Red Bluff staff outline sweeps, debris removal after council closed Samuel Ayers Park to camping

City staff and public-safety partners told the Red Bluff City Parks and Recreation Commission that multi-agency sweeps and debris removal are underway and will continue following the City Council decision to close Samuel Ayers Park to camping.

The update, delivered to the Parks and Recreation Commission, covered recent cleanups at Ford Park and plans for coordinated sweeps, vegetation/fuels reduction and heavy-equipment debris removal at Samuel Ayers Park and other sites. Division Chief Justin Kingsley of the Red Bluff Fire Department described work that must be coordinated with state crews and federal partners; Nigel (city staff) described operational details and timelines.

“The project starts this Thursday,” Nigel said, describing notification and scheduling for crews. He said residents were notified “21 days” after the council decision, that dumpsters have been placed and that the expected cleanup timeline is “approximately a month,” though that timing depends on crew coordination. Nigel reported crews have moved about 140 tons of trash from Ford Park to date and that the total tonnage for that site will likely exceed 160 tons.

Division Chief Justin Kingsley, who is Red Bluff’s hazard mitigation officer, said vegetation and inaccessibility have complicated work at some sites and that biological surveys are needed before fuel-reduction work can proceed in sensitive areas. “We’re at the mercy” of availability for contracted crews from the California Department of Corrections and CAL FIRE, Kingsley said, noting those resources can be pulled for incidents elsewhere in the state.

Staff gave a sequence of planned actions for Samuel Ayers Park: a sweep by law enforcement and partner crews at 8 a.m. on Thursday, a repeat sweep the following Monday at 8 a.m., then placement of heavy equipment the next day and hand crews and dumpsters to follow. Nigel said approximately 50 residents were counted in the park at his most recent sweep; he also reported smaller, transient encampments at River Park and under the Ridge Creek Bridge on South Main.

Commissioners and staff emphasized mitigation after cleanup. Kingsley described a goal to create “a shaded canopy” and a 100-foot defensible space in some areas to reduce fire risk, and he detailed coordination with the Bureau of Reclamation and other biological consultants to flag sensitive habitat prior to fuels work. Kingsley also said probation crews and state inmate crews cannot work on site simultaneously, which requires additional scheduling.

Commissioners thanked staff and community partners for the cleanups but did not take any formal action during the meeting. The commission’s role in the discussion was informational; the transcript shows the closure itself was a prior City Council decision and that the commission received an operational update on implementation.

Staff also reported personnel changes relevant to outreach: former homeless liaison officer Cole McClure, who had been reassigned in December to attend the police academy, was sworn in as a police officer and is currently in field training; staff said they continue recruiting to refill the homeless-liaison position. The council also funded a reserve community service officer to assist with spot cleanups and ongoing maintenance after large removals.

Next steps described by staff include continuing fuels reduction in overgrown areas, completing scheduled sweeps and following up with weekly spot checks and smaller cleanups around town once large operations at the island and Ford Park are finished.