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Page A-2 — Shelton-Mason County Thursday, Oct. 21, 2021
continued from page A-1
public property can be removed by the
city. The proposed ordinance states
“materials that are toxic, dangerous,
or obviously refuse may be disposed of
immediately.” Other personal property
would be stored for 60 days following
notice of the owner, to be picked up.
At Tuesday’s meeting, City Manag-
er Jeff Niten stressed that if no shel-
ter beds are available, the city cannot
enforce the penalties for violators. City
police will check each day to see wheth-
er beds are available at local shelters,
he said.
In the proposed ordinance, the city
states that “unsheltered homeless in-
dividuals live in conditions, such as
tents and makeshift shelters, that are
not. acceptable for long-term human
habitation and are not conducive to the
health, safety and welfare of homeless
individuals or the general public.”
The ordinance states that the
city cannot afford to clean up home—
less encampments, many of them on
CITY
Ban: City says it Cannot afford to clean up encampments
environmentally sensitive areas such
as wetlands and riparian habitats.
Under the proposed ordinance, a
number of conditions must be followed
before anyone could be cited for public
camping.
A city employee must first make
contact with an alleged violator and
advise the person of the prohibition
on public camping. If the violator then
does not remove their camp, or erects
a camp on a different city site, the city
employer informs the violator of avail-
able indoor shelter. If the violator is
not allowed inside the shelter due to a
criminal record, or sex offender status,
they can be cited.
Council member Eric Onisko sug-
gested the council table the vote on the
ordinance and instead form a commit-
tee to look further into the proposal.
“1 think we’re jumping the gun mak-
ing this a misdemeanor,” he said.
Onisko proposed an amendment
making public camping a civil penalty
and not a criminal one. Council mem-
ber Kathy McDowell seconded that
A homeless camp sits alongside the railroad tracks near the northern
entrance into Shelton on state Route 3. The City of Shelton is one step
away from outlawing camping on city right-of-ways, including parks and
critical areas and buffers. Journal photo by Gordon Weeks
voted 5-2, with McDowell and Onisko
opposed, to the proposed ordinance.
motion, but the amendment was de-
feated by a 5-2 vote. The council then
staff obtained quotes from three providers and
Shelton Police to buy
new body, dash cameras
The Shelton Police Department will receive
$249,580 to purchase new body-worn and dash
cameras for officers because its current cameras are
no longer in production.
The council on Tuesday evening gave final
approval to the purchase at its meeting. The council
gave preliminary approval to the deal at its Oct. 5
meeting.
At the Oct. 5 meeting, Shelton Police Chief Car- ‘
ole Beason said the district’s body—worn and dash
cameras were purchased in 2017. That company
was purchased by another company, and “the model
we have is no longer a viable model,” she said.
“We cannot get replacement parts and we cannot
fix them,” she said.
The police department uses the cameras “in order
to enhance our officer safety when we’re out in the
field, they also increase our transparency when we’re
dealing with citizens out in the field,” Beason said.
In its report to the council, the department said
decided the Getac camera system is the best value
for the city. The company has a customer service
agent in Olympia. ‘
Beason said the purchase price includes the
hardware, software, training, equipment and stor-
age for five years. '
The chief also pointed out the city can use
American Recovery Act money to pay for most of
the purchase because it supports data retention.
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