Kalispell Warming Center Public Comment from Peggy KochTo: Mayor Johnson and Kalispell Council Members:
We are Carl and Peggy Koch, in our late 60's and live in Kila. We do our shopping and recreation in and around Kalispell.
We appreciate the opportunity to voice our concerns on how our daily lives have been affected by the (so called) homeless. We appreciate your request to hear how The Warming Center
has negatively affected the surrounding communities. We attended the May 13th meeting, and was disappointed the meeting was monopolized by the employees, volunteers, and board members
of The Warming Center, even after The Mayor requested hearing from people who have been negatively impacted.
We moved here six years ago. We lived 35 miles south of Seattle. Over the years, we watched Seattle deteriorate, as a result of the homeless. Unfortunately the homeless started spreading
into the outlying communities affecting our town.
In Kalispell, during the first few years, we did not see many homeless or evidence left behind around town. On the northside of town where the stores are located for shopping, we saw
panhandlers at intersections, and noticed signs going up prohibiting panhandling. We were impressed thinking the homeless situation would not become like Seattle. Sadly this is not
the case in downtown Kalispell.
The last few years, after The Warming Center opened, we've watched the homeless situation grow worse.
Peggy enjoys reading and was excited for children to be able to walk or ride their bikes to the library. Today, we would not allow our children to go to the library alone. Sometimes
she does not feel safe outside of the library. She is seriously considering purchasing an electronic reader so she does not have to ask Carl to accompany her because she feels unsafe
going by herself (which impacts her freedom). The library is for people to read, to be able to spend time there reading or researching. In the recent past the upstairs is full of
homeless people charging their phones, taking up most chairs and tables. The building smells, and security guards have been hired. There used to be a bus schedule, listing the times
for transport from The Warming Center to the library and back again, encouraging them to hang out in the library. Since the controversy on renewing the Conditional Use permit, we have
not seen the homeless in or around the library and not as much around town as usual.
Peggy enjoyed breakfast with our daughter at Skyes, when they left to get in the car, there was a homeless man yelling about how he hated women.
We receive services from Albertsons, The Vision Clinic and a Hair Salon in the area of The Warming Center and there again Peggy has to decide if she wants to go by herself. People don't
use the new trail through town or enjoy the parks.
We, as taxpayers, pay for these facilities. We now avoid enjoying these places because we don't know what we'll run into. Our freedoms are being denied. It's like living in the Seattle
area again.
Thank you - Calr & Peggy