Brookings city councilors on Monday will explore the idea of a “temporary transient camp area” near the public works yard off Railroad Street.

Paving, fencing, adding a gate, storm drains and lights is expected to cost about $60,000. Officials estimate that garbage removal, portable toilets and hand-washing stations will cost roughly $1,600 a month, according to the city’s staff report.

The City Council will take up the issue at a workshop Monday. This proposal comes after the Curry County Board of Commissioners last month approved camping restrictions to bring the county into compliance with Oregon House Bill 3115.

HB 3115 took effect July 1 and states that any camping regulations cities and counties set must be objectively reasonable. The law also allows those who are homeless to challenge the “objective reasonableness” of a city or county camping ordinance in court.

According to the city’s staff report, councilors have discussed homelessness several times since 2018, meeting with faith-based organizations and nonprofits to brainstorm possible solutions at a January 2019 workshop.

Brookings has since created a task force, which has surveyed several sites within city limits including vacant land and unused space “at the rest area,” but were unable to identify an ideal location for a shelter.

In November 2019, councilors asked the city attorney to review the municipal code following 9th Circuit Court of Appeals rulings in Martin v. Boise and Blake v. Grants Pass.

On Wednesday the 9th Circuit Court refused a request from Grants Pass for all panel judges to hear their case, Jefferson Public Radio reported. Grants Pass plans to appeal that decision to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Due to the court cases and Oregon House Bills passed in 2021, the Brookings city attorney is reviewing the municipal code again.

“Without a designated location, the city must allow a person experiencing homelessness to sit, sleep or lie on public property (such as a park),” the staff report states.

The Brookings City Council will hold its workshop at 5 p.m. Monday at 898 Elk Drive in Brookings. For an agenda, visit www.brookings.or.us.

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