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Board directs immediate day‑use posting at Rickert Road; county administrator authorized to post other county parcels
Summary
Commissioners directed staff to post signs limiting overnight camping on county-owned land at Rickert Road and authorized the county administrator to close or limit other county parcels that do not currently have encampments; staff and sheriff’s office will implement signage and enforcement.
The Deschutes County Board of Commissioners directed county staff May 7 to post day‑use-only signage and begin enforcement at Rickert Road after neighbors reported an increase in overnight camping and vehicle encampments.
Deputy County Administrator Eric Cropp and property-management staff explained legal constraints that apply when people are already inhabiting county property: the county must offer or identify an alternative location before removing established encampments; if a site is vacant at the time of a closure decision, the county may post notices and signs limiting use (day use only or closed to overnight occupancy) and enforce the restriction. Staff and commissioners agreed to place signs at Rickert Road immediately; property management said it had signage available and that signs cost roughly $50–$60 each for commercial orders. Staff reported one trailer remained at Rickert Road at the time of the meeting; earlier counts had been higher.
Sheriff’s office staff and county roads staff attended the discussion; the board asked staff to coordinate signage and law-enforcement monitoring. The county will send notification to adjacent neighbors to explain the new day-use restriction and ask neighbors to report any signs being removed or new overnight activity.
The board also authorized the county administrator to identify other county-owned parcels that are currently unoccupied and post day‑use limits on those parcels; staff will return to the board with a list of affected county properties for information and coordination. Commissioners emphasized a staged, practical approach — starting with locations with the highest risk or prior activity (for example, the Rickert Road frontage and specific parcels on the county’s road system) rather than blanket posting of every county parcel.
Why it matters: Commissioners said uncontrolled overnight encampments on county land raise neighbor concerns and can create hazardous conditions; at the same time county staff emphasized the need to follow procedures when people already occupy property (identifying an alternative location and following statutory requirements before requiring occupants to vacate).
What’s next: Property management and roads staff will post day‑use signage at Rickert Road immediately and issue a letter to neighbors explaining the action and how to report violations. The county administrator will prepare a list of other county parcels to be posted as day use only (those without current encampments), coordinate signage and advise the board as the program is implemented. County staff will coordinate with the city-run temporary services site (TSSA) and managed-camp partners about alternatives for people displaced by closures.
