SANTA CRUZ, Calif.- "We're moving slowly, but we are moving forward," said Santa Cruz vice-mayor Don Lane.
Even Roxanne Evans one of the founding members of Occupy Santa Cruz admits growing pains in the camp to keep the true message at the forefront, even if that message may seen unclear to some.
"We've had some challenges in the past...Issues regarding violence and drug use, we recognized banning people from a public space, we can't do. We don't have the security and it doesn't fit our movement," said Evans.
But Monday, protestors did try to ban us from attending their meeting on public property with Santa Cruz city with Lane.
"We wanted to create the space in a meeting format that would allow for conversation and people to be freed up to express. We do have some people in the general assembly that aren't comfortable being recorded," said Evans.
After taking a vote to let our cameras stay, both occupiers and Lane put items on a makeshift agenda. To name a few: Bathrooms and garbage, damage to the grass, the pending injunction to remove the tents when the permit expires Wednesday, and a big one: community services.
A request for the city to provide mental health, drug, and homeless help to some who have joined the movement. Something Occupy says they are already working on themselves.
"We've got an in-reach committee that greets anyone that comes and plops a tent down saying this is our message these are our meetings, and please participate," said Evans.
Lane said he didn't know if they could reach an agreement by the time the injunction is heard Wednesday, but that if they can work it out sometime in the near future, the potential is there to let some tents stay.
