Bristol VA city leaders discuss public camping at meeting

Bristol Virginia City Council members discussed a change to the public camping section of the city code in a called meeting Tuesday. Current code states it is illegal to camp on sidewalks and right of ways. The code details what qualifies as camping and what does not. The current punishment is a $250 fine. The proposed change would make camping illegal on city-owned property with a fine of $2,500 and up to a year in jail. This proposed change comes after a Supreme Court decision in June, ruling municipalities have the right to decide the legality of camping on public property. The council is expected to take up the issue again in the coming weeks.