Abilene City Council to vote on new dog park that could displace homeless encampment

The City Council is expected to vote Thursday on construction for a nearly $1 million dog park to be sited behind the new animal services facility.

In a media briefing Monday, however, concerns were raised over a homeless encampment that resides in the new location chosen for Camp Barkeley Dog Park.

Will the city shut down the homeless encampment when construction begins, and where will the residents go?

'A balancing act'

This extensive project will include separate large and small dog fenced areas, two covered pavilions with seating, fountains for both areas, bathroom facilities and a parking lot, Director of Parks and Recreation Lesli Andrews said Monday.

She also noted that the new dog park will cost approximately $959,250 and should take about 150 days to complete once construction begins.

According to the city council agenda packet, those funds will come from the Minor Improvement Fund.

The project will cover six acres on the west side of the creek within Cal Young Park, Andrews said.

When a question arose during the media briefing about whether Andrews has concerns about building in that direction due to the homeless encampment, she looked surprised and did not immediately answer.

City Manager Robert Hanna then came to the podium to address those concerns, saying it would be out of the scope of Andrews' duties to reply as the parks director.

Hanna said the city has notified those living in the camps and is monitoring the situation. He said the camp is "unsanitary," and "some bad things can happen" there.

Hanna said the city is just trying to keep citizens safe while also working with the West Texas Homeless Network to find new housing for those in the encampment.

Overall, he said that while it can be uncomfortable for everybody, "it's a balancing act."

There was no mention of when the residents of the homeless encampment could be forced out if the Abilene City Council allows construction to begin on the new dog park.

Texas law likely forces city's hand

Whether or not city officials wants to enforce the removal of the homeless encampment, their hands are likely tied.

When House Bill 1925 was signed by Gov. Greg Abbott in 2021, it made public camping illegal. It also made camping in a public space a class C misdemeanor by amending the Texas Penal Code.

"The maximum is $500 fine unless otherwise designated in the statute," Taylor County Assistant District Attorney Erin Stamey said.

Stamey noted that class C misdemeanors carry no term of imprisonment.

There was also a provision in the bill that would deny state grant funds to any cities or entities refusing to enforce it or intentionally violating that policy.

The bill went into effect Sept. 1, 2021.

The city of Abilene appears to be bound to abide by that law to continue receiving state grant funds.

The Reporter-News asked the Abilene Police Department if officers would enforce the bill and hand out misdemeanor tickets to the encampment's inhabitants.

"The Abilene Police Department will work to relocate any encampments via the West Texas Homeless Network," APD Public Information Coordinator Rick Tomlin said. "APD's goal is to encourage any transients in the area to voluntarily move to another location. Citations would be the last option."

Homeless numbers on the rise

While California accounts for nearly one-third of the U.S. population of homeless, Texas ranks fifth, according to U.S. News and World Report. As of May 15, Texas has approximately 27,377 homeless people.

Texas falls behind the state of Washington on that list as the U.S. has experienced the highest level of homeless on record since reporting began in 2007 — "a more than 12% increase from 2020."

In any case, the question remains, where will the residents of the homeless encampment go?

Abilene has few options for homeless shelters to include the Salvation Army and Abilene Hope Haven. Other organizations such as City Lights, BOBS Breakfast on Beech Street and Love and Care Ministries will feed the homeless but do not provide shelter.

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