HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-08-23 Public Comment - M. Routhier - Ordinance 2147 regarding camping on city Right-of -WayFrom:Mary Routhier
To:Agenda
Cc:Gomez Routhier; Mary Routhier
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Comments on Ordinance 2147 regarding camping on city Right-of -Way
Date:Tuesday, August 8, 2023 11:23:15 AM
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We are submitting the following comments on this proposed ordinance:
1) Thankful the city is addressing this issue as we have provided our concerns to several complianceofficers and filed parking complaints via Bozeman.net over the past several years.
2) The number of people living on city streets, public parks and other public areas in Bozeman hasrapidly increased and causes us serious concern regarding personal safety, drug trafficking, humantrafficking, health of residents from improperly dumped waste and garbage, urban campsitesoverflowing with personal property, and vehicles that are not road worthy nor operational.
3) Section 1: The ordinance needs to include language saying “ Camping is strictly prohibitedwithin 1 mile of a public school or day care facility because children frequently walk to school anduse school facilities year round.
4) Time: we reject the language that allows camping to move to a different street every 5 days…Forinstance, allowing people to move a camp from Kimberwicke to Galloway to Equestrian will notresolve our concerns stated above. It is simply moving people around and not solving the problemswe are experiencing.
5) Place: The ordinance needs to define “adjacent” as it is nebulous. The ordinance needs to includelanguage saying “ Camping on the public right-of-way” is prohibited within 1 mile of a publicschool or day care facility.
6) Violation: without rigorous enforcement, (such as failure to enforcement cell phone use invehicles as per city ordinance), the intended purpose of this ordinance will not change behavior norgave the intended effect.
7) Further questions to be discussed: a) since many of these camping vehicles are not operational, how does the city ensure the humanwaste is being properly disposed of?
B) there are many areas in cities across the USA that are now declared “no go zones” meaning tapaying citizens are afraid to use the city streets…here us what happened to us driving downKimberwicke in Bozeman last July 2022. Two “urban campers”yellow obscenities at us as we weredriving down the street. This caused me much distress, even to this day.
Respectfully submitted,Paul & Mary Routhier 2486 Arabian Avenue Bozeman, MT