Residents in Gearhart have expressed concerns about RVs parked on Glenn Avenue.

Gearhart City Council took steps to address homelessness, joining cities throughout the North Coast to adopt a resolution seeking a greater share of state funding.

At the Council meeting on Feb. 1, Councilor Dana Gould said she had numerous conversations with regional officials, as well as City Administrator Chad Sweet and Peter Watts, the city’s attorney.

“We’re going through city ordinances and determining what our best path forward is,” Gould said. With case law being updated as recently as September, it makes the situation “ … very difficult to determine what exactly is the correct path,” she said.

In December, the council signed onto a League of Oregon Cities and Oregon Mayors Association in support of capital funding to address homelessness and affordable housing.

Based on population calculations, the city would ask the state for almost $77,000 in allocated funds.

The resolution comes as Gearhart wrestles with increasing numbers of complaints of illegally parked or abandoned RVs and campers.

Corey French, of French’s Gutters & Sheet Metal, said his truck has been broken into.

“I have now spent over $6,000 in security alarms (and) cameras on a building I rent,” he said in a letter to the city. “I have had to purchase locking fuel caps to keep my fuel from being stolen. My employees have been threatened by them. And the foot traffic and cars flying in and out is getting out of control. I do thank you for sending the city over to clean up all their trash.”

Concerns have been amplified on social media.

There are three motor homes and one trailer parked on Glenn Avenue — west of Pacific Way off of U.S. Highway 101 — with people residing in them, Jeff Bowman, the police chief, said after the meeting.

“As with most issues involving homeless or houseless individuals, some citizens feel something needs to be done to help them,” Bowman said.

Being homeless is not illegal, Watts said.

“However, when they do illegal things, we should be able to address it,” he said.

An RV parking ordinance, adopted in 2016, permits the occupancy of an RV for up to four days, twice a year. According to the terms of the amendment, the RV must be parked at a residence off the city right-of-way. The permit may be revoked at any time.

The ordinance has been used in the past to enforce code violations, Watts said, but as with any city ordinances, “we want to make sure that it’s not selectively enforced.”

“Anytime we have selective enforcement, we have legal risk,” Watts said. “People do have a right to sleep and the courts are very clear on that and we would never want to try and prevent someone from sleeping. There are ways that cities can regulate activities in order to ensure safety for all of us.”

This is an issue he has dealt with in other jurisdictions, he said. “I would just ask that everybody find in themselves compassion and empathy,” Watts added.