HomeMy WebLinkAbout08-01-24 Public Comment - J. Minalga - Re_ Homeless Encampment Near Residential Area- Blondie and Veronica WayFrom:Jessica Minalga
To:Bozeman Public Comment
Subject:[EXTERNAL]Re: Homeless Encampment Near Residential Area- Blondie and Veronica Way
Date:Thursday, August 1, 2024 8:42:16 AM
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PLEASE STOP ALLOWING THIS IN BAXTER MEADOWS.
On Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 4:08 PM Jessica Minalga <jessicaminalga@gmail.com> wrote:Hi there,
Living off of Veronica Way and Blondie, I am very disappointed in how the city has
handled the management of their own ordinances, and how nothing seems to be done
to maintain the regulations set in place last year.
I have seen RVs in the same spot for years (some even since 2021), belongings still
spilling out into the streets, and neighbors harassed and followed resulting in police
intervention. There have been break ins to our vehicles and our business owners in the
area have been loosing money and losing sales specially in real estate. Baxter meadows
should be protected better.
I understand that some of those who are experiencing homelessness are also our
residents, but the local, middle-class citizens of this city that have to live in very close
proximity to these are encampments need to be taken into consideration as well as you
plan the next steps, which need to happen soon. It has completely impacted our quality
of life for the worse.
Specifically to Blondie and Veronica Way, ordinance 2147 states that:
“2: camping on the public right of way is prohibited, regardless of the availability of
shelter space in the following locations:
A: Adjacent to or immediately across from any parcel or lot containing a residential
dwelling including lots or multi-household dwellings.”
With that, why are these campers allowed to stay on this street right next to the blondie
condo association and the West Village at four points apartments? This also should
apply to the Sundance Apartments who are completely surrounded by RVs. We are
plagued with CONSTANT and very loud generator sounds, and are very uneasy in our
own homes. No one can open their windows without hearing running generators, some
can even be heard through the walls, and the smells in the summer heat have become
quite bad. Not to mention looking out your window to a sea of RVs. It’s not fair to
those who are also doing our best to survive in this town and paying extremely high
rent, mortgages, and taxes on top of it. We should be a priority as well. You can see
from the screenshot attached what disturbance this is causing, because again, the camp
is right on our street, which should not be permitted according to your rules.
Moving people every 30 days is not the solution and that is not even upheld or
regulated by the city. No one has had to move, even the vehicle who followed my
elderly neighbor in their car after she simply drove down the street the RVs are parked
on.
After the Supreme Court homelessness ruling allowing Montana to impose our own
restrictions on the urban camping issues our city is facing, we ask that the city look to
do more effective measures to address this increasingly growing issue before it
completely gets out of hand. The issue has gotten worse, not better in any way.
Camping should NOT be allowed on public right of way.
I know this issue is complex, but as a local of this community for over 30 years, I hope
you take these serious concerns into consideration at the Commission meeting on
August 6th.
Thank you.