As Clark County councilors acknowledge, a new ordinance governing the parking of recreational vehicles likely is a temporary fix.
“We need to put something in place for the health and safety of our public roadways, and people have a right in their neighborhoods not to have transient people coming and living and creating a mess, increasing the threat to public safety,” Councilor Gary Medvigy said. “This is a very complicated issue, and then it gets to the issue of homelessness. Where do they go?”
It is, indeed, complicated, touching on the issues of homeowners rights, homelessness, public safety and sanitation.
Last week, councilors approved a change to county code to address concerns from local residents. Automobiles will be allowed to park along county roads for up to 24 hours, but RVs will require a seven-day permit that costs $10. Previously, vehicles could be parked along a county road for up to three days.
For RV owners who are readying the vehicle for a trip, or for residents who have visitors using an RV, the new permit requirement will not be burdensome.
The problems and the difficulties with enforcement will involve the increasing number of people who live in an RV and simply need a place to park. Councilor Julie Olson said: “This has been an ongoing, long conversation, and I know that the folks in the neighborhoods have had some real struggles over the past number of months.”
That struggle is understandable. Imagine being a property owner and having a stranger live in an RV in front of your home for a week or two or longer. The discomfort can be exacerbated if the RV owner does not properly dispose of garbage and sewage.
Living in an RV for an extended period on public streets will not be allowed. The RV must be parked in a legal location; waste and sewage must be properly disposed of; and generators, electrical extension cords, hookups, awnings and furniture outside the RV are prohibited. Vehicles will not be allowed to relocate along the same curb of the same block.
Such restrictions are necessary and will benefit property owners. But they do little to answer the question about homelessness: Where do they go?
Medvigy said: “I’m hoping to test the system in that regard and see if our Council for the Homeless and some of our nonprofits can react to that and ensure that this person has a home — or at least a ways toward a home — so we’re just not moving people around as the RV parks get crowded or people get pushed out of the RV parks. We need to get a good handle on those that are homeless.”
That has been an ongoing issue, not only for the county council but for local city councils and service providers. People living in RVs and trying to find a place to park is simply one aspect of the broader concern.
Some other West Coast cities have worked with churches and businesses to supply overnight RV spaces in large parking lots, but those efforts have not addressed what to do when the sun comes up. And while there apparently is a need for additional RV spaces, it is unlikely any neighborhoods would welcome a new RV park.
Given the circumstances and the complexity of the issue, the county council has taken reasonable steps to protect property owners and deal with a pressing issue. But, as council Chair Eileen Quiring said, councilors must remain open to changing the ordinance and address any unforeseen consequences.
