Camping Moratorium: The City of Corvallis will hold a work session to look at a proposal that would initiate a rolling camping moratorium in city parks to assist the houseless community. The proposal was brought to the city by staff, with work done by representatives within the social services department.
The council will look at the possible risk and liability issues associated with the proposal at a work session on Dec. 8.
“Service providers, City staff and Council liaison met to discuss proposals to assist the houseless members of our community,” said City Attorney Jim Brewer in a memo to the council. “Part of this discussion considered the attached proposal for a rolling moratorium. The City Council asked our office for an evaluation and discussion of the City’s legal risks and liabilities if the City went forward with this proposal.”
A rolling moratorium on camping would require the city to clearly identify places to camp for a specific period and offer a path to the “next spot” as one location’s moratorium ended. This would not “legalize” camping but would offer pre-determined spaces where camping could take place.
“The City has the authority to provide shelter in some form to the houseless, but when it does so, it assumes a series of duties related to the care to those that it invites or directs to shelters, as well as others who may be affected,” said Brewer. “The result is that if the city assumes the duty to provide shelter, the City should do so in a professional and safe manner or the City (and its taxpayers) should expect to be responsible for reasonably foreseeable injuries to people or damage to property that result from failing to meet that duty of care.”
The proposal for the moratorium would include a specific time frame for a moratorium in any location that would be clearly communicated and would be at least 30 days and as long as 6 months, with details to be worked out with Parks & Recreation.
During that period, posting and clearing of camps would be limited to only those camps that were established in proximity to play structures, paths, or other sensitive areas, according to documents provided to the council.
The meeting is open to the public and will be available virtually at this link: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/2944061554214959115
Stormwater Maintenance: The City of Corvallis has kicked off their annual stormwater maintenance program. Contractors will be conducting work in urban streams and detention ponds through the city starting now until February.
The work will focus on Dixon Creek, Dunawi Creek, Oak Creek, Mill Race, Ryan Creek, Lamprey Creek, and Stewart Slough, as well as detention ponds in west and southwest Corvallis, according to a release from the city.
This annual program is managed by the Public Works Department and includes trimming and extracting dead trees and removing various invasive vegetation to improve stream flow and reduce urban flooding.
According to the release, a new effort for 2022 will focus on proactive work to monitor ash trees in the urban stream system for signs of emerald ash borer. The City has cataloged approximately 10,000 ash trees in and around the urban stream system in Corvallis, and all of these trees are at risk from emerald ash borer infection.
Click here to view a map of upcoming work locations.
Do you have a story for The Advocate? Email editor@corvallisadvocate.com