Glen Ellyn is not pursuing a model ordinance banning public camping as village officials consider other ways to address residents’ public safety concerns.

The decision came after weeks of resident complaints about threatening behavior downtown, not homeless encampments. Village Manager Mark Franz said the Illinois Municipal League's (IML) model camping ordinance does not fit Glen Ellyn's situation.

"… The circumstances it addresses are not what we are currently facing in Glen Ellyn," Franz said, as first reported by Shaw Local. "Staff is continuing to research this matter before determining a course of action."

Police Chief Philip Norton told trustees the village attorney is reviewing existing ordinances to remove those deemed unconstitutional and will propose replacements. Norton did not say which ordinances are under review.

Norton also acknowledged his department fell short after a Sept. 19 incident in which resident Martin S. Gertchev was arrested and charged with disorderly conduct. Gertchev allegedly used racially derogatory language against a delivery driver, according to a police report. Earlier that day, police received multiple 911 calls about Gertchev acting erratically, but complainants declined to pursue charges.

Norton said officers could have handled communications and monitoring better after the arrest.

Trustee Robert Duncan called the department's post-incident messaging untimely and vague.

"In the immediate aftermath of this incident that took place on the 19th, we didn't feel that safe," Duncan said. "And I think the tone, quite frankly, was inappropriate. It could be read to place blame on those that called that weren't willing to sign complaints."

Mayor Jim Burket said legal limits constrain what police can do when individuals lack permanent housing or struggle with mental illness. He said officers regularly check on unhoused people in the community to assess their well-being.

Resident Stacy Creswell, who supports the camping ban, criticized the board for acting slowly. She said anyone walking downtown or riding the train has witnessed hostile behavior for at least a year.

Trustee Donna Jean Simon said she had been unaware of the scope of the problem. She called the situation appalling.

Janet Sweeney, a 35-year Glen Ellyn resident, told DuPage Policy Journal she went to the police station to file a report about Gertchev but was never allowed to do so. Four others had the same experience, she said.

The village posted a statement on Sept. 22 saying community safety is the police department's top priority and noting that being unhoused is not a crime.

The next Village Board meeting is Tuesday, Oct. 13. Residents can submit written comments by 4 p.m. on meeting day through the village website or speak in person for up to three minutes.