Several residents told the Gilroy City Council on Jan. 6 they are alarmed by a growing homeless and RV encampment near Alexander Street and the railroad tracks and pressed the council to take immediate action.

"We have a problem on Alexander. We have a homeless encampment over there, and it's getting worse and worse as the day goes on," Delmar Nielsen, an East‑side resident, told council during the public‑comment period. Nielsen described vendors, trash, and safety concerns that he said have made his family reluctant to walk to local stores.

The uptick in encampment activity drew multiple speakers. "It's getting enormous now. It's looking very, very bad," said Ron Kirkish, a resident who described seeing rodents and discarded needles on the site and said, based on his research, Union Pacific owns the land and had given the city permission to clean it up.

City Manager Jimmy Forbus responded to public comment later in the meeting, saying the situation is more complicated. "That land is Union Pacific Railroad property, and the city does not have permission to go onto that property and abate those RVs," Forbus said, adding that Union Pacific began abating the area on Jan. 2. He noted the city's authority to abate encampments is greater on city‑owned parcels and in some school buffer zones where the city has explicit permission to act.

Why it matters: residents described immediate public‑safety and quality‑of‑life problems — needles, rodents, and unmanaged trash — in a neighborhood they said has deteriorated. Council members did not take formal action at the Jan. 6 meeting; Forbus asked residents to contact him or their councilmembers for updates and said staff is navigating liability and coordination issues when property is privately owned by a railroad.

Details from the meeting: Nielsen said pop‑up fruit and food vendors and overgrown alleys on the east side of the tracks are contributing to neighborhood decline. Kirkish said he believes the parcel belongs to Union Pacific and asked why city action had not already occurred. Forbus said the city lacks permission to enter Union Pacific property and that sending city crews to a non‑city parcel would raise significant liability and safety concerns; he said the city is working through channels and would share updates when available.

The exchange highlights a jurisdictional challenge common where railroad right‑of‑way and privately owned parcels abut residential neighborhoods: local officials can act quickly on city property but must coordinate or obtain permission when private, railroad or federal interests are involved. Forbus said the city has authority to abate on certain properties — for example, near schools where a 500‑foot encampment buffer is enforced when the city has permission — but that the Alexander site sits on Union Pacific land.

The mayor and council did not schedule follow‑up action or a vote at the Jan. 6 meeting. Forbus said he will share more information with residents and urged anyone with immediate concerns to contact his office or their councilmember.

Ending: Residents who spoke asked for quicker relief. City staff said coordination with Union Pacific and safety/liability considerations constrain the city's ability to act directly on the railroad parcel; the council did not adopt a new policy or motion at the meeting.