Concerned Citizen of the Flathead Valley Public Comment from Tiffany EkernHello again,
I watched the meeting online last night. My concern is that the structure and low barrier model is not going to work for the warming center. It’s simply enabling and trained professionals
are the only way to structure a model that will work. I believe that the CUP should be yanked and restructuring and reapplication will be needed. Someone is going to end up getting
hurt or killed regularly if there is nothing done. Too many emotions in that room last night. Let’s stick to the facts.
My other concern is why in the world would we have the manager of Casey’s bar, a Whitefish investor from out of state, people who are paid through warming center AND fresh life speakers
show up?? One connection only - money and power. I live in Whitefish.. these people that spoke are all paid by the same person and I can assure you that if there was a low barrier homeless
shelter in Whitefish or Columbia falls it would NOT fly.
I feel as if money and politics are playing a roll here and it needs to be based on what actually works for a town our size. NOT a big city such as Austin, TX.
Pull that permit and have them restructure it to something that might actually work.
Thank you.
On Sat, Apr 13, 2024 at 3:22 PM Tiffany Ekern <precise.finances@gmail.com <mailto:precise.finances@gmail.com> > wrote:
Hello,
I have lived in this valley for over 30 years. I am well aware that there will be homeless people, but not at the scale that the warming center has created. There are people from bigger
cities coming here because of this warming shelter. A permit was pulled from Spokane, so they are coming here. There is no drug testing. There is no alcohol testing for these people.
There is no accountability. I personally work in a healthcare facility, where we have a homeless person who has choked one of our nurses and has threatened other residents, he is getting
high and drunk off the premises and is a danger to everyone. This is happening all the time. The majority of these homeless people are mentally ill, and when you mix substance-abuse
and alcohol in the mix, it’s very very dangerous and it’s terrifying for our community. If you want to truly help these people through the warming center there needs to be drug testing
and alcohol testing and if there is not going to be that it needs to be shut down immediately. The homeless are being enabled by this facility and have no reason to leave this area.
In fact, they are inviting people from other areas because word-of-mouth travels very quickly. How bad does this situation have to get until this place does get shut down? My friend
lives in that area of town, and I will not let my daughter and her friend go out to play in that side of town whatsoever . The wonderful walking path cannot be walked on, without being
surrounded by homeless people who are possibly crazy. Please pull this permit and make our town a better town.
Tiffany