Лидеры района Колумбия выражают разочарование бездействием городского совета по вопросам бездомности и безопасности

COLUMBIA — Downtown Columbia leaders said they are frustrated with what they described as a lack of action from Columbia City Council on concerns surrounding urban camping and downtown safety. The District's Board of Directors discussed unresolved concerns during its meeting Tuesday, including its efforts to push forward an ordinance addressing urban camping. Several board members said they feel City Council has "run them around in circles" as they continue to push for changes. The District has been advocating for council members to take action on urban camping for months. The group wrote a letter in May requesting an urban camping ordinance. In August, board members asked the city of Columbia to research potential ordinances. Today, they are continuing to push forward. The board also raised concerns about whether the Voluntary Action Center Opportunity Campus is providing enough resources to address homelessness in Columbia. The District Executive Director Nickie Davis said businesses are hearing concerns from employees and customers about coming downtown. "We hear every day how hard it is for some of our businesses to retain their employees, to get customers to come downtown because of what they've seen or heard," Davis said. Colleen Rieman, owner of Hexagon Alley, said she believes law enforcement officers may not always serve as the best resource for people experiencing a mental crisis. "If you're going through a mental health episode or something, an officer isn't going to be the friendliest face for you," Rieman said. "You're not going to want to respond to that."  Nick McKague, a board member for The District who represents Acola Coffee Company, said some of the coffee shop's employees are concerned about interactions downtown. McKague said some baristas are too afraid to take trash to the dumpster because they fear being harassed. Russell Boyt, another board member and a real estate agent, said he has heard concerns from clients considering buying property in the area. "They're questioning should their students be at Mizzou, or should they not buy, and I've had two clients, that I can say in the last 30 or 60 days, who have backed out because they say this is too insane," Boyt said. The District's board said it wants to continue working with City Council on potential solutions to urban camping and other downtown concerns. Board members said they hope future research from City Council on potential ordinances will give the community opportunity to discuss possible changes and determine what additional resources may be needed to address homelessness and safety downtown. Two public comments on urban camping were given at Tuesday's City Council meeting.  To report an error or typo, email [email protected]. Click here to add KOMU 8 News as a source for your Google News Feed.