Dear Councilmembers and staff,
I am writing in opposition to waiving the first reading and passing an ordinance to ban RV parking and to enable law enforcement to strip vulnerable community members of their only shelter and force them onto the street.
There is nothing in the staff report that justifies rushing this ordinance, which appears to target residents who are reduced to living in their vehicles in a non-residential area, far from city services.
Displacing people will not make the problem go away.
Impounding someones shelter and stripping them off their few possessions will only turn a desperate situation into a crisis. I know this to be true because I saw this happen to a family member.
I urge Council to seek more data from city staff, directing staff to look at a more human centric approach (as taken by other local communities), and to commit to a second reading before voting on the RV parking ban ordinance.
We should be looking to our neighboring communities, like Palo Alto, which is taking a non-policing approach.
I was recently involved in a community research and planning effort on the impacts of parking removal along El Camino Real to implement separated bike lanes, which included an investigation into city policies and the impact on dozens of vehicle dwellers.
I found that Palo Alto had established a safe parking program, working with churches to offer overnight parking spaces for folks in their cars. And they partnered with Move Mountain View to set up a 24-hr safe parking site *with services* for individuals and families.
In addition, local nonprofits that provide services to the unhoused performed regular outreach to RV dwellers on El Camino Real, providing information on safe parking programs and/or working to connect them with other resources.
I urge Council to step back and give this issue due consideration. Peoples lives are on the line.
Thank you,
Katherine Dumont
Menlo Park resident
