HomeMy WebLinkAbout09-19-23 Public Comment - C. Fifer - Homeless encampmentsFrom:Carol Fifer
To:Agenda
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Homeless encampments
Date:Tuesday, September 19, 2023 12:05:41 PM
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Dear Commissioners,
You will probably have a difficult task ahead of you in addressing the question of how tosupport your tax paying citizens and the desires of the homeless.
Wasn't it about 10-12 years ago that a man froze to death during a winter in Bozeman? Ever
since then the citizens have gone to great effort to assist the homeless. We have gone so farthat we are attracting homeless from other locations that are not so accommodating to the
homeless. Many of us would like to live along the ocean or in communities such as Santa Barbara,
California. But the practicality is that everyone can't live wherever they want. Bozeman has created its own nightmare by trying to accommodate anyone and everyone who
wants to live here.We have built it and they are coming. I wonder how many are really from Bozeman, or even
Montana? We read that many of those camped in our parks and along our streets are employed. Could we
please get an accurate count?It's my understand that my vehicle must be moved every three days if parked on City streets,
especially during winter for safety reasons. The same should apply to the homeless and theirvehicles. The vehicles should be road worthy, licensed, and insured, the same as mine.
Could I park my travel trailer along any city street and claim it was my home so I could save
storage fees? I doubt that would be acceptable.
If you drive past the old roller rink that is now used as a full time shelter you will see the samedecrepit trailers that have been parked in the same place for months. You will see the same
physically able people sitting around on the sidewalks, lawns, and parking lots day after day.And you will see people lying in the gutter, drunk or high, or perhaps dead.
This is a terrible reflection on our city and is surely causing great financial hardship on nearbybusinesses. Those businesses pay taxes yet customers are avoiding them out of fear of
encountering unstable persons.
I truly understand life events can place persons in desperate situations. I have doubts life canbe impossible for 5 years or more unless a person either has mental challenges, drug addiction,
or serious physical ailments.
Persons who are working should be provided with Streamline passes to provide transportationto their job.
Students should be provided with Streamline passes so they can attend class.Students and children should be given vouchers for breakfast and lunch at a minimum.
Families with children, and students should be first in line for available housing.Mental counseling should be readily available for those suffering from mental handicaps.
If you read about the camp cleanup in Missoula you must have noted the number of used
needles found by City Sanitation worker. And the cost to the City budget. Instead of ticketinga student walking down Main Street with a beer during Music on Main we really need to ticket
active drug abusers, confiscate their drugs, and escort them to jail or drug treatment.... theirchoice.
The City and County are providing dumpsters and porta pottys at our expense, yet so many ofthe people living in cars, tents, or trailers do not use them. They throw their garbage out the
door and use sidewalks, lawns, and our storm sewers as their lavatory. The term trailer trashcomes to mind. This is pollution at its worst. If drugs are being used the fish and rivers will
become toxic. Many of the homeless are receiving financial help thru Social Security or Disability. That is
most likely how they buy their beer and/or drugs. I disagree with the suggestion to change thewording about fines to "may" instead of "shall." Fines must be assessed on the homeless the
same as they most definitely would be on every other citizen.
We citizens of Bozeman have made it much too easy for the homeless to sit around, donothing, and wait for the City to waive the laws and provide for them. It is particularly galling
to watch them sit in front of a Help Wanted sign and expect a handout for their next beer.
If the homeless respected our city, our laws, and themselves maybe we would be more willingto respect and help them.
Attached are photos of Portland, Oregon. September 2021. Is this what we want for Bozeman?
Carol Fifer1007 Buckrake Ave
Bozeman, Mt 59718
406-451-3880