From: Chuck Flacks
To: Melissa Cure
Subject: Fw: Goleta City Council Meeting 11/7/23
Date: Monday, November 13, 2023 2:45:20 PM
Here's another one.
Chuck Flacks
Homelessness Services Coordinator
[email protected]
805.690.5125
From: Jack Wolever <[email protected]>
Sent: Monday, November 13, 2023 2:12 PM
To: Robert Nisbet <[email protected]>; Paula Perotte <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>; Chuck Flacks <[email protected]>; [email protected] <[email protected]>
Subject: Fwd: Goleta City Council Meeting 11/7/23
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TO: Homelessness Issues Standing Committee
ATTN: Homelessness Services Coordinator
Mayor
City Manager
RE: Public Participation
Homelessness Issues Standing Committee Meeting
November 14, 2023
Please accept this email as my Public Comments submittal.
For the past few years Phelps Road west of Pacific Oaks Road has been an informal linear campground used by transients. Complaints by property owners on Phelps, including my communications with the prior City Manager, have not been taken seriously. It appears that the desires of transients outweigh the concerns of local taxpayers and voters.
The City has created a nuisance by failing to control the use of City property on the south side of Phelps. The City has an obligation to prevent the continuing misuse of this property. This unregulated campground is defined by bad behavior, noise, trash and human waste. I think I speak for many property owners when I request that boulders or fencing be placed to restrict parking on the property. I'm pleased to see that City crews are now cleaning up the mess in the bushes..
The camping problem is exacerbated by a city ordinance which, as explained to me by your enforcement officer, allows people to live in RVs on city streets simply by displaying a handicapped placard in the windshield. Of course, this loophole has become common knowledge among campers who somehow acquire expired placards from others. I'm sure this ordinance made sense at one time but it is now so thoroughly abused that it needs to be rescinded.
If the City Council believes the City is obligated to provide places for transients to park overnight and on weekends, it is then incumbent on the City to designate places that have some level of management, security and, importantly, sanitary facilities (portable toilets).
Transients cannot be allowed to decide which Goleta neighborhoods will host their encampments, which are then tacitly endorsed by the City through of lack of enforcement.
Perhaps the CIty Hall parking lot can be opened to transient vehicles nightly from 7:00 PM to 7:00 AM. Additional parking lots may need to be rented by the City to accommodate demand.
can be summarized as the Do Nothing option. I can assure you that after years of the Do Nothing option, local propeertry owners are no longer willing to accept that approach. It is long past time for the City to step up and address this issue.
Thank you for your consideration of my comments.
Jack Wolever
Phelps Property Owner