff deputies have been issuing traffic tickets inside Medford city limits without an intergovernmental agreement with the city and that tickets were being sent to Central Point court; he also said he had been arrested on a city ordinance he asserts should not authorize jail time and that city attorneys had acknowledged errors but had not corrected records. Carr said he has compiled documents and left them with the council for review.

Scott Bush and Brynn (Brynn Williams) spoke about neighborhood disruption around a specific property near West Main and Quinn Street. Bush described ongoing problems and called the site “a nuisance property.” Williams gave examples of dangerous and harassing behavior she said neighbors face—fires during fire season, threats, photography of children, litter and blocked sidewalks—and asked the council for a clear definition of “nuisance property” and what police response residents should expect.

Councilors did not take formal action during the public-comment period. Council staff noted the decorum and comment rules and invited the public to submit written comments; no immediate staff directive or ordinance drafting was recorded on the meeting record.

Speakers asked the council for clearer enforcement paths and for the city to address what they described as inconsistent law enforcement responses; councilors asked staff to follow up through the regular channels for neighborhood complaints and code enforcement.