Billy Fisher. Donald Kitchell. Tonya Martin. You probably never saw an obituary for them, or read about a large, well-attended memorial service in their honor. Their passing probably hasn’t affected your life in any way you could measure or quantify. But here, in Collier County, they lived — and died — homeless. On Sunday night they were remembered along with 11 other people who passed in 2008, probably believing they were utterly alone in the world.
Campers and homeless beware: There is a new Collier County law. But the law is somewhat confusing and, in some cases, unenforceable.
The Collier County Commission this week amended a 1974 ordinance, now making it illegal to camp on any public property within unincorporated Collier, except for specifically designated camping areas. Camping on any residential property without permission of the owner is also illegal under the amended ordinance.