I’m very grateful to the more than 60 people who spoke at a five-hour hearing on August 23, 2017 regarding resource allocation to better protect the American River Parkway. Thanks too to the many who sent emails explaining their experience in and along the Parkway.
The Board voted to identify in the Sacramento County FY 2017/18 Final Budget an increase of approximately $5 million to promote enhanced public safety and maintenance in the American River and Dry Creek Parkways, and to mitigate impacts associated with unsanctioned camping. This comes following months of work to build more capacity to better serve people suffering homelessness, including those currently occupying local Parkways.
This is not a perfect plan, however, I remain unwilling to accept the status quo circumstance of our unsheltered constituents, or the deteriorating condition of our Parkways, and I believe our actions today and earlier this summer to fund additional homeless services, was and is the right thing to do. Doing nothing was never an option.
Thanks to everyone on all sides of this issue who participated to inform our decision.
– Phil
