Millbrae council adopts ordinance to regulate public encampments, sets 24-hour notice and property-hold rules

The Millbrae City Council on May 27 voted 5-0 to introduce and waive the first reading of an ordinance adding Chapter 4.95 to the Millbrae Municipal Code to regulate public encampments, loitering and related activity on public property.

The ordinance creates a process the city says balances public health and safety with due process for people living outdoors. Community Development Director Andrew Mogensen told the council the ordinance sets a 24-hour advance notice requirement before enforcement or abatement of encampments, establishes protocols for collecting and storing personal property, and adds a loitering enforcement tool for specified public-safety locations. Mogensen presented the ordinance as “a tool that establishes a fair process that provides 24 hour advance notice before enforcement and abatement of…