Editor, The News:
Re: City shelter will go downtown (The News, Aug. 28).
I see our mayor and council have now decided to spend another $7,500 per month for the rental of a building by KFC.
So, $160,000 to start this summer, $75,000 for a study, and you have to add renovation costs, staffing the building, and food.
I would say it will cost the taxpayers of Maple Ridge approximately $300,000 to 400,000 for this adventure until March of next year.
Don’t forget that this project has been advertised in the papers, word of mouth as well, so it won’t be long before other homeless people will starting flocking to Maple Ridge.
This will be a never-ending project that will cost the taxpayers of Maple Ridge a ton of money over the next few years.
This is not going to stop at the end of March.
We have another council member sitting on the fence, as well, with this project.
You’re in there to make a decision, not to sit on the fence.
Maple Ridge taxpayers are not receiving value for their tax dollars. Every year there is a tax increase because the city spends more tax dollars than it takes in.
How long does the average taxpayer family last when it spends more dollars then it takes in?
By the way, if you think the provincial government is going to help us out, think again.
This is another example of another fine mess city council has got Maple Ridge taxpayers into.
Jim Eaton
Maple Ridge
Not the city's responsibility
Editor, The News:
Re: City shelter will go downtown (The News, Aug. 28).
One can only shake his head in wonder and ask, why, as we close in on the first anniversary of the new council, have seen the expenditure of close to half a million dollars on an issue that isn’t even the responsibility of the city?
The cost for the homelessness task force, the new shelter and having emergency services attend the Cliff Avenue homeless camp site is adding up.
The problem is arguably worse now than last year, and there is no end in sight.
That RainCity Housing will probably get the contract to run the shelter only adds to the problem.
A shelter in Vancouver being run by the same organization has been causing nothing but problems for the neighbors – broken glass doors in buildings, police, ambulance, and fire trucks attending the complex on an ongoing basis.
Sounds almost like what we already have on Cliff Ave.
The new shelter will only have 40 beds, so the people left over at the campsite will still be able to state that there is nowhere to go and we will be back at square one.
What a waste.
The recently announced drug overdose deaths, one person from Surrey and the other from Kelowna, sort of blow a hole it the statement that all the homeless people are residents from Maple Ridge.
G. Mowatt
Maple Ridge
Big shoes to fill
Editor, The News:
Re: City shelter will go downtown (The News, Aug. 28).
We feel it’s unfortunate the mayor and council do not work in a more collaborative manner with all stakeholders in the community of Maple Ridge to solve problems.
The Salvation Army is established here because it provides much needed programs for people in our community.
It sends kids to summer camp every year. It provided 175 bagged lunches for students during the school year. Meals are provided for low income families, seniors on CPP, people on disability pension, women fleeing violence, and the homeless.
The Salvation Army provides work experience for low incidence students in its cafe during the school year. It prepares and distributes 250 backpacks full of school supplies every fall.
It does not discriminate against anyone.
Those are really big shoes to fill.
The facts are the Sally Ann houses a maximum of 25 people overnight.
The shelter cannot be held accountable for criminals and drug addicts, which it did not create.
The Salvation Army is neither a mental institution, nor is it a prison.
It provides counseling and assistance as best as it can.
We need to consider what the Salvation Army can provide as opposed to what it cannot.
The energy and anger of the community should be proactively focused towards all three levels of government as that is where it belongs, not on organizations who are trying to help with limited funding. Without the Salvation Army, the problems we have on the streets of Maple Ridge now will be compounded.
Marie and John Robson
Maple Ridge