unanimous vote for permanent site, part two!

[Scott Morrow]

Dear Friends:
Within a half an hour of starting their meeting this afternoon, Mayor
McGinns Citizen Review Panel on Encampments voted for a permanent site
for Nickelsville. Unanimously!
The 60+ strong and silent observers in the room - Nickelodeons,
Campers from SHARE/WHEEL's Tent City3 & 4, Bunkhouse Participants, and
our many friends and supporters - were absolutely thrilled.
Besides being great news for Nickelsville, the Encampment Panel made
dramatic progress in other areas. Here's one example: "The City's
policy regarding people on City property should be built on the
principle that: people should be allowed to remain where they have
chosen to be, as long as they are not disturbing the peace, or
interfering with the rights of others."
Safe Zones were recommended for campers, car campers, and outdoor
sleepers. So was taking advantage of any opportunity to expand
shelter capacity in government owned buildings. It was stated that
"new nighttime shelter should take priority over additional day time
services." SHARE's Bunkhouse was recognized as an important model for
the future.
These important recommendations followed the decision last Wednesday
of Nickelsville to move to a permanent site by November 14th. Our
staff person will be calling the Deputy Mayor tomorrow, to quickly set
up a meeting toward this end (in early October we were told by the
Mayors Office this was the sequence of events they intended to
follow: First, hear from the Encampment Panel, then meet with
Nickelodeons.)
Please congratulate both the Encampment Panel for their good work, and
Mayor McGinn for starting this process. Tell him you will support
strong, decisive, executive action by the Mayors Office to get
Nickelsville to its permanent site.
We all know of Recommendations from other Panels and Commissions that
sailed straight into the trash can. It will be up to all of us to
make sure that doesn't happen in this case.
See you the weekend of Nov. 13/14 and sty tuned!

PS We will email the Panel Recommendations as a 'pdf' as soon as we
can figure out the technicalities of doing that.