Burien expands camping ban to prohibit storing items on public property
BURIEN, Wash. - The city of Burien passed an expansion on its camping ban in a 5–2 vote.
With temperatures dropping dangerously low this week, some are questioning why the Burien City Council voted to do it.
What we know:
The city manager says as written, it will prohibit people from "storing items on public property at any time", which critics say even includes a ban on blankets.
FOX 13 talked to people in Burien who are experiencing homelessness, and they say there isn't enough shelter space in the region, and they believe it will result in additional deaths.
Meantime, those councilmembers who voted in favor of it. They say the new language provides more clarity, which will allow the King County Sheriff's Office to enforce the ban, something that wasn't happening under the old ordinance.
Mayor Kevin Schilling announced the vote count Monday.
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"Five to two, the ordinance passes," said the mayor.
What they're saying:
Linda Akey was one of the councilmembers voting yes, because she said the offering of services had improved.
"We have co-responders with the police and fire department who are interacting with every single person," said Linda Akey, Burien City Councilmember.
Akey said specifically that some of the conditions had improved after the city contracted with a different organization, The More We Love, for outreach.
"They are being offered services, treatment services, housing services, re-connection to families. We are trying to save their lives so they don’t sit around in tents outdoors. It’s ridiculous," said Akey.
Three others, including Alex Andrade, joined Akey and Mayor Schilling to push ordinance 864 through.
"Law enforcement will still offer beds and treatment," said Alex Andrade, Burien City Councilmember. "Burien now has access to shelter beds in not just south king county but other areas."
The Deputy Mayor and Councilmember Hugo Garcia were the two votes against.
"I will not vote to become a city that practices banishment," said Burien Deputy Mayor Sarah Moore. "Nowhere in the recitals did I see reference to their being adequate shelter anywhere for the people we are displacing. We are authorizing our LE officers to send people essentially to nowhere, giving them permission to counsel but not requiring them."
"The biggest concern is, the precedent is going with an emergency, that’s not really an emergency," said Hugo Garcia, Burien City Councilmember
During the meeting's public comment period, many people voiced discontent with the decision.
"This new camping ban would be a blanket ban of any unhoused person residing or sleeping in any public space in the city at any time and criminalize individuals if they violate that ban," said Cydney Moore, Director of the Burien Community Support Coalition.
Moore believes the extended ban will put people in jeopardy.
"If they have any kind of camping gear, including blankets, tents, sleeping bags etc. it creates a misdemeanor charge for people who violate the ordinance," said Moore. "Criminalizing people for having nowhere to go isn’t the way to handle it."
Councilmember Akey says under the ban expansion, churches in Burien will still be allowed to open tent encampments, though she says she is personally against tent encampments as housing.
FOX 13 reached out to the King County Sheriff's Office for comment on the new ban. The sheriff released this statement:
"The King County Sheriff's Office is aware of a proposed ordinance before the Burien City Council tonight that seeks to amend select ordinance(s) pertaining to camping in public spaces and/or rights-of-way. It is our initial opinion that this ordinance, as written, is enforceable, as it no longer contains vague language found from the prior ordinances nor does it allow the city manager to rewrite the boundaries of the no-camping zones at any time without notice. That said, I am asking the men and women of the King County Sheriff’s Office to continue to lead, as they do each day, with outreach and compassion while continuing to engage with regional service providers whenever appropriate. We are aware of challenges to Burien’s anti-camping ordinance pending in state court and based on the Washington constitution. We will monitor the state court decisions and adjust our practices accordingly.
-Sheriff Patti Cole-Tindall"
The Source: Information in this story came from the Burien City Counil and FOX 13 Seattle reporting.
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