Council introduces RV parking, camping and transit-facility changes; debate centers on homelessness and enforcement

The council introduced an ordinance package that would: exempt RVs with valid city permits from the standard 72-hour move rule but prohibit permitted RVs from remaining in the exact same location for more than a three-week period (staff proposed 21 days; council amended the practice to 30 days in the meeting), extend the enforcement window for 72-hour parking violations from 48 hours to 14 days to give police time to process tows, and change violations of the camping and transit-facility ordinances from infractions to misdemeanors to preserve enforcement tools in the face of pending state changes that could otherwise prevent bench warrants for infractions.

The public comment period featured strong, divided testimony. Some residents and homeowners asked for longer or permanent permitted parking at residences and said the 21-day limit (later adjusted to 30 days by the council) undermined permit utility for homeowners who travel seasonally. Advocates and service providers warned that criminalizing camping or increasing penalties could harm unhoused and undocumented residents and urged the city to identify safe-parking locations and supportive services before expanding enforcement. The police chief and city attorney explained enforcement logistics and said the misdemeanor option preserves the ability to seek bench warrants where appropriate; staff said Caltrans signage requirements have limited immediate enforcement of overnight bans at city entry points. Council voted to move forward with staff recommendations and to direct community-development staff to re-open talks with local safe-parking providers to see whether RVs could be accommodated.