Ways to address homelessness in the city's parks were presented during Jefferson City's Parks and Recreation Commission meeting Tuesday.
Parks Director Todd Spalding said homeless camps have cropped up in the parks, particularly in Washington Park and along Wears Creek. He said invasive plants have grown along the creek and in areas of the park, creating a "wall" people can't see past, and homeless individuals are camping in those areas.
"When you're walking along the trail, you can't see the creek a lot of times, so what's happening is a lot of those camps and homeless folks are kind of going back in there, not to be seen until they come out and there's a problem," he said.
While most homeless people do not cause issues, Spalding said it happens sometimes.
The department plans to eliminate the invasive plants, which will open up areas of the creek and parks.
"We're going to make the parks and creek what we feel like they should look like and it's going to open the area up, and we're going to see when people are camping out there and staying overnight, and we're going to deal with it at that point," Spalding said. "When you couldn't see (homeless individuals), it didn't really affect the parks a whole lot, but I think as you open things up, you realize that there's an issue."
When the Parks Department discovers a homeless camp, Spalding said the Jefferson City Police Department is called. The police issue trespassing notices and give the individuals a chance to leave.
Spalding said he hopes shedding light on homelessness will allow the community to communicate more about the issue.
"If we have these people in need in our community, we need to have a discussion about it and that's what I want to do," he said. "I want to start having that discussion."
In other action Tuesday:
The commission approved a contract with a local marketing firm, High 5 Communications, to analyze the department's branding and advertising before creating a marketing plan with recommendations.
Spalding said the rebranding could help the department inform the community faster and more effectively.
The rebranding will occur in two phases. The first phase - costing $23,500 - will consist of the company researching the Parks Department's brand and marketing through interviews and analyses. The second phase will cost $30,000 over 12 months, as the company develops and manages the department's public relations and marking plan.
The commission approved leasing 60 golf cars from TNT Golf Car and Motor Sports for $40,586 per year for Oak Hills Golf Center.