In photo from today, a man walks by his possessions right above the Union Pacific railroad tracks which run along Fourth Street, as Reno moves toward prohibiting encroachment, such as camping or littering, within 100 feet of the tracks.
Agenda Item E1 at the City Council meeting tomorrow will introduce an “ordinance to amend Title 18, Chapter 8.10, of the Reno Municipal Code entitled “Offenses Against Property”, prohibiting trespassing upon railroad tracks; and other matters properly relating thereto.”
“A person would be considered trespassing if they enter or remain within 100 feet of a railroad track without the permission of the owner of the land,” a city staff report indicates.
This includes city owned property where there are storm drains, signage, and fencing.
"I am afraid that if we don't start to really look at ways that we can protect people around that whole area - it is very, very dangerous,” Mayor Hillary Schieve said at a meeting last week when the new ordinance was requested.
If approved Wednesday as expected, Council will need to vote on its adoption at another future meeting
Advocates for the unhoused say this is another method to criminalize poverty, creating even more difficult holes to get out of for those without stable shelter.
Several activists are planning to speak up against this new proposed ordinance during public comment.