BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
X-WR-CALNAME:www.indybay.org
PRODID:-//indybay/ical// v1.0//EN
BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:Indybay-18790168
SEQUENCE:18921200
CREATED:20160816T063900Z
DESCRIPTION:ANOTHER TUESDAY NIGHT, ANOTHER NIGHT ON THE SIDEWALK \nAnother overnight is 
 slated for tomorrow night in the continuing saga of persistent homeless 
 (and housed) resistance to the City's anti-homeless 11 PM - 8:30 AM 
 Sleeping Ban (MC 6.36.010). \n\nCity Council returned from its summer 
 recess last week, unrepentant as ever, with nothing on the agenda that 
 would increase shelter or homeless services or restore the homeless right 
 to be free from police persecution for life-sustaining behaviors. 
 Mercifully, there will be no Council meeting this Tuesday night. 
 \n\nACTIVIST UPDATES\nSalinas activists have sustained a more recent, but 
 more intense (nightly) protest at their City Hall.   See "Following the 
 Chinatown Homeless Sweeps, A New Tent Community Thrives at Salinas City 
 Hall" at https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/08/02/18789777.php . 
 \n\nSome local activists noted that the entire City Council candidate 
 roguepack was present at the Association of Faith Communities Election 
 Forum last Thursday night--though there was little if any talk about the 
 Freedom Sleepers protest, the Sleeping Ban, or the criminalization of the 
 poor. \n\nAndy Carcello was evicted from the Homeless (Lack of) Services 
 Center and reported getting pneumonia sleeping on the street in front of 
 the HLOSC.  Shortly thereafter he required heart surgery and reports being 
 "dumped' in Salinas. Lucero Luna, a fiery Freedom Sleeper, has been in and 
 out of jail for repeated defiance of the "stay in your blue box" Downtown 
 Ordinances. \n\n\nCOASTAL COMMISSION VICTORY STALLING CITY RV BAN \nLast 
 week the Coastal Commission against all odds refused to rubberstamp the 
 City Council's nighttime RV ban, requiring the City to appear before a "de 
 novo" hearing to justify their exclusion of RV's from the Coastal Zone 
 (with particular emphasis on the impact on poor and homeless folks whose 
 only housing is a vehicle). The Coastal Commission staff, reached today, 
 had no predictions as to when or where that hearing would take place. 
 \n\nThe actual Coastal Commission discussion (agenda item 16e) last 
 Wednesday had strong speeches from Commission members suggesting the need 
 to document the alleged "crime and nuisance" problems, as well as alternate 
 facilities for RV's. Their questioning prompted the flailings and 
 flounderings of Assistant City Manager Scott Collins as well as indignant 
 outbursts from Councilwoman Niroyan that led to her eviction from the 
 meeting. The video and audio are at 
 http://www.cal-span.org/media.php?folder[]=CCC (both audio and video). 
 \n\nThe issues are further described at 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/08/11/18790030.php ("Unexpected 
 Victory at Coastal Commission") and at 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/08/08/18789945.php?show_comments=1#comments 
 ("Say No to the Nighttime RV Ban"). \n\nThe struggle was technically about 
 the right to park RV's at night in the City allowing public access to the 
 Coast. The Coastal zone, I understand, extends about a mile inland. 
 \n\nLast May there were some intemperate demands at City Council (by 
 Niroyan as well as some the more rabid anti-RV crowd) to implement the 
 City-wide ban immediately, excluding the Coastal zone so the issue would 
 not involve the Coastal Commission. This action, however, would likely 
 encourage RV's to migrate directly to the Coastal Zone in the City, which 
 would not please high-income residents with fancy homes. \n\nThe Coastal 
 Commission commentary also tended to show sympathy for the needs of 
 homeless folks to sleep in their RV's. This was not explicitly on the 
 table. However if you can't park, you can't sleep. \n\nIt is not clear when 
 the City's RV ban will appear on the Coastal Commission agenda, nor in what 
 City the hearing will take place. "We'll let you know," they said. 
 \n\n\nCOUNTY RV BAN ENFORCEMENT IN PROGRESS? \nThe Sheriff's office 
 reported that enforcement of a County-wide (excluding cities) overnight RV 
 parking ban began on August 1 including the new allowance for 3-day permits 
 given to RV's outside sympathetic residents. Extensive dialogue between the 
 Sheriff's Office and mostly RV-haters \ncan be seen on the Sheriff's 
 Website at https://www.facebook.com/SantaCruzSheriffsOffice/ under "Santa 
 Cruz County RV Parking Permit" . \n\nRV activist Julie Ann Shaul says she 
 hasn't received any reports of citations or warnings yet. \n\nThe County's 
 ban impacts many more people than the City's ban considering the County 
 population is five times that of the City. It has at least the same 
 problems as the City's law only more so: no documentation of the "public 
 safety" need, no provision of alternative places for RV's to go, no study 
 of the impact on those whose RV is their home. If the Coastal Commission 
 turns down the City law as it may well do after a substantive hearing, it 
 is even more likely to refuse the County law. \n\nWhen I spoke with Coastal 
 Commission staffer Ryan Morony, he was surprised that the County had not 
 advised them and sought their approval. the County Planning staff person 
 responsible is reportedly months overdue.  The Board of Supervisors passed 
 the law in its final form on March 15th; it went into force a month later; 
 enforcement was announced as beginning August 1st. And the Coastal 
 Commission has not been advised of the change in public coastal 
 access.\n\nTHE NASTY LAW ITSELF \n"Chapter 9.70.620 Overnight parking of 
 mobile homes and recreational vehicles prohibited. \nIt shall be unlawful 
 to park a mobile home or recreational vehicle overnight upon any highway, 
 street, or alley, including the right-of-way, except for emergency 
 purposes. \nException: A mobile home or recreational vehicle may be parked 
 for no more than 72 hours on a highway, street, or alley directly adjacent 
 to private property (the "host property") if the owner or driver of the 
 vehicle has 1) the permission of a resident of the host property and 2) a 
 permit issued by the Sheriff's Office that is kept plainly visible on the 
 dashboard of the vehicle. the cost of the permit will be determined by the 
 board of Supervisors and reflected in the Unified Fee Schedule." \n\nA 
 great website for following these issues and uniting to support anyone who 
 lives in their car, van, or RV is at 
 https://www.facebook.com/groups/santacruzfulltimers/ . \n\nFreedom Sleepers 
 note they've received no recent reports of RV sleepers near the weekly 
 protests being cited or wakened. They invite folks with or without vehicles 
 to come on down and share the struggle. \n\n 
 https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/08/15/18790168.php
SUMMARY:Freedom Sleep #58 In the Midst of Struggle Over RV Rights
LOCATION:Bring bags, blankets, and bellies to the sidewalk and brick area in front 
 of City Hall.  Actual duration of the protest: until mid-morning 
 Wednesday...so actually around 16 hours.
URL:https://www.indybay.org/newsitems/2016/08/15/18790168.php
DTSTART:20160817T000000Z
DTEND:20160818T000000Z
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR