SANTEESANTEE — Santee next month plans to begin punishing people who start fires by the riverbed, weeks after a new ordinance took effect that leaders hope will reduce the number of encampments in the East County city.
Starting May 15, citations will be issued to anyone along the corridor found with fire-starting equipment, trash that threatens local habitats or camping gear affecting the flow of water, according to City Attorney Shawn Hagerty.
The more aggressive approach is intended to come before the region’s vegetation, which has grown rapidly under heavy rains, dries out in the summer and increases the risk of fire.
“We want to get in there and address these activities before it’s too late,” Hagerty told the council Wednesday, stressing that the ordinance applies to anyone by the river. “It is not specific to any particular community.”
Leaders ed the ordinance in January and it took effect late February, part of an effort to sidestep limits set by a federal court on when cities can force people off public space.
Santee is currently trying to spread the word about the rules. In addition to press releases and social media posts, about two dozen signs are planned for the San Diego River and Forester Creek that warn, “No Fire,” “No Fire Ignition” and “No Pollution,” city records show.
Council asked staffers to set up even more.
The ordinance also bans “camping” along the river “while using or possessing a Competent Ignition Source.”
Officials have said more than 200 fires have been reported since September 2020, and leaders have placed much of the blame on the 100-plus people estimated to live along the corridor.
The head of the local sheriff’s station said earlier this year that the department would not be heading into the riverbed to force a mass evacuation. If deputies encountered a violation, the offender would be given a misdemeanor citation, which comes with a court date, according to Capt. Michael McNeill. Not showing up could lead to an arrest warrant.
Homeless advocates have previously worried the measure will only move people around without addressing the core issues that lead people to sleep outside. When San Diego police recently forced some people from downtown streets ahead of the Padres’ opening day, the head of East County’s only shelter saw a surge of new faces.
At the same time, others have pointed out that fires and pollution endanger everybody, including the homeless.
Mayor John Minto, who was absent during Wednesday’s meeting, previously said the move “does not punish somebody for being homeless” but “gives us the ability to protect our communities.”
