Live blogging at OB Town Council Meeting

The OB Town Council is holding a meeting tonight  at the Masonic Temple,which includes a candidate forum for candidates of the OB Planning Board, plus a public forum on homeless.

Two of our bloggers, Cindi and Lane, are texting us and we will be sharing with you what they report (most recent is on top of thread) ______________________________________

The meeting was scheduled to end at 9:00 pm – so we have stopped our blogging.

8:56 – CINDI: Tina Curtis for rep Faulconer. Will take back our ideas for solutions.

8:55 – CINDI: Ronnie Shamon wants to help people with finding solutions and asked that the homeless not be targeted. Said he has hired several homeless who fell on hard times.

8:47 – CINDI: AS long as homeless are abiding by law, we will respect you. But when you are disrespectful we want you to get out.

8:42 David Martin on committee is saying: don’t defecate in our alleys, aggressive panhandling, block sidewalk. Play nice in sandbox. this community accepts all.

8:– CINDI: Never been to OB – live in RV. Motor home stolen in OB. Homeless not by choice. Residents live here because of weather so people are goin to come here. If economy continues …

8: 41 – CINDI:Woman claiming that homeless are asking her kids if they want to try drugs.

8:36 – Pat Philips owns a local contracting business. He finished talking.

8:– We should make laws against loitering. I grew up here. OB was clean and now it’s dirty and they are crapping on the cliffs. I think its BS and let’s ticket the homeless.

834: CINDI: Pat Philips … looks horrible (homeless) at our beach. Cops should ship them out. I just think it’s wrong.

8:– Craig Klein. District 4 for planning. Concerned that conditions that make people uncomfortable in coming to OB loses customers. Aggressive panhandling gauntlet not acceptable. Open consumption of drugs and alcohol is what is offensive to merchants.

8:29: Sunshine speaking . Solution is more restrooms. Police not problem, merchants not problem, focusing on problem is the issue. let’s focus on solutions.

8:26 – Lane is speaking … I work getting people services. Compassion is my life. Through the blog on ad hoc we discussed “tumbleweed” affairs. we agreed that OB needs to …

8:– Sarah… on both sides of issue, see both sides. violence and kindness . many different minds but there is a problem.; We need more bathrooms. shut out to use facilities. no business would let me use bathroom. and I called local police when kids peed on my patio. Never had homeless do this.

8: 20 – Mark Sundall – everybody has to be a good neighbor.  Since Channel 10 news more controversy and his neighborhood has relaxed. Polite asking for money. Pro-active approach.

8:19:  Some one from Fitzpatrick’s office said that five homeless people died in one week last year in San Diego.  This is everyone’s issue.

8:12 – Julie Klein merchant and resident. all about respecting one another. alley of Bacon Newport, but people pee in alley. We need to communicate. Want to thank police and fire station show up to meetings.  respect one another and OB will be a better place.

8:10 We co-exist well together without judgment. He is a business owner and is concerned about human feces. Says “find a bathroom.” But we have just heard not enough bathrooms cuz they have a 2 yr project to build 14 restrooms at Brighton.

If you ended up on street, I would help you as you would help me whether you live in a box or out of the box. there are some bad apples but we are all peacekeepers not just police. We should be finding easier ways for people to find homes and places to improve their crafts like playing guitar. this is my second home. If we all work together we can make this a better place.

8:03 -CINDI:  I will get this young man’s name in a minute. He says there are some who do not know how  to behave but we are lucky to have such freedom here in OB.

8:03 John Williams talking. Spent 13 years in San Diego. Worried about newspaper article in Beacon with things stated that weren’t true on these individuals.

8:02 – American Gypsy second homeless kid. tends to like to be as long as it doesn’t take away his or others’ equality. People over politics.

8:00 He says the problem is “schilly” kids . as a result he and other homeless have been targeted. Yellow sheet given to him directly by man that was …

7:57 : whoops! down 14.4% the crime rate !!!

7:55 I am gonna ask what the police policy is on handling homeless issues, and if the homeless are targeted. He says homeless outreach team and wut help they accept.

7:47 cindi: Overall crime went down 42%.

7:47 cindi: Protect and serve all in OB. And enforce laws. Our task of getting out there to help is out there. There are a lot of people who want to share their views that’s great to see and that’s the first step to helping our community. Increase in aggravated assault in our community including domestic violence.

7:41 cindi: he says he wants to partner with our community. Crime down in some areas, up in other. Driven by community needs. Neutral approach 2 issues his team deals with. Officers want to work this community but key element that officers enjoy staying and… working many years 4 OB. Says he wants 2 finish his 10 years in OB.

7:32 lane: “troll” strolled in & asked landry if he was planning more restrooms… as well as if a cooperative effort to care for public restrooms could work

7:28 pm Lane: watching landry watson struggle to actually nail down accomplishments is uncomfortable

7:23 pm LANE: handful of PB candidates that sit on TC as well –

7:16 – there is a woman speaking … she says she handles homeless issues like vandalism, drunk in public, … insinuating that only homeless do these things.

7:11 – cindi: they are allowing the homeless youth to submit speaker requests! they are going to hear our voice!

7:10 pm – cindi: talking about housing workshop, student loan workshop, but my thought is what about the homeless shelter workshop?

7:08 pm – cindi: The meeting just started !