Those living in RVs at Lacey City Hall parking lot forced to move

About eight people living out of their RVs in the Lacey City Hall parking lot were forced to move over the weekend after police began enforcing the city’s new parking ordinance.

Lacey City Council approved the ordinance, which limits RV and commercial vehicle parking to no more four hours on public property, on Sept. 12. The ordinance took effect in the days after that vote, but Chief Ken Semko said Tuesday they wanted to give those living in the lot more time to get ready to move before they began enforcement.

They were told Friday that they would have to move by Monday morning, he said.

Some left by then, but some did not. About five people received a $35 ticket. On Tuesday morning they were warned again that they would either be cited again or their vehicle would be towed. All of them left on their own, he said. One abandoned vehicle was removed, but none of the occupied vehicles were towed, Semko said.

“They had been there five or six months and we had been talking to them throughout this process,” he said.

Those living out of their cars are not affected by the ordinance.

The parking ordinance is one in a series of steps the city has taken to address homelessness. Over the summer, the city approved a camping ban ordinance, and City Council is set to consider whether to expand the number of groups that can host an encampment.

The city also is at work establishing a temporary overnight parking area in Hawks Prairie on an unfinished road near the outdoors store Cabela’s called Main Street.

A public backlash about the proposal has resulted in an informational meeting about the city’s plans set for 6:30 p.m. Oct. 16 at Lacey City Hall.

Those living in the City Hall parking lot could have applied to get a permit through the police department that would’ve allowed an additional eight hours to park their vehicles, but the applicant must qualify for the free permit, he said, and it’s only good for an additional eight hours before it has to be renewed.

Some of the qualifying factors for the permit: valid driver’s license, valid vehicle registration and insurance, no outstanding warrants, and full compliance if you’re a sex offender.

Jack L. Potter, 62, was one those who had to leave the lot. He was cited Monday and finally left Tuesday morning. He did not qualify for the permit because of a misdemeanor warrant out of Grays Harbor County. He also is a Level 1 sex offender, but is compliant under the law. He said he’s in his fifth year of a 10-year sex offender registration.

He was convicted of third-degree assault with sexual motivation and served just under two years in jail, he said. “I’m working hard that I’m not what my record says,” he said Tuesday.

Potter said he’s been homeless and living out of his RV for about a year and had been at City Hall since May. He’s disappointed he had to leave because now he’ll have to move from place to place.

“I’m just trying to live,” he said.

Just Housing Olympia, a homeless advocacy group, is trying to help, co-founder Tye Gundel said Tuesday. For those who were cited, they will either try to raise money or get them legal assistance to get fees reduced or waived.

They also are trying to figure out where they can go next, Gundel said.

This story was originally published October 2, 2019 at 7:00 AM.