Pierce County executive vetoes law that would expand 'safe parking' areas for the homeless - The Columbian

TACOMA—Pierce County Executive Bruce Dammeier issued his second veto of the week Friday, rejecting a bill that would have allowed those experiencing homelessness to park their cars overnight in lots across the county.

The Republican Dammeier cited concerns about the legislative process that ended with the law being passed on a partisan 4-3 vote by the County Council, with the Democratic majority approving.

“Temporary safe parking — if done in the right way — is a valuable option for some homeless individuals,” Dammeier said in a letter to the council announcing his veto.

Council Chair Derek Young, a Democrat, responded to Dammeier with his own letter, saying the public wants a swift response on homeless issues and the council has done that.

“This legislation provided a temporary solution that we could continue to fine-tune as we wait for the Planning and Public Works Department to craft permanent regulations for final review and action by Council,” Young’s letter said.

State law allows for churches and religious facilities to open their parking lots to people experiencing homelessness who own a vehicle so that those folks have somewhere safe to sleep in their cars. Four religious organizations have opened about 30 spots for so-called “safe parking” in Pierce County.

The bill passed by the County Council on April 19 would have expanded that safe parking to government offices, schools, parks, day cares, libraries, community centers, medical offices and commercial properties.

Dammeier told the County Council in his veto letter that the legislation as passed would impact public trust.

He pointed out the council used temporary regulations, which bypasses some legislative process, to pass the bill. The law would have put rules in place for six months while staff work on the permanent regulations to be brought forward to council.

Council spokesperson Brynn Grimley said the bill was heard in the Community Development Committee with public comment and that the Human Services Department was also involved in the process.

“It was not a sped-up process like an emergency bill,” she told The News Tribune. “It had a normal process for public comment and review as far as a County Council process would go.”

Dammeier said in his letter that safe parking is allowed at religious organizations, and the veto does not change that.

Young said council staff say it potentially does. There is no county law that follows the state requirement, and therefore any safe parking in unincorporated Pierce County is illegal. Young also said he wants more than the “minimum standard” set by the state Legislature.

“We know we can’t rehouse people as quickly as necessary. This legislation helped with that problem, and I am disappointed the Executive chose to veto it,” Young’s letter said.

One of the bill sponsors, council member Ryan Mello (D-Tacoma), told The News Tribune he was disappointed by Dammeier’s decision. He said 31 percent of people experiencing homelessness have a car, according to the county’s 2020 Point-In-Time Count.

Pierce County prioritized affordable housing and homelessness in its 2022-2023 budget, allocating $253 million — the most the county has ever spent on homelessness. The county also approved a Comprehensive Plan to End Homelessness that focuses on expanding shelter space and case management. The plan also mentions the importance of safe places for people to park.

Friday’s veto was Dammeier’s fifth in his six years as executive. He and the County Council also are in the middle of feud over who has the power to decide which flags fly at the County-City Building in downtown Tacoma.

Young said he plans to introduce a veto override on the flag policy at next week’s Tuesday council meeting but has not yet talked with other council members on whether to bring forward a veto override on the safe-parking issue.

“I haven’t had a chance to walk through the schedule of this, but I think we will have one at some point,” he told The News Tribune.

Dammeier could not be immediately reached for further comment Friday.

source: https://www.columbian.com/news/2022/apr/29/pierce-county-executive-vetoes-law-that-would-expand-safe-parking-areas-for-the-homeless/

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