Chapter 8.90
CAMPING ON PUBLIC PROPERTY
Sections:
8.90.030 Camping, locations prohibited –Protection of waterways.
8.90.040 Storage of personal property on public and private property.
8.90.050 Power of the city manager to make rules and regulations.
8.90.010 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter is to maintain streets, parks and other public and private areas within the city in a clean, sanitary and accessible condition and to adequately protect the health, safety and public welfare of the community, while recognizing that, subject to reasonable conditions, camping and camp facilities associated with special events can be beneficial to the cultural and educational climate in the city. The use of streets and public areas within the city for camping purposes or for storage of personal property interferes with the rights of the public to use these areas for which they were intended. Such activity can constitute a public health and safety hazard that adversely impacts residential neighborhoods and commercial areas. Camping without the consent of the owner and proper sanitary measures adversely affects private property rights, public health, safety, and welfare of the city. Nothing in this chapter is intended to interfere with otherwise lawful and ordinary uses of public or private property. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25.)
8.90.020 Definitions.
Unless the particular provisions or the context otherwise requires, the definitions contained in this section shall govern the construction, meaning, and application of words and phrases used in this chapter.
(a) “Camp” means to place, pitch or occupy camp facilities; to live temporarily in a camp facility or outdoors; or to use camp paraphernalia.
(b) “Camp facilities” include, but are not limited to, tents, huts, vehicles, vehicle camping outfits or temporary shelter.
(c) “Camp paraphernalia” includes, but is not limited to, bedrolls, tarpaulins, cots, beds, sleeping bags, hammocks or cooking facilities and similar equipment.
(d) “City manager” means the city manager or designee.
(e) “Establish” means setting up or moving equipment, supplies or materials on to public or private property to “camp” or operate camp facilities.
(f) “Maintain” means keeping or permitting equipment, supplies or materials to remain on public or private property in order to camp or operate camp facilities.
(g) “Operate” means participating or assisting in establishing or maintaining a camp or camp facility.
(h) “Park” means any park or recreation area used by the public and regulated under Chapter 12.20.
(i) “Private property” means all private property including, but not limited to, streets, sidewalk, alleys, and improved or unimproved land.
(j) “Public property” means all public property including, but not limited to, streets, sidewalks, alleys, improved or unimproved land and parks.
(k) “Store” means to put aside or accumulate for use when needed, to put for safekeeping, or to place or leave in a location.
(l) “Street” means the same as defined in Section 18.25.2730. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25.)
8.90.030 Camping, locations prohibited – Protection of waterways.
(a) Camping. It is unlawful for any person to camp or to maintain an encampment in or upon any public property, including any street, sidewalk, park, open space, waterway, or banks of a waterway, or any private property not licensed and operated for such camping. Additionally, it is unlawful for any person to camp or maintain an encampment in or upon any land designated as a high fire risk area.
(b) Waterways. It is unlawful for any person to do any of the following:
(1) Build or erect a structure of any type along the banks of any waterway, or drive a nail or other object into any tree or other natural area vegetation for the purpose of building an encampment or any other structure, or to affix an object to any tree or other natural vegetation;
(2) Move boulders or large rocks, destroy vegetation, paved roads or paths created by the city, or otherwise reconfigure the natural landscape in the parks, waters of or along the banks of a waterway;
(3) Drive, park, or bring any vehicle along the banks of a waterway, except in places specifically provided and designated for vehicular use;
(4) Dig on the banks of a waterway; or
(5) Discharge or store waste, including garbage, refuse, or human or animal waste, along the banks or into the waters of a waterway.
(c) Nothing in this section is intended to prohibit:
(1) A person from donating food, water, or other goods to another person;
(2) Camping on private property that is zoned residential and contains a single-family residential dwelling, by family or friends of the property owner, so long as the owner consents;
(3) The activities of an owner of private property or other lawful user of private property that are normally associated with and incidental to the lawful and authorized use of private property; or
(4) The activities of a lawful user if such activities are expressly authorized by the city manager or by any law, regulation, permit, order or other directive from a regulatory authority. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25; Ord. 06-2025 § 2, 3-18-25.)
8.90.040 Storage of personal property on public and private property.
(a) It is unlawful and a public nuisance for any person to store personal property, including camp paraphernalia, on any public property or any private property without the written consent of the owner, except as otherwise authorized in writing by the city.
(b) Moving personal property to another location upon public property or returning personal property to the same block of public property on a daily basis shall be considered storing and shall not be considered to be removing the personal property from public property. This definition shall not include any personal property that, pursuant to statute, ordinance, permit, regulation or other authorization by the city or state, is stored with permission of the city or state on real property that is owned or controlled by the city.
(c) No person shall store any personal property upon public property in such a manner as to obstruct city operations, including street or sidewalk maintenance or cleaning, or park or landscaping maintenance, repair or irrigation. Without prior notice, the city may temporarily move personal property, whether attended or unattended, which is obstructing city operations upon public property during the time necessary to conduct the city operations.
(d) No person shall store any personal property upon public property in such a manner that it does not allow for passage as required by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) as amended from time to time. Without prior notice, the city may move and may immediately impound any personal property, whether attended or unattended, stored upon public property in such a manner that it does not allow for passage as required by ADA.
(e) No person shall store any personal property within 10 feet of any operational and useable entrance, exit, driveway or loading dock. Without prior notice, the city may move and may immediately impound any personal property, whether attended or unattended, stored upon public property within 10 feet of any such area.
(f) No person shall store any personal property upon public property that has clearly posted closure time, after the posted closure time. Without prior notice, the city may move and may immediately impound any personal property, whether attended or unattended, stored upon public property within 10 feet of any such area. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25.)
8.90.050 Power of the city manager to make rules and regulations.
The city manager may adopt procedures for the removal and recovery of personal property left upon lands where camping is prohibited. Absent such procedures, personal property left upon lands where camping is prohibited for more than 24 hours may be removed by the city and may be recovered by the owner for up to 90 days. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25.)
8.90.060 Enforcement.
(a) Any person violating this chapter shall be subject to the following penalty:
(1) Temporary seizure of personal property, as set forth at Section 8.90.040.
(2) Prior to the city pursuing the remedy set forth at subsection (a)(1) of this section, the city shall provide the violator, orally or in writing, with information about housing support services. Nothing in this section or this chapter shall require the city to provide housing to such violator.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (a) of this section:
(1) Any violation of this chapter may be remedied by a civil action brought by the city attorney.
(2) Violations of this chapter are hereby declared to be public nuisances subject to abatement by the city by any lawful means, including but not limited to summary abatement procedures set forth in Chapter 8.60.
(3) Any violation of this chapter is punishable as set forth in Title 1, General Provisions.
(c) The remedies set forth in this chapter shall be cumulative and in addition to any and all other remedies, civil, equitable, or criminal, afforded to the city under the law.
(d) Nothing provided in this chapter shall create any duty on the city to enforce any specific law or code section or abate any specific condition or circumstance which may exist. The city shall exercise its discretion to enforce this chapter as resources permit.
(e) The timing, methods and priority of specific abatement actions shall be subject to the sole discretion of the city manager. (Ord. 05-2025 § 1, 2-11-25; Ord. 06-2025 § 3, 3-18-25.)