Comment: Conditional Use Permit for Warming Center from Sonny MazzulloJudi Funk
From: Sonny Mazzullo <armazzullo@gmail.com>
Sent: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 7:32 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Comment: Conditional Use Permit for Warming Center
To Mark Johnson, Sandy Carlson, Kari Gabriel, Chad Graham, Sam Nun natty, Ryan Hunter, Jessica
Dahlman, Sid Daoud, and Jed Fisher,
My name is Sonny Mazzullo and I live at 1330 6th Avenue East. I attended Monday's marathon work
session. I commend you all for taking the time to hear from your constituents, as well as the
thoughtfulness you put into your duties.
I'm a volunteer at the Warming Center. I volunteer there because I care about our neighbors. For that
same reason, I stayed Monday night to hear how the behaviors of homeless people in the vicinity of the
Warming Center have impacted those living there. What I heard was alarming and I'm glad you're
committed to addressing their concerns. Every person living in the Flathead deserves to feel safe and
take pride in their neighborhood. I don't prioritize the unhoused over the housed.
I write with a plea: please do not revoke the Warming Center's conditional use permit. I believe revoking
that permit is the nuclear option. The fallout would be tremendous. Our problems surrounding criminal
homeless behavior would surely get worse. The behaviors would diffuse, but they would not dissipate.
We'd have a homeless population with greater desperation and less dignity than ever before.
Obviously, something needs to change. You are all smarter and more informed than I am. Humbly, I
present a few potential solutions to address nearby resident's concerns shared during Monday's
meeting:
Restore Mountain Climber Services. Councilman Graham specifically cited travel to and from the
Warming Center as contributing to crime in the neighborhood. Residents reported being essentially able
to set their clocks by when they encounter the most problems: when people are coming to and leaving
from the Warming Center. However, over the last year, several decisions have been made to restrict the
use of public transportation to and from the Warming Center. First it was a fee for service payable only by
a smartphone app, and now there will be zero rides offered to the Warming Center. Taking nearby
residents and Councilman Graham's comments to heart, it is obvious these operational decisions are
exacerbating the issue of travel through the nearby neighborhoods. Guests at the Warming Center have
no choice but to walk through surrounding neighborhoods to get there.
Increase nearby police patrols. I don't make this suggestion lightly. Our police resources are depleted,
as evidenced by the increase in crime city wide. However, if nearby residents' claims that most of the
criminal behavior they are witnessing are committed by guests staying at the Warming Center, then we
know when and where those crimes are likely to be committed. Revoking the Warming Center's
conditional use permit would dissipate these behaviors city wide, further straining police resources.
Doesn't increasing patrols during specific times in a relatively small portion of the city seem like the
easier option?
Build or open more public bathrooms in the vicinity. There is a lot of mental illness in the Warming
Center. I've experienced it at the Warming Center and been on the receiving end of a lot of
uncomfortable comments. No matter how severe the mental illness, the overwhelming majority of
people do not piss and shit in public out of spite or for giggles. They do it because there is nowhere else
to go to the bathroom. Having more bathrooms would increase dignity and reduce conflicts with
businesses that homeless people turn to in desperation looking for a bathroom. Yes, it would cost
money, and the bathrooms would require cleaning. But these are smaller problems to solve than a
parent having to explain to their child why there is human feces in their yard.
Increase education in the Warming Center. In the last year, the Warming Center has implemented
roadmaps to increase guest accountability. Every seven nights a guest stays there, they are required to
meet with Warming Center staff to discuss ways they are working their way out of homelessness. Staff
connects them with the resources they need to help with their goals. During these sessions, additional
emphasis could be placed on neighborhood concerns and encouraging them to be advocates for more
respectful behavior in their networks.
If an oaf like me could come up with these ideas after only a day of reflection, imagine what our
community could come up with collectively. The council's decision on the conditional use permit is an
opportunity. With a holistic approach, you can revise the permit in a manner that addresses nearby
residents' concerns while also reaffirming your commitment to helping reduce homelessness in
Kalispell.
Shuttering the Warming Center would be a catastrophic mistake. Which civic leaders on the Warming
Center board, which dedicated staff members currently working there, which volunteers like myself
would answer the call next time the city looks for solutions? What homeless person is going to behave
more civilized without any respite from their condition and after witnessing their community turn their
backs on them? How much more trauma would we expose our first responders to with 50 more people
on the streets every night?
Thankyou foryour service. It is a difficult decision ahead of you. It will take guts to recommit to the
Warming Center. The city council I saw on Monday night has the mettle for it.
Sincerely,
Sonny Mazzullo
1330 6th Ave East
armazzulloCa)gmail.com
406.334.7378