by Travis Mateer
The Monday before Tuesday’s crisis camper press conference, a resident of the Johnson Street Shelter attended City Council to provide her suggestions for improving morale at the shelter. Instead of lining up, like cattle, how about sitting down to a meal like a family? Or how about a barbecue? Or maybe a PAJAMA PARTY for residents?
I’m not relating this comment to make fun of the woman’s suggestions, but to make an important point, and that’s how some people receiving services are missing the point about the SHORT-TERM NATURE of those services, a problem the Authorized Camping Site experienced as well when residents spent personal money on building permanent structures.
Besides the confusing math of buffer zones, the idea that campers are going to break down their tents every morning will NOT go over very well, so it will be interesting to watch the reaction after this resolution gets discussed on Wednesday.
Homeless people would be banned from living in tents in large swaths of public property in Missoula under a new resolution that will be heard by the city council on Wednesday.
The so-called “buffer areas,” where living in tents would be illegal, would include anywhere within 100 feet of any residential dwelling units, 100 feet from commercial businesses or nonprofits, 300 feet from any school or daycare, 1,000 feet from any shelter facility, 50 feet from the Clark Fork River and its tributaries and 10 feet from any bike lane, public path or trailhead.
The new resolution would also ban unsheltered living, sometimes called “urban camping” or “crisis camping,” within McCormick Park, Caras Park, Westside Park or within 100 feet of a playground, splash deck, sport court, athletic field, fishing pond, bandshell, pavilion or aquatic facility in the city. There would be no unsheltered living on any conservation lands as well.
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After 8 a.m., an individual without access to shelter must dismantle the camp facility and remove all personal property and camp facilities from the camp site until 8 p.m., according to the resolution.
“For the purposes of this resolution, camping means to pitch, erect, create, use or occupy a hard or soft-sided structure intended to provide more than rudimentary protection from the elements (e.g. tents, lean-tos, and similar),” the document states. “City staff may enforce the provisions of (Missoula municipal code) at any time of the day in the (buffer areas) irrespective of whether an individual has access to alternative shelter.”
Some online groups aren’t waiting for the Wednesday conversation to depict every CRISIS CAMPER as a helpless victim with no where else to go. Here’s the Missoula Tenants Union on Facebook with an URGENT ACTION ALERT reposted from Montana Women Vote.
While these stupid online groups promote the “humane” consumption of dangerous drugs while ignorantly pretending crisis campers just need basic services, and not more serious interventions, like forced inpatient treatment, residents clinging to more conventional housing have their tax bills due this week.
Tyler Gernant, the clerk and treasurer for Missoula County, said second-half taxes are due by 5 p.m. on Friday, or midnight if you pay online and want to avoid the late fee.
But this year’s second-half taxes also include 17 additional school equalization mills, giving the state it’s full 95 mills.
“These are the second-half taxes, but we added on the 17 mills to get to the full 95 (school equalization) mills. It includes that part and the second-half year of real estate taxes,”Gernant said on Friday.
What does this mean for the housed members of our Missoula community? It means assume the position and get ready for some serious pain.
When you paint large social groups with broad brushes, the nuance of individual situations gets lost in the messaging. Take, for example, the alleged murder just committed by a man transitioning into a woman here in Missoula. When the victim card is constantly played for those who are confused about their sexuality, necessary interventions for dangerously mentally ill individuals might not be as vigorously pursued as need be.
Here is John “Joan” Eikens mugshot after being taken into custody. What a way to kick off PRIDE month.
Tomorrow at Western Montana News I’ll be describing my first weekend of official homelessness in Missoula, so stay tuned, and if you’re finances aren’t totally decimated by the inflationary collapse of America, then consider donating to Travis’ Impact Fund (TIF). Any little bit helps.
Thanks for reading!
