Tonight Council meeting Public Comment from Karlene Khor Aimee Brunckhorst
From: Karlene Khor <madamekarkosa@gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, September 16, 2024 1:50 PM
To: Kalispell Meetings Public Comment
Subject: EXTERNAL Fwd: Tonight City Council Meeting
I had asked Doug to forward the message below as I could not find my city clerk email address and after
pressing SEND then of course I found it! If it's possible to read it into the public comment at tonight's
meeting it would be appreciated. If not I hope the councilors read it for themselves.Karlene Khor
---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: K Khor<kkhor838Ca?yahoo.com>
Date: Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 1:31 PM
Subject: Tonight City Council Meeting
To: Doug Russell<drussell()kalispelLcom>
Doug,
I would appreciate your forwarding this email to the Mayor and City Council members. If the City Clerk is
allowed; could she read it into the public record at public comment time at tonight's meeting? It would
be appreciated.
I'm sorry I'm not able to come to this evening City Council meeting because I very much want to address
you all on the subject of the Warming Center.
First, I would like to thank the Ward 2 councilors who did what is their responsibility; they listened to their
constituents and moved a topic forward for Neighborhood discussion and City of Kalispell discussion. I
know their efforts are to resolve the problem to the satisfaction of those who live in their ward.
To that end, I think we learned from the presentation by Bob Keenan, the representative from Governor
Gianforte on homelessness, it isn't a question of affordable housing. It is more a question of mental
health, public health and safety.
It also isn't a question of the value of volunteerism. Volunteering at the Warming Center does not solve
homelessness because it makes the volunteer feel good.
I would urge the Warming Center to return to the table with everything on it and work with their neighbors.
If the parties don't sit across from each other and look at all the areas of concern there will be no
resolution or peace treaty between the parties.
A conditional use permit by definition is not granted to create a negative in a neighborhood. It would be
quite negative if the Warming Center continues to not meet and work with its neighbors. Lawyering up
just isn't the right tool to resolve this dispute either.
I have written and appeared at council meetings addressing all council members of the problem I see the
1
Warming Center has presented and the additional costs to our Main Street properties it has created.
Sadly, the City Council members who represent our ward 3 have never reached out to me with questions
or acknowledged my concerns and those of others in our ward on this topic. (Library, Depot Park, the
church by the library, downtown Main Street businesses, police, tourists-all have been impacted)
If the Warming Center refuses to return to the table and insists on demanding its agenda as the only
agenda for parties to discuss ; then it's not a good neighbor. It becomes a negative and it's conditional
use permit must be pulled.
Karlene Khor
Manager
La Lark Llc
(Properties owned in downtown Kalispell)
Sent from my iPhone
2