BELLINGHAM, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – The City of Bellingham has announced new actions to address homeless encampments.

Mayor Kim Lund gave an update to the city council during a committee meeting on Sept. 16. She specifically addressed the longstanding encampment near Walmart on E. Stuart and Deemer Road and the growing encampment near Jack in the Box on Northwest Drive and E. Bakerview Road.

“We are actively pursuing actions at these locations and we’re monitoring each situation closely,” Lund said. “We’re very aware of the impacts they have on area residents and businesses.”

She says the city has created an internal team to give more attention to the two encampments and prevent new ones from growing. Their work includes requests for extra police patrols near the encampments, working directly with property owners within them and keeping the public informed with webpages for each encampment.

Still, Mayor Lund says there’s only so much the city can do.

“While the city is responding as quickly as possible within our authority and our resources, it is private property owners who bear the primary responsibility for addressing unauthorized encampments on their land,” Lund said.

Mayor Lund says she’s been part of an effort to urge affected property owners to work together to clean up and secure their land in a coordinated effort. She also took part in a community meeting with residents, local business owners and employees to discuss their concerns about the encampments.

So far, the city has issued a criminal citation and two civil infractions to a property owner within the Bakerview Road encampment for failing to address public health and safety violations.

MBN has also previously reported on the legal action the city has taken against the primary property owner of Stuart Road encampment.