Crews work to clear Fresno County encampment on private property

FRESNO COUNTY, Calif. (KFSN) -- Contracted crews worked to wide a ample Fresno County stateless encampment connected Friday. Bulldozers rolled in, workers removed trash, and region officials were determination to connection resources.

"It was a beauteous well-established encampment," Deputy County Administrative Officer Amina Flores-Becker said.

Officials accidental the encampment has housed astir 25 radical astatine the country of North and Willow Avenues for much than 5 years.

The removal comes 1 week aft Fresno County's amerciable camping ordinance took effect. The ordinance prohibits radical from obstructing nationalist access, specified arsenic a walkway oregon road. Violators could look a good oregon adjacent jailhouse time.

County officials archer Action News they are not utilizing the caller region ordinance that went into effect to wide the encampment due to the fact that it is connected backstage property.

"The backstage spot proprietor is liable for cleanup, and we enactment with sheriff's presence, sheriff's noticing of the encampment astir 7 days before, and outreach also," Flores-Becker said.

She says 13 radical astatine the encampment accepted a impermanent motel voucher, and they near with their belongings. Officials helped link the remainder with household oregon services, but 3 oregon 4 remained erstwhile Action News was there.

"It's not arsenic elemental arsenic it is conscionable to enactment idiosyncratic successful a lodging community," stateless and intelligence wellness advocator Gordie Ochinero-Bermudez said. "You person radical who conflict with being astir different individuals (and) who person gotten utilized to conscionable being connected their own."

Flores-Becker says the encampment residents were cooperative and volunteered to permission arsenic crews removed the trash and belongings they nary longer wanted.

"They weren't combative astatine all," she said. "I observed respective individuals thanking america for conscionable allowing them to get their gatherings."

Although region officials did not person to usage the caller ordinance to wide the encampment, they accidental they are prepared to bash truthful with different encampments connected region property.

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