Usually the best part of working in local news is knowing that we at Tri-City Voice, and Weeklys as a whole, aren’t doing a BS job—a job that has no tangible outcome and merely exists so someone can draw a paycheck. Every day, we get to celebrate the local community, uplift the voices of our neighbors, and connect people with information that directly affects their lives.
However, because we have real responsibility to the community, that means we can’t only report on the fun stories. No community is all harmony, and the Tri-Cities are no exception.
In this week’s issue, we covered the most recent Fremont City Council meeting and the vote to pass the hotly contested “camping ban” ordinance. While many community members came out to protest the ban, six of seven city council members held firm in their decision to pass it.
While some Fremonters agree that the ordinance can make public spaces safer, others say the ordinance goes against the city’s compassionate identity (as shown by local services like Abode). Others are simply confused by the language of “aiding and abetting” and doubtful of assurances that the stricter laws won’t lead to sweeps.
Three years ago, in our first issue of 2022, this paper ran a light resident-submitted story about a community member’s efforts to build portable platforms that the homeless could use to raise their tents above muddy ground and stay dry in a rainy winter. Home Depot even donated supplies to the project.
It looks like this is what the ban now prohibits—it’s overtly helping people to camp in public parks, and abandoned wooden platforms could be a fire hazard. So the old story is also part of this one, either to contradict claims that no one would help homeless build structures, or to highlight the changes in public perception that take place in just a few years.
The camping ban ordinance will take effect in 30 days, and then the story will continue. While it’s not a “fun” story to keep up with, it is part of the Tri-City community news cycle, so we follow it too.
