Baker City Police Remind Residents of RV and Public Camping Restrictions
By Garrett Christensen on Friday, October 28th, 2022 in More Top Stories Northeastern Oregon News
BAKER CITY – (Release from the Baker City Police Department) With winter fast approaching, the Baker City Police Department would like to remind those with RVs and camp trailers being stored on public streets or being temporarily used for visiting friends and family that these large vehicles pose a challenge for street maintenance. Both street sweepers and heavy snow removal equipment have difficulty maneuvering around these and other long-term storage vehicles. This leaves the streets without regular maintenance and creates hazardous snow and ice conditions for drivers as the weather worsens.
Baker City ordinances allow for vehicles, to include camp trailers, RVs, utility trailers, boats, and other recreational-type vehicles to be parked on city streets for up to 72 hours before they need to be moved. If vehicles and trailers have not been moved, they can be deemed “dead storage” and can be red-tagged for removal after 10-days.
Multiple cities in Oregon have been overwhelmed dealing with transient camping that has littered their city with makeshift shelters, garbage, hazardous waste and caused public outcry. In our best effort to protect Baker City citizens, both with and without homes, the City of Baker City has adopted Ordinance 3383 that regulates camping in Baker City. This ordinance offers reasonable accommodations but does not allow unlimited encroachment of public and private properties.
The Baker City Police Department would encourage anyone with questions about this issue to please contact the police department. In addition, we ask you to self-correct violations before they create police responses called in by neighbors and concerned citizens.
As pictured below, a camp trailer parked on public property was recently towed on October 25, 2022. This trailer was found to have a sewage hose stuck in the ground contaminating the area, demonstrating the reason(s) for the creation of this ordinance and why it is being enforced.
Due to an increase in this type of activity, Baker City Police Department officers and our Code enforcement officer will be working proactively as time allows to address these issues before winter sets in. We appreciate your cooperation in our efforts to keep our streets clean, safe and in good operating condition that permits our partners in public works to conduct street sweeping, snow removal and other activities necessary for street repair and maintenance.
