Accusations of out of town sex offenders using facility surface
BY ALEX CANTATORE
Staff Reporter
In a unanimous decision, the Turlock City Council upheld the July 3 Planning Commission decision to deny a Conditional Use Permit to the proposed 501 South Walnut shelter. As a result, The City of Turlock now finds itself with no firm plans for an Emergency Cold Weather Homeless Shelter come Dec. 1.
The 5,000 square foot facility, proposed to replace the 400 B Street shelter that had been deemed unsafe for residence, was projected to house 70 homeless from 6 p.m. to 9 a.m. each night from Dec. 1 to March 31.
The Planning Commission had initially made the decision to deny the CUP based upon the adverse affects to abutting properties and the inability of nearby streets to safely transport the bicycle and pedestrian traffic that would be generated by the shelter.
Over an hour of public comment was heard at Tuesday evening’s City Council meeting, elaborating the various reasons why the findings necessary for a CUP should not be found, including various claims of cries of safety and nuisance. While these impassioned pleas, played a definite part in the City Council decision, several other issues came to light that had not been heard in previous meetings.
When time came for council comment, it came out that State parole officers out of the Modesto office had used the 400 B Street shelter to house convicted sex offenders as they were released on parole, without the knowledge of the City of Turlock.
An unknown number of convicted sex offender parolees were housed in the 400 B Street shelter between December of 2007 and January of 2008. At the direction of parole officers, these parolees each stayed for less than five days to avoid forced city notification of their presence.
“Turlock currently only has seven registered sex offenders who are homeless,” said Turlock Police Chief Gary Hampton. “We know of two who used the shelter, neither one has any clauses (restricting them from using the shelter), and neither one is on probation or parole. We are well aware where the other five are.”
In Turlock, there are a total of 109 registered sex offenders. Additionally, there are 210 individuals who are actively on state parole.
Since learning what occurred in December and January, Chief Hampton has been in contact with the parole office and earned assurances that, while a Turlock shelter would not be used as an overflow facility in the future without notification, a city homeless shelter is a public facility that would be available to them.
“Bottom line, there are more parolees here than they can get their hands around,” said Councilman Ted Howze. “It is a public facility, and they will use it.”
As many as 45,000 additional parolees could be released in the next 12 to 18 months as a result of State budget cuts and the inability of the prison health system to meet required levels of care with the amount of overcrowding in California’s prisons.
In addition to the use of the shelter to house ex-convicts, it came to light that a member of City staff at one time forged documents to claim that 400 B Street was fire safe, and that the advice the City once received about the declaration of a shelter emergency negating any City liability should someone be hurt was incorrect.
Following the decision to deny the CUP, discussion carried over into a later action item to sell the building at 400 B Street.
Councilmembers Howze and Kurt Spycher, who voiced their complete opposition to the City operating a shelter this fall, voted for the sale of the shelter at a minimum price of $300,000. The other three councilmembers, including Mayor John Lazar who joined the meeting via teleconference, voted to hold on to the ex-shelter, at least for the short term.
The City will now investigate options such as hotel vouchers, a tent city, and a property for lease at the corner of A and Broadway in addition to a complete remodel of the existing 400 B Street facility to compliance with modern residential standards.
To contact Alex Cantatore, e-mail acantatore@turlockjournal.com or call 634-9141 ext. 2005.
Originally published in the Turlock Journal 8/13/2008.
Retrieved from the Turlock Journal Web site.