OVO- Destined for Failure
The City of Santa Cruz is experiencing an increasing number of oversized vehicles parking for long periods of time on city streets, impacting public safety, health, and the environment for those who are housed and unhoused. The City must balance the preservation of health and safety with helping our most vulnerable.
What:
Introduce for publication an ordinance amending Title 10 “Vehicles and Traffic” at Chapter 10.04 “Definitions” and Chapter 10.40 “Stopping, Standing and Parking” and Chapter 10.41 “City-Wide Parking Permit” Pertaining to the Parking of Oversized Vehicles and Chapter 16.19 “Storm Water and Urban Runoff Pollution Control” at Section Section 16.19.070 “Discharge of Sewage Prohibited.”
Defined: “Oversized vehicle” shall mean any motorized vehicle as defined of Section 670 of the Vehicle Code or combination of motorized vehicles and/or non motorized vehicles or trailers that meets or exceeds twenty feet in length at any time or a combination of the two following criteria, exclusive of fixtures, accessories, or property: seven feet in height and seven feet in width."
Safe Parking:
Tier 1- (SCPD Lot) 3 spaces- no services
Tier 2- (Lot 4) 30 day program (7pm-7am only)-no services
Currently 6 spaces (with potential to expand to other lots for up to 30 oversized vehicles directed by city council)- no services.
Tier 3 Operator Supported 24/7 Safe Parking Site (15-20 spaces total): The third tier of the Safe Parking Program is designed to provide more stability to participants through a 24/7 parking program that provides case management and wraparound support services.
In order to fully implement the Title 10 Santa Cruz Municipal Code sections necessary for OVO, the City must first obtain a permit from the California Coastal Commission. The application for this permit has been delayed by appeal, and is unlikely to pass the de novo hearing process.
The City Staff Report included a photo of a discarded syringe near a wildlife habitat area in their July 8th staff report to the California Coastal Commission (regarding the whole Oversized Vehicle Ordinance, the Appeal filed against it, and the Substantial Issue determination), yet Public Works haven't reported collecting any syringes in this impacted arear over the previous 12 months. Not a single one.
While indicating 57 spaces for "Safe Sleeping" sites, the City has yet to produce any real time estimates of how many vehicles meet or exceed 20 feet in length that will need to be provided safe parking spaces
Half-hearted effort from SCPD to collect data on oversized vehicles
The Police Department has yet to produce any data to support the claim that oversized vehicles have created a threat to public safety. The lack of data from SCPD has been the City's chronic Achilles Heel in all efforts to control transient slums.
"City staff also regularly observe evidence of OVs having discharged raw sewage onto City streets and into storm drains. Any verified discharge of human waste into the storm sewer system causes the City to risk violating its National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Municipal Regional Permit, which could result in a Regional Water Quality Control Board enforcement action."
-that statement is unfounded as the City can produce zero evidence to support the claim that this is a continuous issue.
The City’s Public Works has yet to publish the number of response incidents involving RV sewage/ toxic waste removals.
"It is also worth emphasizing that the City’s current Safe Parking Programs are not close to full. City staff has provided significant outreach to OV dwellers in the City, but the program, so far, is underutilized. "
OVO- 12 month budgeted: $1,049,000/ Unfunded after 1 year.
Tier 3 Operator Supported 24/7 Safe Parking Site (15-20 spaces total)
Santa Cruz County Water Quality Monitors have permanently posted eight creeks and lagoons due to impaired water quality, including Moore Creek and Antonelli Pond, but the City Staff failed to cite this in their July 8th report to the CA Coastal Commission.
The City's proposed plan of not requiring OVO's to possess valid vehicle registration to participate in the "Overnight" Tier 1 & Tier 2 "Safe Sleeping" program (7pm-7am) is in conflict with California State Law (VC 4000) "
