Demand Letter Archives - American River Parkway Foundation

Information for Sac County Parkway Ordinance

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will vote on a Parkway Ordinance on August 10 at 2 p.m. If passed, the ordinance will toughen restrictions and consequences of actions on the Parkway, including illegal camping, open flames, use of generators and combustible liquids, construction and maintenance of structures, and modifications to the land. Read more about the ordinance. The Parkway Foundation supports this measure as one part of the solution to addressing the humanitarian and environmental crises on the Parkway. However, this ordinance won’t be effective without the other essential element: ensuring there is shelter and wrap-around services for the unhoused in the County, especially those living on the Parkway. We urge you to also show your support in at least one of the below ways: Attend the Board meeting at 700 H Street in Downtown Sacramento and participate in public comment. Call into the meeting at (916) 875-2500 and make a public comment. Send an email to and/or call your Supervisor. Templates can be found here. Even if the ordinance is approved, the Parkway Foundation will continue to work with the County on addressing homelessness. Thank you for learning more about getting involved. Let us know if you have any questions. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPERVISORS Supervisor Don Notolli, Sacramento County District 5 – Chair Supervisor Richard Desmond, Sacramento County District 3 – Vice Chair Supervisor Phil Serna, Sacramento County District 1 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, Sacramento County District 2 Supervisor Sue Frost, Sacramento County District 4 CC on the email: BoardClerk@saccounty.net

Letter/Email Template and Call Script for Sac County Budget Ask

The Sacramento County Board of Supervisors will hold budget hearings on June 8, 9 and 10. We are asking you to make your voice heard to push for more funding and a comprehensive plan that will help get unhoused individuals off the American River Parkway. Latest estimates pin the homeless population in the County at more than 16,000, which is the result of inaction from local leaders. A plan with timelines and investment in additional resources will help decrease the number of illegal campers on the Parkway and return our local streets, parks, businesses and the Parkway to the community. To help with the push, we ask you: Attend the budget hearings either in-person or online and take part in public comment to make your voice heard. Learn more from the Supervisors’ calendar. Or, Contact your Supervisor through email or phone call. Here are templates to help get you started. Feel free to personalize. Thank you for learning more about getting involved. Let us know if you have any questions. CONTACT INFORMATION FOR SACRAMENTO COUNTY SUPERVISORS Supervisor Don Notolli, Sacramento County District 5 – Chair Supervisor Richard Desmond, Sacramento County District 3 – Vice Chair Supervisor Phil Serna, Sacramento County District 1 Supervisor Patrick Kennedy, Sacramento County District 2 Supervisor Sue Frost, Sacramento County District 4 CC on the email: BoardClerk@saccounty.net

Update on the March 31 Deadline

Thank you to everyone who helped with the push of our local leaders to develop a plan for removing illegal campers from the American River Parkway by March 31, including the Sacramento Coalition to End Homelessness for adopting the timeline. This topic has gained momentum in our discussions with local stakeholders about how this ties into the larger issue of homelessness in Sacramento County and how we can work together to develop solutions. So far the American River Parkway Foundation has received a response from the County of Sacramento, but no plan. And the City of Sacramento has not responded. We’re not done yet. Even though the March 31 deadline has passed, this issue is too important to let go. We will continue to grow the Foundation’s Voice of the Parkway Coalition and rely on its members to support our messaging to local leaders. We are also increasing our work with nontraditional stakeholders along with local businesses and corporations to apply unified pressure on our local leaders. Our message remains that the County of Sacramento and City of Sacramento need to stop blaming each other and work together on this issue. If they don’t, it will only continue to worsen and our communities, businesses and local parks will pay the price.

Ongoing Conversations with Stakeholders

Since the submission of our Demand Letter, the American River Parkway Foundation has had ongoing conversations with local leaders as well as regional stakeholders to discuss the larger issue of homelessness in Sacramento County, how it ties into illegal camping on the Parkway and how we can all push for solutions. The Foundation appreciates everyone who has taken the time to meet with us and to the Sacramento Regional Coalition to End Homelessness for adopting our March 31 deadline. The common theme we’ve heard in our discussions continues to be the inability of the County of Sacramento and City of Sacramento to work together on the largest issue affecting this region. Only with this cooperation can we develop a plan that removes illegal campers from the Parkway and into the services they need and deserve. We will continue to meet with local stakeholders and discuss our ongoing push for solutions together. Want to join us? Sign up for our Voice of the Parkway Coalition.

Bringing Local Leaders Together for the Good of the Community

Local leaders joined ARPF volunteers, board members and staff on March 12 for a clean-up near the Northgate River Access that allowed them to get a firsthand perspective at the destruction that’s taking place on the Parkway and discuss solutions. This was an opportunity for our local leaders to hear from ARPF volunteers, board members and staff as well as interact with illegal campers on the Parkway. We appreciated the exchange of ideas while the City, County and ARPF worked together to make a difference in our community. We look forward to continued collaboration. Thank you to all of our local leaders who joined us: Assemblymember Kevin McCarty Supervisor Don Nottoli Supervisor Rich Desmond Supervisor Patrick Kennedy Mayor Darrell Steinberg Councilmember Katie Valenzuela Sacramento County Recreation and Park Commissioner Claudia Goss Sacramento County Recreation and Park Commissioner Dan Gonzales Sacramento County Regional Parks Director Liz Bellas Sacramento Fire Department Fire Marshall Jason Lee Thank you also to the media that came out to tell the story. If you haven’t yet, check out the coverage: KCRA 3 ABC10 FOX 40 Inside Publications (Coming Soon!)