Plans for a managed encampment for people without shelter inched forward Tuesday, as Longview City Council agreed to work with Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners to expand a draft plan.
This is the first joint step forward after the ad hoc committee formed last December to identify a potential site for a hosted encampment disbanded in June.
After two-and-a-half hours of discussion and some public comment, the council came to a general consensus to move forward with developing the plan and giving the county staff a list of priorities, while acknowledging the potential camp wonât fix every problem.
âI know there are people that have some questions, and weâre not going to be able to solve every problem with this approach, and I agree, itâs a complicated problem,â said Longview Councilmember Ruth Kendall. âIf thereâs anything Iâve learned in past year ⦠there is no easy answer. it is a hard problem, but we donât make progress withou
A cross section of local leaders and elected officials interviewed by The Daily News this week about the decisions by two Longview restaurants to reopen for indoor dining â defying public health orders â yielded a wide range of opinions, from endorsements to warnings.
The officialsâ reactions mirrored the broad range of opinions in comments on Facebook, where the restaurants had first announced last weekend they would defy the orders of Gov. Jay Inslee banning indoor dining to slow the growing number of COVID-19 cases in the state.
The restaurants, Stuffyâs II Restaurant and Oregon Way Tavern, risk fines up to nearly $10,000 per day.