Trafficking survivor urges Sequim to address camping and drug use at downtown park; council hears request but takes no immediate action

A local trafficking survivor and facilitator of a recovery support group told the Sequim City Council she and participants feel unsafe using downtown meeting space because of ongoing camping and drug use at Seal Street Park and asked the city to post the park as no camping and no drug use.

Annie Hoganboom said she runs a support group that meets near the park and that the group has experienced disruptive behavior and drug use outside the meeting space, which has prompted her to consider moving the meetings to a different location. She asked councilors to "think about, are we actually helping people when we enable them to just engage in a destructive lifestyle" and requested efforts to protect safety and the perception of safety for vulnerable people attending downtown meetings.

City Manager reported to council that the police chief, Chief Hill, had undertaken investigative work related to earlier public comments and that staff take the issue seriously. The city manager said Chief Hill was present at the meeting and can be engaged for further discussion; no new ordinance or formal council directive was issued at the time of the public comment.

Councilors did not adopt formal rules or an ordinance at the meeting. Council and staff discussed communication options: the city manager said staff could ensure better signage and public information about available resources, and public works staff mentioned an implementation period for signage changes to allow residents time to adjust. The manager said the city had already asked police to investigate and would continue to address the issue.

Next steps: city staff and the police department will continue investigative and outreach work; staff indicated they would consider signage and public-notice options and can discuss further actions with council or return with proposals if council requests a formal policy change.