Lapp/Pre-Release Center4-5-09
Mickey Lapp
160 Kelly Rd.
Kalispell, Mt. 59901
257-6832
To:
Kalispell Mayor and City Council Members:
I own approx. 6 acres of commercial property on Kelly Rd., and no one on
any board or council, including the Governor, can say with any certainty
that a pre-release center will not de-value my property, or hinder my
ability to acquire renters for my buildings. I have already lost a
potential renter because they were afraid to park business vehicles in
the back of the building for fear of vandalism, should the pre-release
center come to pass. As a business owner, I have the right to conduct
business without the added risk of personal injury.
The pre-release center board and the city council must already believe
that some risk exists, otherwise there would not be the buffer
requirements for residential areas or schools. In addition, I would
think that if the risk were as minimal as we are being led to believe,
there would be more of you on the council lobbying to have the
pre-release center placed in your neighborhoods.
Last Tuesday, the Governor spoke to the Lakeside/Somers Chamber and told
us there were other places around the state competing for the
pre-release center and we did not have to have it in Flathead County if
the people didn't want it.
Because of the number of family oriented businesses located near the
proposed site, this location is simply not a good idea. I believe the
perfect spot for the pre-release center, is the old Kelly Main Street
Furniture building. Its location is close to the Kalispell Police Dept.,
and several blocks in any direction from residential areas and schools.
Since the convicts will be given bicycles to ride to work (providing
they can find any jobs at all), parking won't be an issue.
I have already been doing my part by providing these convicts with "3
hots and a cot" with my tax dollars. I am not under any obligation as a
business owner to help them re-enter society. There are some who have
gone to great lengths to assure that these convicts will be monitored at
all times and we should all be comforted by the fact there will be a
"zero-tolerance" policy. The problem with "zero-tolerance" policies, is
that they usually don't take effect until after the rules are broken,
and there is a victim. If "zero-tolerance" policies were an effective
deterrent, they wouldn't have landed in prison to begin with.
Please vote No in allowing the zone change and conditional use permit
for the pre-release center. We simply don't need it here.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Mickey Lapp
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