Naperville Held Hostage: Day 9

Homeless man refuses to go

More than a week after the Naperville City Council banned camping in its "downtown," the suburb's Public Enemy No.1 refuses to budge.

Scott Huber and his tent apparently aren't going anywhere.

"My feeling is that if there is an eviction to be had, I'd like the U.S. marshals to intercede," Huber told the Chicago Tribune.

Huber has made a home of sorts for himself for the last eight years in front of the city's parking garage. Last week, the city finally had enough and passed an ordinance banning sleeping, camping and storing personal property in its downtown. Huber was their target.

The lone councilmember who voted against the ban - Robert Fieseler - told the Tribune that he thought the council overreached and was being too aggressive.

Fieseler also pointed out that Huber - or anyone else - could just set up shop outside of the downtown area, like in a nearby park.

Another councilman, James Boyajian, said he would move to just expand the prohibition.

"To the extent that a problem develops, we're going to pass another ordinance," he told the paper. "If we have to fight this problem block by block, that's what we're going to do."

Maybe Naperville could just ban being homeless.

"Naperville, home to 7-figure historic houses, Ribfest, and 2 Targets is a suburbanite wet dream," Chicagoist writes. "Which is probably why their city council doesn't want homeless people cluttering up their spiffy downtown."

A downtown the suburb created to look more like a real city. But not too much more.

Steve Rhodes is the proprietor of The Beachwood Reporter, a Chicago-centric news and culture review.

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