Stockton outlines expanded cleanups, diversion and enforcement after Grants Pass ruling; council to consider ordinance changes and emergency declaration

Stockton officials told the City Council on Aug. 27 that the U.S. Supreme Court’s June decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson has changed the legal framework for enforcing camping rules and that staff will propose ordinance updates, budget requests and an emergency declaration to respond.

City Manager Harry Black framed the session as a review of the legal change and an operational plan. He said recent state action — including a July executive order and Caltrans guidance on cleanups — combined with the Supreme Court decision mean Stockton must step up intergovernmental coordination and consider adjustments to its 2022 Critical Infrastructure Ordinance. “This is a crisis for a reason,” Black said, and stressed staff would return with specific council agenda items on ordinance updates and the fiscal impacts of implementation.

Assistant City Attorney Taryn Jones compared Stockton’s current ordinance to the Grants Pass code and to the earlier Martin v. Boise precedent that Grants Pass overturned. Jones said Stockton’s ordinance already prohibits camping on or within 30 feet of listed critical infrastructure, includes a 24‑hour notice requirement (with an immediate‑removal exception for imminent health and safety threats), and provides criminal and civil penalties. She identified two ordinance footnotes that were added to address the Martin v. Boise constraints — one permitting limited camping adjacent to roads/paths and another requiring verification of available shelter beds before enforcement — and said removing those footnotes would broaden enforcement but could expose the city to different legal challenges depending on how the new language is framed.

Public Works Director Chad Reid outlined current cleanup capacity and recommended near‑term investments to prevent operational backlogs. Reid said Stockton conducts 27 large‑scale cleanups annually and that 2023 cleanups collected 1,329 tons of trash at a cost of about $163,000 for those events; contracted services contributed substantially as well. He recommended installing a transfer‑station‑style setup at the public-works yard (estimated installation $550,000, service roughly $275,000/year), adding a public‑works coordinator position to oversee increased cleanups, and contracting an additional cleanup crew (estimated $300,000/year).

Economic Development Director Carrie Wright outlined diversion and housing pipeline investments: the City and county adopted a regional Homeless Action Plan and secured roughly $7 million in HAP funding; Stockton reports about 1,869 shelter and supportive beds countywide and roughly 25% typical vacancy across the county, with significant variation by program. Wright said a navigation center is expected this fall and the Pathways project (described as a village combining tiny homes, shelter and services) should add roughly 220 units (about 288 beds) this winter; she cautioned that some state funding streams do not clearly cover safe camping/parking, requiring general‑fund support or operator models funded through competitive processes.

Police Chief Stanley McFadden described enforcement as the last step in a staged approach that prioritizes outreach, voluntary compliance and wraparound services. He said current dedicated encampment staffing includes one sergeant and four officers, and proposed doubling that unit’s size in phases. The chief gave a current staff‑time cost estimate of about $1.5 million for encampment enforcement and outlined additional projected costs (overtime, vehicles, property storage and shelter expenses) that together add several hundred thousand dollars. City Manager Black also said combined cleanup/diversion/enforcement costs currently average roughly $2.3 million and that number could approximately double under enhanced operations.

Council members pressed staff on coordination with Caltrans (District 10), illegal dumping enforcement, timelines for the navigation center and Pathways, whether pets will be accommodated (Pathways will; navigation center unclear), and options for sourcing property or partnering with nonprofits and other government agencies for safe camping/parking locations. Several members asked staff to return within about 30 days with agenda items, potential phases for safe camping and parking, and proposed budget actions.

What’s next: staff said they will bring several council items in the coming weeks: a recommended update to camping‑related ordinances, a proposed declaration of a housing and homelessness emergency, and budget items to fund initial implementation steps. The city will also develop a public dashboard (“camping stat”) to track efforts and performance. Staff warned that broadening enforcement language reduces one legal constraint but does not eliminate the risk of future legal challenges.

Ending: Council adjourned after the meeting; staff will return with specific ordinance language, budget requests and recommended implementation phases for council consideration.