HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-04-23 Public Comment - C. Allen - Please Vote for Urban Camping OrdinancesFrom:Takami Clark
To:Agenda
Subject:FW: [EXTERNAL]Please Vote for Urban Camping Ordinances
Date:Thursday, August 3, 2023 4:04:37 PM
Takami Clark, MPA | Communications & Engagement Manager
City of Bozeman
Office: 406-582-2322 | Cell: 406-579-9237
tclark@bozeman.net
she/her/hers
From: Caitlin Allen <caitlinstoryallen@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, August 3, 2023 1:05 PM
To: Takami Clark <tclark@BOZEMAN.NET>
Subject: [EXTERNAL]Please Vote for Urban Camping Ordinances
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Good Afternoon,
I am writing to ask you to vote yes on August 8th for the new City Ordinance requiring urban
campers to move every five days, as well as restricting them from camping adjacent to residences,
schools, and day care facilities.
I reside in an area where there are currently over 60 cars, campers, and tents surrounding my home.
This isnt just a safety issue, it is also a sanitation issue. Over the past 3 years I have seen my beautiful
hometown turn into a literal wasteland with trash strewn throughout the streets. Rodents and birds
scavenge through garbage left out by these campers. Even when they were given dumpsters to put
it in most didnt bother to dispose of it. I have witnessed fights breaking out between campers, drug
deals in the middle of the night, and people using the bathroom outdoors mere feet from my home.
I don't want to assume that all of the campers are criminals however, there have been numerous
arrests in the past few years just in the area surrounding my home. Campers have caught fire also
posing a risk to the surrounding homes in the area. I am afraid to walk my dog at night because there
isn't really a safe place to do so.
I am sympathetic to the housing crisis in our city as I myself have struggled at times to find an
affordable place to live, but this has gone from bad to worse and will only continue to get worse
unless the city puts some restrictions in place.
Again, I implore you to vote for these restrictions and give Bozeman residents back some of their
health, safety, and peace of mind.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Caitlin Story Allen