Residents press council on Carrick Park safety and Main Street blight; vacancy tax proposed

Several members of the public used the meeting’s non‑agenda public comment period to press the council on two recurring local issues: safety around Carrick Park and vacant, rundown buildings on Main Street.

Cynthia Underheil, who lives on Evergreen Lane adjacent to Carrick Park, described repeated nighttime disturbances, dogs and fights connected to a homeless encampment on the creek near her property. "People are now coming down into my property," Underheil said, describing five years of complaints and asking whether the city could post dusk‑to‑dawn restrictions, increase patrols or add signage. Police staff told her the area is county property and recommended contacting the sheriff and the Board of Supervisors; the police chief offered to follow up and asked her to file contact information with the department.

In a separate public comment slot, Douglas French urged the council to take stronger action to revitalize Main Street. French named a recurring absentee landlord, Mark Juarez, as a principal cause of persistent vacancies and dilapidated buildings and suggested the council consider a commercial vacancy tax or, if necessary, eminent domain to change incentives. "There must be a financial advantage to him to having empty buildings," French said.

Council members acknowledged the problem, said staff and some councilmembers were already working on planning and enforcement, and suggested the Board of Supervisors and other county partners may need to be involved on jurisdictional matters.

What happens next: Staff and council said they will follow up with sheriff’s officials on the Carrick Park encampment and continue work on Main Street revitalization; no formal action was taken during the meeting.