Stop the City's Attacks on Food Not Bombs and the Survival Encampments

THE THREAT OF FURTHER ACTION AGAINST THOSE OUTSIDE & GROUPS THAT SUPPORT THEM

The city is threatening to evict Food Not Bombs from its sharing location for the fourth time during this pandemic even though more than 100 people a day are depending on us for food, clothing, books and masks. They are suggesting that it will be illegal for us to share in any public location and plan to fence off each of these areas.

Tuesday, October 27, 2020, at 2 PM Santa Cruz City Hall - 809 Center Street, Santa Cruz. The vote is scheduled for that time or soon thereafter.

The City Council meeting will, as usual, be held behind closed doors in spite of the availability of the Civic Auditorium for safe use.

For information on how to call in your opposition, go to https://ecm.cityofsantacruz.com/OnBaseAgendaOnline/Meetings/ViewMeeting?id=1533&doctype=1

If you wish a fuller discussion of the 4 City Manager Decrees up for rubberstamping by the City Council, when it comes your time to speak, request the City Council remove item #9 from the Consent Agenda for a staff report and more extensive discussion. Mention that Councilmember Sandy Brown is often respectful of the public's right to speak more fully on Consent Agenda items and hope she will do so again on this one.


AN UNNECESSARY HOMELESS DEATH A YEAR AGO
Deseire Quintero - 10/12/1964 - 10/27/2019

The City lied and people died--Memorial and Protest for Housing an End to the City Manager's Rule by Decree!

Remembering our dear friend Deseire Quintero, officer of the Santa Cruz Homeless Union, forest fire fighter, mother and named plaintiff in the Ross Camp Lawsuit against the city of Santa Cruz killed helping a family evicted by the city into the woods.

A year ago Desiree Quintero was killed by a falling tree in the Pogonip--where she and scores of others had been forced to flee with the demolition of the Ross Camp months earlier--without required legal alternative shelter in violation of the Martin v. Boise court decision.

Memorial and protest for housing and an end to the City Manager's Rule by Decree at 2:00 pm outside the City Council Chambers during the meeting to endorse the City Council agenda item 9 on the Consent Agenda:

Please email and call the Santa Cruz City Council today and demand they vote against Item 9 on the Consent Agenda.

This is an additional tragedy since it comes on the very day a year ago that our friend and coworker Deseire Quintero was killed as a direct result of the City Council’s vote last year to evict her from the safety of the camp she lived in.

Please note the city and country that you are contacting them from.

Thanks,
Keith McHenry
co-founder of the global movement Food Not Bombs
+1- 831-420-5020
citycouncil [at] cityofsantacruz.com

SAMPLE LETTER
I am writing to encourage you vote against Item 9 on the Consent Agenda at the Tuesday, October 27, 2020, City Council Meeting. I support Food Not Bombs and their continued work to share food, clothing, books and masks at the corner of Laurel and Front Streets. They are providing desperately needed support for the community.

I also support the importance of Shelter-in-Place for those whose only home is a vehicle or car, particularly during this pandemic.

Thanks for your consideration.
Sincerely


THE CITY MANAGER'S DECREES
1. Executive Order No. 2020-20 –Driving away the "nuisance" of Food Not Bombs and surrounding encampments at City Parking Lot No. 27; (signed September 25, Food Not Bombs driven out of Lot #27 on Oct. 2)

2. Executive Order No. 2020-21 – Extending and Modifying Portions of Executive Order No. 2020-16 which implicityly targets LatinX street vendors banning them from Beach St., Cowell and Main Beaches, the Wharf, and Westcliffe Drive. (signed September 30 in violation of promises and expectation that the vendors would be allowed to return in October).

3. Executive Order No. 2020-22 – Again fencing off the City Clock Tower, Post Office, and Scope Park to prohibit "Unsanctioned Encampments" that might reappear there (there are no Sanctioned Encampments other than the County Benchlands area soon to be closed down) (signed October 2nd)

4. Executive Order No. 2020-23 – Addressing COVID-19 Transmission Risk and Nuisance Issues Arising from Unsanctioned Encampments at and Near City Parking Lot 23, City Parking Lot 27, and City Parking Lot 17 in Downtown Santa Cruz (banning encampments from the levee and other areas without providing any alternate shelter) signed October 14th)

All these orders were signed behind closed doors witho no public notice, discussion, or participation by City Manager Martin Bernal with penalties of up to 1 year in jail or $1000 fine for violating them.

Bernal and his staff have always been powerful rogue actors behind the scenes in attacking the rights of the poor and homeless. The COVID-19 epidemic, which ironically provided more funding and did allow for some temporary opening of additional shelter options, is now being used as the pretext for shutting them down.

Show up to express your outrage!

Summary Sheet for - Resolution Ratifying Executive Order Nos. 2020-20 through 2020-23 in Connection with the COVID-19 Pandemic Emergency (CA) (8454)

Robert Norse provided some additions to this notice.