Hermiston rewrites its camping ordinance
By Terry Murry on Wednesday, September 13th, 2023 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
HERMISTON – The Hermiston City Council has approved changes to its camping ordinance as it relates to the homeless. Assistant City Manager Mark Morgan said the state of Oregon has allowed certain municipalities to issue certain requirements regarding the time, place, and manner for camping.
“We’re not eliminating the ability for people to camp within the city, but we’re restricting when they can do it, where they can do it, and how they can do it,” Morgan said.
Restrictions include no camping in a park that’s within 750 feet of an elementary, middle, or high school; no camping in structures, including portable toilets; no camping on playgrounds or parking lots; and allowing it only between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. It also replaces the term camping with the legally-required word “resting.”
The Oregon Legislature allowed cities to have local ordinances regarding camping for the homeless, but only to restrict it – not to ban it completely. Morgan said that there will probably be tweaks made to the ordinance in the future.
“Everything associated with managing the homeless situation is a challenge,” Morgan said. “Nobody is excited about it. I think the council felt that this iteration is the best step that we have at the present time. Just like we were amending the ordinance last night, there’s nothing to say that we can’t come back at the next council meeting and add amendments as well.”
