By Eric Ayres, The Intelligencer
WHEELING — Residents packed the second floor courtroom in the City-County Building on Tuesday night as Wheeling City Council held its first public meeting since voting to recommend the closure of its exempted homeless encampment.
Scores of demonstrators gathered outside across Chapline Street before the meeting to voice opposition to the city’s decision to close the camp on Dec. 1. The group then filed into the building, and many among them signed up to speak during the meeting.
A total of 30 speakers voiced their opinions, each allotted a maximum of three minutes to address council. Following their routine procedure, city leaders allowed members of the public to speak, but officials did not respond to what was said.
More than two-thirds of the speakers expressed opposition to the city’s looming action to close the camp located near the entrance of the Peninsula Cemetery, just north of the Interstate 70 overpass along Wheeling Creek.
A number of residents also spoke in favor of closing the encampment.