After trying to punt it to later, but being told by legal that that wouldn’t be possible, the Washoe County Board of Commissioners voted 3-2 to move forward on a request by the Washoe County Sheriff to ban what officials call public camping.
Staff will have a soft deadline of 90 days to craft ordinance language while seeking input from commissioners, several of whom will be newly seated, as well as from the community.
Two of those staying in their seats voted no: Alexis Hill, who has concerns about the initial proposal including a $500 fine and possible jail time, as well as Jeanne Herman, who did not speak. Two outgoing commissioners Kitty Jung and Bob Lucey joined chair Vaughn Hartung in voting yes.
One commission discussion point which came about was that this would be for unincorporated areas of Washoe County: outside of the city limits of Reno and Sparks, including Incline Village, Washoe Valley, Spanish Springs, Hidden Valley, Sun Valley, portions of Verdi and Cold Springs.
In over two hours of public comments before the vote, two dozen community members, many active in prominent local mutual aid groups, spoke out against agenda item 19 Tuesday.
What was presented would impose a $500 fine and or up to six months of jail time for sleeping or setting up tents in public areas, storing personal belongings, making a fire or cooking there, sleeping in vehicles or even doing any “earth breaking.”
The expansive request comes via the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office to update local rules around what it calls “unauthorized camping and/or storage of personal property which may pose a risk of significant harm to any person or public area.”
The first to speak out, Adrian Lowry, said it would criminalize poverty and make people have to choose between freezing to death or being arrested.
Spencer Banda called it “fascism” and said Washoe County was treating the unhoused as a “problem to be eliminated rather than a community to be helped.” “Where are they supposed to go?” he concluded, underlining that available shelters are not open to all and often have few beds available, with hundreds of people in food lines and seen in tents and vehicles at night, even during cold spells.
Bridget Tevnan said it was reflective of a systemic “breakdown,” saying we should “abandon failed models of correction.”
Often referenced by national activists is a 2006 article in the New Yorker titled “Million-Dollar Murray” which was about Murray Barr, an unhoused community member at the time in Reno. While cycling through jail and local hospitals, after being arrested dozens of times, Barr cost Nevada taxpayers one million dollars over a ten year period.
Above some of the community residents who spoke out against the proposed ordinance criminalizing homelessness.
Jake Maynard called the proposed ordinance “reckless,” and a “blatant attempt to criminalize the poorest people.”
Stephen Zipkin said it was “the worst possible thing” commissioners could be doing, calling it a “barrage of cruelty.”
Tara Tran called for safe parking areas to be set up locally instead.
Nicole Anagapesis called it an “incredibly lazy tactic,” “class warfare” and “sick violence.”
Dwight George said it was an “abuse of power,” while Erika Minaberry called it “government overreach.”
Ben Iness called it a “racial justice issue,” and an “economic justice issue,” while reminding the board of Martin vs. Boise. The 2018 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, which has been updated recently, prevents Western cities from enforcing anti-camping ordinances if they do not have enough homeless shelter beds.
Lilith Baran with ACLU of Nevada also referenced that case and other recent rulings, saying the Washoe County Sheriff’s idea is “uncharacteristically regressive and counterproductive and raises some legal questions.”
The lone supporter was the last speaker during the initial public comment Valerie White, who has been on the payroll of her husband’s “tough love” anti-homeless organizations such as Quality of Life-Reno and Stronghold Institute.
An unhoused man, who said he had recently been kicked out of the Nevada Cares campus for alleged “masturbating” said he had no current housing options. He said he has prostate problems and was trying not to wet his bed when shelter staff decided to kick him out.