Los Altos council adopts ordinance to regulate camping and storage of personal property in public areas

Los Altos City Council voted 3–1 on April 14 to adopt by title and waive first reading of a new municipal chapter that establishes rules for camping and for the storage of personal property in public areas, emphasizing outreach and safe-storage procedures while retaining a misdemeanor provision for willful obstruction of enforcement.

The measure, introduced by Development Services Director Stephanie Williams, creates a framework requiring outreach and coordination with county service providers before enforcement, notification procedures with at least 48 hours’ posted notice, and a process for safe storage of personal property with a retrieval period (staff said storage would be available up to 90 days). Williams told the council the ordinance was informed by a state model ordinance and the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision addressing local authority to regulate camping; staff noted regional partners, including the County Office of Supportive Housing and local nonprofits, are already engaged with the Fremont Avenue encampment.

The ordinance drew sustained questions from council members about how it would affect vehicular dwellers, what resources exist to offer alternatives to people living outdoors, and whether the city has capacity to deliver meaningful outreach. Councilmember Weinberg warned the council against effectively criminalizing homelessness and asked how the city could ensure people have viable, lawful alternatives; Williams replied that the city relies on county service providers for shelter referrals and that the ordinance distinguishes camping from lawful vehicle parking. After discussion, staff and council agreed to amend the campsite definition to exclude vehicles that are in compliance with Los Altos’ parking regulations.

Public commenters included Julia Rapoza, who identified herself as a vehicle dweller, urging the council to include lived-experience voices and focus groups; Gabriel Lomas, a policy aide for County Board President Otto Lee, read a statement from the supervisor’s office opposing ordinances that would risk arresting unhoused residents; and multiple residents urged more interim services such as motel vouchers, safe-parking programs, and portable sanitation. “I’ve been homeless since 2021,” vehicle dweller Julia Rapoza said in public comment, urging greater outreach and follow-through from service providers.

Mayor Meadows and other members emphasized that the ordinance is intended as a tool paired with outreach, not an immediate punitive sweep. The ordinance retains a criminal penalty where a person willfully resists, delays or obstructs a city employee enforcing the chapter (the chapter otherwise allows infractions or administrative citations). The motion to adopt by title and waive first reading, as amended, passed with Councilmember Daley voting no and Councilmembers Weinberg, Vice Mayor Liang and Mayor Meadows voting yes. The council found the action categorically exempt from CEQA.

Next steps: staff will finalize ordinary-adoption paperwork and will continue coordination with the County Office of Supportive Housing on outreach to the Fremont Avenue encampment; the council directed staff to incorporate the agreed language change regarding vehicles and to continue work on operational supports discussed during the meeting.