A letter from an advisory board may not create much impact on a city council, but we hope the leadership of Chico puts value on what it will be getting from the Bidwell Park and Playground Commission.
The letter — approved unanimously by the commission last week — asks for the City Council to act as soon as possible on either a campground or low-barrier shelter to house the unsheltered, especially those inhabitating Bidwell Park and other parks.
It is a topic that the council has grappled with, but it often seems the discussion is more from the perspective of supporting people without homes. In the Park Commission’s discussion, the desperateness of the housed residents seeing damage to Bidwell Park was clear too.
Frustration over trash, environmental damage and fire risk in parks and waterways was re-emphasized by the commission, along with the need for more money to city departments related to upkeep in Bidwell Park and greenways.
The economic impact of the second shutdown might make the latter funding request impossible, but we can hope.
Linda Herman, parks and natural resource manager for the city, noted that additional trash bins, emptied daily, have been added to park sites, not to mention portable toilets and hand washing stations. She said trash bags are handed out, and encampments monitored. Because of coronavirus, the unhoused population has been allowed to stay in Bidwell Park to stop the spread, but many volunteer groups and events which had helped clean the park have been halted, leaving city staff mostly on its own.
Commissioners noted their frustration at seeing Bidwell Park’s appearance and safety disintegrate, an observation repeated in social media, letters to the editor, and public comments. Visit any park, and you can’t help but see tents and trash.
It is a complex and complicated situation, but we are encouraged to hear there could be a solution coming soon. We would hope the solution is not in Bidwell Park or another public park.
The long-term answer is to get services to the unhoused and find them shelter, guidance and maybe a job, but the short-term goal is to clean up Bidwell and other public parks by taking action.
The Link LonkJuly 29, 2020 at 03:40PM
https://www.chicoer.com/dont-forget-bidwell-and-other-parks-editorial
Don’t forget Bidwell and other parks | Editorial - Chico Enterprise-Record
https://news.google.com/search?q=forget&hl=en-US&gl=US&ceid=US:en
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