Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Homelessness And Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
County staff say DNR is handling river encampment; deputies and county towing handle abandoned RVs and safety concerns
Summary
Public services and sheriff's office reported work with Department of Natural Resources to clear a river encampment; county said sheriff's office took lead and DNR posted 14-day camping notices. Staff also described limits on funding for towing and disposal of abandoned RVs and boats.
Public Services Director Mike Moss and Savannah Clement of Public Services updated the Board of Commissioners on recent river- and creek-side encampments and on county procedures for removing abandoned recreational vehicles and boats.
Moss said the encampment near the railroad tracks on the Cowlitz River is on Department of Natural Resources (DNR) land and that DNR posted a notice consistent with its camping policy allowing up to 14 days, after which the campers must vacate. He said the sheriff's office took the lead on outreach and that DNR had posted the camp; county staff expect the site to be vacated within the 14-day window but said they had not confirmed how DNR enforces return visits.
“We visited with the commissioner or sheriff department on Monday that maybe they'll resprout upstream, 500 yards, and there they are. So but, for now, the sheriff's office is working on that,” Moss said.
Commissioners also reported a separate encampment in the Hotch Prairie/Houghton Creek area where a resident reported six transients, alleged sanitation issues (feces in the creek) and at least one assault allegation. Staff asked for the resident's contact information so the sheriff's office deputy assigned to Public Works could follow up.
Moss and other staff described county processes for abandoned RVs and derelict boats in the right of way: the county uses towing contracts and, when available, state grant money to remove vehicles but those funds are limited and often exhausted before year-end. He said the county sometimes holds towed units at outlying shops until funding is available for disposal or disassembly. Moss also noted a private third-party recycler near Tenaway landfill that disassembles RVs; some towed units are sent there when funding permits.
Nut graf: County staff said enforcement on DNR or state-owned land is managed by those agencies; the sheriff's office assists with outreach and safety issues on county property. The county will continue to rely on periodic state grants and towing contracts to remove abandoned vehicles, but staff warned funding runs out annually.
Ending: Staff asked residents to report specific locations and contact information so deputies can respond; county staff will follow up with DNR and the sheriff's office on enforcement and any public-health concerns raised by residents.
