The Morro Bay police and fire chiefs are inviting the community to a forum to discuss the city’s new camping ordinance and how they’re addressing homelessness.
Over recent years, Police Chief Amy Watkins says the city has seen the impacts of large homeless encampments. The new ordinance aims to mitigate certain large camps like some on Quintana Road.
“It was in a watershed area which created some health and safety, environmental concerns related to those camps and the debris and trash that settles within those camps. That was one of the biggest impacts that we saw with our large camps that we are now trying to mitigate,” Chief Watkins said.
Now, when a large encampment is in violation of the ordinance, police will post a notice for those living there and give them three days to remove the camp.
“The community forum is really simply to address any questions that people have about the new ordinance, who it affects, what it is, what it is not and really gives us an opportunity to answer those one-on-one questions,” Watkins said.
The community forum will be held at the Morro Bay Community Center from 3 to 5 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 26.
