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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6950 ORDINANCE NO. 6950 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN, WASHINGTON, RELATING TO CAMPING ON CITY PROPERTY, AMENDING SECTIONS 2.22.210 AND 9.50.030 OF THE AUBURN CITY CODE, AND PROVIDING FOR SEVERABILITY AND AN EFFECTIVE DATE WHEREAS, homelessness is a significant problem in the City of Auburn, other cities in King County, and throughout the United States; WHEREAS, the City of Auburn has established camping restrictions and requirements in Auburn City Code Sections 2.22.210 and 9.50.030; and WHEREAS,fentanyl use is a public health crisis that led to more than 1,100 deaths in 2023 in King County alone; and WHEREAS, the City of Auburn invests significant resources in parks and public spaces; and WHEREAS, the City of Auburn has also worked to address issues related to homelessness in a variety of ways including, but not limited to, the following: • Participating in the South King Housing and Homelessness Partners coalition, which coordinates servicers to the homeless in South King County and seeks funding for affordable housing projects; • Funding the City's Department of Anti-Homelessness, which provides three outreach workers and one peer specialist and other important public services, and which refers approximately 160 people annually to temporary shelter; • Partnering with the Auburn Food Bank to run a Day and Night Shelter for people living outside; • Partnering with the King County District Court for operation of a Community Ordinance No. 6950 September 16, 2024 Page 1 of 5 Court for quality-of-life crimes to reduce recidivism; • Partnering with King County Homelessness Management Information System for housing people living outside; • Providing and Clean and Sober Housing Program for individuals in treatment; • Supporting Health through Housing Permanent Supportive Housing in Auburn; • Funding the Auburn Community Resource Center at 2814 Auburn Way North, which is available to help anyone in the community in need of assistance with a wide variety of challenges; and • Providing other services, including: ID assistance, health care, pre-paid ORCA public transportation cards, and mental health and chemical dependency treatment; WHEREAS, the City of Auburn provides grant funding to non-profit organizations throughout the region to provide services and recourses; and WHEREAS, despite expanding shelter capacity and providing the public services enumerated above, unsheltered populations in Auburn continue to grow; and WHEREAS, based on the experience of cities throughout Washington State, encampments on publicly-owned property present significant public health and safety risks, and often result in garbage, human waste, drug paraphernalia, illegal drug sales and use, drug overdoses (including deaths), assaults, fires, and other crimes; WHEREAS, over the last several years in the City of Auburn there have been dozens of scenarios where unauthorized camping has interfered with the intended use of Ordinance No. 6950 September 16, 2024 Page 2 of 5 and/or resulted in damage to city-owned property; and WHEREAS, City employees have experienced difficulty in removing unauthorized camping in a manner that protects the City-owned property for use by park users who have paid for or reserved a City facility; and WHEREAS, City employees have experienced difficultly in removing unauthorized camping prior to damage occurring to city facilities and environmentally sensitive areas; and WHEREAS, regulating and enforcing limits on public camping is an important and necessary public health and safety measure; and WHEREAS, the United States and Washington State Supreme Courts have recognized the struggle of cities in this area and recently ruled that the United States and Washington Constitutions allow cities to protect publicly-owned spaces for their residents; and WHEREAS, the City of Auburn has the authority to adopt laws to protect public safety to the extent such laws are not in conflict with State or Federal law; and WHEREAS, the amendments to Auburn City Code Sections 2.22.210 and 9.50.030 as set forth in the attached Exhibit A are necessary for the protection of public health and safety, the protection of city-owned property, and to help ensure that city- owned properties and facilities are available and used for their intended purpose. NOW THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF AUBURN, WASHINGTON, DO HEREBY ORDAIN as follows: Section 1. Incorporation of Recitals. The recitals set forth above are hereby adopted and incorporated herein as if set forth in full. Ordinance No. 6950 September 16, 2024 Page 3 of 5 Section 2. Amendment to Section 2.22.210 and Chapter 9.50 of the Auburn City Code: Section 2.22.210 and Chapter 9.50 of the Auburn City Code are hereby amended as set forth in Exhibit A, which is incorporated by this reference. Section 3. Implementation of Ordinance. The Mayor and her designee(s)are authorized to take such further actions and implement those administrative procedures necessary to implement and/or carry out the directives of this Ordinance. Section 4. Severability. If any one or more section, subsection, or sentence of this ordinance is held to be unconstitutional or invalid, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining portion of this ordinance and the same shall remain in full force and effect. Section 5. Corrections by City Clerk. Upon approval of the city attorney, the city clerk is authorized to make necessary corrections to this ordinance, including the correction of clerical errors in the body of this ordinance or exhibit(s) thereto; ordinance, section, or subsection numbering; or references to other local, state, or federal laws, codes, rules, or regulations. Ordinance No. 6950 September 16, 2024 Page 4 of 5 Section 6. Effective Date. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force five (5) days following its passage and publication, as provided by law. INTRODUCED: CEP 1 6 2024 SEP 1 6 2024 PASSED: SEP 1 6 2024 APPROVED: NANC 1k 'S MAYOR ATTEST: ' -P-OVED A - • 0,=1.' ..ici.a.,..v........ca,..v.4 wiwhelp‘__, joro Shawn Campbell, MMC, City ler( Jason Whalen, City Attorney Published: vI v-vtuybey toi) UN in U UG 11€ei w S 1 Ordinance No. 6950 September 16, 2024 Page 5 of 5 2.22.210 Tents and shelters No person shall erect, maintain, use or occupy a tent or shelter in any city of Auburn park except as permitted under ACC Section 9.50.030(C) unless there is an unobstructed view through such tent or shelter from at least two sides.Violation of this section is a civil infraction punishable by a $250.00 fine. 9.50.030 Camping. A. Camping Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to camp, occupy camp facilities or use camp paraphernalia on city property, except as set forth in subsection C of this section. B. Storage of Camping Facilities and Paraphernalia Items Prohibited. It is unlawful for any person to store camp facilities and camp paraphernalia on city property, except as otherwise provided by ordinance. C. Exceptions. The prohibitions contained in subsections A and B of this section shall not apply if: 1-. The person is engaged in activity prohibited by subsections A and B of this section because they are experiencing homelessness, and there is no overnight shelter available on the date that the prohibited activity occurs, provided that any tent or shelter shall provide a minimum one foot by one foot opening on at least one side of the tent or shelter that provides transparency into the tent or shelter; or 21. The person is camping or using camp paraphernalia or camp facilities at a Game Farm Park Campground site after paying the required fees; or 32. The person is camping or using camp paraphernalia or camp facilities as permitted under this subsection: a. The director of the parks, arts, and recreation department may but shall not be required to permit persons to camp, occupy camp facilities, use camp paraphernalia, or store personal property in parks property as defined in Chapter 2.22 ACC and as listed in the park inventory portion of the parks, recreation and open space plan, within the city's comprehensive plan. b. The director of the parks,arts,and recreation department may approve a permit for camping on city park property if the director finds, based upon a permit application and information otherwise obtained,that: i. Adequate sanitary facilities are provided and accessible at or near the camp site; ii. Adequate trash receptacles and trash collection will be provided; iii. The camping activity will not unreasonably disturb or interfere with the peace, comfort and repose of park users or adjacent or nearby private property owners; iv. The camping activity is not reasonably likely to cause injury to persons or property,to provoke disorderly conduct or to create a disturbance;a v. Any tent or shelter being used will provide an unobstructed view through such tent or shelter from at least two sides; and vi. Allowing Tthe camping is in the public interest. c. The director of the parks, arts, and recreation department is authorized to promulgate rules and regulations regarding the implementation and enforcement of this chapter. d. Seven days is the maximum period of time a permit may authorize camping on city property. e. Any person denied a permit may appeal the denial to the hearing examiner in the manner described in Chapter 2.46 ACC and ACC 15.07.130 with the director of the parks, arts, and recreation department serving the role of the building or fire official in that code; or 4. The person is camping or trespassing on any city utility property identified in ACC Title 1 3,which shall be revs elated b„that title; or 5. The person is camping or trespassing on Auburn Municipal Airport properties or areas identified in Chapter 18.01 ACC,which shall be regulated pursuant to ACC 9.96.900 and/or Chapter 9 52 RCW D. Definitions. For this section,the following shall apply: 1. "Available overnight shelter"means: shelter to persons experiencing homelessness and confirms to a city employee that it has an available overnight space at no cost for that n•perso or i b. If no shelter described in subsection (D)(1)(a)of this section has available space,a shelter located within King or Pierce County that offers overnight shelter to persons periencing homelessness and confirms to a city employee: i. That it has an available overnight space at no cost for that person; and ii. That it is accessible to the person by public transportation or vehicle for hire at no cost for that person. c. An overnight shelter is available if an individual is prevented from using an otherwise available shelter space because of their past or present voluntary actions violation of shelter ri ales or restrictions pertaining to s ich activity d. An overnight shelter is unavailable if: i An individival or family cannot use the shelters-available space because of . r{II IIIQIVIggql�'1 Ig1111 shelter imposed restrictions on its use(other than any restrictions the shelter has imposed pursuant to subsection(D)(1)(c)of this section);or ii /1 cit mpplo�e, an individ ial nr family attempts to,secure a space at the . rs me c iv cc qi q vq vq v q shelter for the day and is denied due to lack of available space. 21. "City property"as used in this section means all improved and unimproved real property owned or leased by the city of Auburn, and all city of Auburn easements, including but not limited to all portions of city parks, as defined in Chapter 2.22 ACC, city buildings, rights-of-way, city parking lots, and city environmentally sensitive areas as defined in ACC 16.06.065. City property shall not include: a. Religious organization property subject to RCW 35A.21.360; b. City utilities or utility property identified in ACC Title 13; or c. Airport property or areas identified in Chapter 18.04 ACC. Camping or trespassing on any city utility property identified in ACC Title 13 shall be regulated by that title. Camping or trespassing on Auburn Municipal Airport properties or areas identified in Chapter 18.04 ACC shall be regulated pursuant to ACC 9.96.900 and/or Chapter 9A.52 RCW, as applicable. 32. "Camp"or"camping"means to pitch, create, use, or occupy camp facilities for the purposes of habitation, living accommodation, or dwelling, as evidenced by the storage of personal belongings in"camp facilities"or the use of"camp paraphernalia." 43. "Camp facilities"include, but are not limited to,tents,tarps configured for shelter, huts, and temporary shelters."Camp facilities"does not include shelters when used temporarily in a park for recreation or play, consistent with Chapter 2.22 ACC, during hours when the park is open to the public. 54. "Camp paraphernalia"includes, but is not limited to,tarpaulins, cots, beds,sleeping bags, blankets, mattresses, hammocks, or non-city-designated cooking facilities and similar equipment. 55. "Store"means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed,to put for safekeeping,to place or leave in a location. E. Penalties and Enforcement. 1. A violation of this section is a misdemeanor punishable by 90 days in jail and/or a $1,000 fine. 2. When any police officer or city official has probable cause to believe that any person has violated this section,the officer or official may: a. Order such person to immediately leave the property where the violation is occurring. Subject to subsection (C)(1)of this section, any person refusing to comply with such an order or returning to the property on the same calendar day as such an order is subject to prosecution for criminal trespass pursuant to Chapter 9A.52 RCW and/or ACC 9.96.900; and b. Issue the person a written admonishment excluding them from the property where the violation is occurring for a period up to one year from the issue date. Subject to subsection (C)(1)of this section, persons who return to the property within the admonishment period are subject to prosecution for criminal trespass pursuant to RCW 9A.52 and/or ACC 9.96.900. 3. Admonishments issued under this section: a. Are valid and effective whether or not the excluded person is charged,tried or convicted of any crime or infraction; b. Are valid and effective even if the admonished person refuses a copy of the admonishment; provided, that the issuing city official reasonably notifies the admonished person of the admonishment period, place(s) of exclusion and appeal process under this section; c. Are valid and effective for the admonishment period unless and until shortened or rescinded by an official ruling after appeal in this section; d. May be based upon observations by city officials and/or police officers, or upon civilian reports that an official or officer could reasonably rely on in determining probable cause; and e. Shall include a statement of the appeal rights in this section and a form for appealing the admonishment as provided by this section. 4. Persons receiving admonishments under this section may appeal the admonishment. Any such appeal must: a. Be in writing, either on the form referenced in this section or in a writing including at least the person's name,the involved property location and the approximate admonishment date to enable processing of the appeal; b. Be received by the city clerk or postmarked within 14 calendar days of the person's receiving the admonishment; and c. Be under oath and include all facts that the excluded person believes supports a shortening or rescinding of the admonishment. 5. Admonishment appeals under this section involving city parks shall be processed according to ACC 2.22.240. Otherwise,the director of community development or designee shall review the appeal and issue a ruling upholding, rescinding or shortening the admonishment within 14 calendar days of receiving the appeal.The director or designee may consider the admonishment and any other relevant and trustworthy submitted written materials in deciding the appeal.The admonishment shall be upheld if supported by a preponderance of evidence.The ruling may be transmitted to the excluded person by mail, in person, electronically, or by any other method specified by the person or reasonably likely under the circumstances to give notice. 6. The appeal process in this section cannot be used to appeal any criminal penalties imposed by a court under this section or any other law.