Twentynine Palms homelessness ordinance draws criticism from residents on enforcement and purpose
The City Council did pass the ordinance unanimously after extensive discussion with city staff, representatives of local homeless services, and citizens from around Morongo Basin.
The main conflict seemed to focus on how the city was representing the ordinance versus what local citizens were interpreting from it. One such disagreement was over whether the ordinance criminalizes camping on public property. Mayor Pro Tem Octavious Scott pointed out there are already laws which make this illegal. It is true no one can stay in a park between 11:00 p.m. / 6:00 a.m. without written approval from the Parks Director. Laws about camping in areas zoned as an Open Space Residential District are less clear. Those laws say living in dangerous buildings is not allowed, and that people cannot gather garbage or junk which could cause a fire or health hazard.
This new ordinance explicitly states that camping in a prohibited public place or on private property without permit is unlawful. Mayor Dan Mintz and Councilman Steven Bilderain specified that the purpose of making it unlawful is to make it possible for police to remove homeless people from public spaces when necessary, not for police to go around finding homeless people to arrest. Here’s Mayor Mintz: “In my opinion, this ordinance isn’t just to start scooping people and throwing their stuff away. It is not what this is for.”
Another disagreement was over how the city plans on connecting any homeless people impacted by the ordinance to homeless services. Many citizens who got up to speak requested the ordinance be changed to closer match a model ordinance created by the state as an example for local governments. The city ordinance says any homeless person present when city employees arrive to remove the items will be given information on available shelter and service information. The model ordinance says anyone enforcing it shall make “every reasonable effort to identify and offer shelter…and to offer supportive services.” The difference between the two led many audience members to request a change that was more service-focused.
Many representatives from local service organizations showed up to the meeting as well, including someone from Jewish Family Service, Molding Hearts, and a new program called His Hands Mission Foundation. Both Jewish Family Service and Molding Hearts already provide resources in the Morongo Basin area. Each representative wanted to reach out to the City Council and citizens in general to offer their services. Lakita Johnson from Molding Hearts said this: “I stand before you tonight to address the perception that resources do not exist in this East Desert region. The resources are here. The services are being delivered and the lives are being changed.”
The city also announced a proclamation in support of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. The goal was to help raise awareness of the importance of early detection of the disease, which is done through an annual or biannual mammogram. They presented the proclamation to a local breast cancer survivor, Diane Durden, in recognition of her battle and the losses and successes for many others in the community. She talked about her diagnosis just over twenty years ago. “I was an active duty Marine, so I was supported by the Marines and the base, but I was also supported by my friends and family and the community here in Twentynine Palms, and that is one of the reasons why I love our town and I moved back here when I retired from the Marine Corps and made Twentynine Palms our home.”
