DeLand, FL – Volusia County Council has drawn a line in the sand when it comes to the homeless camped outside of the County Administration Building in Daytona Beach and the Safe Harbor shelter plan. Council today passed a motion asking County Manager Jim Dinneen to put together a short term and long term plan by the next council meeting on January 21. The motion approved unanimously by council sets a 60-day deadline for provisions that would include opening the Votran facility at night to allow access to restroom facilities to address the homeless now camped out outside the County Administration building at 250 Beach Street amid reports of people urinating and defecating outside that building.
Councilman Josh Wagner told the meeting that he would pull his support for Safe Harbor if there was no action within 60 days by the City of Daytona Beach to address the issue of the homeless camped outside the county building. That comes after restrooms on City Island were closed by the city last month.
Among the other items in the motion, working with the City of Daytona Beach to hammer out a contract similar to the SunRail agreement to fund Safe Harbor by reimbursing the city up to $4 million dollars. Daytona Beach would be required to guarantee the Safe Harbor project on county donated land.
The motion put forth by Wagner would hold off on any fencing of the county building on Beach Street for now. Fencing was discussed over concerns about the safety of county staff and the public coming and going from the Beach Street building. County Manager Jim Dinneen told council that fencing would cost $60,000 and security for the fenced area would cost additional money.
At the end of that 60 days, March 3, council support for Safe Harbor would end.
During the discussion, County Manager Jim Dinneen said he would also explore a program to address homeless veterans who have “fallen through the cracks” to get them help.
The discussion came less than 24 hours after the Daytona Beach City Commission oked the Safe Harbor plan during a packed meeting Wednesday night.
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