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Trinity County adopts ordinance on encampments; homelessness ad hoc to continue outreach and camp walks
Summary
The Trinity County Board enacted an ordinance establishing County Code section 8.41 regulating encampments on public property and heard an update from the homelessness ad hoc about voluntary outreach and scheduled camp‑walks. Board members and public commenters raised concerns about criminalization, alternatives and outreach sufficiency.
The Trinity County Board of Supervisors adopted an ordinance establishing County Code section 8.41, regulating encampments on public property, at its June 17 meeting.
County Administrative Officer Trent Tuthill (CAO) said the ordinance was the same measure the board considered on June 3 and presented for a second reading. The CAO and staff described the county’s approach as prioritizing outreach and voluntary connection to services; the homelessness ad hoc confirmed a multi‑agency camp walk was scheduled for June 23 to give residents information about available services.
Board discussion and public correspondence raised concerns that the ordinance could have a criminalizing effect if not coupled with meaningful alternatives. Supervisors and staff said outreach and service offers are central to the county’s approach: ad hoc reports said visits focus on ensuring people are aware of services and that engagement is voluntary.
The board also discussed the future role of the ad hoc committee depending on the ordinance’s outcome. Supervisor comments during the meeting asked staff to ensure that outreach is visible and substantial and that residents understand the voluntary nature of services and the county’s sequence of responses.
Why this matters: The ordinance creates a formal local rule for handling encampments on public land and will shape how county staff, law enforcement and health and human services coordinate outreach and cleanup activities. The public record from this meeting shows both community concern about public‑space impacts and advocacy for strong outreach and shelter alternatives.
Provenance (transcript excerpts): Topic intro: "The item before you is in the second reading, and this is the, same ordinance that was brought before you on June 3 and here to address any questions." (block_id:4619.54, local_start:0, local_end:110, evidence_excerpt:"The item before you is in the second reading, and this is the, same ordinance that was brought before you on June 3 and here to address any questions.") Top finish: "The next ad hoc meeting is scheduled for June 23, in the afternoon, and where we will discuss part of the discussion will be on, you know, the future of the ad hoc, what role we wanna take, depending upon what the decision of the board is today regarding the ordinance" (block_id:3883.67, local_start:0, local_end:210, evidence_excerpt:"The next ad hoc meeting is scheduled for June 23, in the afternoon, and where we will discuss part of the discussion will be on, you know, the future of the ad hoc, what role we wanna take, depending upon what the decision of the board is today regarding the ordinance")
