park regulations - comments Public Comment from Nick ThielAimee Brunckhorst
From: Nick Thiel <thielni@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, January 23, 2023 10:26 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL park regulations - comments
I listened online this evening and would like to voice some thoughts.
1. The comment was made that homelessness is a function of cost of living. If this were the case wouldn't Whitefish
have more homeless then Kalispell?
2. To my understanding Whitefish has zero homeless shelters and Kalispell has 5. Do we think that adopting Whitefish
regulations where there is nowhere for homeless to stay will help Kalispell's parks feel safe? It seems perhaps Kalispell is
carrying more than its fair share of this particular burden. Perhaps some intra city cooperation and coordination would
be in order.
3. The challenge with adding more regulation is more cost of enforcement. Finding common sense, inexpensive to
enforce regulations seems like our best bet for optimized success. Do fines and free housing (jail) really register for a
homeless person anyway? Do they pay fines or mind a night or two off the street especially in winter?
4. Increased regulations are likely to simply move the problem to other areas within walking distance of where they
spend the night. Is the city of Kalispell ready to deal with that even from a police force perspective? After the incident
at the gym by BoJangles, anyone wanting a homeless person to move on will, and should probably call law enforcement.
5. 1 like the idea of making the public parks even more appealing to the community. This includes good lighting and
equipment that is useful and attractive.
6. Consider removing the shelters or roofs and replace them with awnings that can be removed in the winter. Le canvas
on rope or cable for summer events.
7. As a matter of city regulations, require homeless shelters to accommodate 24/7 housing. We all see the effect of
kicking them out and letting them back in the evening. Idle milling about and looking for somewhere to hang out all day
and near schools to boot. I don't feel safe leaving my kids at school properties in the area unless I watch them walk in
and walk out straight to my car.
8, 1 also agree with encouraging the state to re -fund mental health institutions. It seems there has been a jump in
homelessness since they were turned out. Many of the difficult folks very likely have mental illness. We wouldn't turn
people with Covid or long term disease out of the hospital unless they were moderately healthy. Why is mental health
treated as less critical?
Thanks for serving our community.
Nick Thiel
112 East Bluegrass
Kalispell, MT 59901
775.450.6890