Colin facilitator, Caleb co-facilitator
Becky: notetaker
?? stacker

Inspirational moment: Linda Lemaster

SC Eleven support Working Group report by Robert Norse:
Only 4 defendants left: Gabriella Ripley-Phipps, Brent Adams,
Cameron Laurendau & Franklin “Angel” Alcantara
Next trial date is not until August. Question for group
is do we pay $125 to bring webpage back to life?

Report on past resolution:
Becky: HSC Kris & Chris said they will issue receipts to anyone
who signs up for their waiting list, and have asked 4 our help
to supply the forms.

Proposals:
RN :public safety task force- median trespassing ordinance
is coming down the pike.

Campground??

Colin: go 2 Red Church, inform people to get on waiting list
and to ask for a receipt. Build pressure Over time
Coral: Motion to form new WG  2 get
Weekly event 2 get more ppl over 2 HSC 2 ask 4 receipts

Homeless Justice Working Group formed –1st meeting 5PM @ Red Church
coffeehous
Coral: align w FNB
FNB 2 City Council mtg.

(Woman) OSC supports FNB special event/feeding during week around social
justice issue
Motion by LL: OSC shall support and attend a 2nd FNB event/feeding TBA
sometime during
week. 2nded. passed.

Women from Occupy Monterey reports that their group is still holding regular
meetings,
and has taken on a homeless rights agenda

Colin:  Motion to 2 support Bradley Manning by planning a demo of support at
clock tower
3PM Sat. “I’ll be there with a sign. I hope more people come with signs”
2nded, passed.

Linda L: Motion to buy video camera/s 4 homeless people
Blocked by Freedom as waste of time & money

REPORT: 2 died @ Natural Bridges B/C someone assaulted them for their phones
1st mtg. 2 B @ Red Church Mon. May 20th @ 5PM

CC: will speak @ City Council and urges others to as well, and to watch what
council does and make reports
Coral: We need to open bathrooms in City
Becky: Motion, 2nd, passed:  Resolution: That the bathrooms at Kaiser
Permanente Arena Shall B opened
on a 24 hour basis due 2 lack of bathrooms downtown, and to avert a public
health crisis.

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

RN: AB 5 ACLU 2 discuss @ Mon. Night mtg. 7PM Mon Louden Nelson

Much support was felt at Occupy Santa Cruz’s general assembly on Sunday, April 22, 2013, for people who are homeless in Santa Cruz County.

People from the Visible Sleepers’ vigil at main Post Office plaza shared their experiences of police and ticketing and passers-by, so far. Now into day four.

They ask us for more support in terms of visiting, most especially early morning hours. Freedom said, “if you’re lonely or want company, any time, think of us.”

They literally have “no other place to be,” since getting raked out of a Pogonip sleep camp by City police.

Then, Santa Cruz Sanctuary Camp shared news of their great, fresh video created for the edification of the larger community and potential supporters. And planned community engagement goals. Brent Adams said they meet every Wednesday evening near Harvey West Park and are open to everyone who wants to help.

‘SCSanctuary …” has a FaceBook page and the video of same name, Santa Cruz Sanctuary Camp. Check it out!

Contact HUFF, (831) 423 – HUFF, to offer support if you cannot visit the sleepers directly. The have tickets and jail prospects. Where can they sleep TONITE that’s safer?

Last but maybe not least…

Homeless Persons Bill of Rights, action needed!

Keith McHenry, Becky Johnson and I shared news about Assembly Bill 5, brought by San Francisco’s Democrat Tom Ammiano. This Bill faces a Judicial Committee Tuesday.

Then, Occupy Santa Cruz’s general assembly consensed on the following position about this Bill:

OCCUPY SANTA CRUZ SUPPORTS THE ‘HOMELESS PERSONS BILL OF RIGHTS, also called AB 5, AMMIANO, AS IT I S CURRENTLY CONFIGURED.

We thank WRAP supporters in San Francisco for their incredible help with the bill’s outreach to homeless folks and the larger population.

We will do everything in our power to help Homeless Persons Bill of Rights to become law in California — to the extent it values and protects people who are or who become, homeless.

This Bill promises to decriminalize or neutralize many segregating rules and laws that were created (or selectively enforced) to control and ostracize homeless people.

For instance, if it passes without losing it’s teeth or guts, vehicle dwellers will be permitted to sleep in their wheeled homes 24/7, as long as they ‘behave’ and their wheels are legal. (Imagine – just like a housed adult can, now.)

The Bill also promises Hygiene Centers (water, etc.!) built to state specs a d funded by Calidornia.

If it is passed, the Lodging Law will again pertain to actual lodgers instead of the (current) opposite, and ordinances like the ugly City of Santa Cruz camping ban, 636.010, will presumably die.

I feel the Homeless Persons Bill of Rights is challenging the bigoted status quo and it’s supporters. I’m doubtful it can pass unless most of the people who are homeless find out and get behind it.

Pass it on!
On behalf of Occupy Santa Cruz and
Housing NOW! In Santa Cruz

lighthouse Linda

If the URL itself isn’t descriptive, add a line or two about the link.

Who has read this? Ideas we could begin to implement locally? I heard him speak (TV), agree with his analysis, …

I have been making choices that are perhaps management and perhaps policy – I removed from the calendar most of the non-local (Monterey, … ) and recurring events (SubRosa open mic … ) and have been including events about non-recurring food and housing as well as economics and River St. Sometimes I’ve added an event which might be an opportunity for visibility, leafleting (local government, court, … ).

Leslie and others have been uploading minutes of GA’s and work groups and I have been approving those.

One of the features of Facebook that I like is that it expands a web link into a part of the underlying page, an image, a headline. Can I do that here? What’s the underlying coding? Or in emails?

Sylvia

City council mtg. This Tues.

Keith McHenry coming April 14th

SC11 needs to meet, those interested should call

423-4833

… death statement has been posted online

with the notes for Feb 16th, 2013 GA

WORKING GROUP REPORTS

Sanctuary Camp. April 6th planning mtg.  Initial

mtg. will be held @ SubRosa Café 2 noon on Feb 27th

Discussion of possible sites:  Clock tower is proposed

Mar 21st- Gary Johnson appeal

for his “lodging” conviction will b held at 4PM dept. 5

: suggest Site next to county bldg.

: Get support from other cities,

:  plan 4 wen cops come

Necessity defense 4 homeless ppl only

: Sycamore grove location?

– video,4 homeless issues

– supports commercial

DISCUSSION: The need is clear–don’t need Support from r-wing groups

: make a flyer 4 outreach?

: make presentation 2 WILPF

: go 2 city council & give intention

: police Can decide 2 enforce any of a number of laws.

Ppl don’t want homeless here at All

: proposes meeting some city electeds

: right 2 not b hassled

-set up steering committee

will make flyer

: county bldg. prop & stand against drug war

: ppl need a safe place 2 B

180/180 no landlord is going 2 rent 2 inebriate

Flyer–

Working Group: on Wed.noon-Sub Rosa

Reaffirms Vote from Feb 16 to allocate: $50 for flyers

–Notes

Notes edited 4/4/2013 – per a request to remove one name, *all* names removed.

I want to try to tell my homeless neighbors up in the redwood forest here that they are not alone.  Not everyone wants them to disappear without a trace.  In my small circle of acquaintances in town, one had a family living in a motor home in their back yard, and another was helping his son “get back on his feet” after a car accident by having him live on his property in a small outbuilding.  We have folks who need a little help, and we have compassionate community members helping them by offering them a place to sleep at night.  We have church and community programs helping in organized programs as well.

Providers of homeless services have been promoting a new vision of service for the people that need the most help: permanent supportive housing for those chronic homeless, many of whom have untreated mental health issues or substance dependencies or both.  Many people support this model of providing help, but it is more expensive than another model that homeless advocates are now discussing.  If there were enough community support, either through charities, government, or private entrepreneurship, this community could house people in a campground where trash could be collected, sanitary facilities provided, and a sense of interdependency could be created, with peers helping peers.  Other communities have found that this helps people “get back on their feet.”

Currently, we have many paths leading nowhere.  People sleep in their cars.  People sleep in the woods.  Those who have drawn attention to the problem in creative non-violent political protest have been sent to jail or fined.  A fraction of the homeless population are sheltered at night in the city of Santa Cruz, another fraction in spare bedrooms and backyards all over the county.  The community can do better by coming together, finding those that agree with our project, creating new partnerships amongst those that are already caring for people in need, listening to our critical rivals, and finally by taking action.

Occupy Santa Cruz will be discussing a “Sanctuary Camp” this Saturday in front of the downtown Santa Cruz Post Office.  You may meet at 4 PM for a vegan meal shared by Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs, and stay for the General Assembly at 5:30 PM.  Decisions are made through a consensus process open to all.  I look forward to seeing you there.

Participants agree to meet for 90 minutes

Presentation of “Sanctuary Camp” as currently envisioned, including references to models that are WORKING in other communities.  Also known as “tent cities” (please add a link in comments section, to the facebook page where there is a community dialogue on this.  Thanks.  I wasn’t taking notes during that initial presentation.)

Discussion (sketches):

• Assertion of Right to Sleep
• Organize for an open dialogue with community at April 6 meeting
• Question: “Who is doing what?”
• Desire to discuss details such as “where” on April 6
• County Government is currently creating a plan for rehousing “early release” prisoners due to prison overcrowding issue
• Desire to see positive use of County funds allocated for Mental Health (could that go into supportive housing?  Could that go into community mental health workers, which might be useful for a community-based sanctuary camp project?)
• Need for discussion of “lessons learned” or best practices from previous camps, such as agreements around drug and alcohol use/non use in camp, responsibilities of campers, curfews, quiet hours, inclusion/exclusion of people (e.g. “locals only”), enforcement of camp rules (including relationship with law enforcement entities), how many people?
• Question: Is this two separate projects?  One short term, another long term?
• Expression of solidarity with fulfillment of immediate needs
• Restatement of desire to discuss details later
• Commitment from one activist to promoting April 6 meeting date by distributing flyers
• Discussion of what info might be on flyer: Gary Johnson court decision to come down March 21, 4 PM, “solidarity with prisoners” rally (also scheduled for April 6), Food Not Bombs meal, Sanctuary Camp Community Meeting
• Desire for next Working Group meeting to be at Louden Nelson (decision moved to end of meeting)
• Opening of discussion of this working group’s decision-making model, with differences outlined but not fully discussed: consensus model, majority vote, autonomy, “dictatorship” (discussion shut down by meeting facilitator… sorry, I didn’t feel we had the time and energy then, uncertain if there might be two working groups moving forward, such as one for camp planning and the other for PR campaign)
• Raising briefly issues of money for porta-potties, connecting with churches
• Ideas regarding “protest camp” versus “sanctuary camp” or is this a false dichotomy: permanent camps have arisen out of protests in the past…
• Need for health services to be provided, including mental health

NEXT STEPS

1. Next Meeting: the community is invited to the Post Office steps at 4 PM this Saturday, March 2, to informally discuss ideas, thoughts, hopes and dreams, campaign strategy, life, and everything over a delicious vegan meal to be provided weekly by Santa Cruz Food Not Bombs.  Occupy Santa Cruz General Assembly follows at 5:30 PM, where discussion and proposals can be decided through the consensus process of OSC.
2. Draft of publicity flyer to be submitted for approval of GA on Saturday (Thank you!)

Announcements:  

1. Topic of discussion for next Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Santa Cruz meeting will be 180/180 plan for housing the chronic homeless.  HUFF plans to flyer at the event.  Tuesday, Quaker Meeting House, check for time (7PM?)
2. Stop Keystone XL Pipeline of Canadian tar sands oil to the US!  National demonstration on global climate catastrophe.  Sunday, Feb 17, demos in SF and Monterey, noon-2PM. Carpools/caravan to SF available 10 AM at Scotts Valley transit center.
3. Presidents’ Day NO DRONES rally.  Santa Cruz, clocktower, 3-5PM.
4. Santa Cruz 11 Support.  Contact Robert
5. Occupy Movie Night/Open Mic.  Contact Raven