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Goleta adopts administrative‑citation approach for camping and vehicle dwelling; directs staff on ordinance changes
Summary
The council voted to begin enforcing existing camping and vehicle‑dwelling rules using an administrative citation process forgivable if individuals accept services; council also gave staff direction on several ordinance changes, including adding evidentiary factors for vehicle dwelling, removing towing as an enforcement step for people’s vehicles,
The Goleta City Council on Oct. 7 directed staff to begin enforcing the city’s existing camping and vehicle‑dwelling prohibitions using a new administrative‑citation process and provided a set of policy instructions to refine how encampments and vehicle dwelling are handled.
Under the administrative citation approach presented by neighborhood services manager Winnie Kai and homelessness coordinator Chuck Flax, deputies would issue an administrative citation (a city civil fine) after a warning when someone is found dwelling in a vehicle or maintaining an encampment that violates city code. The proposed citation structure mirrors existing administrative enforcement elsewhere in the city: a $100 fine for a first violation, $200 for a second, and $500 for third and subsequent violations within a year. Staff said the citation would be forgivable if the person enrolls in the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) and accepts outreach services such as safe‑parking placement, shelter navigation or case management.
Why it matters: Staff and advocates said the forgiveness…
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