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Astoria council asks staff to draft options to tighten camping enforcement and explore sanctioned site
Summary
At a Dec. 8 work session, city staff, police and service providers reviewed enforcement data and shelter capacity; council directed staff to draft ordinance changes for escalation of penalties, pursue circuit-court prosecution options, study private-property temporary camping, and assess feasibility of a concentrated sanctioned site like Seaside’s Stepping Stones.
Estrella City Council members met Dec. 8 to review Astoria’s camping ordinance, hear service-provider perspectives and give staff direction on next steps for enforcement and alternative shelter models. City staff and police presented data showing a marked rise in prohibited-camping calls and citations this year and described operational strain on enforcement and parks crews.
Chief Stacy Kelly, the city’s police chief, said prohibited-camping calls rose from 419 to 521 (a 24% increase) and citations rose from 103 to 200 (a 94% increase) comparing Jan.–Nov. 2024 with Jan.–Nov. 2025. “This isn’t working,” Kelly said, arguing that citation-only enforcement has produced no durable change among a small group of roughly “10 to 12” service‑resistant individuals and that officers are burning out on repeated contacts.
Ryan Quigley, assistant to the city manager, summarized the code’s time–place–manner approach:…
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