Olympia City Council: Homeless Can Stay For Now

Olympia City Council: Homeless Can Stay For Now

by Janine Unsoeld
www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

In the end, Olympia city councilmembers tonight unanimously came to the conclusion that an emergency ordinance against camping outside city hall was not necessary at this time. Councilmember Jim Cooper was absent, but had voiced his opposition to the proposed ordinance in an email to city staff and other councilmembers.

City manager Steve Hall had proposed the ordinance because the current situation of homeless persons on the grounds of city hall was presenting a series of safety hazards and concerns about public health and property.

Tonight, Hall gave a presentation to council members that included graphic pictures of bodily fluids and defecation by city hall doors, and people in sleeping bags restricting access to city information and services such as meeting information posted on doors and the utility payment box. One picture showed a needle sticking out of an abandoned backpack. In a strongly presented report, Hall urged that passage of the proposed ordinance would "send a message that city hall is open for everybody."

All councilmembers expressed their deep appreciation and concern for the safety of city staff and the public. All said they have received phone calls from the public expressing concern for the situation, but, in the end, all were willing to look at the bigger picture.

Councilmember Nathaniel Jones said he was against the ordinance because "it was too small, too limited, and myopic, frankly, focusing just on city hall. We live in a compassionate city. Olympia is a good community...mostly because we have good people."

Mayor Stephen Buxbaum agreed, and said, "This is not an Olympia problem, it's a national problem...Olympia is not alone...and I'm encouraged by the fact that we're beginning to have this conversation. Welcome to the conversation!"

Buxbaum called for a "cooling off period," and proposed a series of actions to be accomplished, including having the city's Land Use committee, which is chaired by Councilmember Steve Langer, discuss the issue at its next meeting on Thursday, December 6, at 5:30 p.m. in council chambers. He urged the committee to come up with some creative approaches to the problem. The public is welcome to attend and provide input in crafting solutions.

Buxbaum also suggested that the council have a work session on homelessness as early as possible, perhaps in late January, to discuss options on "how we can be more strategic in dealing with homelessness." He also suggested using $10,000 in an emergency allocation of council general fund money to use on the issue, if necessary.

After a shouting out of an audience member's question, "Do we have one week to shape up or ship out?" Buxbaum said, "There are obligations on both sides to work out mutual solutions during this period for further guidance, to collaborate and do the best we can together."

Councilmember Karen Rogers again called upon the homeless to be self-policing. "Keeping a low profile would be preferable - take good care of that space...."

After the meeting, Hall was interviewed by Seattle television station Q13 Fox News, which was present throughout the council's deliberations on the matter.

An audience member, Christa Lenssen, later said she heard about the meeting yesterday from Little Hollywood's story on the issue which had been posted on Facebook.

"I came because I was concerned - I drive by here everyday and see police kicking people out of the space every morning - it's a generally frustrating issue - a lot of people don't understand where folks who are sleeping outside are coming from and how unsafe they feel." Lenssen says she lives in Olympia but works in Tacoma for the Fair Housing Center, an organization that deals with housing discrimination.

Above: Damien, the homeless 26 year old Tlingit man from Juneau, Alaska that I interviewed last night, met me this afternoon at the mural commemorating the Paddle to Squaxin 2012 Canoe Journey held on Budd Inlet in late July. He gave me permission to take his picture and post it on my blog.

 

In the mural, Damien is shown third from the right. His brother is behind him, and his uncle is beside him, second from the right.

 

Tonight, after the city council meeting, Damien said it was nice that the city council would let people stay on the city hall grounds. Asked if he was going to spend the night there tonight, he said yes. He says he has no problem continuing his efforts to police other campers. "When they start yelling at 3 a.m., I tell them to be quiet."

Olympia Proposes Ordinance Against Homeless At City Hall

Olympia Proposes Ordinance Against Homeless at City Hall

By Janine Unsoeld

www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

A proposed ordinance by the city of Olympia that would prohibit persons from camping on the grounds of the Olympia City Hall is scheduled to be discussed at Tuesday night's city council meeting. The meeting starts at 7:00 p.m.The ordinance would add a new chapter to the Olympia municipal code regarding streets, sidewalks and public places.

The proposed ordinance states that persons constructing shelters and camping on the grounds of the Olympia City Hall at 601 4^th Avenue East presents a safety hazard, as well as creates significant negative impacts on the environment, public health and public property.

It states that persons camping at City Hall also frequently have animals which have caused fear and apprehension in persons accessing or approaching City Hall, and in at least one instance, an employee was bitten by a camper’s dog.

Due to a lack of proper sanitary facilities, the ordinance says that public health impacts create a situation where individuals have "commonly and openly urinated and defecated on the grounds of the Olympia City Hall and on the adjacent public rights-of-way. "

It also says that the City of Olympia has had to expend substantial public resources to clean the area and remove human waste, litter, garbage and other debris.

Homeless At Olympia City Hall 

Tonight, about 7:00 p.m., a meeting of the Olympia planning commission was in progress while several homeless people were sitting outside Olympia City Hall, none of whom were obstructing the front doors. They were informed about the proposed ordinance by this reporter and were invited to attend Tuesday night’s meeting to discuss their concerns with city council members.

Willy Robinson, a security guard contracted by an outside agency for the city, works four nights a week at city hall. He said he has had to ask people camped outside the doors to back away if they are smoking too close to the entrance, and on occasion, ask people to move to clear the entrance of people blocking the doors if there is a meeting.

Damien, 26, a Tlingit from Juneau, Alaska, has been in Olympia three months, sleeping in front of city hall. He participated in the Paddle to Squaxin 2012 Canoe Journey in late July and says his picture is painted on the mural that faces Budd Inlet, commemorating the event.

Sitting on a bench near his tarp-covered cart on wheels, he was informed about the proposed ordinance. He says the public urination is done “mainly by drunk people” who pass by, and that his trailer was recently peed on when he once left it unattended.

Asked where he goes to the bathroom when he has to go, he says he goes to a nearby coffee shop or Jack-in-the-Box. "They are real nice at Jack-in-the-Box, and don’t require you to buy anything to go to the bathroom there." During the day, he hangs out “down by the water” under the covered area on Percival Landing. There is a public bathroom near there also.

His cart on wheels, he says, is filled with blankets from local service organizations. “It’s mostly young people who stay here by city hall – almost everyone who stays here has one of my blankets.” Damien says he gets dinner at the Union Gospel Mission. Asked if he knows about the Salvation Army, he says he does, but doesn't want to be there. He says that because he’s from Alaska, “he’s fine living outside.”

Ivan, a man who appeared to be in his 50s, says he’s only been in Olympia for a couple of days, and has been sleeping in front of city hall. Informed about the proposed ordinance, he said, “I don’t think that’s nice – all we’re doing is getting out of the rain.” Ivan said he is from Klamath Falls, Oregon, but is just traveling through – he’s on his way to White Fish, Montana where he has a job lined up.

Cameron, 24, is from Modesto, California, and offered his comments about the proposed ordinance.

“The rain here sucks! It’s not fun!” Cameron said he arrived in Olympia two days ago on a Greyhound bus. His sister lives in Centralia, and she’s working on getting them a place to live.

“We were adopted…so there’s no room or space for us to go. I’m not trying to invade someone else’s space, so I stayed here last night.” He said he ate at the Salvation Army and is leaving tomorrow or the next day. Asked where he hangs out during the day, he said he goes to the transit station or “over by the water.” Told the specifics of the proposed ordinance, he says he doesn’t pee right in front of city hall, but indicated that he does so nearby, on “on the ground.”

Christina, 22, didn’t know what an ordinance was and was told it was like a law. Explained what it was about, she said, “Don't they have to wait like thirty days before they do that? They should just post a sign that says when meetings are happening and to not block the entrances.”

She said she is three and a half months pregnant, and the baby’s father is in jail. Asked if she knows what resources she could access, she said she does, but has a warrant out for her arrest and couldn’t do anything with that “hanging over her head.” As she starts to light up a cigarette, I scowled and she smiled and said she knew it wasn’t good for her to smoke and refrains. I asked her if she is able to eat enough, and she said she does, at the Union Gospel Mission. “Thank God for them!”

When asked, she says she been homeless since she was 16. “My dad kicked me out of the house because he lives with my uncle and my dad likes to touch me so I don’t want to be there.”

I asked if she’s getting any kind of prenatal care. “Tomorrow is my first appointment at Something Radiology - hey - can I use your phone so I can call my friend to get me there?” she asks Cameron. Near the end of our conversation, she said she will turn herself in tomorrow so she can get help.

Another person sucking on a plastic bag sitting nearby does not answer my questions.

Just then, a woman comes up and asks someone - anyone - in the group for a cigarette.