Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Devereaux Center topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Coos Bay council moves to revoke Devereaux Center's business license after months of complaints
Summary
After months of mixed testimony about services and community impacts, the Coos Bay City Council voted to initiate revocation of the Devereaux Center's business license, citing nuisance complaints, safety concerns and unmet corrective steps; the center says it is pursuing an operational review.
Mayor Benetti and his colleagues voted after an extended public record to begin revocation proceedings against the Devereaux Center, a local nonprofit that provides food, medical sheltering and other services to unhoused residents.
The decision followed months of staff meetings and a 30-day letter requesting remedies. Supporters at the meeting described the center as lifesaving and credited it with connecting clients to housing and medical care; critics blamed the site for nightly loitering, alleged drug activity, trespass and neighborhood impacts in the Empire area.
Mayor Benetti said the city has tried to work with the center and asked for a sustained set of operational changes. "They need to have security," he told the council during debate, urging the organization to show concrete plans and follow-through. Multiple councilors said the city must represent the broader community and protect public safety while recognizing the center's services.
Devereaux board members and newer directors who spoke responded that the board supports an outside operations review and that some remedial steps are under consideration. "I recommended an outside consultant to look at our operations," one new board member, Simon, said, adding that he supported bringing the results to the council for review.
Council discussion emphasized options short of permanent closure but concluded that formal enforcement was necessary because prior requests had not produced enough demonstrable change. The motion the council approved initiates the municipal process to revoke the center's business license under the city's code; notification triggers a 30-day period during which the center may address deficiencies or appear before the council.
The council and staff outlined possible next steps: the city may accept corrective actions within the 30-day window and rescind revocation if the center demonstrates compliance, or it may pursue fines or other enforcement if problems persist. Councilors also stressed the need for the Devereaux Center to reduce its concentration of services at the current site and to work with neighboring jurisdictions and county partners to disperse services across the county.
The council did not detail a timeline for further enforcement beyond the 30-day notice period; staff said they will return with evidence of compliance or proposals for next steps.
The council's action was the most consequential outcome of a long meeting that included multiple other approvals and recognitions. The council recorded public testimony for and against the center and acknowledged both its community role and the burden its operations have placed on nearby residents.
