Novato approves cleanup of burned homeless encampment

Novato will spend about $200,000 to clean up the damage of the fire that ripped through the authorized camp for homeless people at Lee Gerner Park.

The City Council has authorized the city manager to execute a $197,375 agreement with DLB Construction Consulting of Campbell to conduct the remediation. The city has not committed to rebuilding the camp.

Sherin Olivero, a city spokesperson, said homelessness in the city cannot be solved with a single solution.

“In collaboration with the Housing and Homeless Committee, the county of Marin, and various local partners, we are committed to a collaborative approach that seeks innovative and effective solutions,” Olivero said. “Our collective efforts focus on addressing the diverse needs of our community by implementing compassionate and coordinated care strategies to sustainable pathways out of homelessness.”

The plan calls for the removal of hazardous debris and waste left behind by the fire on July 30. In anticipation of the rainy season, work will focus on preventing potential creek contamination from hazardous materials, contaminated soil, vermin droppings and other pollutants.

Demolition will be conducted on portions of a damaged fence. A new redwood fence will be installed and a sidewalk on the border of the encampment will be powerwashed.

The work is expected to take about a month.

County and state grants are not available to pay the remediation work, according to the city. The cost will be covered by general fund dollars in the capital projects budget.

Though the camp has been closed to residents since the fire, it is still considered operational under the terms of a settlement between the California Homeless Union and the city.

Anthony Prince, the attorney for the organization, said the city has not informed the union of whether the remediation work represents a plan to reopen the camp.

“It’s a little confusing for us,” Prince said. “I would be very surprised that they just decided that they would just rebuild the camp and use it the way that they have been using it. We’re still very disappointed it’s been two and half months since the fire and the residents have not had the opportunity to retrieve their possessions.”

The encampment was created after the California Homeless Union filed a federal lawsuit against the city challenging regulations dictating where camping is permitted in public places. The city agreed to retain the camp as part of the settlement. City officials also approved $200,000 in federal stimulus funds from the American Rescue Plan Act to build the camp.

The settlement allowed the city to close the camp within two years. The City Council was set to consider a resolution in September approving the closure and amendments to the municipal code to remove protections to camping on public property under certain circumstances.

Prince said the California Homeless Union appealed to the city to remove the camp closure item from from the council agenda because it did not follow a prescribed process in the settlement that dictated the city conduct a study on the necessity of the park three months before the closure.

Jason Sarris, a former camper who is now the chair of the Novato Housing and Homeless Committee, said approximately 10 people are living in tents outside the camp.

“The city has not told us anything about their plans for the park,” Sarris said. “Novato has to do the right thing and reopen the park.”

City staff estimates that there is $400,000 in funding remaining for homelessness response from one-time grants. In the past two years, the city received $1 million in funding for homelessness services. County funds are earmarked for the Lee Gerner Park services and state funds are set aside for homelessness initiatives.

According to the city, Novato paid for one week at a hotel for all 15 campers displaced by the fire. It cost of about $15,000.

A typical month of services to maintain operations at the camp, including security, bathrooms, mobile showers and pest control services, costs $13,000 to $15,000, Olivero said.

Two days after the fire, Novato police arrested a suspect accused of arson. Brianna Marie Giudice, 36, of Novato pleaded guilty on Oct. 9 to a misdemeanor charge of recklessly burning property. The charge was reduced from a felony arson charge of maliciously setting a fire.