Warming Center Please Read Public Comment from Karlene Osorio-Khor Aimee Brunckhorst
From: K Khor <kkhor838@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 27, 2024 6:59 AM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Warming Center Please Read
Since I last addressed the City Council,we have had daily littering and evidence of homeless folks using our entryway at
night and climbing our gate to shelter on our stairway at property owned by La Lark Llc on Main Street.
We have had to sanitize the areas and cart away their shopping carts, picnic umbrellas, clothes, left over foods and
human waste.This is getting old and costly.
In addition,we are now looking at prices to purchase cameras to safely cover these areas. Apparently, outside cameras
are often removed or damaged.
Before the existence of Warming Center, our cleanup was leaves blowing in from the street not human waste.
On the occasion, when I last spoke to you, a young man followed and told you how good it made him feel to work and
volunteer at the Warming Center. He made my point.The Warming Center does not exist to make volunteers feel good.
Volunteers "feelings" are not a part of the conditional use permit. A conditional use permit is not allowed to negatively
impact the neighborhood it resides in and for that matter a town.
Do you think the young man would volunteer and "feel good" about cleaning up the human waste and other litter the
homeless leave in neighborhoods and downtown?
The conditional use permit should be pulled irregardless of the Warming Centers threats of litigation.
I am particularly concerned those council members who represent the downtown area have dismissed the voices of their
own constituents who have been negatively impacted by the Warming Center. We are your neighbors.
The Warming Center is not an affordable housing issue. Its existence has hurt business, created public safety and health
hazards, impacted tourism etc. Just read the Daily Interlake Round Up ( police blotter)
The Warming Center does not solve mental illness, drug addiction or homelessness. It negatively impacts our entire
town. It's been costly for business.
The homeless at the Warming Center would be better served by a shelter providing to them access to mental health
and/or drug rehabilitation programs.
What has the Warming Center accomplished?Shamefully it has led to homeless folks competing for a bed like a herd of
dogs fighting for a bone. It's a terrible thing to do to people.
I am worried some citizen will be physically harmed by these homeless folks the Warming Center has drawn to our
streets. It wasn't that long ago a homeless man pulled out a knife at citizens walking downtown.
Please close this Warming Center and encourage it to become a full service shelter.Those behind it can still get their tax
write off if it becomes a full service shelter.
Karlene Osorio-Khor
1
Manager
La Latk Llc
Sent from my iPhone
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