Concerned Citizen of the Flathead Valley from Tiffany EkernJudi Funk
From: Tiffany Ekern <precise.finances@gmail.com>
Sent: Saturday, April 13, 2024 3:23 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Concerned Citizen of the Flathead Valley
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