Jury pulls beach camping/RV ordinance for reworking after jurors raise permit, private-property and sewage concerns

Parish staff presented a draft ordinance on Dec. 1 that would limit overnight camping on Cameron Parish beaches to a total of seven days in a 30-day period and require a permit from the parish permit department. The draft also proposed penalties of up to $500 and/or 30 days in parish jail for failure to comply.

Jurors and members of the public raised multiple concerns. Some jurors suggested allowing short recreational stays (three to five consecutive days) without a permit while requiring a permit for longer consecutive stays — or extending the unpermitted allowance to 30 days before a permit would be required for continued occupancy. Commissioners also flagged ambiguous language about privately owned beachfront parcels and noted enforcement limits on private property.

Public-health and public-works questions surfaced: jurors asked where campers would obtain permits on short notice, who would enforce sewage disposal requirements and whether enforcement resources and fire-marshal spacing rules had been considered. Staff said the ordinance draft was an initial version and acknowledged they would produce a revised draft that addresses private-property exceptions, permit thresholds, enforcement language and spacing and fire-safety coordination.

The jury directed staff to remove the current draft from the agenda, revise the wording (options discussed included permitting only after several consecutive days or permitting up to 30 consecutive days without initial restriction) and re-advertise the ordinance for a January hearing. No fines or enforcement actions were taken at the Dec. 1 meeting; jurors asked staff to circulate a revised version for review before re-advertising.