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Resident raises concerns about long‑standing homeless camp at Willamette Falls; city staff to follow up on property ownership
Summary
A resident told the commission that a growing homeless encampment on riverbank property near Willamette Falls is unsanitary and tied to ownership questions; staff said they have engaged railroad police and will check whether the Confederated Tribes have been contacted.
During public comment, resident Ken Basinger asked the commission to address a growing homeless encampment on the Willamette River bank adjacent to Willamette Falls. Basinger said the camp has been present about three years and that piles of debris and decomposing organic material make the site “a stinking rotting mess.”
Basinger said the parcel was formerly part of the paper mill and is now owned by the Confederated Tribes, and he urged the city to coordinate with the tribe because their cooperation would be needed to address cleanup and enforcement. He asked whether the commission had questions; none were raised.
Chief Davis (or a staff member present) said the city has been working with railroad police regarding recent activity on that property and that staff would check whether the Confederated Tribes (Grand Ronde was referenced in the discussion) had been contacted. The mayor turned the matter to staff for follow‑up.
No formal action was taken during the meeting; staff indicated they would investigate and report back.
