Walla Walla County workshops blanket "no camping" ordinance; commissioners press for clearer discretion, storage and city coordination

Walla Walla County commissioners on Oct. 13 heard a detailed presentation and community feedback on a circulated draft ordinance that would prohibit camping on county property and establish a legal framework for removing unauthorized encampments.

Sebastian, a prosecutor with the county prosecuting attorney's office, told the board the draft is intended as “a no camping ordinance, period,” modeled on recent municipal ordinances adopted after the Grants Pass court decision and designed to give the county an enforceable mechanism while preserving options to connect people with services. “This ordinance is designed to account for those factors to provide a clear and legally enforceable mechanism,” he said.

Why it matters: The proposal would criminalize erecting or occupying campsites on county property (a misdemeanor as drafted) and set out notice, decampment and property‑storage procedures. That raises constitutional, operational and budget questions for a county with scattered rural roads and limited space to store seized or recovered personal property.

What commissioners and the public pressed for

- Scope and definitions: Commissioners asked Sebastian to define "rights of way" and clarify which roadside activities would trigger enforcement. Sebastian said the draft currently treats rights of way and county property the same and that the definition could be added to the ordinance's definition section.

- Enforcement level and discretion: The draft makes the offense a misdemeanor in order to create a uniform enforcement standard; Sebastian said this avoids scaling fines that can functionally criminalize poverty. Jesse Nolte, chief civil deputy, reminded the board that some parking offenses must remain infractions under state law and recommended wording that leaves some enforcement choices to deputies ("may" instead of "shall").

- Avoiding a "one size fits all" approach: Commissioners asked how the ordinance would treat transient hunters or people temporarily stopped on shoulders; Sebastian said those activities would be covered as drafted but could be carved out if the board prefers.

- Limited law‑enforcement discretion and diversion: Section 4 in the draft allows deputies to suspend enforcement if an individual accepts outreach referrals or agrees to decamp and remove property. Sebastian said those provisions are designed to allow law enforcement to bring community partners on scene rather than immediately using criminal penalties.

- Notice, imminent hazards and pets: The ordinance sets a 72‑hour notice window before county removal of property in many cases but allows notice to be shortened for imminent public health or safety risks. Commissioners asked how pets would be handled; Sebastian said animal control procedures would be followed and that adding clarifying language would be prudent.

- Personal property, towing and costs: Chief Schramm of the sheriff's office cautioned that deputies frequently encounter abandoned property and that the department has limited storage capacity. Sebastian and the sheriff's designees said case law requires the county to preserve non‑abandoned personal property and that towing, storage and reclamation processes will carry a cost. "We will be required to take possession of personal property there and be its custodian," Sebastian said, noting storage and legal obligations.

Public comment and coordination with cities

Lydia Caudill, a City of Walla Walla employee and resident, urged the county to coordinate closely with municipal ordinances so enforcement does not simply displace encampments from county land into city jurisdictions. Commissioners acknowledged that coordination is both a practical and ethical consideration.

Next steps

No vote was taken on the ordinance. Sebastian recommended another workshop after he incorporates the commissioners' drafting suggestions (clarifying rights of way, adjusting discretionary language, adding pet and storage safeguards and defining towing/impound procedures). A public hearing will follow once the board accepts a revised draft.