Council Is Dark for Two Weeks

The City Council is dark for the next two weeks.

However, one of the biggest issues of the year looms on the horizon.

The City Council could discuss the controversial Grants Pass decision on Aug. 26.

The decision lifted previous restrictions that prohibited municipalities from certain enforcement measures aimed at curtailing public encampments. Advocates argue the ruling provides necessary tools to maintain civic order and safeguard commercial and residential areas, while critics contend it criminalizes homelessness.

Those fears were exacerbated when Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order mandating state agencies remove encampments in their jurisdictions.

The order does not impact local controls.

“Where will they go?” said Rev. Bert Newton. “There doesn’t seem to be any real plan. Just clearing encampments doesn’t solve the problem, and it may cause more problems. Uprooting people aggressively can result in more mental health crises among those uprooted, and that could lead to increased financial costs dealing with the fallout from that. Additionally, it could lead to lawsuits if things go wrong. This whole plan could leave us in a worse place than when we started.”

The City to date has not changed its policies regarding the homeless and says its goal remains to make “homelessness in Pasadena rare, brief, and non-recurring.”