Chatham-Kent (CK) council has approved the members of the Encampment Advisory Committee.
The committee is made up of six citizens as well as two councillors.
The members include councillors Michael Bondy and Marjorie Crew, as well as citizens Joseph Vandermeer, Clair McDowell, Lynn O'Brien, Andrew Theil, Renee Geniole, and Meghan Bradley.
Bondy, who put the motion forward to create the committee, spoke with CK News Today, mentioning he is satisfied with councils choice for the members.
He adds he is happy to be apart of the committee but was surprised due to his open opposition of encampments.
"I don't like encampments, and that's been very well publicised, not because of the people that are in there, because I think it's terrible for the people that are there. I think we can do better than that for them," said Bondy.
The councillor hopes to dissolve the CK encampments, but has immediate resolutions he would like to see implemented.
"I would like the first thing for us to do is to very directly go after this problem with an immediate short-term goal of housing people," Bondy explained. "The trick to get people out of encampments, from what I've learned at the conference that I was at in the fall, is to just simply get them inside."
Another member, Andrew Theil, is hoping the committee will allow all voices to be heard.
"I'm hoping everybody in the community gets to put their voice forward, and then when there’s decisions made by the municipality, it comes from all concerned rather than just concerned groups," said Theil, Chair of the Downtown Chatham BIA.
Downtown stores have experienced social disruption, with damage to the stores coming out of the local owner's pocket.
"Top of mind is to provide a safe atmosphere for merchants and customers and for the people that are coming downtown," Theil continued.
Both Bondy and Theil note that there has been no update as to when the first meeting will take place.
