Council approves first reading of camping ordinance amid heated public comment on encampments and animal welfare

Myrtle Creek’s City Council voted to approve the first reading of Ordinance 8.79, an amendment to the municipal code that clarifies where sleeping and the erection of temporary structures are allowed on city property and that shifts the summer removal time from 8 a.m. to 7 a.m. during April through September.

The measure grew out of repeated complaints about people setting up structures at city sites, including the disc golf course and Millside Park. Police staff told the council that case law cited in recent litigation (referred to in the meeting as the Boise and "Grama Pass" cases) and subsequent Oregon legislative guidance require cities to identify permissible locations if they are to enforce bans on structures. Police said officers have issued citations and at least one arrest at the disc golf course and that daily patrol checks have recently improved compliance.

Public comment occupied a large portion of the meeting. Resident Joe Hess described a van parked near his home that he said contained multiple dogs and puppies and generated a severe odor; he said police had provided garbage bags but that the problem continued. City staff and the police chief said they were constrained by the ordinance language and state law on what enforcement steps were available and were coordinating with animal-control and community groups.

Tanya Buzzard, a community member, updated the council that both adult dogs were taken to a low-cost provider ('For the Love of Paws') and that local volunteers were working to rehome puppies and secure veterinary care. Another commenter who identified a 674 South Main address urged the council to consider ADA implications and said municipal penalties escalate across multiple tickets, potentially becoming a criminal offense; staff responded that enforcement and court processes address penalties and that reasonable accommodations can be considered on a case-by-case basis.

Council discussion focused on balancing public-safety and park-user concerns with obligations under state law. The first-reading motion, advanced by a councilor who said listing allowable locations would make compliance easier both for officers and for people experiencing homelessness, specified two sites (Division Street and the bunker area by the lodge) as allowable locations and the summer 7 a.m. removal window. The motion passed on first reading; the ordinance will return for a second reading at a future meeting.

Council members and staff said they would continue to coordinate with social-service providers and law enforcement to try to reduce harms while complying with state and federal court precedent. The meeting record shows follow-up actions: staff will refine the ordinance language for the second reading and will continue outreach to service organizations about alternatives and supports for people living outside.

The city emphasized that first-reading approval is procedural; final adoption will depend on the second reading and any additional revisions requested by council members or raised in follow-up public input.