Waterville City Council hears complaints about homelessness, agrees to fund soup kitchen

In November, community members stop by Waterville District Soup Kitchens to warm up and grab lunch. Local business owners have expressed concern that some soup kitchen customers are at odds with local employees who are afraid to come to work. Anna Chadwick/Morning Sentinel File

WATERVILLE — The City Council on Tuesday approved donating $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to Waterville-area soup kitchens, but the city council approved giving $50,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds to Waterville-area soup kitchens, but it will not allow area businesses to allow employees to confront homeless people outside their buildings. Because they expressed fear, they requested that some of the money be used to evaluate the surveillance camera system.

The soup kitchen is seeking $50,000 in donations to continue operating, and the City Council took its first vote on March 7, with half of the money going toward grant-making and fundraising efforts to make the soup kitchen sustainable. It stipulated that the money would be used to hire people to help, and the other half would be used as donations. Unlimited funds.

Ahead of a final vote Tuesday, City Council members supported the soup kitchen's mission but called on officials to do something about soup kitchen patrons wandering around and some patrons confronting community workers. I heard people's voices.

Joe Corey, president of Days Jewelers, said his former office location off The Concourse in downtown is equipped with surveillance cameras and his current office at 21 College Avenue. He said there was far less criminal activity than there was in Elm.

“Over the past six to eight months, we've seen more criminal activity on the 88 Main Street concourse than we've ever seen before,” Corey said. I completely agree with that too. We're just looking for solutions to better protect our employees. ”

Bill Mitchell, owner of The Elm Building, said he believes soup kitchens play an important role in the community, but he feels some patrons are annoying, rude and threatening to the company's employees. He said he was concerned that this could happen. Mitchell asked the City Council to approve $50,000 with conditions, including spending money to help the kitchen develop a safety plan, evaluate a surveillance camera system and help police monitor the area. I suggested.

Greg Perkins, who owns the office building next to the soup kitchen, supports the soup kitchen but is concerned about the safety of his tenants, saying office tenants are being sought and soup kitchen patrons are in his building. He said he is seeking help and guidance as he attempts to sleep over.

City Council President Rebecca Green (D-4th District) said she didn't think spending money on what Mitchell proposed would go against the spirit of helping vulnerable people.

Democratic District 1 Councilman Brandon Gilley said the council discussed how to address homelessness and food needs. But at the same time, he said people should not be afraid to go to work.

“We represent everyone in the community,” Gilley said. “People can't be afraid to go to the post office to run errands. We've been inundated with emails about people having trouble getting to work or school, and today we received an email from the postmaster general.”

But Democratic City Councilwoman Flavia DeBrito, 2nd District, said without the soup kitchen, people who eat there would be forced to go to places they frequented before the soup kitchen, such as Concourse and Two St. Bridge. He said he was deaf.

“We don't want to put it anywhere in the city, so where do we put it?” De Brito argued that the kitchen is an important resource.

Green said he doubts those who claim there is a direct causal relationship between soup kitchens and any activity that instills fear in people.

“I received an email from the police chief and it appears that a lot of the activity associated with Elm has to do with neighbors who have nothing to do with the soup kitchen,” she said.

She asked why the issue suddenly came up on Tuesday as the city council considers funding for soup kitchens, noting that she believes soup kitchen areas are not the only places people congregate on the street. Soup kitchens do a lot to help people on the path to sustainable recovery and are worth supporting, she said.

The Rev. Maureen Ausbrook, co-director of Starfish Village, which also helps people in need, said she's been in and out of her office in the basement of Elm and never had a problem. Ta. She doesn't think soup kitchens are the problem.

Carla Caron, president of the Kitchen's board of directors, said the Kitchen is filing trespass notices against customers who behave inappropriately. Video cameras located around the building can help identify criminals.

Caron said Elm would help identify people participating in criminal activity there. She doesn't like blowing the whistle on anyone, and she said she has tried to explain to guests how they are perceived by others. She is not intimidated by the customers in the kitchen, but she understands that other customers might be.

“Five years ago, I would run across the street to avoid homeless people because I didn't understand. Since then, I've been running across the street thinking about how I can help homeless people,” she said. Told. “How we get our message across is very important to how they respond to your questions. I know it's not easy, but they're only human and they get hurt too. So often what you think is confrontational is actually a defense to keep the other person at arm's length for fear of rejection.”

Mayor Mike Morris said the problem is too big to be solved overnight. He said a meeting to identify solutions will be held soon and is open to everyone.

The City Council voted to allocate up to $2,000 of the $25,000 needed for the ability to evaluate soup kitchen surveillance camera systems.

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