Residents report weapons, graffiti and safety concerns at nearby group home; city attorney says civil complaint is being drafted

Several Tulare residents used the public-comment period to press the city to act on a nearby group home they said has generated repeated disturbances and safety threats.

Rodney Clausen, a Paseo Del Lago resident, described juvenile residents collecting rocks to use as weapons, the discovery of a straight razor near neighbors' property, and an incident of graffiti that he said was condoned by a home supervisor. "I think his only interest is in collecting the money," Clausen said of the group-home operator, urging the city to consider the operator as well as the homeowner when pursuing remedies.

City Attorney (unnamed in transcript) told council the city had sent a demand letter to the property owner that went unanswered and that the city's legal team is drafting a civil nuisance complaint that could include the property owner and the operator. The attorney said staff would seek a restraining order as an early civil step and that the full civil process could take longer because of court timelines. The attorney also said staff is engaging the state licensing agency and will contact the city's legislative delegation to seek assistance.

Council asked staff to provide an update at the appropriate agenda item and to accept incident reports from residents to build a record for civil action. Staff emphasized that filing a civil complaint does not prevent residents from reporting crimes to police and said such reports remain appropriate when incidents occur.

No ordinance or enforcement action was voted at the meeting; staff said a complaint should be filed within weeks and that a restraining order could be sought sooner if service of process is accomplished.