The Seminole County Board of Commissioners amended an existing ordinance to be consistent with a new Florida law that prohibits cities and counties from allowing people to sleep or camp in public places.
Per the county, public sleeping and camping don’t include lodging overnight in a motor
vehicle or camping for recreational purposes on designated property.
In a meeting Oct. 22, Deputy County Manager Tricia Johnson gave a presentation, advising county commissioners to make the change. Johnson stressed that, as of Jan. 1, 2025, Florida law will grant the county residents, business owners, or Attorney General to bring civil action against their county or municipality if they fail to uphold state law and efficiently ban public camping and sleeping. This means that, next year, people will be able to sue their local governments if they fail to uphold this new law.
“The role of the Board of County Commissioners is to execute the necessary ordinances to
reflect the requirements of state law,” the report stated. “Staff recommends the Seminole County Code of Ordinances be amended to expressly prohibit public camping and sleeping on County property.”
In an absence of public comments during Tuesday’s meeting, the unanimous decision to adopt the amendment for Chapter 175 passed swiftly and without debate.
The county ordinance’s new Section, 175.3, explicitly establishes that:
- Lodging overnight in a temporary outdoor habitation used as a dwelling or living space is prohibited.
- Public camping or sleeping is prohibited on any county property, such as county buildings, facilities, grounds, and right-of-way.
- Persons remaining on County property without authorization shall be subject to the trespass procedures and be directed to leave County property.
The county will now issue first and second trespass violations before resorting to arrests.
The amendment also provides for an appeals process.
Commissioner Bob Dallari supported the bill but said he took issue with the lack of clear county boundary marks, calling on the Board to consider purchasing signage to demarcate the lands.
“I think there should be proper signage put up, if there is natural lands, depending upon who owns it, the state or county, so that people understand where the county line ownership is,” he said. “Because, you know, if [people] are not allowed to be on county property, then they need to know where the line or boundary is.”
Commissioner Andria Herr agreed. She said nothing in the state law prohibits sleeping or camping on state-owned land.
“The state has absolved itself of this regulation, so you are allowed to camp on state property, for the record,” she said. “I just think the general public needs to understand that -- and we need to know where the line is. Those who are enforcing it need to know where the line is.”
Chairman Jay Zembower accepted the feedback but said he expects the Florida Legislature will amend its statute in next year’s Legislative Session and extend the law to state land.
Anticipating this change, Zembower suggested the county not spend too much on markings.
“Maybe we use the universally legally accepted purple paint mark along the boundary on certain trees to recognize where the boundaries are before we go buy expensive signs and put them up," he said.
Dallari and Herr said that satisfied their request and would not be micromanaging how it’s done.
Lillian Hernández Caraballo is a Report for America corps member.
