It is the purpose of this chapter to promote the public health, general welfare, environmental health, economic health, and safety of the City by keeping public rights-of-way and other public property within the City safe and readily accessible to the public.

It is the purpose of this chapter to prevent the harm to public property caused by the activities of unlawful camping; unlawful storing of camp facilities; unlawful fires; littering; and altering or damaging the natural environment such as diverting water, removing vegetation, and excavation. Camping on public property – erecting and occupying camp facilities for the purpose of facilitating occupation, habitation, or residing in a location – that is not designated as an area for camping creates dangerous public health and safety concerns for those experiencing homelessness, the general public, City employees, and first responders. These activities foster unsanitary conditions, damage the natural environment and critical areas, and interfere with the rights of others to use public property for the purposes for which they were intended. (Ord. 3028, 5/23/23; Ord. 2921, 4/9/19)