CHATHAM COUNTY, Ga. (WSAV) - A new proposal from Chatham County Commissioners would criminalize urban camping in the county. The ordinance would allow law enforcement to invoke criminal penalties for camping on public property, according to Chatham County Commissioner Aaron Whitely. "The public camping ordinance what it does is help us steer people in the right direction of what's currently available," Whitely, Commissioner for District 6, said. "It is criminalizing the public camping. However, if somebody were cited, the first engagement, they won't go to jail. They'll be cited and given the opportunity to get the help they need. Now, if between that and them going to court, they don't actually get the help or choose not to get the help, then we have to start making some other decisions." The original proposal was supposed to be discussed at the Dec. 6 commission meeting, but it was pulled from the agenda shortly before the meeting. Whitely said there will be another version brought to the floor soon. "Taking this off the agenda gives us the opportunity to kind of work through what that looks like in greater detail because the code as it was displayed on the agenda is relatively vague in some places. So, we want to beef that up with a lot more detail," he said. The proposal drew considerable pushback before it was taken down, though. The Savannah Democratic Socialists of America put up a petition that's now drawn over 700 signatures opposing the measure. However, there are members of the community who said homelessness has become a significant problem where they live. "You see a lot of it everywhere you go. They're laying on the street, walking around just blowing through lights, walking in the middle of the intersection not caring about anybody else but themselves," Tyler Byrd, a Chatham County resident, said. Even those that support the ordinance, though, said they want to see the county follow through on their promise to provide more than just punishment. "They can't just say they're going to get rid of it but not give these people any solutions. They've got to have some type of help for them." Whitley said that the ordinance would only apply to Unincorporated Chatham, not the City of Savannah or the City of Pooler. The next commission meeting will be held on Dec. 20.