Cleanup crews settle in at Clarkston homeless camp

Feb. 14—Cleanup crews began work at the homeless camp near Walmart on Tuesday with assistance from Clarkston police and firefighters.

The city has hired Disaster Response professionals to handle all the hazardous materials at the site, such as discarded needles, and public works employees will finish the job with dump trucks and a grader.

The privately owned property has to look like it did before more than 75 tents were pitched there over the past three months. The bill from Disaster Response hasn't been tallied, but officials estimate it will be less than $5,000.

"The cleanup is being done in two stages," Police Chief Joel Hastings said Tuesday. "Today we took out any personal belongings left behind and put them in storage. Hazardous materials were grouped and identified, and will be disposed of by Disaster Response. They have the experience and equipment to handle it safely."

Unhoused individuals who had been camping at the site have cleared out, following the city's declaration of a civil emergency and approval of an ordinance outlining where they can legally spend their nights.

The action was taken last week after the property owner and city concluded the land was not public right of way. Closure of the camp has sparked a lot of finger-pointing at recent city council meetings and robust discussions on social media.

Personal property left at the camp will be stored by the city at no cost for 90 days, according to the notice of trespass posted by police. It can be reclaimed if people contact the police department within that time period. After 90 days, it will be thrown away.

In the wake of the closure, several homeless people have been admitted to long-term care centers, officials said. Others have moved to rural public land along the Snake River in Whitman County, about 15 miles west of Lewiston. A few are sleeping in Foster Park, located near churches and residences along Diagonal and 10th streets in Clarkston.

Photos of the discarded tents and garbage at the camp near Walmart depicted piles of pallets, propane tanks and remnants collected during the winter months. Numerous needles and human waste were reportedly found in the debris.

The camp was set up in November after a group of unhoused people were moved from Foster and Arnold parks, which were closed to the public for winter maintenance. At the time, city officials believed the stretch of land at the end of 10th Street was public property. No portable toilets or dumpsters were provided by the city because of liability concerns.

Based on a 2018 ruling — Martin v. Boise — by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals, it's considered "cruel and unusual punishment" to criminalize camping on public property when the people in question have nowhere else to sleep, such as a shelter. The decision was in response to a 2009 lawsuit by six homeless people against the city of Boise.

The court covers Alaska, California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Oregon and Washington.

"The city believes Boise v. Martin applies to every jurisdiction in the 9th Circuit," Hastings said.

Lindsey Cannard, director of the state-funded Recovery Navigator Program, said the past week has been a "whirlwind" at the homeless camp as people tried to figure out their next moves.

Cannard's staff operates out of Quality Behavioral Health to help people with substance use disorders and unmet mental health needs. They've been frequent visitors to the homeless encampment as it continues to shift locations.

Multiple people at the camp have spoken publicly about their mental health struggles and addictions.

The Recovery Navigator Program was launched in Asotin County two years ago. At the time, Canard said the emphasis would be on building relationships through compassionate support, ranging from a hot meal or shower, to connecting folks with available community resources.

The approach is modeled after Washington state's law enforcement assisted diversion programs, where police direct individuals toward harm-reduction intervention for crimes that are driven by unmet behavioral health needs.

According to officials and Cannard, the unhoused people at the camp went in several different directions. Some crossed the Interstate Bridge into Lewiston, while others headed west over Red Wolf Crossing into Whitman County.

"People were wandering around today," Cannard said. "I think lots of folks went to Nisqually Landing by the river. A few people went to Foster Park."

The city of Clarkston identified Foster Park as an area where camping is allowed from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m. The bathrooms have not been opened, but that could change once the weather is warmer and freezing temperatures are not in the forecast, officials said.

"The Recovery Navigator Program will continue connecting with program participants, wherever they might be," Cannard said. "We will keep providing outreach and case management. We will be helping people work on their goals, responding to referrals and carrying on by doing our jobs."

Anyone who believes their personal belongings were taken to storage can contact Clarkston police at (509) 758-1680 or stop by the station at 830 Fifth St.

Sandaine can be reached at kerris@lmtribune.com. You can follow her on X @newsfromkerri.