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Resident describes needles, burned batteries and drug dealing on Shealy Creek trail
Summary
A longtime Vernonia resident testified that the Shealy Creek area has been a hotspot for drug activity and that discarded needles and burned lithium-ion batteries have made trail access unsafe for children and families.
John Danielson, who said he has lived in the area for more than a decade, told the council he has spent years displacing drug dealers from properties near Shealy Creek Road and that the problem persists on trails used by residents.
"These homeless people are very aggressive, and they are obviously on, you know, whatever substances they are on," Danielson said, later adding, "They scare me. They're very dangerous." He described finding needles under bridges and removing piles of burned lithium-ion batteries. Danielson and other speakers urged more active enforcement and private-property owner complaints to the sheriff when encampments are on private land, noting that the sheriff requires a property-owner complaint before intervening.
Council and staff responded by reiterating evidence and reporting procedures for enforcement and saying the city will continue to pursue nuisance-code changes and coordination with county law enforcement. No formal policy action was taken at the meeting on these trail-specific complaints.
