ESCONDIDO — The city is updating its homeless encampment ordinance to reduce the number of trips staff make to clean up encampments, saving both time and money.
The Escondido City Council unanimously approved amendments to its camping ordinance on May 13 that further define abatement, reasonable notice and alignment with state law regarding the storage of recovered property.
The new ordinance defines what constitutes “unattended” or “abandoned property” as well as “recreational areas.” Unattended property refers to items with discernible value that are present while the owner is absent, while abandoned property refers to unusable or damaged items with no apparent use.
Recreational areas now include spaces outside the scope of the current ordinance, such as children’s playgrounds, changing areas and locker rooms, school athletic fields and attached bathrooms.
Another issue with the current ordinance is that it requires staff to post a 24-hour notice on encampment structures. City officials said that the requirement can force staff into close proximity with encampment residents, potentially creating conflict.
The 24-hour notice requirement also applies to abandoned encampments, creating additional costs for the city by requiring a second trip to remove debris left behind. Officials said it also creates a perception among residents that the city is not responding quickly enough to reported blight.
Under the proposed ordinance, reasonable notice requirements have been modified to provide greater flexibility for faster cleanup of debris in the public right-of-way while still allowing individuals a humane opportunity to retrieve their belongings, according to city staff.
“This does not give anybody the authority to just go and start cleaning up encampments,” said Mayor Dane White.
Although Councilmember Consuelo Martinez supported the change, she said it was a Band-Aid over the broader issue of homelessness in the city.
“I would like to do more than just move folks along, but I understand that we have to act and the residents are tired,” she said. “I still think we need to go beyond this – this is not the solution, but we do need to show our residents we’re listening.”
Staff also acknowledged that the amendment does not solve the “complicated problem of homelessness” but said it would improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the original ordinance.
