Thread by @bdevero

How the city of Kalamazoo is trying to address homeless people in places downtown --

And what are the rules popping up on new signs this week?

🧵THREAD + New MLive article dropping ~ 8:45 a.m.

August 2018, a simpler time for us all. @PolarBarrett was providing great city hall +more in Kalamazoo for @MLive. The Kalamazoo City Commission received a recommendation from staff to change city code that many complained unfairly targeted homeless residents.

Proposal in Aug 2018 would ban:

"Any activity in Parks where bedding, sleeping bags, personal belongings or other materials, are established, or maintained for the purpose of maintaining a place to dwell or sleep for a period longer than 2 total hrs within a 12 hr period..."

45 people came to the 2018 city meeting to speak against the changes (more on this later) and many complained how the city was addressing homelessness. The city attorney's office had been directed to decriminalize portions of the city code, and this proposal came from that.

One commenter called the proposal "a declaration of war" against homeless.
Jack Urban said he wasn't ready to propose a motion.
"However, it does seem to me that we can separate the ordinance that has to do with camping away from the others."

Comments:

City commissioners, including the current mayor, took no action in 2018 at the 4+ hour meeting. Commissioners made comments, closed the public meeting, and put the sleeping bag rule to bed.

🛌 💤

#homeless #kalamazoo #transparency #kzoo

The issue went away.

Until this week.

New article about new signs that appeared in parks witnessed this week:
mlive.com/news/kalamazoo…

"...the city administration is acting in direct opposition to the clearly and unambiguously expressed will of Kalamazoo citizens and the City Commission,” Citizen Jeff Messer said Monday of this week.

There are still some questions I hope to get answered.
@KalamazooCity #kzoo

Flash back to 2018, and let's see the atmosphere the proposed sleeping bag rule contributed to, and a tense time in the city that placed a spotlight on Kalamazoo.

🥁🥁🥁 (drumroll)

The Bronson Park encampment.

⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️⛺️
In late August 2018, more people began to pitch tents and other makeshift shelters at Bronson Park. Many of them were homeless. Some were there to make a statement and take a stand on this issue. Some were homeless allies.
#kzoo #homeless #protest

Aug. 31, 2018, the @KalamazooCity and #kalamazoo homeless people signed an agreement.
It outlined allowing people to camp at a different city owned property as a temporary solution.
The city committed to working with the people representing the homeless encampment.

Signs of progress toward a resolution were seen on both sides -- 📽️clip I made on Aug. 31, 2018:

"We began a dialogue that was very productive on both sides," Manager Ritsema said in 2018.

Stuart Hamilton said he believed the city was there to help.

By mid Sept, the city kept warning people to leave Bronson Park or be arrested.
Ritsema and other officials met at his office Sept. 7, 2018.
"I've been clear they are (in the park) illegally," Ritsema said. "We've shown patience. We've got to act and do what we've got to do."

@threadreaderapp unroll