Public Safety Around Woodburn Elementary School, Camas, WA.

Public Safety - a new approach 

WIDAC Target ZERO

Public safety is a function of Design, Awareness, Visibility and  Engagement (DAVE, where Visibility includes motorists' road, pedestrian and signage, visibility and law enforcement forcement personnel.

A Personal Safety Toolkit- Portland Bureau of Transportation (PBOT) 

Personal Safety Toolkit,  provides 14 ways that PBOT, government agencies, and community-based organizations can improve community members’ experience of safety and sense of belonging while traveling along Portland streets and being in public spaces. 

City of Vancouver Public Safety Analysis 

City of Vancouver Transportation System Plan

Roundabouts reduce injury crashes by 75 percent at intersections where stop signs or traffic signals were previously used for traffic control.

Roundabouts reduce injury crashes- the Washougal sign didn't survive

The Windust Meadows Community - homes built around the Woodburn Elementary School, grew at a very rapid pace, now housing around 1000 residents.  The Community has already witnessed at least six traffic accidents. In one case the fences of two homes were destroyed, but luckily no fatalities were reported - cause appears to be Speeding and DUI. There were three other DUIs, one crash due to cell phone use and on speeding:

Motorized scooters plus bikes don't mix well with DUI, distracted or speeding drivers.

Number of reported traffic crashes by year

2019 - 2

2020 - 3

2022 - 1

The community also experienced a federal crime - USPO mail boxes defaced, as well as graffiti and speeding vehicles. Yet the City gets a failing grade: a blasè attitude towards public safety, a culture of passing the buck and obvious lack of a closed loop corrective action process.

Roundabout design coming to SR 503 is classic - similar to Roundabout design in Kota, India - nothing like the Lacamas Park Roundabout  -

Roundabout design in Kota, India 

The Lacamas Lake Roundabout Design violates the first law of Roundabouts: Though shall only move counterclockwise direction.

Lacamas Lake Roundabout: Building a better mouse trap

Signage is for typical roundabout - but you have to go left 

Lacamas Roundabout Signage Obsttuction 

While an animal control has been seen around the community, even at the peak of the Coronavirus pandemic, no proactive Camas police has been reported.

There are a number of issues the City of Camas is ignoring:
[ ] Shoddy workmanship
[ ] Poor engineering practices
[ ] Public Works don't work: Trees obstructing traffic control signage, for example.
[ ] Lack of planning/communication with the community
[ ] No visible law enforcement, other than animal control
[ ] Bureaucratic red-tape

One no-parking sign to cover 450 ft. obstructed by vegetation is not sufficient to warn motorists 

Sign Obstruction

No parking on opposite side of mail boxes is counterintuitive  - dumb, really 

Stop for pedestrian sign obstructed

Washington State Traffic Control Signage Requirements 

 WAC 308-61-145 describes effective signage. Effective signing is the primary method to provide regulatory, warning, and guidance

information to transportation system users (motorized vehicles, pedestrians, and bicyclists).
Signing that is clear, concise, and accurate supports safe behaviors and safe operation, legal,
and orderly travel on public roadways and transportation facilities. Sign use must be limited
and conservative since signs can lose their effectiveness when used to excess. Signs are not
typically used to confirm Rules of the Road.
This chapter contains information about signing on the 

WAC 308-61-145 specifies signage in private and public places:

(1) Signs must measure at least 15" by 24" and the lettering thereon must be clearly visible to all who park.

(2) Signs for publicly owned or controlled parking facilities need to disclose that unauthorized vehicles will be impounded and must also disclose a phone number for redeeming a vehicle. If a registered tow truck operator is used, the signs must meet the same requirements as in the posting of private nonresidential property

RCW 46.55.070 further states:

(1) No person may impound, tow, or otherwise disturb any unauthorized vehicle standing on nonresidential private property or in a public parking facility for less than twenty-four hours unless a sign is posted near each entrance and on the property in a clearly conspicuous and visible location to all who park on such property that clearly indicates:

(a) The times a vehicle may be impounded as an unauthorized vehicle; and

(b) The name, telephone number, and address of the towing firm where the vehicle may be redeemed.

(2) The requirements of subsection (1) of this section do not apply to residential property. Any person having charge of such property may have an unauthorized vehicle impounded immediately upon giving written authorization.

(3) The department shall adopt rules relating to the size of the sign required by subsection (1) of this section, its lettering, placement, and the number required.

(4) This section applies to all new signs erected after July 1, 1986. All other signs must meet these requirements by July 1, 1989.

I've been in touch with Camas Code Enforcement.  Due to limited resources, the department can only respond to specific cases, as opposed to the entire community.  So far I have reported signage at the intersection of Woodburn and Tanoak.

Windust Meadows HOA Parking Enforcement 

Compounding the problem, is the Windust Meadows HOA Board of Directors, selectively (Washington State Revised Code Section 64.38.030,  Chapter 49.60 RCW ) enforcing a no-parking policy, pitting neighbor-against-neighbor, but also penalizing a homeowner even when the homeowner is not the registered owner of the illigaly parked vehicle.  The HOA board could instead rely on a proactive Camas Police Parking Enforcement, for example.

Washington State Vehicle Registration 

Washington law, (WAC 132N-156 Rules) states registered owner responsibility for illegal parking: "Every person in whose name a vehicle is registered (licensed) shall be responsible for any parking of said vehicle and for all offenses, other than moving violations, under these regulations. It shall be no defense that said vehicle was illegally parked or used by another, unless it is clearly established that at such time said vehicle was being used without the consent of the registered owner."

Windust Meadows HOA Missing Signage

Overflow parking areas lack proper signage:  is it common property or is it public property? 

Clark County Parking Problem Resolution 

Clark County provides a common sense approach to solving parking issues: "Many parking issues can be resolved through courteous discussions with your neighbors.

Community Mediation Services also can be helpful in resolving neighborhood parking disputes."

City of Camas Parking Enforcement 

Whereas the City of Camas assumes jurisdiction for parking enforcement through Parking enforcement officers to:

• Promote vitality in the business areas through timed parking enforcement

• Respond to neighborhood issues forwarded through the CamasConnect app

• Respond to complaints received from the police department's non-emergency number, 360-834-4151

Way Forward?

I've been in touch with the Camas Police Department and it has assured me the Windust Meadows  inconsistent no-parking enforcement is a civil issue. Given the inadequate signage and selective enforcement, it's a clear recipe for unnecessary litigation.

Way forward? Since local authorities are not able to help resolve the issue a possible next step is to contact Washington State Human Rights Commission, or perhaps remove problematic board members WUC 64.90.520,  64.38.025 and Section 64.34.308 

 

RELATED

Portland's VisionZero turns into Vision180:  when the city says something, then does the opposite.

 (KOIN) — Street racers who took over an intersection not far from Portland International Airport also peppered gunfire and launched fireworks.

ORLive - Dozens of people ransack NW Portland warehouse after

Shannon Clark, 

posted a ‘free’ sign outside.  Clark arrested on aggravated burglary.  Prosecutors declined to file charges.

Compare to what Portland Bureau of Transportation' Vision Zero say to BAG Index

https://cotobuzz.blogspot.com/2024/06/belief-action-gap-index.html

https://www.conservativedailynews.com/2024/06/saint-thomas-mores-zero-bag-index-the-legal-profession/

HOA Resources

The Neighborhood Outreach program does not keep records on Home Owners Associations and cannot offer advice or legal assistance regarding HOAs or CC&Rs. If you need a copy of your CC&Rs, contact your HOA board or property management company, or you can contact the County Auditor's Recording division at 564.397.2208 or email your request to recording@clark.wa.gov.

For more information on your property, you can also go to Clark County's website: Property Information Center and type in your address. After you've typed in your address, click on the "Search" button. A new page will pop up titled "Clark County Property Information Account Summary" with information on your property. Your neighborhood will be listed under "Administrative Data" on the left hand side of the page. You can view a map of Clark County with all of the neighborhood boundaries here. 

Clark County District Court

Traffic Infractions

RCW 64.38.20 Prescribes the powers delegated to the HOA 

 RCW 46.61.570 Prescribes Stopping, standing, or parking prohibited in specified places—Reserving portion of highway prohibited.

WAC 132N-156  Rules deals with Parking and traffic rules and regulations and mentions the security and safety department personnel and specifically states Registered owner responsibility for illegal parking.

Every person in whose name a vehicle is registered (licensed) shall be responsible for any parking of said vehicle and for all offenses, other than moving violations, under these regulations. It shall be no defense that said vehicle was illegally parked or used by another, unless it is clearly established that at such time said vehicle was being used without the consent of the registered owner

City of Camas Parking Enforcement 

• Promote vitality in the business areas through timed parking enforcement

• Respond to neighborhood issues 
Parking Enforcement

Homeowners Protection Bureau, LLC (HOPB), is a private organization specifically designed to help educate and support owners of properties governed by condominium, cooperative, and homeowners’ associations (HOAs)

Other Resources

Report Parking Violations

The City of Camas assumes jurisdiction for parking enforcement within the city through Parking Enforcement Officers to;

Promote vitality in the business areas through timed parking enforcement

Respond to neighborhood issues forwarded through the CamasConnect app

Respond to complaints received from the police department's non-emergency number, 360-834-4151

The city also has a mechanism in place via a Service Request using it's CamasConnect app

About

Windust Meadows is a secluded community, surrounded by the Lacamas Lake, neighborhood trails to Round Lake, Woodburn Elementary and Camas High Schools,  located in the City of Camas. Camas is a small city nestled in Washington's Clark County ia among Money's 2024 rankings of the 50 Best Places to Live in the U.S.

This site is for informational purposes owned and published by Joseph Lewis Aguirre - Contact: info@windustmeadows.com

Opinions expressed herein are strictly personal 

Announcements

 Announcements contained herein are intended to be faithful to those announced by the Windust Meadows Homeowners Association's board of directors, unless noted otherwise.  Those are intended to be Public Service Announcements.

Board Meeting Scheduled for June 4, 2024 @ 6:00 pm.   

Issues not on the agenda.

A. Branding - adopt mission statement, vote on official (TM) logo, use logo on correspondence, headstones, etc.

B.  Neighborly cooperation- seek out other associations in the community to share best practices, develop civic pride in the community and maintain uniformity - even with gated community.

PSA: Be a Responsible Neighbor 

Don't Litter and if you are a Pet Owner, pick up your pet's poo. Leaving poo bags for someone else to pick up is NOT being responsible.

If you see an orphan poo bag, pay it forward and adopt it.

The pet owner is responsible for picking up poo and/or poo bags in common areas. The Windust Meadows HOA pays to maintain two dog doo stations, but not to pick up trash

15-20 pounds of garbage, mostly dog poop left in doggie bags around Oriole and Woodburn

I collected this garbage during out daily walk around the neighborhood, days after the landscapers mowed the common areas.

Leaving your dog poop in doggie bags is NOT being responsible 

PSA: Planning for Overflow parking during holidays and or family gatherings.

If parking is an issue now, it will get worse during the holidays.  Illegal parking during holidays is seen as a normal occurrence, which leads to some residents assume illegal parking at times other than holidays is OK. It's not for public safety reasons:  in addition to interfering with emergency vehicles, puts children's safety at risk due to limited visibility.

Please plan accordingly.


1.  Park in the overflow parking - which is often not sufficient

2.  Park in Woodburn Elementary or Camas High School's school parking lots - these are government property and unless fenced in, people can park there.

3. Coordinate with your guests.  You could organize a shuttle service to an from your house.

Parking Enforcement Reminders

Dear Windust Meadows owners and residents,

 Due to continued parking issues, owners are reminded of the following rules and enforcement thereof:



• Cars may be parked in your garage, driveway, street, or overflow/guest parking spaces. 


• There are portions of the public streets that are designated as No Parking zones by the City of Camas, and there are only a small number of overflow/guest parking spaces available. 


• Any vehicles, including those of your guests, parked in the “no parking” areas are subject to fines to the owner of the home.  Fines imposed for parking issues will not be up for consideration to be removed.

Please be aware that the "no parking" designated areas in Windust Meadows are per Camas Washington Ordinance 17.19.040 - Infrastructure standards following the recommendations outlined in table 17.19.040-2 Minimum Public Street Standards. This meets the access requirements for recycle service, garbage service, and most importantly emergency vehicles.

If you have any questions, please let Management know: lorie@bluemountaincommunity.com .

 

Board of Directors Meeting Reports

 

Emergency Contacts

Fire and EMS Contact Information

Dial 911 for
all emergencies



Stations 41, 42 & 43
360-834-2262
Fire@cityofcamas.us

Fire Marshal's Office
360-834-6191
FMO@cityofcamas.us

Office Hours:
Monday - Friday
8:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.
excluding holidays

Station 41
616 NE 4th Avenue
Camas, WA 98607

Station 42
4321 NW Parker Street
Camas, WA 98607

Station 43
1400 A Street
Washougal, WA 9867