Grants Pass City Council addresses camping in parks

GRANTS PASS, Ore. – The City of Grants Pass City Council held a listening session, deciding how to address camping in parks, on Wednesday night.

Back in June, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Grants Pass controversial homeless laws. On Wednesday the city discussed five possible campsites around Grant Pass which include the water treatment plant, the police expansion lot, the East Park Street property, the Hillcrest Fire Station grass area, and the Riverside West Southeast Parcel.

Sites would include ADA bathrooms, hand washing stations, waste removal, fencing, and two sites would have security cameras. Implementing the camping regulations includes removing any campers in non-designated areas who camp for more than 24 hours, which could lead to an arrest.

“It would enact immediately however we would not start enforcing that and start the program until the injunction is lifted but it does provide us a tool that once the injunctions are lifted, we can immediately move into following our code,” said Grants Pass City Manager, Aaron Cubic.

Combined the project for the five sites would cost the city close to $250,000 a year.

(FROM NBC5 NEWS: The annual cost figure was corrected from the previously reported figure. The two security camera trailers is a purchase price, not a recurring price, and the demolition cost of $70,000 for the property at 712 NE 7th Street was approved previously.)

All city council members voted yes on the five measures ultimately prohibiting any camping in non-designated areas.