For the purpose of this chapter, words in the present tense include the future, the singular includes the plural, and the plural includes the singular, the word “shall” is mandatory and not discretionary, and the term “chapter” shall be deemed to include all amendments hereinafter made to this chapter. As used in this chapter, unless the context requires otherwise, the following words and their deviations shall mean:
AVAILABLE. A shelter that has space for a particular person. A shelter is not AVAILABLE to a person if the shelter:
(1) Has a maximum stay rule or temporal requirement or deadline the person has exceeded or not met;
(2) Has excluded the person from the shelter for any lawful reason;
(3) Cannot reasonably accommodate the person’s mental health or physical needs;
(4) Is unavailable due to the person’s family status, age, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, or other status;
(5) Excluding general rules that prohibit alcohol or drug use in the shelter or on shelter grounds, is unavailable to the person because the shelter has rules about alcohol or drug use that the person does not meet;
(6) May prohibit a minor child to be housed in the same facility with at least one parent or legal guardian;
(7) Requires participation in religious activity or receipt of religious information or religious teaching the person does not wish to participate in or receive; or
(8) Requires a person to leave their pet(s) unattended in order to stay at the shelter. This section does not apply to service animals under the Americans with Disabilities Act.
CAMP or CAMPING. To pitch, erect, create, use or occupy camp materials for the purposes of habitation.
CAMP MATERIALS. Includes but is not limited to tents, huts, awnings, lean-tos, shacks, or other temporary structures, or parts thereof, tarps or tarpaulin, chairs, cots, beds, sleeping bags, blankets, sleeping or bedding materials, food or food storage items, and/or similar items that are or appear to be used for and aid living and/or sleeping outdoors. CAMP MATERIALS does not include vehicles, automobiles, or recreational vehicles used for shelter and/or sleeping, which are regulated by Chapter 73.
CITY BUILDING. All facilities and their surrounding grounds, owned, leased, rented, contracted, used, managed and controlled by the city for conducting public business.
CITY PARKING LOT. A developed or undeveloped area or facility owned, maintained, and/or leased by the city that is designated for parking of vehicles.
CITY PROPERTY. Including but not limited to, all real property owned, leased, rented, contracted, used, managed or controlled by the city including city buildings, city parking lots, public parks and park facilities and public right-of-way.
PERSON. A person who does not have a permanent residence or domicile and is experiencing homelessness.
PUBLIC PARKS AND PARK FACILITIES. Any public or privately owned real property placed under the jurisdiction of the city, whether within or outside the corporate limits of the city, and designated for park and recreational purposes.
PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY. All interests in real property, subject to the jurisdiction and control of the city, used, operated and managed for customary roadway purposes and appurtenant uses and which provides or supports public access for vehicles, pedestrians and other modes of travel between places. PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY includes, but is not limited to, public roads, streets, sidewalks, highways, throughways, alleys, road related structures in the right-of-way including tunnels, culverts, landscape areas or planter strips, and similar structures, and structures that provide for continuity of the right-of-way such as bridges.
SHELTER. A developed or legally established public or private facility for people experiencing homelessness that does not charge for shelter or services.
(Ord. 2023-04, passed 6-26-2023)