Thread by @akurjata

I'm late to join, but Prince Geoge city council is going to decide whether to move forward with a "safer streets" bylaw tonight. It targets "nuisance behaviour" which includes loitering, setting up tents, littering etc. It's also very tied to the disscussion around tent cities

Here's some background. Among those opposed is the B.C. Assembly of First Nations, whose elected chief - Terry Teegee - is based in Prince George. cbc.ca/news/canada/br… #cityofPG

Here's the latest. cbc.ca/news/canada/br… #cityofPG

So far tonight there have been presentations from B.C. AFN, a University of Toronto prof who says these sorts of bylaws are counterproductive, and a neighbourhood group who wants the tent city to go

A note: While they are connected, the safer streets bylaw - which is up for debate tonight - is not necessarily tied to whether the tent city is allowed to stay. The tent city could stay with safer streets bylaw passed OR safer streets bylaw could be passed and tent city gone

The bylaw is what's up for debate tonight, while the presentations are largely focused on the tent city. The city has said it is shutting down the tent city, and the province has supported saying it's not an option to allow tent cities to stand cbc.ca/news/canada/br…

And basically EVERYONE agrees that a tent city is not a good longterm solution. The real debate in the community is what is done with the tent city while there aren't other viable places for people to go?

The blyaw, on the other hand - which will be up for debate tonight - is about whether to essentially criminalize - or be punitive towards - people who are living on the street. That includes: panhandling, setting up tents, littering, open drug use, defecation, etc.

Here is an interview with the U of T researcher who says the safer streets bylaw being considered by Prince George city council is one of the worst he's ever seen: cbc.ca/listen/live-ra…

"Policing is a dangerous substitute for the provision of appropriate
shelter, medical care, and social support." From prof. Joseph Hermer's presentation, available here: pub-princegeorge.escribemeetings.com/filestream.ash…

Anyways, several councillors have thanked the delegations for their presentations on the homeless camp. Mayor Lyn Hall speaking now saying that he understands why people go to the city for solutions, but wants the public to know this is not something the city can solve by itself

"We do not [provide] housing and we do not [handle] healthcare" Hall says. What they do do - and have been doing, he says - is advocate to Northern Health, the province, the feds and BC Housing to do more to support people in need in the community

(the city can, however, decide, whether to direct its bylaw officers and RCMP to be more punitive toward people who are on the street)

Hall says his preference would be there to have been more supportive housing two years ago. Is it moving too slow? Yes, but he can't do anything about it.

He also says that when people tell him "you have to do something" he outlines all the work the city has done and is doing and when they say "well, you need to do something else" he'd genuinely like to know what that would be

Councillors now speaking to the safer streets bylaw.

Up first is Terri McConnachie who is hitting some of the same points as Mayor Hall

McConnachie says possible solutions include decriminalization, tackling racism in the criminal justice system, more funding for social supports. All outside the mandate of municipalities

Oh you can livestream here btw princegeorge.ca/City%20Hall/Pa…

McConnachie spent the next portion of her speech talking about the issues facing people who are living on the street. Now she is saying we shouldn't pretend dangerous activity isn't happening. Says her mother in law had her place broken into.

"Forgive me if my family is not considering the trauma of the person who broke in while we deal with hers". Points out people have been threatened with guns, attacked downtown, etc.

McConnachie "We tell women, 'hey trust your gut'" when it comes to safety. "Does that not apply anymore." Says people are afraid to talk about being threatend because they will be written off as overreacting to homeless people #cityofPG

McConnachie: "We have fires, knives, baseball bats and now guns. We can't ignore this anymore... We have to face the fact that there are bad people out there." Says enabling bad behaviour is not trauma-informed care. Adds we need to be aware of our privilege, too and help others

McConnachie concludes by saying we need to enable bylaw officers to deal with problems and we can't solve them all at a city level.

Up next is Cori Ramsay, who has been the most vocal opponent of this bylaw, and who grew up in poverty. Says the bylaw is "not about keeping our streets safe, it is about keeping our streets clear". Says it's about sweeping homelessness out of the public eye

Ramsay asks "When you get a ticket, do you say 'I'm going to change my behaviour'" or do you complain and feel frustrated. Says this approach has been proven to not work, and will make things worse for our most vulnerable

Ramsay: "we know what we need": sobering centre, better shelters, suports and places for them to go. Where are people without homes supposed to go? Where are they supposed to hide all day?

Ramsay: "We need to exhaust all other avenues before we [pass this bylaw]". Says advocacy is the answer. Right now, she says, the bylaw is throwing spaghetti at the wall.

Now Krause - longtime poverty reduction worker and also vocal opponent. Says he has not changed his mind. If people are fined, they will be forced into more debt, more petty crime, etc. Doesn't help anything, he says. City should instead push for more mental health resources...

... sobering centre, addiction treatment, etc. Says from experience he knows this will push people further to the margins of society and will not solve any of the issues raised by people downtown or the Millar Addition

Coun. Fran Everett, another opponent to the bylaw, hitting the same points: we need a sobering centre, we need addictions treatment, we need to advocate for solutions. "Kicking people when they're down doesn't do anything".

Everett says there already laws against theft, threats, break and enters. This bylaw won't change that, and he will oppose.

Now Brian Skakun. Says there is no excuse for people spitting at others, threatening others, etc. "The safe streets bylaw is about making things better. The businesses downtown are under siege"

btw for those keeping score at home - there are eight city councillors + one mayor. You need a majority to pass a new bylaw. Coun. Garth Frizzell is away as he runs for election with the federal Liberals, so there are eight votes tonight. A tie means the bylaw fails #cityofpg

Right now we have three opposed:
Ramsay, Krause, Everett
Two for:
McConnachie, Skakun
Still to speak:
Sampson, Scott and Hall

Sampson and Hall were previously for the bylaw, Scott was absent last vote #cityofPG

Skakun says the bylaw doesn't mean bylaw officers and police will be fining everyone, but gives them the tools to target those who are known troublemakers. He's in support.

Kyle Sampson now: "I agree a little bit with everybody". Says he came tonight with a completely open mind and ready to change his vote. Has questions about the bylaw for administration, which we're about to get into

Sampson asks what the goal is for the bylaw
Answer comes from Adam Davey, director of community services and public safety.

Says it's to give staff a tool to use to regulate "behaviour, not people"

Davey says bylaw rarely hands out fines. Suggests that council could set fines to $1 and it would have the same impact. Says there is a bylaw that lets them fine people $200 for public disturbance, and they have never done so

Says the goal is provide a regulatory framework to tell people to stop doing things

Sampson again - he agrees that there need to be more support and services and will continue to advocate. But says he also thinks people need to follow the rules when they live in a community. "this is not about being a police state [but] some things are illegal"

Sampson says he doesn't believe people will be arrested or fined for casually asking for change, but bylaw will target those who are aggressive in asking for money

Sampson says he didn't previously understand why people felt unsafe when they went downtown, but says that has changed in recent weeks as people are more aggressive. "I'm a middle-aged, young, male" and if he is feeling it, understands why other people do

Sampson also says if the bylaw isn't working, the city can repeal it. Anyways, he's supportive so that's 3-3 now. If one more speaker opposes it, it will fail.

fair point

https://twitter.com/thekasonpoint/status/1432527402765225984

https://twitter.com/kwardvancouver/status/1432537556642455553

Sampson says he will support the bylaw but wants bylaw officers to focus on education, not punishment

Again, a reminder: Really none of this impacts the future of the tent city which, as it stands, the city is seeking a court injunction to be allowed to tear down

OK, last councillor to speak is Susan Scott who is likely to be the deciding vote.

Scott says the most important thing she wants to say is "Being homeless is not a crime." Her priority is helping people who are homeless and in need of help. But, she says, the criminal and anti-social behaviour happening in the city is concerning her

"We've all had enough," Scott says. She is going to support the bylaw, it sounds like, as she believes it is a "tool in the toolbox."

Scott says she strongly believes more needs to be done to address homelessness. In the end, she says "I will support this bylaw"

The "safer streets" bylaw is passing.

Opposed:
Cori Ramsay, Murry Krause, Frank Everitt
In favour:
Terri McConnachie, Brian Skakun, Kyle Sampson, Susan Scott, Mayor Lyn Hall
Absent:
Garth Frizzell

#cityofPG

Before the vote, though, mayor Lyn Hall says people in the community are hurting. They are living on the street. He wants to tackle it, but needs support of feds, province, BC Housing, Northern Health - says they are helping "but the magnitude of the problem continues to grow"

Hall is asking safety manager Adam Davey whether fining is of any use? Davey says they start with education, but as things escalate, fining will be used.. #cityofPG

Hall says he knows there are people in the community who won't be happy about this bylaw, and says we must be diligent about seeing how it is actually used. #cityofpg

Final reading, bylaw carries, 5 votes to 3

Anyways, still to come is a report on whether the city should move forward with renaming O'Grady Rd. since it's named after a former principal of the Kamloops Indian Residential School. Not vote tonight, though. I'm gonna sign off I think(?)

A note, I think: Every councillor said they agree that more suports are needed, more housing needed, that they will support it. Where they disagreed was whether more punitive measures are also needed, and that's what this bylaw offers.

to whit: up next is the city of Prince George lobbying that BC Housing implement No Barrier housing in the community so people can access shelters without restriction #cityofPG