Council review of encampment policy: staff proposes temporary camping area, navigation hub and phased improvements

City staff on April 9 presented a revised encampment-response report proposing a time-limited pilot to manage outdoor camping on the city’s Southwest parcel, paired with a staffed navigation hub and phased, capital-funded site improvements.

Deputy City Manager (presenting) said the recommendations reflect community feedback and the city’s experience operating a temporary non-enforcement campsite area and outreach work in 2024 and 2025. The packet recommends limiting camping to prepared, better-drained and accessible plots in the Southwest parcel, installing pathway lighting, designating leveled campsite pads with 12-by-12-foot plot footprints, and adding a nearby centralized amenities area for potable water, toilets (subject to permitting) and storage. The staff presentation noted that some areas of the parcel are wet or heavily vegetated and should be excluded from camping.

The report also recommends establishing a staffed navigation hub — a staffed, indoor site that would provide showers, laundry, storage, case management and connections to county programs — and pursuing partnerships with Tompkins County for program and staffing support. Staff said the hub should be staffed with two to three people during operating hours and that locating county case managers closer to clients could reduce barriers to benefits and shelter access.

Safety and emergency access were central themes in council discussion. Staff presented 9-1-1 center call data showing law-enforcement “property check” activity and periodic fire and EMS responses to encampment locations; staff noted that some law-enforcement activity is officer-initiated welfare checks rather than criminal-incident responses. The city presented options to widen an existing access road (using recycled road millings), add smaller firefighting apparatus for brush-fire response, and install clearly numbered campsite and waypoint signage so first responders and outreach workers can locate people quickly.

The staff report stressed that campground permitting under state environmental health rules could require waivers or alternative mitigation measures; staff said working with DEC and the county will be necessary if the city seeks a campground permit, and that waivers would be considered only where alternative measures (for example, a nearby navigation hub providing sanitation) are in place.

Councilmembers asked about costs, operations and county cooperation. The staff presentation included a high-level budget estimate for phased Southwest parcel improvements (staff estimated roughly $380,000 to implement the identified physical improvements in an initial multi-year phase, subject to design and procurement). Staff said a formal resolution accepting the report and the recommended policy edits will be offered at the May meeting; that adoption would enable staff to begin site design and outreach, pursue county partnerships and seek permits or waivers if needed.

Deputy City Manager emphasized the work is intended as a temporary, pilot approach until county shelter capacity and longer-term solutions are available. Councilmembers and community members also discussed broader questions about financial commitments, potential funding sources and the need for robust public outreach before permanent capital expenditures or permanent policy changes.