The planned conversion of the former La Quinta Inn & Suites in Lenexa, Kansas, into a year-round homeless shelter has sparked significant controversy. The shelter’s location, in an area identified by CrimeGrade.org as a violent crime hotspot, has earned an F grade for its high rate of violent crimes, raising concerns among local residents and officials. Crime Concerns Residents are worried that placing the shelter in this area will worsen existing problems. Historical data from other cities shows a troubling trend: neighborhoods with new homeless shelters often see an increase in crime and drug activity. While shelters provide much-needed support for the homeless, they can also become magnets for illegal activities if not properly managed. Adding to the anxiety is a heat map released by Johnson County, revealing that the La Quinta Inn sits at the edge of the worst area for drug arrests in Lenexa. This raises the specter of the shelter attracting even more drug-related activities, further straining local law enforcement and jeopardizing community safety (KCUR) (City of Lenexa, KS). Impact on Crime and Trafficking This isn’t just about relocating the shelter; it’s about understanding the potential impact on issues that the local community is dealing with. Kansas City has become a hotspot for human trafficking due to the intersection of major interstate highways I-35 and I-70. The proposed shelter’s proximity to I-35, near a major crime-ridden intersection, could make it easier for traffickers to exploit the vulnerable individuals seeking help there. Long-Term Financial Impact The financial implications for local taxpayers are another concern. Operating costs for the shelter are estimated at $1.7 million annually, to be funded through grants, private donations, and local municipalities. However, there’s a fear that costs could escalate, leaving residents to shoulder a greater financial burden over time. Commissioner Becky Fast has expressed concerns about the shelter’s sustainability, emphasizing the need for a solid business plan to prevent it from becoming a perpetual drain on community resources (Ranson Financial Group LLC). Community Impact Local residents and business owners are apprehensive that the shelter could attract more criminal elements, further destabilizing the community. This highlights the urgent need for strategic planning and enhanced security measures to mitigate potential risks. Public Reaction and Local Concerns The community’s reaction has been mixed, with many expressing strong concerns. At a recent city council meeting, numerous residents voiced their fears about increased crime and drug activity, as well as the potential for human trafficking. The shelter’s location near I-35 is particularly concerning, given that Kansas City has become a major hub for human trafficking, exploiting its strategic location at the crossroads of two major interstate highways (Johnson County Post) (Ranson Financial Group LLC). Local law enforcement and community leaders have echoed these concerns, emphasizing the need for enhanced security measures and robust management to prevent the shelter from becoming a focal point for criminal activities. Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara, who opposed the project, described the process as “ridiculous, inexcusable, and irresponsible,” stressing that the shelter project is being rushed without adequate planning and support from local cities. Call for Action Supporters argue that addressing homelessness with adequate resources and community support is crucial. They advocate for robust planning, increased police presence, and comprehensive support programs to ensure the shelter serves its purpose without compromising local safety. Proponents also highlight the potential benefits of providing a dedicated facility for the homeless, which could ultimately reduce the burden on emergency services and law enforcement by offering a stable and supportive environment for those in need (KCUR) (City of Lenexa, KS). While the proposed homeless shelter addresses a critical need, its location demands careful consideration and proactive measures to prevent negative outcomes. Balancing compassion with community safety is essential for the project’s success.
Author: admin
Missouri won’t let Kansas City become a sanctuary city, but the mayor wants more immigrant workers
Mayor Quinton Lucas said Kansas City is looking at ways to welcome immigrants to help bolster the city’s workforce. What that may look like is unclear. Takeaways: Mayor Quinton Lucas said that he was in talks with cities like Denver and New York to bring immigrants who are authorized to work to Kansas City. He hopes immigrants can boost the economy by filling the labor force. Data show that immigrants have a positive impact on local economies. Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas has essentially invited immigrants to come and fill the local labor pool. He’s offering officials in New York and Denver help from the crush of immigrants in those cities and welcoming foreign workers to Kansas City. That quickly sparked accusations that Lucas appeared bent on making Kansas City a sanctuary city, offering harbor to people in the country illegally — in a place where that would violate state law. After an uproar from anti-immigration politicians in Jefferson City, Lucas made clear his welcome mat only applied to immigrants in the country legally with work visas. “We need a lot more employees,” the mayor told Bloomberg News. “If there are people who are willing and able to work, then I believe that there could be a place for them.” Even without a sanctuary city designation, bringing immigrant workers to Kansas City will create chores for the city and resettlement agencies. Is Kansas City becoming a sanctuary city? How exactly Kansas City would handle immigrant workers remains unclear. Local lawmakers aren’t considering designating Kansas City as a sanctuary city, which would mean passing ordinances protecting people in the country illegally from deportation or federal prosecution. But city officials are looking at ways to bolster the metro’s workforce. Lucas told Bloomberg that he has been in contact with mayors in some large U.S. cities. He said that Kansas City will have a better idea of its capacity after Memorial Day. Immigrants have positive impacts on their communities through labor and small businesses, said J.H. Cullum Clark, the director of the Bush Institute-Southern Methodist University Economic Growth Initiative. “It’s totally obvious that the benefits outweigh the costs,” Clark said. Economic development is a major focus of both Missouri and Kansas City. In the past five years, companies have announced $9 billion in investments in the metro area, Bloomberg reported. The City Council has already set aside $1 million toward housing, training and language services for immigrants. Research shows that, unsurprisingly, immigrants thrive more when they have help learning English. But some members of the City Council still have questions. “I do have concerns about the lack of discussion and planning,” Councilwoman Lindsay French said last week at a meeting of the Special Committee for Legal Review. “I’m really concerned that we haven’t had those discussions internally as a council.” French said that she wants the council to consult with the nonprofit resettlement organizations — Della Lamb Community Services, Jewish Vocational Service and El Centro Inc. — to get a better idea of their capacity. An influx of immigrants typically poses a slight drain on local and state budgets, Clark said. Over time, immigrants and their families improve the finances of the federal government by paying income taxes, Clark said. But there is a near-term cost for states and cities. “One way or another, they have to sleep someplace and they have to get fed,” Clark said. “That’s a big administrative lift right now for a lot of cities.” Still, data show that immigrants and their families add more to communities and economies than they take. What would it mean for Kansas City to bring in workers into the U.S.? Research shows that places like Kansas City profit from when they welcome immigration. A report Clark authored ranked Kansas City as the top 23rd metropolitan area for immigrants moving within the U.S. “Everybody has an image of lots of immigrants in Los Angeles, New York, Miami,” Clark said. “They may not have this image of foreign-born people streaming into Kansas City and doing all kinds of jobs. But that is the case, to a much greater degree than probably most people understand.” And amid an effort to bolster the local economy, Kansas City’s workforce isn’t keeping up with demand. Unemployment in Kansas City was at 3.6% in February of this year. In Missouri, it was 3.3% and in Kansas it was 2.7%. Nationally, unemployment was at 3.9% in February. “My union, they’re begging for people,” said Ralph Oropeza, the business manager at Greater Kansas City Building & Construction Trades Council. He said fewer people are chasing construction and labor jobs, but projects are booming. He pointed to the planned $800 million mixed-use development at the Berkley Riverfront that is set to break ground later this year. “There’s going to be a need for laborers,” Oropeza said. “Our doors are wide open for people to apply for apprenticeship, but nobody will.” Another factor: Kansas Citians are aging out of the labor market. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau found that by 2030, 25% of Missouri’s population will be over 60. The Congressional Budget Office, a nonpartisan federal agency, predicts U.S. deaths will exceed births starting in 2040. Then, immigration will account for all population growth. That creates a need for workers on two fronts, said Giovanni Peri, a migration and economics researcher at the University of California, Davis. Laborers and health care workers are now increasingly in demand. “From jobs in restaurants, hospitality, elderly care to more high-tech jobs,” Peri said, “the labor force is shrinking and aging.” The economy is absorbing foreign-born workers while also generating jobs for those who were born in the U.S., an analysis from the left-leaning, pro-union Economic Policy Institute found, bucking claims that immigrants may be filling jobs that Americans would otherwise be working. Growth begets growth, Peri said. For example, say a company wants to build a hotel, but it struggles finding construction laborers and hospitality workers to fill the potential jobs. That’s a net negative for the city when it comes to generating jobs
America’s Failed Experiment in Public Housing
It leaves families living in squalid conditions, trapped in segregated neighborhoods. Rather than spending billions on socialized shelter, we need to put money in their pockets to give them choices. President Biden’s nearly $2 trillion infrastructure package calls for doubling down on public housing. Projects are in “disrepair,” the plan rightly observes, with “critical life-safety concerns” and “imminent hazards to residents.” Biden proposes investing $40 billion to clean and green them. This is roughly 14 times the federal government’s current capital spending on public housing agencies, and it’s likely just the beginning. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer is now demanding at least $80 billion in federal public housing funds. But why stop there: Sen. Bernie Sanders and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have joined other progressive activists calling for a Green New Deal for Public Housing costing as much as $172 billion — or $230,000 per unit — to retrofit public housing for energy efficiency and greenlight new projects. Is the public housing we have really the affordable housing we want? This question matters to the 2.2 million residents of more than 1.1 million units of public housing managed by more than 3,000 public housing agencies across the country. The Biden administration’s housing agenda represents an opportunity — not to redo public housing, but to rethink whether it was a good idea in the first place and to consider policies that give lower-income families the kinds of choices that better-off Americans have long enjoyed. Squalid Conditions Concordia Place Apartments in Chicago’s impoverished Riverdale neighborhood appears almost idyllic, surrounded by wide green lawns and built with a tidy sloped roof. The Department of Housing and Urban Development’s inspectors seemed to agree on their most recent visit, granting the public housing complex a score of 94, far above the passing grade of 60. Perhaps the inspectors missed the mold or the mice droppings. “You can hear them at night crawling on the walls,” one tenant said of the rodents. “We shouldn’t live like this,” said another tenant. Illinois Sens. Dick Durbin and Tammy Duckworth seem to agree, writing in a March 2021 letter to HUD that “no one should be subjected to living in the conditions reported by the residents of the Concordia Place apartment complex.” What these public housing residents face in Chicago should be seen less as an aberration and more as a shocking norm, where the government in serving as a landlord of last resort gets away with behavior that could land a private landlord in jail. Nearly 10 percent of public units recently inspected by HUD received failing scores and, according to 2010 HUD analysis, likely many more nearly failed inspections, rates that are far higher than for privately owned units. Even when HUD certifies housing as decent, safe and sanitary — as required by federal law since 1937 — it’s often later revealed to not be so, as the residents of Concordia Place know all too well. HUD inspectors often gave passing grades to public housing complexes showing clear signs of toxic mold, asbestos and lead paint, or where raw sewage regularly backed up and furnace boilers gave out in the dead of winter. As early as the 1950s, maintenance woes were already appearing in public housing. By the 1960s, rent from poor tenants was often falling far short of the costs of management or maintenance. Time — and need — has not brightened this picture. In Philadelphia today, tenant rents cover just 6 percent of the housing authority’s budget. And no wonder: The typical household in public housing pulls in an annual income of just $14,444, with minimum rents of $50 a month. The reality is that deeply affordable housing is unaffordable to maintain or sustain on rents alone, which impossibly demands ever-increasing levels of federal subsidy across time and presidential administrations. As recently as 2009, experts were boasting that New York City had “one of the best housing authorities in the nation.” In truth, tenants in New York City Housing Authority (NYCHA) apartments too often lived in squalid conditions, and it was they who filed suit in 2018 claiming the agency “failed to provide tenants with heat and hot water, keep residents safe from lead, involve tenants in policymaking and hire residents, as required under federal law.” In June of the same year, after NYCHA’s chairwoman resigned amid intense scrutiny of the agency’s failures, federal prosecutors filed their own complaint against the authority for “violating basic health and safety regulations” and exposing children to lead paint. NYCHA quickly admitted to the truth of these allegations and agreed to oversight by a federal monitor. Yet one critic labeled this measure the “equivalent of nailing a two-by-four to a collapsing building.”NYCHA is hardly alone. Baltimore’s public housing authority paid a multimillion-dollar settlement in 2013 to residents living with lead paint; HUD estimates that more than 62,000 public housing units nationwide require lead abatement. And the problems don’t stop there: Many more tenants suffer for want of heat and hot water or suffer health issues from invading mold. Boston’s public housing residents, for instance, were more likely to report poor health than the surrounding population or similar residents found in nonpublic housing, and children living in NYCHA complexes were found to be twice as likely to suffer from asthma as their classmates in private housing. Government-Backed Ghettos Atlanta’s Techwood Homes, built in 1935 as the first federal public housing project in America, evicted hundreds of Black families to house a whites-only neighborhood. NYCHA’s earliest housing developments built from the ground up were also segregated by race, one in Harlem for Black tenants and another in Williamsburg (Brooklyn) for whites; it took the city’s housing authority until 1964 to end its practice of setting aside apartments for white tenants. Richard Rothstein, author of the 2017 book The Color of Law, describes these New Deal-era housing programs as a “state-sponsored system of segregation.” Techwood, an early example of public housing built in Atlanta, Ga.(Library of Congress) Public housing’s racist roots didn’t end there. In the decades that followed World War II, low-income Blacks were continually relegated to urban housing projects far away from white neighborhoods,
Assessing the Faith-Based Response to Homelessness in America: Findings from 11 Cities
Denver’s hotel-turned-homeless shelters become hotbeds of violence and drugs
911 data reveals the homeless hotels attract more calls than regular hotels in the city Noah Festenstein [email protected] Apr 17, 2024 Updated May 2, 2024 On any given day, Doc Miller keeps an eye on his wife Judith watering the garden outside of their South Broadway Bed & Breakfast hotel, wondering when a homeless person would come and threaten her. Their bed and breakfast is the only hotel along the south Broadway corridor, a busy zone that draws shoppers and diners. But the area has also become a hotspot for people openly using drugs in an area with a higher population of homeless people. Whether it’s someone passed out on a sidewalk or a drug deal happening in broad daylight at an intersection, the corridor has fostered an illicit drug market and attracted violence, business owners and residents said. “The city is literally falling into the second ring of hell,” said Miller. “We are under siege.” Within 1,000 meters of Miller’s hotel, 309 emergency 911 calls were made in the last three months of 2023, according to public safety data. But that number still pales in comparison to the average 833 calls made within 1,000 meters of Denver’s five hotel-turned-shelters for homeless people between Oct. 1 and Jan. 2. 911 calls within 1,000 meters from Denver’s hotel-turned-shelters: Those calls included reports of shootings, drug use, theft or other acts of violence. The Denver Gazette sifted through 911 data for three regular hotels, including the Millers’ bed and breakfast, located in corridors identified by Denver’s law enforcement as areas where crimes are more concentrated. None has attracted as many 911 calls as the Johnston administration’s homeless shelters. On average, 267 calls were made from the areas practically during the same period using the same geographic parameters. In particular, the shelter at 4040 Quebec, a former DoubleTree hotel, has seen the most trouble: Seven people have died there, two of them by shooting. And between Oct. 1 and Jan. 12, some 1,212 emergency calls to 911 were made within a 1,000-meter radius of the hotel. Along with building “micro-communities,” the hotel-turned-shelters are a crucial component of Mayor Mike Johnston’s campaign promise to eradicate homelessness in the city by the end of his first term. Last year, Johnston’s administration moved 1,135 homeless people indoors. The mayor plans to move another 1,000 this year. The Johnston administration insisted that homeless people are safer indoors than out in the streets. “People experiencing homelessness are not safer outdoors,” Jose Salas, a spokesperson for the mayor’s office, told The Denver Gazette in email. “Through the All In Mile High initiative, we are providing a roof over people’s heads, a warm place to sleep that keeps them away from the elements, a door they can lock to keep their belongings from being stolen, 24/7 supportive staff to help with their needs, and so much more.” Denver Police Chief Ron Thomas told The Denver Gazette there is a big difference in what’s happening at hotel-turned-shelters and areas identified by law enforcement as crime hotspots. Crucially, there’s a lot more resources being offered at the shelters. “I think what we are seeing at the hotspots or in crime prone areas is, for the most part, at least back in 2021, the only resource that was being deployed to those resources were the police,” Thomas said. “The resources that are available at these ‘All In Mile High’ sites are wraparound services.” Thomas added it’s “reasonable to expect that as they continue to stabilize, you’re gonna have increases in call for service.” A spokesperson for Johnston also maintained that homeless encampments that the administration had cleared out drew “much greater” 911 calls than the hotel-shelter sites. Many of the residents of those encampments ended up at the shelters. In an interview, District 8 Councilmember Shontel Lewis said she wants a data-driven approach, and she’s interested in the question of whether homeless people are “safer” on the streets. But she wants the “full picture” that would provide, Lewis said, adding the data would help keep homeless services providers accountable. She added: “Putting people on the pathway to permanent housing, offering wrap-around trauma-informed services centered in compassion is the best way to help a traumatized population thrive, not just survive.” A ‘free-for-all’ Miller, the bed and breakfast owner, said he believes many people are afraid to call 911 in an area prone to crime, describing the problems happening in the streets as “an ongoing free-for-all.” Threats from homeless people at his hotel happen “at least once a day,” he said. That’s in addition to open drug use, he said. “I have called ambulances on numerous occasions for people who are dying or in serious risk of death from drug overdoses in the alleys,” he said. He surmised that the homeless people living at the 4040 Quebec shelter are people “consolidated into an area where antisocial drug and alcohol related problems can fester into a group activity.” Whereas on south Broadway, he said, “we have a lot of wide open spaces here on the streets.” A recent, wide-ranging report painted a complicated, incessant and sorrowful picture of homelessness in metro Denver, a crisis that has soared in recent years and which is costing taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars each year. The Metro Denver Homeless Initiatives’ latest “State of Homelessness Report” described a homeless population that is struggling with mental and chronic health and, more notably, substance abuse challenges. The report, which accumulated data from various sources, outlined factors contributing to homelessness, notably substance abuse (24%) and mental health concerns (31%). Other major contributing factors included chronic health conditions (24%) and disabling conditions (21%), according to the report, which drew data from the annual point in time count. Data from elsewhere in the country showed a similar pattern. The California Policy Lab, which analyzed the responses of more than 64,000 “sheltered” and “unsheltered” homeless adults, showed similar results: 50% of “unsheltered” people reported mental health conditions contributed to their loss of housing and 51% reported the use of drugs or alcohol contributed
Johnson County wants and needs a homeless shelter. But who will pay $500K a year?
Operating the proposed homeless shelter in Lenexa would require annual funding not only from Johnson County but also its cities, under a new plan, totaling almost $500,000 in public money, presented to county commissioners on Thursday. The idea sparked a heated discussion among commissioners, as leaders work to push forward the long-needed shelter, but have yet to secure any financial commitment from cities to help run it. The board voted 4-3 to move the discussion forward about a fund that would require $62,000 a year from the county. The plan also asks for varying amounts from each city, based on population, totaling nearly $420,000 a year. The commission in the coming months will vote on whether to approve the funds, while cities in the meantime decide whether to participate as well. Johnson County has begun the process of purchasing the shuttered La Quinta Inn and Suites off of Interstate 35 in Lenexa to convert into a year-round shelter, a major milestone for the county where advocates have long pushed for such a resource. Officials this spring selected Kansas City nonprofit reStart Inc. to operate the shelter. Stephanie Boyer, CEO of reStart, said the $1.7 million needed annually to run the shelter would be funded mostly by grants and private donations, as well as revenue generated from services. But she said the shelter would also need public support. “Having some structure of that base sustained funding helps us actually to leverage more private dollars,” Boyer told the commission, saying that donors are more willing to pitch in when there’s a commitment from municipalities. She said the money also would help sustain the shelter as grant dollars and donations fluctuate, emphasizing that it’s critical to have diverse funding sources. Under the proposed funding plan, it would be up to each city to decide whether to contribute. The county’s most populous city, Overland Park, could provide $150,000 a year. Olathe would be asked for $112,000, Shawnee for nearly $53,000, down to Mission Woods for $150. Lenexa would be excluded from providing annual funding, because Assistant County Manager Joe Connor said the city anticipates a loss in tax revenue as the property changes from a hotel to shelter. “This is a recognized community need. At the end of the day, it requires a community-wide solution,” Chairman Mike Kelly said. Commissioner Jeff Meyers agreed that cities “need to have some skin in the game,” as homelessness rises countywide. He said the county committing its share will further show it has taken on a “leadership role” in finally addressing the problem. It remains to be seen whether city councils will agree to the request, in a county where neighborhood opposition has stalled progress on shelters in the past. Connor said the county has had early conversations with city managers, who he said have shown support for the proposal. But the uncertainty caused some tension among commissioners on Thursday. “What happens if a third of these cities say no?” Commissioner Becky Fast asked. “Who makes that up?” Boyer said any funding gap would be filled by alternate sources, including private donations and applying for grants. But knowing the commitment from municipalities, she said, “helps us to refine our strategy.” Both Fast and Commissioner Charlotte O’Hara said they were worried about whether the shelter would be sustainable and that a larger burden could fall on the county. “My residents think this is a need that needs to be met, but they don’t want the county to be subsidizing it year after year,” Fast said, later adding that, “Supporting the vulnerable, to me, is providing a shelter that is financially sustainable and has community support.” But Commissioners Janeé Hanzlick and Shirley Allenbrand said they are confident that Johnson County’s faith-based community and other organizations would step up to fund the shelter, possibly enough to reduce the share coming from municipalities in coming years. Commissioner Michael Ashcraft said he would like to see a clearer business plan, including what the fundraising goals are, saying the numbers are “a little bit squishy.” “The challenge is based on the best information we have now, what decisions should we make,” he said. Kelly said the county’s portion of the annual cost, $62,000, could come from reserve funds, calling it a relatively small amount to help get the shelter started. “In the grand scheme of things this is not a huge amount to the county, but it shows our intent,” Kelly said. The site would be purchased with $6 million in federal Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, established by the American Rescue Plan Act in 2021. Another $850,000 is going toward other work related to the sale during an ongoing 270-day period, including the county negotiating a buyout of hotel franchise fees, obtaining a private appraisal and conducting a title review. Commissioners also previously approved using nearly $4 million in federal dollars for establishing and developing a shelter, plus the costs of renovations needed to comply with the standards of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, which administers the American Rescue Plan grant funds. Boyer has previously said the the goal is for the 106-room hotel to be transformed into an emergency shelter with as many as 50 beds, with the other half dedicated toward transitional housing for up to 40 people. She said Thursday that reStart is working on applying for vouchers for the transitional housing, which she anticipates would generate about $400,000 a year for the shelter. Officials envision a homeless services center, not just a shelter, that provides an array of resources for residents, including mental health support, housing assistance, workforce development and more. There is much to do before anything is finalized, including the county obtaining a special use permit from the city of Lenexa to operate the shelter. Connor said the county plans to submit its application next month. The county is still working on assessing the site before closing on the sale, and then renovations would take well into 2025, he said. This
Lenexa Homeless Shleter
Call To Action – July 25th at 9am – $10 Million money-pit-scheme for Homeless Shelter at 95th & I-35 Do YOU support YOUR Johnson County Board of County Commissioners’ $10 million money pit scheme for a homeless shelter in the LaQuinta Inn at I-35 and 95th St? This scheme is ill conceived, ill advised and has zero ongoing funding sources……except, naturally YOUR tax dollars. This area, according to law enforcement data, is the hotspot for drug and human trafficking in Johnson County. Wow, talk about pouring gasoline on a fire. The list of issues is long: 1. Rushed process: application for the special use permit is being submitted July 22nd, prior to BOCC approval of reStart, to whom this $10 million investment will be deeded. 2. Staff chose reStart: the BOCC abdicated their responsibility by allowing staff to choose only one organization, reStart, for Board consideration. 3. Clients from anywhere: according to staff the BOCC cannot require JoCo residency or even U.S. citizenship cannot be required or other U.S. legal status. 4. Criteria not followed: BOCC originally required that the organization chosen MUST BE able to fund operational expenses. This has been thrown out the window as reStart has submitted an annual operating budget with a $500,000 deficit. 5. Drop offs from law enforcement not in plan: reStart stated in the July 17th BOCC Committee of the Whole meeting, that “perhaps” they could have 2 overnight beds for drop offs. This is a non-congregant facility for 50 adults and 42 transitional one room efficiency apartments with kitchenettes. Clients are to be selected through the Coordinated Entry System…..CES, which spells TROUBLE. 6. No agenda review: That’s right this highly impactful project is going through the process like a greased pig. YOUR voice must be heard, this is a disaster in terms of planning, community involvement, financial planning (none) and in terms of actually addressing the homeless issue in Johnson County. DEI, the lens through which all health and safety issues must be viewed (according to BOCC policy) appears to be front and center in the selection of reStart. According to City Union Mission staff, they weren’t notified of the RFP (Request for Proposal)……Faith based need not apply seems to be the mantra. Please attend the BOCC meeting July 25th, this Thursday morning, 9:30 a.m. Admin Building 111 Cherry Olathe. Arrive by 9:15 to register for the agenda item. From the Committee of the Whole on July 17th to the action agenda on the 25th…. no agenda review. Why ARE THEY RUSHING this through?????? It’s obvious, the community, when told, does not support a homeless shelter in the La Quinta Inn and Old Denny’s at I-35 and 95th St. Charlotte O’Hara District 3 Commissioner