Commission hears concerns about E. coli at outfalls and staff outlines RVs/public-health workshop

A commissioner raised repeated volunteer monitoring results showing elevated E. coli at several outfalls and urged immediate attention to public-health risks tied to RVs and informal camping. The commissioner said monitoring groups have reported high E. coli "not a month has gone by in the last 6 to 8 months that the E. coli has not been high."

Staff acknowledged the concern and said the city will address the subject in a workshop that will include presentations from parks staff, police, and a wastewater/stormwater expert (Kendall Sullivan) where staff will explain monitoring, reporting, cleanup costs and potential short- and long-term responses. Sabrina said the issue intersects with unhoused-community concerns and that cleanup requires specialized contractors, which increases city costs.

Staff also described an RV ordinance under consideration after incidents where waste from an RV was discharged into the water. The council has postponed action to hold another workshop, collect public comments, and review policies used in other cities. The additional workshop is expected at the end of the month, with possible action before the council's early-June meeting. "Both of these items are concerns, but we want to address them in different ways," Sabrina said.

The commission did not take formal action but scheduled a presentation and follow-up briefing to give commissioners and the public a deeper understanding of the monitoring results and potential responses.