San Rafael is extending its anti-camping ordinance to all metropolis parks to cut back wildfire danger.
The Metropolis Council voted 3-1 at its assembly Monday to approve the modification after a six-month analysis of its homeless ordinance. Councilmember Maribeth Bushey was absent from the assembly. A second studying and remaining adoption is about for April 21.
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Councilmember Rachel Kertz, who forged the only real vote in opposition to the ordinance, stated “framing homelessness as a fireplace hazard fairly than a humanitarian situation solely reinforces damaging stereotypes and results in additional marginalization fairly than options like supportive housing and elevated psychological service.
“For me, this ordinance does not check those boxes,” stated Kertz, who participated within the metropolis’s homelessness working group conferences with Mayor Kate Colin.
Evaluation of the homeless ordinance concerned group conferences with the working group, which has been charged with discovering options to stability the wants of a rising homeless group with security considerations reported by residents and enterprise homeowners.
“This, as we know is a very difficult policy issue and there are many competing viewpoints,” Metropolis Supervisor Cristine Alilovich stated.
Alilovich issued a brief administrative order prohibiting tenting in all parks earlier than the proposal was offered to the council. She stated nobody had been residing within the metropolis parks.
The transfer was to make sure that the council and residents might absolutely consider the ordinance earlier than contemplating a everlasting adoption, and that the motion wouldn’t end in an eviction of any homeless residents.
“The proposed ordinance is a preventative measure that reduces wildfire risk in our parks and ensures that no one is displaced due to the city’s camping regulations,” Alilovich stated.
San Rafael’s effort to deal with homelessness has been a battle fraught with litigation.
An ordinance regulating the scale and placement of encampments went into impact in August after a yearlong authorized battle.
In October, town established a sanctioned tenting space, the place 50 persons are residing and have entry to case managers and social companies. Thus far, one resident of the camp has moved into everlasting housing, and one other has obtained a housing voucher and is in search of residing quarters, officers stated.
The brand new modification is prompted solely by hearth concern at camps exterior of the sanctioned tenting space, officers stated.
“For much of this year the city has consistently received feedback from the community around the existing camping ordinance in the context of the recent L.A. fires,” stated John Stefanski, assistant metropolis supervisor.
Secondly, Cal Fireplace in February launched up to date hearth hazard severity zone maps that designated a number of metropolis parks as hearth hazard zones. That included Gerstle, Solar Valley, Peacock Hole, Victor Jones, Santa Margarita, Jerry Russom Memorial and Terra Linda parks, amongst others.
With so many parks falling underneath the hazard zone, and with a ban in place at three parks already, officers opted to advocate a blanket ban in any respect parks, Stefanski stated.
“With peak fire season approaching,” Stefanski stated, “we believe that this amendment is timely and necessary to protect public safety.”
Members of the homelessness working group had various opinions. Some members stated they needed the ban to go farther, whereas others recommended a special strategy.
Some residents stated they’ve had dangerous experiences with homeless folks at parks, equivalent to being harassed, or seeing drug use and human feces.
Resident John Bischoff, who participated within the working group, stated he was all for seeing an growth of the sanctioned tenting space and a build-out of tiny properties, an idea metropolis workers has been exploring, however with little progress.
“Without shelters or more sanctioned camping areas, enforcement (of the ordinance) will be an issue,” Bischoff stated.
Ritter Middle CEO Mark Shotwell stated he’s happy with town’s effort to deal with homelessness with compassion and security in thoughts.
“It is not easy to do that,” he stated.
“This city is regulating camping,” Shotwell stated. “That’s what needs to happen. We need to regulate it and manage it for the good of the city and for the good of the individuals that need to be housed. And there aren’t going to be any camps left in San Rafael soon enough. We’re going to end homelessness for everybody.”
Colin stated along with the sanctioned tenting space, town is residence to Jonathan’s Place, a shelter and everlasting supportive housing advanced operated by Homeward Certain of Marin. One other advanced with supportive housing for previously homeless residents is opening quickly at 3301 Kerner Blvd. in San Rafael, she stated.
Colin stated she agrees that extra shelter and extra choices for housing are wanted, however the metropolis doesn’t have the assets.
“We do not have a health and human services department here, that is not our forte,” Colin stated. “So it’s critical, for those solutions that are really going to transition people from the street into housing, it has to come from the county.”
Colin stated she is grateful for the collaboration with the county round homelessness.
“I’ll be frank, I want them to do more around resolving encampments. I want them to do more around having a tiny home village,” Colin stated. “We’re going to keep pushing for it because it’s what’s right for the folks that are on the street and it’s actually what’s right for our community as well.”
