Cerritos staff recommend against reviving overnight camping program, suggest shorter alternative

Mister Patel, speaking for recreation staff, told the Parks & Recreation Commission on Feb. 5 that the city will not pursue an overnight camping program at this time, citing staffing constraints, union rules and safety and liability concerns.

"It was determined that the city is not gonna pursue, or or interested in pursuing, that program just because of all those issues that have arisen," Mister Patel said during the commission meeting. He added that when the program ran in the past attendance declined and staff concluded the logistical and coverage issues were too difficult to overcome.

The recommendation from staff was framed as operational: the city manager and staff reviewed the program and determined it presented challenges related to overnight shifts and union work rules, as well as safety and liability risks. Mister Patel said the matter could still be brought forward to the City Council, but staff did not advise pursuing it.

A commissioner offered a potential compromise, suggesting the city consider an evening, non-overnight event that would mimic aspects of past camping programs without requiring overnight staffing. "If it would be possible to look at an alternative, like an evening sort of … campfire kind of event ... that might be a nice compromise," the commissioner said.

The commission did not take a formal vote on the overnight program itself during the Feb. 5 meeting. Staff asked commissioners for direction and said any final decision could be elevated to City Council for policy-level review.

What happens next: staff said they would consider alternatives and may return with an agenda item in March or May, depending on workload and scheduling. Until then, the city will not move forward with a staffed overnight camping program.