The American River Parkway Needs Your Voice!
When will enough be enough?That is the question we’ve been asking officials and Supervisors with the County of Sacramento since submitting our Demand Letter in January. Over the past three years, the illegal camping situation has worsened with more than 2,000 campers now living on the Parkway. That has led to a deterioration in environmental, public health and humanitarian conditions, which has a devastating effect on the Parkway and the people living on it. We need your help pressing our leaders for answers and solutions! County Supervisors hold regular public meetings and we encourage you to attend and ask:
- What is the timeline for establishing more shelter space, especially for those living on the Parkway?
- How will the $25 million that is coming from the state be allocated to benefit the Parkway?
- What is the plan for using the federal funding from the America Rescue Plan?
- We now have ordinances in the County that prevent illegal camping on the Parkway. When will they be enforced?
- Millions of dollars are being allocated to address homelessness in the County. Where are the results? Where are the shelters?
- What is the latest on the partnership with the City of Sacramento, including the signing of the MOU?
The next opportunity is Sup. Rich Desmond’s community meeting tomorrow night (Oct. 6) at 6 p.m. It’s taking place at the Gibbons Park, Mission Oaks Community Center located at: 4701 Gibbons Drive Carmichael, CA 95608 Please attend and make your voice heard!
l suggest you place an on line petition to the County Board of Supervisors asking them to support the American River Parkway proposal for saving the Parkway It seems to me there is consensus for the following; 1. That the $25 million allocated to benefit the Parkway be assigned to a Board made up of volunteers appointed by the American River Parkway Board (one half of the committee) and by the County Board of Supervisors (one half of the committee) with the Chairman appointed by the Parkway Board; 2 That the County agree to create 500 shelter spaces every six months until such time that there are 2,500 shelter spaces that are available to Parkway homeless campers; 3 that once sufficient housing is available that illegal camping will result in enforcement actions; 4 While the shelter space is in process, the County will provide garbage service, portable potties, water and security on the parkway for the homeless to maintain order and prevent waste to the Parkway; 5 The County will provide wild fire protection to the Parkway with allocated resources for quick response and for fire prevention work including fuel reduction; 6. The County will provide funds for habitat restoration in all areas of the Parkway affected by fire or by invasive species.