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Santa Maria details encampment response: roughly $1M city cost, daily riverbed monitoring
Summary
City staff presented an update on homelessness and encampment response, outlining staffing, costs, coordination with county service providers, and operational practices including 72‑hour notices, property storage for 60 days and outreach connections to providers.
Assistant City Manager Mr. Wu presented a status update on the city's encampment response and homelessness efforts during the April 25 Santa Maria City Council meeting. The presentation outlined statewide and local spending on homelessness, the city's operational approach to camp cleanups and monitoring, and goals for coordination with regional service providers.
The nut of the presentation: California has spent about $24,000,000,000 statewide on homelessness-related programs, the assistant city manager said, and Santa Maria spends roughly $1 million annually on its local encampment response. Mr. Wu said staff costs for enforcement and outreach run on the order of $600,000—$700,000 per year and that much of the city work covers cleanup contractors, police, rangers and code enforcement activities.
Wu said the city's work focuses on three tasks: cleaning and preventing large, persistent encampments; monitoring high‑use areas such as the Santa Maria Riverbed; and coordinating with regional service providers to connect people to housing and services. He described a standard 72‑hour notice that staff issue to campers and said staff carry referral information for organizations such as Good Sam, New Beginnings and Fighting Back to offer services during outreach.
Responding to council questions, police sergeants described field practice for belongings: when significant property is found, officers may book valuables into evidence; otherwise the city stores property for safekeeping for 60 days and individuals may retrieve items during that period, Mr. Wu said. He added that many cleanups occur when occupants are absent or leave on sight, and outcomes depend on whether an individual accepts services.
Council members and the public asked about prevention and long‑term housing. Council Member Soto (recorded as So to) and others pressed for more emphasis on preventing homelessness through housing, jobs and wraparound services; Wu said the county and nonprofit service providers lead on those social services and that the city uses CDBG and other funding to support them when possible. Wu noted the city's role is primarily to ensure clean and safe neighborhoods and support outreach and referrals rather than provide case management directly.
Operational details discussed included daily riverbed patrols by the Recreation and Parks rangers, a unified enforcement front across police, rangers and code enforcement, trimming vegetation to reduce concealment, and evaluating additional public safety measures such as a bicycle registration system to help recover stolen bikes. Wu said the city is exploring improved reporting access for residents beyond the existing Neighborhood Connect app and nonemergency line.
Council members thanked frontline staff for increased enforcement visibility in hotspot areas and noted the tension between cleanup operations and long‑term housing needs. Council Member Soto asked to join staff's task force to weigh prevention measures such as portable toilets and other public health interventions. Wu and others acknowledged the limitations of city authority and funding, and encouraged continued coordination with county programs and service providers.
The presentation concluded without action; staff will continue coordination and return with further program detail as requested by council.
