By Scott Unger • Of the News-Register • 

City cracks down on illegal camping

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Comments

BeTheMatch

About time!

Bill B

Is this an accurate description of the regulation; "Municipal code bans camping on public property, including parks, parking lots and zoned residential areas and maintaining a camp site on city property between 6:30 a.m. and 9:30 p.m." Isn't it the other way around? Have you been to JOe Dancer park lately? There are at least 10 RVs and trailers parked there on a daily basis, Not sure if they are staying there overnight, but they are there at 8:00 AM everyday.

Jillid33

Bill B i’m there every day morning at 7 AM to walk my dog and see the parade of towed RVs down to Joe dancer Park. Every single morning. I don’t know what the purpose of 10th & Irvine property. Yes there are some abandoned vehicles and RVs but most of the ones that don’t drive are being towed from location to location. There needs to be an offsite property with facilities to keep these homeless RV campers. It should not be our beautiful public parks.

C

It's a start, but the RVs need to be removed out of Joe Dancer. There is a huge increase in trash all over and graffiti on the memorial in the park. And I have seen several cleared out camps spots where fires were started I'm the woods at the back of the park. There is going to be a huge fire there if this isn't squashed soon. Maybe residents should start calling in complaints. I'll call one in tomorrow

tagup

the obvious solution is to designate a place for the campers to legally stay....without that, its a continuous game of whack-a- mole.

sisinmac

Finally. I’m sorry for the homeless, but glad tax payers are finally getting what we pay for too. A clean safe place to walk and enjoy our parks.

Joel R

Hard to have much sympathy for these folks when there is a "help wanted" sign on every business in town. Get a job and get back in your apartment!

tagup

Not sure your simplified solution is very realistic. Have you looked at the availability & price of housing in McMinnville?
A 40hour/ week job at $18/ hr ( the majority of available jobs pay less) nets the worker about $2300/ month after taxes. There are very few ( if any) available rental units that are under $2000/ month. Then a renter needs a Security deposit, must pay for utilities, garbage and maybe even eat during the month. The math doesn’t really pencil out, and that’s why they are living in their cars. By the way, many of these folks do have jobs.

Joel R

Fair enough Tag. Then let's have them all camp in Chemeketa's parking lot. That way when they get up in the morning they can go to class and get on the path to qualify for a good job that pays for housing and food. You know, work hard and be responsible. That's what people who live in apartments and houses do.
But what if they can't afford Chemeketa and need to take out student loans? No problem there, Uncle Joe will make sure that your and my taxes pay them off.

tagup

Man, if you don’t like the $500 billion student loan forgiveness to low income people, you must have hated the 1.9 trillion tax break given by the last administration to business & the wealthy....

Bill B

How did this turn into a Joel R, Tagup political battle?

Joel R

You lost me at "student loan forgiveness for low income people." That's when I know you're just repeating talking points from CNN or MSNBC.

But no need to get off on that tangent. Let's get back to talking about this news article. What say ye? Should we try to get these RV dwelling folks enrolled at Chemeketa or should we just keep playing whack-a-mole with them?

tagup

I agree.... my point was only incomes under $125k were included in the forgiveness plan.
Regarding your question....neither!.....In the absence of affordable housing, a designated area to park their vehicles needs to be identified, along with community buy in to make it work.

Bill B

So much for the "crackdown"! Drove Marsh Lane this morning at 9:30 AM. It's just as bad as it was a few weeks ago. Disabled vehicles, RVs, tents and garbage are everywhere. One vehicle is not even against the curb.

Lulu

I believe the solution to the homeless problem is simple: there is no solution. Period.

tagup

If you want them away from their current haunts.....find them a dedicated place to stay that’s legal.

Lulu

They don't care to live in any location with dictated behavioral rules.

tagup

Really?....you speak for all of them?....

Jillid33

@billb
Seeing the caravan Of RVs at 7 AM down to Joe dancer park -some driven on their own but a lot of them are being towed - I think the city is just waiting for the closure of the park come late October early November so campers need to go elsewhere. I see it year after year. No solutions. And most recent one of the homeless campers have a dog not contained but runs after anyone walking, running or enjoying the park with their dog. Oblivious to what the dog is doing running clear across the park chasing down whatever. Being a tax paying Home owner in McMinnville I am ready to pack up and move elsewhere. Makes me sad to know this could be a beautiful community is being over come by” “ with no community support and no Dog Control to boot!!

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