Kalispell homelessness and C-PACE issues Public Comment from Maria TodiscoAimee Brunckhorst
From:
Sent:
To:
Subject:
Mayor Johnson and City Council:
Maria Todisco <montanamaria@icloud.com>
Friday, February 3, 2023 9:56 PM
Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
EXTERNAL Kalispell homelessness and C-PACE issues.
I have a couple comments I would like to submit pertaining to current issues in our city.
The first is regarding the Flathead County, Montana website under "Family Planning." There is a section called the
"Flathead County Harm Reduction Program (FCHRP)." If you click on this, you will find that the clinic at 1035 1st Avenue
West, 3rd Floor, right here in Kalispell offers a Syringe Exchange Program (SEP) where it states that, "This program was
created to support IV drug users by providing clean and sterile supplies to reduce injury and illness." Some of the
paraphernalia offered are "syringes, cookers and filters, wound care kits, fentanyl testing strips and condoms and
lubricant."
https://flathead.mt.gov/department-directory/health/fp
It is not difficult to see that this service is contributing to enabling intravenous drug use in our town's expanding
homeless population, rather than providing rehabilitation resources and counseling. As a PhD in psychology, I am baffled
as to the inherent logic of this.
The second issue is the proposed C-PACE program for the designated "district" of the city of Kalispell.
1. 1 understand that Flathead County rejected the C-PACE proposal. It seems pertinent to understand the reasons given
for this decision.
2. By accepting this funding, it seems relevant to understand what types of innovations are accepted and/or required
and who or what criteria determine what a qualified energy conservation project is. For example, under "water
conservation," the installation of smart meter technology on privately owned wells may be covered and encouraged.
3. Replacement of energy inefficient street lighting with more energy efficient technology is covered by C-PACE. The
installation of new lighting is always more energy inefficient than the absence of it, and may be disproportionately
encouraged.
Thank you, as always, for everything you do,
Maria
Maria A. Todisco, PhD
110 Cedar Commons Lane, Apt. 2
Kalispell, MT 59901
montanamaria@icloud.com
(406)607-5332