October 4, 2022
City Council
DATE: October 4, 2022
TO: Mayor Butt and Members of the City Council
FROM:
Councilmember Nathaniel Bates
Subject:
Develop a Strategy to Prevent Richmond from Becoming
a Location for Homeless Encampments as Encampments
in Neighboring Cities are being Evacuated
FINANCIAL IMPACT: The financial impact is unknown to abate the subject encampment and develop a plan to prevent illegal
encampment sites
PREVIOUS COUNCIL
ACTION:
The City Council has approved several actions to
address various homeless encampments throughout the
city.
STATEMENT OF THE
ISSUE:
Due to the sunset of the encampment at Rydin Road and
other large encampments in neighboring cities, the City of Richmond needs to develop a strategy to prevent the
erection of encampment sites throughout the City.
Currently there is an encampment growing at Miller Knox Park.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
DIRECT City staff to immediately prepare an emergency
action plan to avoid the City of Richmond from becoming a destination for homeless encampments and dumping
grounds – Councilmember Nathaniel Bates (510-620-
6743)
AGENDA
REPORT
October 4, 2022
DISCUSSION:
Due to the sunset of the encampment at Rydin Road and other large encampments in neighboring cities, the City of Richmond needs to develop a strategy to prevent the erection of encampment sites throughout the city.
City staff has fielded several calls and complaints regarding the growing encampment at Miller Knox Park. The community is requesting immediate action to prevent the situation from escalating. There are multiple locations that could become the next Rydin Road and Castro Street encampments with multiple vehicles associated with illegal dumping.
With Grayson Site (Berkeley) and Wood encampment (Oakland) closing, the community is concerned that the City is not hearing their concerns or prioritizing these hotspots.
Staff in the Mayor’s Office has documented the following eight (8) vehicles at Miller Knox Park:
2-door gray/silver Chevy Silverado pickup
2-door hunter green Chevy Silverado pickup
4-door silver Chevy pickup
Gulfstream Ultra RV: White with blue & maroon striping; currents all pulled 2-door silver Dodge Ram van
Southwind Fleetwood RV: Cream with beige/gray/blue striping Flair Fleetwood RV: Off-white with green/blue/tan-orange striping Conquest 102 Gulfstream RV: off-white with blue striping
Four (4) of the five (5) RVs have been there for up to 6+ weeks along with the gray/silver van. The other RV showed up during the week of 9/12/22. The two pickup trucks showed up the week of 9/19/2022.
The community is requesting no RV parking and/or 72-hour max parking (per RMC) signs be installed along this entire stretch of Dornan Drive ASAP.
Once Rydin is closed on September 30th, the community is expecting action. Last year, former City Manager Snideman informed the City Council that the 72-hour no parking policy would be enforced throughout the City except at Rydin and Castro.
DOCUMENTS ATTACHED:
NONE