BY ROGER SMITH
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

WARFIELD — According to Mayor Mike Hinkle, between 10 and 30 homeless people inhabit the City of Warfield on any given day. Citing a concern for “public peace, health, safety and welfare,” Hinkle and the Warfield Commission initiated discussions last month about a possible ordinance to ban homeless encampments within city limits. They continued the conversation in a meeting Thursday at City Hall, introducing a draft of the ordinance.

If adopted, the ordinance would prohibit camping, camping paraphernalia and storage of personal property in public spaces and on abandoned and vacant properties from 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. and for more than four hours from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Anyone violating the ordinance would be “guilty of criminal trespass in the third degree.”

The ordinance defines camping as the use of property for temporary living accommodations through the use of a tent or other similar temporary shelter, recreational vehicle, camper shell, truck, SUV or other vehicle. Paraphernalia is equipment or supplies used to facilitate camping, including but not limited to grills, outdoor cookers, lanterns, sleeping bags, latrines, temporary shelters of whatever kind or similar type equipment or supplies.

Commissioner John Sammons said several citizens contacted him last week asking about the city’s provisions for the homeless.

“I said, ‘We can’t do anything because we don’t have any money. We don’t have a place for them to stay,’” Sammons said. “Unless the state would fund us, I don’t know how that would happen.”

Hinkle told Commissioners that he discussed the homeless situation with Martin County District 5 Magistrate Ronald Workman, the former mayor of Warfield.

“[Workman] said the county could provide a building but couldn’t afford to hire people to operate it,” Hinkle said.

City Clerk Rhonda Price pointed out a program by HomePlace Clinic in Inez designed to assist homeless individuals in finding shelter or housing.

Sammons said Warfield resident John Paul Hensley had already reached out to a representative from the HomePlace Clinic program and reported that she could not offer any assistance.

“He’s called her all week long,” added Sammons. “He’s called everybody in Eastern Kentucky.”

Price mentioned that earlier Thursday, Hensley called asking her to contact the same representative “since he had not been successful.”

“I’m just telling you what he texted me. He just texted me and said he’s already talked to this lady,” countered Sammons. “He’s contacted several shelters in surrounding counties, and they don’t have room for anybody.”

The Commission will return to the ordinance in their next monthly meeting.

In other business, the commissioners deliberated on the possibility of erecting a commemorative sign in honor of Dr. Bonifacio B. Aranas, who established his medical practice in Warfield in April 1977.

Dr. Aranas, 80, began practicing medicine in 1968 while still in the Philippines. Before moving to Warfield, he also practiced general medicine and worked with surgeries in various states, including Maryland, Washington and West Virginia.

The Warfield Commission meets on the last Thursday of each month at 5 p.m. at City Hall.