Community members gathered to talk about the new Morro Bay camping ordinances that were recently passed and how they are being implemented in the community.
Those include ones that allow the homeless to camp on public property without facing repercussions, as long as the camping is within certain parameters, such as not staying in a single spot for longer than 24 hours.
SEE MORE: Morro Bay City Council passes ordinances affecting the homeless
City and law enforcement officials previously said they were trying to find a way to address health and safety issues while balancing the needs of the community and the unhoused.
“Telling the homeless in Morro Bay to go to 40 Prado [Homeless Services Center in San Luis Obispo] is not a solution, it's not a viable answer for them,” one community member said at the forum.
Lisa Abbattista, who currently lives in her car in Morro Bay, attended the forum to share her perspective on what law enforcement has been doing for the homeless community.
“What I've realized since I've worked to get myself out of it is that they really are doing a good job," Abbattista said. "They are very compassionate about the situation. They're not trying to withhold anything from them what they're actually doing is trying to get them to come out of that rock."
At the forum, Morro Bay Fire Chief Daniel McCrain and Morro Bay Police Chief Amy Watkins listened to questions and concerns from over 50 community members about the new Morro Bay camping ordinances.
One of the ordinances addresses shopping carts.
“Some requirements are for businesses that provide shopping charts, to manage their property and to provide a path for us to get their property back to them,” McCrain said.
Another addresses illegal camping.
“We put time, place and manner restrictions which outline how they could camp, the size of the camp and how long they could stay in one location,” McCrain said.
The third and final ordnance prevents camping near critical infrastructure or hazardous areas.
“The goal is to prevent those large encampments and the buildup of trash waste,” McCrain said.
Police and fire officials say they want to have more forums like this for community input in the future.
Read more about the ordinances passed by the city council here on KSBY.com.
