By: Diane Benjamin
Three people spoke at Public Comment: Dan Brady, Surena Fish, and Gary Lambert.
Brady wondered is the old Owens Nursery property the City is buying could house some homeless people on a temporary basis. Fish was frustrated that most of the Council didn’t attend the special PSCRB meeting with joint law enforcement agencies. Lambert isn’t sure the City Manager should be given emergency powers because he saw what Pritzker did when he was granted them. He also questioned whether Tim Gleason had a right to make agreements to buy the Owens property before a council vote.
Just hit play below to hear all 3.
Before I report on the homeless issue discussed last night, stop for a flashback to March 2023, h/t a reader. See this WGLT story: https://www.wglt.org/local-news/2023-03-29/tent-dwellers-near-bloomington-shelter-seek-other-options-after-the-city-forces-them-to-move
That story has interviews with people living in tents outside Home Sweet Home Mission. Finding out why people are homeless should be a priority instead of providing necessities that enable being homeless. Evidently the city thinks non-profits provide counseling so they don’t have to. Note two people interviewed relocated here from other states. Read the story, it offers a glimpse into being homeless and some reason why. The reasons are all different. We need more stories like this to understand the “why”.
The Council passed the emergency ordinance that allows the City Manager to issue executive orders that makes more indoor space available to house the homeless over the winter. No money was allocated to this cause last night.
The longest presentation concerned City housing initiatives. Frankly, I kept getting interrupted while trying to listen to the presentation. Since there were no votes last night, this was information only. Various parts will be coming up for votes soon, so if you want to know more start listening about 39:00.
The City wants to help with rehab projects. They plan zoning code changes to encourage development. Nothing is going to get better while interest rates are high and inflation continues to make resources too expensive. The City can’t do anything about either, but they continue to try anyway.
Great suggestion Dan Brady. If the enclosed area will be sitting anyway over the winter it allows us more time to learn about the situation.
Later an alderman mentioned the services are all downtown. Spreading out people who need fed would be more difficult.
Most are unaware of all the efforts attempting to resolve the issue going on behind the scenes between local government and service providers. It is not the municipal government’s role to provide social services. It is the role of the non-profits in the private sector.
Salvation Army will have additional space in their downtown shelter now that they purchased 30 unit capacity apartment buildings on Tracy Drive to be used as shelter for homeless veterans. The downside is, 30 low income families, some with children, are being displaced. Those families have to leave by October. Coincidence that October 15 is the end date for the encampment?
How about all the empty buildings around BLONO. You can’t sling a dead cat without hitting empty buildings. Better yet the old Electrolux building is empty. Would make a great homeless shelter.
Those empty builds are private property. The City can do nothing without the owner’s permission.