Item 5: An Ordinance Continuing Tent Camping at Vehicle Campsites

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Action: An Ordinance Continuing to Allow Tent Camping at Vehicle Campsites by Amending Section 5 of Ordinance 20484 to Extend the Sunset Date to December 31, 2014 Meeting Date: November 26, 2012 Agenda Item Number: 5 Department: Planning and Development Staff Contact: Michael Wisth www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 541-682-5540 ISSUE STATEMENT This action is to consider an amendment to Section 5 of Ordinance No. 20484. Section 4.816 of the Eugene Code, 1971 (EC) allows people to sleep overnight in a vehicle, camper or trailer in a parking lot of a religious institution, place of worship, business or public entity that owns or leases property on which a parking lot and occupied structure are located, with permission of the property owner. Ordinance No. 20484, which amended EC 4.816 to define tents as vehicles for the purpose of legal car camping is set to sunset on December 31, 2012. The council may choose to allow the amendment to sunset or extend the sunset date of Ordinance No. 20484. BACKGROUND EC 4.816 provides for the regulation of overnight sleeping. EC 4.816(1)(a) and (c) contain provisions for overnight sleeping in a vehicle, camper or trailer under certain circumstances and in certain areas. On December 20, 2011, Ordinance No. 20484 was adopted granting a temporary exception to the provisions contained in EC 4.816(1)(a) and (c) concerning overnight sleeping, thus allowing overnight sleeping in a tent where overnight sleeping would be allowed in a vehicle. Without council action, Ordinance No. 20484 would have sunset on April 15, 2012. On March 12, 2012, the council adopted Ordinance No. 20490, extending the April 15, 2012, sunset date to December 31, 2012. As amended, without council action, Ordinance No. 20484 will sunset on December 31, 2012. Current Status The homeless car camping program managed by St. Vincent de Paul provides important insights on the effects of the amendment to EC 4.816. At present, the program manages 25 permitted non- family sites accommodating between one and three vehicles each. These sites currently serve 56 people, two of whom are residing in tents. The waiting list for the program currently stands at 84 requests, 10 of which are for tents. S:\CMO\2012 Council Agendas\M121126\S1211265.doc