As weather turns hostile, group decides to focus energy on campaigns, not full-time occupation

As temperatures drop and rain begins to fall, the occupation of Penry Park is becoming a daytime affair. Occupy Petaluma opted Monday not to renew its permit allowing overnight use of the park.

The group decided at a Saturday meeting to forego its overnight presence as part of a series of changes the group said is aimed at maximizing its effectiveness through the winter.

The group looked at what it had accomplished by sleeping in the park over the last six weeks and saw that the challenges seemed greater than the gains, said John Bertucci, media contact for Occupy. Challenges included finding people willing to sleep there each night, noise and disturbance from nearby Kentucky street and transient visitors, and the increasingly inclement weather.

Occupy members decided their energy would be better spent on organizing campaigns, like the one against foreclosure, said Bertucci.

The group is organizing a conference around the local foreclosure crisis on Sunday, Dec. 18. City Councilmembers, real estate agents, religious leaders and local management from banks big and small will be attending, said Occupy organizer Tim Nonn.

The group emphasized it plans to continue its daytime occupation of the hilltop park and would like to keep the large white canopy there erected as a sort of operational base for the movement, though this will likely require a permit from the city.

Assistant City Manager Scott Brodhun said in an e-mail Monday morning that the city had gotten notice that Occupy was vacating Penry Park, and hadn't yet received any requests for additional use of the park.

Organizers plan to continue holding public meetings, or general assemblies, in addition holding signs at the corners of Washington and Petaluma Boulevard North each Saturday afternoon. The group says the meetings will mostly take place in the park, but will be using Clear Heart Gallery on Petaluma Boulevard North as an alternate meeting spot.