At its Jan. 9 meeting, the Sedona City Council unanimously directed city staff to move forward with plans to build a homeless encampment for local workers living in their cars at Sedona Cultural Park. The city purchased the property in November 2022 for more than 5,000 yen. 23 million dollars.

Housing “Supplements”

“This is complementary to affordable housing,” City Housing Administrator Shannon Boone told the council when introducing the staff proposal, calling homeless encampments “a temporary solution to a complex problem.” ” he explained.

The homeless encampment will initially include 40 parking spaces, but may expand over time. “We don't expect this site to fill up anytime soon,” Boone said. “If we fill up quickly, we will expand the site.” These will be complemented by portable showers and toilets powered by diesel generators.

Public Works Director Kurt Harris explained that gray water from the showers will be disposed of on site. According to Arizona Department of Environmental Quality regulations, “it's not dangerous unless it's contained,” Harris said. “I’m sure the trees will be happy too.”

“Even if it's soap?” Mayor Scott Jabreau asked.

“It's completely legal,” Harris said.

“I wasn't thinking about drinking water,” Boone said in response to a question from Rep. Jessica Williamson.

Bryce Beck, the city's sustainability manager, explains how dumping water at homeless campgrounds and using about 19,000 gallons of diesel fuel per year fits into the city's sustainability plan and climate action plan. did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

position

The proposed location for the homeless campsite is the festival grounds area of ​​Cultural Park. The site will be operated by the Verde Valley Homeless Coalition and staffed by a site manager.

Local workers using the campsite will be required to drive out during the day to prevent “camping and other undesirable activities.” Each vehicle can accommodate up to two adults, and one passenger must be able to show proof of employment or education in Sedona. Councilor Pete Furman suggested “working with employers” to refer their employees to homeless encampments, suggesting that an employer referral could be required for entry. . No entry will be permitted after 10pm unless prior arrangements have been made. Vehicle departure after check-in is not permitted. Additionally, remote workers will not be allowed to use campgrounds.

Site rules also prohibit the following:

• tent or canopy
• drugs, alcohol, smoking
• gather outside the car
• Visitor
• sleep with the engine running
• Use of headlights
• fire

Boone said the list of rules would be needed “to maintain control of the site.” Housing Coordinator Gene Frieder said if unauthorized substances or items are found, site managers will confiscate them.

VVHC Executive Director Rhonda Bishop said site managers will be patrolling the area every two hours. Individuals must pack their own trash, and if they leave behind, their site registration will be tracked and penalties will be imposed for littering.

“Sometimes people have to be directed,” Bishop said. VVHC board member Chip Norton described the Cottonwood shelter as “disciplined.”

To ensure user compliance, Harris suggested using motion sensor cameras to monitor the site “through Skynet.”

“I was excited about the idea of ​​a sensor that could possibly alert the police,” Williamson said.

City staff and site managers are working to force site users to sign up for one of VVHC's “service plans,” a program that requires a 37-page application, and to ensure that their homes are not covered. Results will be monitored. Boone said the city aims to convert 50 percent of the motorhomes into permanent housing.

“Homeless people who travel by car are highly functional and know how to hide,” Boone said. “They don't want to be seen as traditional homeless, and they don't have many other needs that they specifically want met, like being on a personal service plan.”

“We don’t look at what your metrics are,” City Councilman Pete Furman told Boone. “I don't think they're in very good shape yet, but if this moves forward starting tonight, I'll give you some instructions so we can look at them before this program fully launches?”

“That's something we're still working on,” Boone replied. “We probably won't identify those benchmarks before the program is approved.”

“We encourage the program to make good progress on benchmarks before it is approved,” Furman said.

cost

The staff suggested that $2 per night would be appropriate if there was a nightly rate rather than a monthly fee.

“I feel like $2 a night is a little cheap,” Mayor Scott Jabrow said. “Did your other numbers bounce back as well?”

Boone compared the proposed fee to the daily cost of a gym membership a homeless person might purchase to take a shower.

The camp's opening costs are estimated at $151,334 and annual operating costs are estimated at $434,015, the latter of which will be covered by a two-year grant of $875,638 from the Arizona Housing Authority.

City Attorney Kurt Christianson said he doesn't expect the site's use as a homeless campground to affect Sabrina Bellum's lawsuit against the city for denying her an exemption from the anti-camping ordinance. Stated. Christianson had previously told Bellum that the city could not grant an exemption from the ordinance and that sleeping in cars was dangerous.

Mr Jabro and Councilor Brian Fultz said the campground was a “great start” in providing housing solutions, but Mr Williamson said the campground was “targeting the right group”. He said including the traditionally homeless would be “disastrous”.

“Nothing is more permanent than a temporary government program,” Furman said. “Perhaps this serves as a cultural park,” he said, adding that it would be difficult to discontinue a program once it has started.

“Not all parents choose for their children to live the way we think they should,” said City Councilwoman Melissa Dunn. “Maybe that's just our bias.”

public comment

Thirteen members of the public spoke in support of the homeless encampment proposal, but several called for attention to nuances overlooked in the proposal.

“You can spend up to 14 days in a national forest,” Aaron Ingrao said of the current parking restrictions. “When I first came here, I thought I could rent a friend's house. That turned out to be illegal. I thought maybe I could park at work. That turned out to be illegal. . Either way, I'm in the city every night and I'm breaking the law.”

Laurie Moore, president of the Sedona Area Homeless Alliance, said, “This proposal has actually been submitted to the city for about four years,'' but expressed reservations about the city repeating the proposal. “Why would someone be rewarded with nothing but safe sleep as a reward for their work? That’s cruel… Anyone who participates in this program [Homeless Management Information System], a federal database for homeless people, but they too will be excluded because much of the public doesn't want that to happen. Less than half of Sedona's homeless population own a car… [Homeless] At least half of families now decide not to enroll their children in public schools, as children are taken directly from school and placed in foster care… This shows that people deserve a safe night's sleep. Established to prove. ”

“I'm so glad we gave them a place to sleep in their car. It's unbelievable,” Sandra Wade said. “Where's the money in a community like this? …We have to sit here and talk about letting our employees sleep in their cars, but if we do something… …We all have something we can contribute financially to securing accommodation for our employees…Is that too much to ask of all of us?…Consider other options Thank you for your understanding.”