Rainbow Park security, sanitation measures cost $90,000 in first month

Temporary security and sanitation measures at Rainbow Park, in response to a homeless encampment there, cost $90,000 during about a month.

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The tally, as of July 26, is for fencing, portable washrooms, a dumpster, additional lighting and security guards, installed and posted at the site in late Junea report from Sarnia chief administrator Chris Carter says.

The report also notes policing-related costs of about $34,000 during that time, related to redeploying officers because of the encampment.

The report notes city firefighters visited Rainbow Park 14 times, police 114 times, and city bylaw officers 60 times during roughly the same period of time.

Lambton paramedics visited 10 times in June, and 11 in July, the report says, noting overall costs are expected to fluctuate monthly.

Security guards have been at the park around the clock since July 11, after council upped their presence from initial 7-am-to-9-pm shifts, acting city solicitor Randi Kalar said.

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Meanwhile, an updated encampment protocol comes to council Aug. 12 for approval.

The rules, with council approval, would still require encampments to be:

• 100 meters away from play equipment and pools on municipal property, schools, childcare centers, and residential properties.
• 10 meters from all other private property.
• Five meters from transit stops, highways, construction zones, sidewalks, roadways and paths.
• 50 meters from sports fields, multi-use courts, bleachers, lakes, beaches, ponds, watercourses and docks.

But caps on how many shelters per property were removed from the document, with the added provision shelters must be spaced far enough apart in rows for emergency vehicles to pass.

With the setback requirements already in the protocol, “you might only be able to fit two or three shelters” in a location, Kalar said.

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Mike Weir Park, based on public feedback, she said, was added to a list of properties where encampments are prohibited, including Canatara, Centennial and Germain Parks, all waterfront and beach areas, and the Howard Watson Nature Trail.

Setback distances also are clarified in the update as from property lines, she said, “just so everyone knows exactly where we’re measuring from.”

And the update includes a new section on safety, banning human trafficking, violence, open fires, uncapped needles and large amounts of garbage.

Those additions also were based on feedback from organizations and other municipalities, Kalar said.

“Just so that people who are residing in these encampments as well as the community know that there are safety measures.”

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Any people at new encampments in restricted areas under the protocol and reported to city bylaw at 519-332-0330 ext. 3301 would be given 24 hours to relocate or be removed by law officers and police, the document says.

Council approved the draft protocol in Julypending external legal review for constitutionality.

Drafting it and gathering feedback from parties like city staff and the County of Lambton has “been a learning experience for everyone involved … having all of those organizations understand what each partner does,” Kalar said.

Where permitted encampments form, county social services, public health and teams of hospital workers and paramedics would provide services, including help with applying for rent supplements, referrals to other health-care providers as needed, and harm-reduction supplies, the document says.

While bylaw, police and social services officials continue to visit Rainbow Park daily, enforcing bylaws and the criminal code, and referring people to services and housing supports, the protocol applies only to new encampments, Kalar said.

Council previously has voted against seeking a court order to evict people from the park, based on legal advice such a decision would likely be unconstitutional if challenged.

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