FRESNO, Calif. (FOX26) — Fresno County and the city of Fresno are working on a proposed agreement that leaders say could speed up responses to homeless encampments, especially those located along railroad tracks, under overpasses and near canal banks.
County Supervisor Luis Chavez told FOX26 the county and city are drafting a memorandum of understanding, or MOU, aimed at ending jurisdictional delays that slow down both cleanups and outreach efforts.
“Railroad tracks are dangerous,” Chavez said. “We need to get these folks off of the railroad tracks.”
Encampments along rail lines have been a recurring issue across Fresno County, with responsibility for cleanups usually depending on who owns the property.
Railroad tracks are generally private property, meaning local governments hands are tied: they have to get permission before entering those areas.
Chavez said that process can take days or even weeks.
“We need permission from those folks to be able to get in there,” Chavez said, adding that responses from railroad companies can take “anywhere from a week to a week and a half.”
Chavez said the proposed MOU would give local agencies pre-approved access to certain areas, allowing them to provide services, move people into shelter, and clean up encampments faster.
This is something historic for the region,
Chavez said.
We will be the only county and city across the state of California to have this agreement.
According to Chavez, the agreement would involve multiple agencies and property owners, including railroad companies such as San Joaquin Valley Railroad, as well as Caltrans and local flood control districts.
“Our residents are getting tired of the excuses,” Chavez said. “They really want to see us unified and making sure that we address this important issue.”
Chavez said the agreement would also create a single point of contact for reporting encampments, reducing confusion for residents who want faster action.
“When a constituent calls, none of our constituents want to hear that it’s going to take a week, week and a half or two weeks,” he said.
The proposed MOU would include public meetings before being finalized, giving community members a chance to weigh in.
“We’ll actually be doing those public meetings and invite our community stakeholders to participate,” Chavez said.
In a statement to FOX26, the San Joaquin Valley Railroad confirmed encampments along its tracks are a recurring issue:
Our crews are well aware of camp issues, as they have to operate extra cautiously around them on a regular basis. Local community members also reach out to us from time to time, particularly if our tracks are near their homes. In the past, we’ve worked with law enforcement and town officials to initiate cleanups along our lines. We have also hired contractors to conduct cleanups before, as our railroaders aren’t trained to safely do so.Unfortunately, even though railroads are private properties, their right of way is accessible to trespassing, given the nature of how rail infrastructure is built. It can be an exhausting and expensive cycle of cleaning up a section of track only for encampments and trash dumping to resume shortly after.
Chavez said draft language for the agreement could be released in the coming months.