1. Dwellers scramble? They have known this is coming for a very long time.
2. For us taxpayers, this small group of people are taking up 50% of our police officers time.
3. It was asked, "whatever help the city could offer to get them ready to move" The city and the taxpayers have given them an inordinate amount of help, especially during Horizon Shine. Many didn't take the help. The Sebastopol Police Department and the Sebastopol Fire Department have given tons of free help at the expense of taxpayers.
Are any churches offering RV parking for the homeless? Churches have a total income and property tax exemption, unlike all of us tax payers (how did 'separation of church and state' ever morph into special breaks for churches?). Churches should be expected to help more with the homeless problem... or pay taxes. Tax payers should not be expected to shoulder the homeless problem alone.
Hi Nancy: From my perspective, churches and religious organizations provide enormous services to the poor in this county. There's St. Vincent de Paul (Catholic), Catholic Charities, and the Redwood Gospel Mission (evangelical). In Sebastopol, Christian churches provide meals and showers to the homeless several times a week, not to mention hosting the interfaith food pantry (at St. Stephen's Episcopal) and Redwood Empire Food Bank giveaways at St. Sebastian's Catholic Church. And those are just the ones I know about off the top of my head. Regarding RV Parking, I think the problem many churches have faced with hosting the homeless in RVs in their parking lots is that it drives the church's insurance rates through the roof. Hmmm, maybe I should do a story about that!
Thanks, Laura. Good to know. Every single church should be expected to do something 'useful', like the ones you mention. I am no expert on churches, but my sense is that there are others that mostly stick to their hocus focus and proselytizing.
It is due to restrictions by insurance companies. There are no shelters, no RV parking, and several low income housing situations (woodmark, elderberry commons) have sat completely empty for months and months. No solutions, just keep sweeping people to the next town... How do you think it got this bad in the first place? An awful lot of funds being paid to service providers, and it takes months and months just get one person in a spot. Multiple empty spots at Park Village as well. It's sad really. But hey at least people can park their cars across from Luckys with For Sale signs on them again! You can only sweep people under the rug for so long and it's all gonna come busting out of the seams eventually.
Sebastopol Municipal Code, "Recreational vehicles parked or left standing on any public street in the City that is zoned residential so as to allow the use of a homeowner, tenant, or out-of-town visitor to load/unload the vehicle for a period not to exceed 72 hours, which includes the loading/unloading of items and/or persons." Given that Sebastopol has only two or three officers on duty a clever person could simply move their vehicle around town. If you walk around you'll see a number of vehicles that have been doing this for years.
The RV Ban ordinance no longer allows this. RVs can't be parked in an area that is zoned Residential at all. You can only park in Sebastopol if it's between 10pm and 7:30 am in zones that are commercial, industrial, or community facilities. And no parking of any vehicle longer than 72 hours is permitted anywhere.
1. Dwellers scramble? They have known this is coming for a very long time.
2. For us taxpayers, this small group of people are taking up 50% of our police officers time.
3. It was asked, "whatever help the city could offer to get them ready to move" The city and the taxpayers have given them an inordinate amount of help, especially during Horizon Shine. Many didn't take the help. The Sebastopol Police Department and the Sebastopol Fire Department have given tons of free help at the expense of taxpayers.
Are any churches offering RV parking for the homeless? Churches have a total income and property tax exemption, unlike all of us tax payers (how did 'separation of church and state' ever morph into special breaks for churches?). Churches should be expected to help more with the homeless problem... or pay taxes. Tax payers should not be expected to shoulder the homeless problem alone.
Hi Nancy: From my perspective, churches and religious organizations provide enormous services to the poor in this county. There's St. Vincent de Paul (Catholic), Catholic Charities, and the Redwood Gospel Mission (evangelical). In Sebastopol, Christian churches provide meals and showers to the homeless several times a week, not to mention hosting the interfaith food pantry (at St. Stephen's Episcopal) and Redwood Empire Food Bank giveaways at St. Sebastian's Catholic Church. And those are just the ones I know about off the top of my head. Regarding RV Parking, I think the problem many churches have faced with hosting the homeless in RVs in their parking lots is that it drives the church's insurance rates through the roof. Hmmm, maybe I should do a story about that!
Thanks, Laura. Good to know. Every single church should be expected to do something 'useful', like the ones you mention. I am no expert on churches, but my sense is that there are others that mostly stick to their hocus focus and proselytizing.
Agreed. Tax exempt status should only be given with a credible threat that it can be removed if a church steps over that line.
However with such an underfunded IRS, I wouldn't count on it.
It is due to restrictions by insurance companies. There are no shelters, no RV parking, and several low income housing situations (woodmark, elderberry commons) have sat completely empty for months and months. No solutions, just keep sweeping people to the next town... How do you think it got this bad in the first place? An awful lot of funds being paid to service providers, and it takes months and months just get one person in a spot. Multiple empty spots at Park Village as well. It's sad really. But hey at least people can park their cars across from Luckys with For Sale signs on them again! You can only sweep people under the rug for so long and it's all gonna come busting out of the seams eventually.
hip hip hooray
All problem, no solution... good work
What does this mean?
Sebastopol Municipal Code, "Recreational vehicles parked or left standing on any public street in the City that is zoned residential so as to allow the use of a homeowner, tenant, or out-of-town visitor to load/unload the vehicle for a period not to exceed 72 hours, which includes the loading/unloading of items and/or persons." Given that Sebastopol has only two or three officers on duty a clever person could simply move their vehicle around town. If you walk around you'll see a number of vehicles that have been doing this for years.
The RV Ban ordinance no longer allows this. RVs can't be parked in an area that is zoned Residential at all. You can only park in Sebastopol if it's between 10pm and 7:30 am in zones that are commercial, industrial, or community facilities. And no parking of any vehicle longer than 72 hours is permitted anywhere.
Angie, You are repeating what I wrote as if you are disagreeing.