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HomeMy WebLinkAbout091725 City to Enforce Code for No Camping at DSHS & Evans VistaCITY TO ENFORCE CODE FOR NO CAMPING AT DSHS & EVANS VISTA Public health and safety at risk, City issues notice the site will be cleaned up. PORT TOWNSEND — At an August 4 meeting of City Council, City staff recommended that City Council take policy action through the Housing Fund Board to consider focused resource procurement and allocation to a low barrier shelter. Following a letter to social service providers on September 3, the City has taken additional action to notify people camping around DSHS and Evans Vista that they will no longer be able to camp on City property after November 3. The camp is unmanaged and unmonitored aside from frequent police activity and sanitation/garbage service. The concentration of people living at this location has grown significantly in the last six months. On September 4, portable toilets were removed by the contractor because they were unserviceable and unsanitary for use. At this time, the City is working towards restoring portable toilet service to the site as an interim measure leading to the site clean up as a way to help mitigate public health and environmental risks associated with human waste and associated diseases. This is not a long-term solution as the encampment presents significant health, safety, and fire risks to camp residents and our community. The site will be cleaned during the week of November 3. With winter weather around the corner, two months of planning will help service providers work with campers in transitioning away from this site before the site can be cleaned. "The City will provide timely and clear information and resources to residents currently living at the site. We want those community members currently living in unsafe situations to know that we see them and will work with them, our local social service providers, Jefferson County Public Health, and contractors to connect people experiencing homelessness with social services," said City Manager John Mauro. Unsanctioned camps, which are unmanaged, continue to present safety and sanitation challenges for the residents who live there and the public. City staff and first responders are not trained in providing social services and do not have capacity to monitor the area daily for fire and sanitation concerns, and any response to issues that arise is reactive. C,tY f �}�;� 25i 16 Nudison Street, Suite 2 �� (Port Townsend, A � 8168 J 60 29 51047 �� www cutyof t us 11M; 0 Tolwnsend ADMINISTRATION The Port Townsend City Council approved.Ordinance 5...p�w A.p,rB,ll....2..r... 02 enabling permitted ............................ ... ............... ........... and managed sanctioned camps for people living in tents and vehicles, subject to specific services provided and stipulated in the ordinance meant to protect human health and safety. Background Since March of 2024, the City has provided portable toilets and a dumpster near the Evans Vista and DSHS properties to mitigate public health impacts from encampments in that area. The City has provided three portable toilets and one 20-yard roll -off dumpster. These sanitation services have significantly reduced but not eliminated waste accumulation or public health risks in the area. The 2025 City budget includes $12,000 for portable toilet and dumpster services, of which $8,900 was spent in the first 6 months of 2025. Dumpster costs were higher than anticipated in 2025 mainly due to an increase in the weight of waste removed. The 2025 budget also includes $25,000 for on -call abatement services to remove trash accumulation and abandoned camps. While these costs are relatively low, the unmanaged nature of the camp illustrates the challenge of the situation. In January of 2025, an abatement crew removed 13,760 pounds of trash. Since that time, trash accumulation issues and abandoned camps have persisted but to a lesser degree. Some encampment residents have stated that they are trying to keep the area clean in an effort to avoid having an abatement crew in the area, but this has largely not been effective. City staff have scheduled the abatement crew for early November to remove abandoned camps on City property, public right of way, and the nearby Evans Vista property. The Evans Vista site was previously cleaned in 2024 and additional no trespassing signs have been added to that area. Of recent and pressing concern is the condition of the portable toilets and fire risks observed at the encampments. On July 2nd, police reported a significantly burned camp site where the fire had been extinguished but it was not reported to 911. City staff and Deputy Chief Thaxton visited the site with Robert Wittenberg, Community Risk Manager with East Jefferson Fire and Rescue. A significantly burned tent site/structure was observed, which included multiple propane tanks with burn marks and heat damage on vegetation and trees above and near the camp site. Also of concern were the large power lines located above the burned site. Nearby camp residents indicated that the fire occurred within the previous two weeks and was extinguished by campers in the area. Mr. Wittenberg talked to multiple camp residents to inquire about their needs and willingness for fire safety training and fire extinguishers. A partially burned tent was also observed in a different location, and police indicated that other fires (reported and unreported) have occurred at the encampments. On July 24, 2025 the Police team observed smoke where a resident was found starting a fire on the ground without a fire pit in an attempt to heat water. The officer informed the resident of the current burn ban that prohibits recreational fires and they extinguished the fire. These fires highlight the risks C,tY f �}�;� 1[VIadison Street, Smite �I IPort Fownsend, A � S g I 360.379.51047 �I www utyof t us 11M; 0 Tolwnsend ADMINISTRATION and ongoing challenges of unsanctioned camping in City rights -of -way and City property near DSHS and Evans Vista. Access the.City 2. !2LJI.. e.etii.m�g_ _A g. ,_ where background information is provided and discussed. City Council approved C3.r ii..n.a.nc..e . _o.m�_A.P.rijl_2. ,_ enabling permitted sanctioned camps for people living in tents and vehicles, subject to specific services provided and stipulated in the ordinance. Relevant areas of the Port Townsend Municipal Code include but are not limited to: Chap e. I.1..e. and N.a.P:�.e.... e.. andChap.1f.E .e. .