Deschutes County commissioners OK new homeless camp eviction policy, on hold pending managed campsite

(Update: Adding video)

BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Deschutes County commissioners voted unanimously this week to approve a new homeless camp eviction policy and procedure for county-owned lands, although that process is still on hold while the county works to create a managed camp for them to be relocated to.

"This policy is for notification when the county has determined to close vacant county-owned land to the public and the notification that will be necessary to the encampments on that identified land," county Legal Counsel Kim Riley told NewsChannel 21 in an email Friday.

The existing 72-hour notice policy from last August is still in effect, but that only covers encampments deemed unsafe.

"The county would first identify an alternative property for encampments to relocate to prior to any notification of a closure to vacant County-owned land," Riley said.

Riley assured commissioners at Wednesday's meeting that the new policy had no more or less “legal exposure” for the county than the initial version, if they were to remove homeless campsites from their property without a place for them to go.

After a brief discussion, Commissioner Tony DeBone moved to approve the policy, and commission Chair Patti Adair seconded it when colleague Phil Chang did not do so.

Chang voiced a familiar concern, that the process to make a managed camp on county property has moved too slowly.

“I’m really concerned that we have not made more progress on alternative places for people to go,” Chang said. “I think we certainly could have in this time frame,” noting the initial policy was approved last August.

"I will vote yes on this motion, because I hope that adopting this policy will make us more focused and really do what’s necessary to establish places for people to go to,” he added.

The notice will contain the date of posting, the type of notice, information about the county property, and the location for personal property. County crews and contractors will then begin taking personal property to be stored for 30 days for pickup.

DeBone said, "This is what it would look like as we try to proceed and work together in the community to, you know, improve this situation, public safety, offering resources for people in need and not having unsanctioned encampments where it's very impactful."

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