While allowing the encampment on Binford Rd to spew toxic waste into the wetlands which leads directly to the Bay and Pacific Ocean –
A three-year campaign, known as the “Cleaner California Coast” initiative, seeks to expand the “leave-no-trace” message often used at national and state parks to all coastal areas of Marin, Sonoma and Mendocino counties.
I have received many inquiries about the vehicle encampment on Binford Road in Novato.
Since taking office in January, I have been to Binford Road weekly. I have spent the past several months meeting with unhoused residents, community members, adjacent businesses, airport users, and county staff to explore opportunities to address community and environmental concerns, while working to connect unhoused residents with services and permanent housing.
It is clear to me from these meetings that we need more communication on this issue. I am committed to sharing information as it becomes available and will include a “Binford Bulletin” in upcoming newsletters as we have updates to share.
Actions we have taken:
Installed physical barriers in the vacant spaces on Binford, limiting the capacity of total vehicles. As individuals are housed or move on, additional barriers are installed to further reduce and limit the number of vehicles. As numbers decrease, we will begin additional efforts to limit parking near the water.
The Sheriff assigned a full-time Homeless Liaison focused primarily on Binford Road. Several abandoned vehicles have been removed, and this effort is ongoing.
Expanded outreach presence on Binford. Outreach workers visit Binford weekly with the goal of connecting people with services including employment, social services, mental health and/or substance abuse and are working to get residents on a pathway to permanent housing. Additionally, we added a monthly service fair on Binford to offer these connections and additional services.
Approved hiring a full time, senior social service worker who will coordinate staff, programs, and essential services for unhoused individuals, primarily focused on the Binford encampment. The hiring process is underway.
Added Binford Road to the County’s Data Dashboard that tracks homelessness statistics including the number of individuals and vehicles on Binford, as well as the number of people that have been housed.
In June, the County was awarded $1.6 million in Encampment Resolution Funding from the State for the Binford encampment. Several County departments have been working to create a coordinated action plan to use these funds to connect residents to permanent supportive housing while also reducing the encampment’s environmental impacts. The plan is scheduled to be presented to the Board of Supervisors on August 22.The meeting is open to the public, and I encourage your participation and comments. Please double check the meeting agenda as we get closer to the date to ensure this item has not been moved to a different date (agendas are posted the Thursday afternoon before our Tuesday meetings).
This funding and corresponding plan mark a critical next step in getting our unhoused residents on a path towards housing with additional outreach workers, case management, housing vouchers, and rapid rehousing options (such as first-month’s rent, move-in costs, or a security deposit to quickly house someone) – as well as help to address many of the community concerns that have been raised.
This is a complex and complicated issue, and we still have a lot of work to do. As we move forward, my approach will continue to focus on treating people with dignity and respect. Our end-goal is to move people into permanent supportive housing. I understand there are differing views and opinions, and I want to continue to hear from you and work with you. I welcome your suggestions, concerns, and willingness to be part of the solution.
Well, week after week after week I see the crime report of assaults, vandalism and theft on Binford Road. It appears, since you and I talked, nothing has changed.
You and I discussed requiring people to not have anything hanging around outside the RVs. There is still lots of material outside the RVs.
You told me contact was going to be made with local RV parks about having some people going there and the county paying six months rent for them. Has that happened?
I was saddened to see the article on the dogs being chained up out there.
It really seems that the County is just waiting for the problem to disappear or that those who want new locations for the unhoused, and for the environmental issues to be taken care of, will go away and forget about this. I don’t believe that will happen.
What are the concrete plans at this time for the RV’ers to be relocated?
What are the plans to not let the marsh get more environmentally damaged?
What are the plans to take care of the dogs that are chained up or allowed to run loose?
All dogs on the Rush Creek trail have to be leashed, and if not oftentimes MCOS is out there giving tickets.
From: Toni Shroyer Date: Fri, Jul 21, 2023 at 10:22 PM Subject: Animal neglect etc on Binford Rd This evening 7.21.2023 To: [email protected] <[email protected]>
Dear Mr. Stapp,
Below are the three photos I texted you tonight about the ongoing abuse/neglect of animals on Binford Rd Novato. The MHS station for free vaccinations etc. each month is nice, but MHS needs to do the uncomfortable work that is desperately needed on Binford Rd to stop animal neglect/abuse. Each vehicle should be looked in and searched for animal welfare. If the resident is on parole, which I am told many are, this can be done with the MCSD.
I would like to thank Bridgette from your office who was able to confiscate the exotic birds that were in a camper in the scorching heat earlier this month after I reported it to the MHS for the second time. The inhabitable filthy, squalor-like trailer that held the birds, while they were in your care, was towed. Now the man who owned the birds either has the same birds that the MHS had OR he got new ones. I believe they are the same birds. They have no shelter, no awning to protect them from the heat or have air conditioning and I could not determine if they had water or food. This man has so much hoarding in his car that I am told he is being bitten by rats while he sleeps in his vehicle. Rats come out in the evening in the road where they look like leaves in the dark from his hoarding/junk pile on the wetlands. The “bird man” will drive his black suburban full of debris while rat urine stench permeates the air. The county is allowing this man to live in filth, squalor and inhumane conditions. I feel so badly for him and his birds. The Board of Supervisors know this man is being attacked by rats, yet they allowing his living conditions.
Earlier this year a small dog was weaving in and out of traffic on Binford Rd and was brought into MHS for safety by a friend. It just keeps going….
The second photo is of the dog who is tied to the bread truck (Colorado Plates) every time I drive down Binford Rd. This poor dog has been tied out in the rain earlier this year and has crawled under the bread truck for weeks trying to get shade. I have photo documented all of it. I have called MHS three times this year and was told the dog “was fine.” Today, Deputy Russo told me it is against the law to tie a dog to an object.
The third photo is of two dogs charging cars, teeth barred, as vehicles drive down the 55-mph road. The black dog is off leash, and the skinny and underfed German Shepherd was tied to a vehicle, unattended, where he/she could run into the road. My friend called over the weekend to MHS about the skinny German Shephard. He’s still on Binford.
Every level of our government, except for the MCSD, has failed the people, the environment/wetlands and the animals on Binford Road.
My family and I have adopted and rescued animals no one would take. I am truly an animal lover. I am a member of PETA and will be calling them on Monday to see how they can help with the situation on Binford Rd as I don’t feel MHS is adequately addressing the problem. I am tired of calling and emailing MHS about Binford Rd. PETA is great with media coverage and protests. Perhaps before that happens, we can all have a plan of action on how to better help the animals on Binford Road. Again, I appreciate your monthly Thursday services for Binford Rd residents, but there is much more to be done by the MHS for animal welfare.
On a positive note, Deputy Russo is very kind and professional when I called tonight about my complete frustrations and concerns about the birds who have been gasping for air and chirping madly in distress being tossed back on Binford Rd in inhuman and vile conditions.
I am hopeful you will confiscate the birds again—I will find them homes so they won’t go back to Binford AGAIN– and you will confiscate the dog tied to the bread truck (what a horrible life) and remove the two dogs who are running into the road— so they don’t get violently killed and flattened by a car driving 55 mph or more. Please see that the German Shepherd is fed.
I am also here to help. My family has trucks, and we can load animals to safety.
