Sonoma Council OK’s safe parking program trial

With a 3-2 vote, the Sonoma City Council tentatively approved a compromise plan to allow five City lot parking spaces to be used by homeless people for overnight parking between 9 p.m. to 7 a.m., November through May. An employee of the nearby Haven homeless shelter will be responsible for screening and monitoring the participants.

Sonoma Overnight Support had asked for the five spaces to be in front of the Haven in the First Street West lot it shares with the Police Department. Instead, the council directed that the five spaces be in less conspicuous area of the lot, which also serves the baseball fields and the dog park.

The probable location is on the south side of the police building, which also houses the Council chambers, a.k.a. the Community Meeting Room.

Kathy King, SOS executive director, said although the program was “a band-aid” on a much bigger problem, it was a huge step for the City County to acknowledge “there is a homeless crisis and yes, we have to do something.”

Councilmembers Madolyn Agrimonti, Rachel Hundley and Laurie Gallian voted in favor of directing city staff for more detailed plan. David Cook and Gary Edwards, who felt the problem should be dealt with by church group at the county level, voted against it.

King stressed that the homeless living at the shelter, or in their cars on Sonoma streets, have low-paying jobs but can’t afford rent. “They’re not driving here,” King said. “They’re from Sonoma. They’re people’s sisters, brothers and cousins.”