Committee discusses homelessness and encampment response; staff to review ordinances and coordination

The Public Safety Committee discussed recent transient encampments and other visible homelessness-related issues — tents found behind a Walmart property, grocery-cart use, and persons sleeping in cars — and asked staff to review existing ordinances and options for stronger enforcement.

Committee members and police said city staff often rely on property-owner permission to remove camps (trespass) or on the city’s overnight-camping prohibition to clear encampments; police said they can and do enforce both statutes where applicable. Officers described one camp discovered by a resident using a drone behind a retail property; the property owner cooperated to remove the camp.

Committee members asked staff to research ordinances other cities have used (including rules governing possession of grocery carts, camping prohibitions and trespass waivers) and to prepare draft ordinance language for committee consideration. Police noted coordination with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers where encampments appear on Corps property.