HomeMy WebLinkAbout05-03-23 Public Comment - M. Roman - RV and Homeless encampmentsFrom:Michael Roman
To:Agenda
Subject:RV and Homeless encampments
Date:Wednesday, May 3, 2023 3:00:35 PM
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To whom it may concern,
I am a local citizen having grown up in West Yellowstone, MT. Myself and others from WestYellowstone have always considered Bozeman a 2nd home as it is where we came to watch
movies, shop, etc. etc. I moved out of state for college and professional jobs to a variety states.Most recently, I moved back to Bozeman after having spent 10 years in Santa Monica, CA.
I am sad to report that Bozeman is no longer recognizable to me. I report an emotion of
sadness not for the incredible amount of growth and change that have occurred in Bozemanbased on some sense of nostalgia but instead on the fact that my home of Bozeman now
closely resembles the state of CA which I left. That is not a good thing! I left CA to returnhome only to find the exact same policies being put in place here for which I left there. RVs
and homeless encampments throughout the city are unacceptable. They are not acceptablebecause they negatively affect business and property owners who pay property taxes. I know
many businesses that are negatively impacted by a downturn in business along with difficultyselling properties due to this fact. I empathize with those struggling with real estate and rent
prices. However, encouraging this type of activity only exacerbates the problem and has adevastating effect on business without providing any real solution. I live in Belgrade at this
point and see no resemblance of the same things happening there. I would hope that Bozemancould look to its neighbor to guide policies before things get further out of control than they
already are.
Thanks,Michael Roman
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