From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Pubic comment: Final Budget vote, personnel, 6/23 Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 3:44:09 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear council,
I reviewed the motions and there are so many moves for investment in community services that are important and will help our community and I hope that these are integrated into the final budget.
I am glad that the council and city recognizes the
importance of Advance Peace and the work of Aaron Foster and others in decreasing homicides and violent crime through their work with those in the community.
We mentioned the need for rental assistance and I see the investment in groups that include that in their work.
I again ask that in identifying areas where these expenses can be funded, the council does not approve the expansion of HART with more police.
When we told you about the losses and mistreatment that people have experienced by
HART police, this is reflective of years of poor treatment with no accountability, resulting in harm to our community members and impediments to getting off one’s feet. So many people with lived experience have spoken up.
Dyer and others will point to all that the city has spent regarding those unhoused, much of it going towards the shelters, with federal and state funds. We aren’t saying that the city isn’t doing anything or that there aren't services that have been beneficial. We have needed low barrier shelters that allow for pets and belongings to be brought in, among other services that have been made available.
I want to point out that this doesn’t answer or justify the issue of mistreatment by HART and the approach. Unfortunately. It seems to be used as a way to brush off the complaints about HART treatment with claims that because of this spending, the people still unhoused are refusing service Even at that time, the vice protestant of FMCOC responded on a news report said this is not true
by noting the overwhelming number of people who
g o o MAPS every day to seek services, not to mention those who have already connected with HOPE, WestCare, and other service providers and are in the CES.
We cannot minimize the issues that are contributing to people continuing to lose housing and not easily getting back on their feet, as well as the barriers for those who have been unhoused for many years.
In the Point in the Time count, I noticed that what was not addressed as contributing to the numbers of those unhoused was the steep rise in rent just since 2020 that
has spiked the average rental cost, outpacing income, especially those who are on SSI, such as those who are elderly and disabled who are the highest rising demographic of those losing housing.
You have seen the need for the Eviction Protection
Program,indicating one of the causes for those who weren’t able to get this service. The 2023 PIT Count indicates almost 1 in 5 people being survivors of domestic violence. Many people lose
housing in exiting unsafe conditions and have difficulty getting housing on
their own. I have spoken to people who were living in a rental on a fixed income and the house was sold and the difference in what they paid in rent versus what is available made it unfeasible to avoid homelessness.
Looking at the monthly CES reports, we can see that even with services provided and housing, with rapid rehousing and those on the supportive housing priority list, the number of people remains almost the same even as people are housed.
One friend finally got into supportive housing through Kings View in the county. What she needed was to get on disability, which was a long, difficult process. Her caseworkers identified supportive housing for those on disability. She was not refusing services, but it took many years to overcome this barrier before permanent placement.
During that time,
she communicated much about the treatment of HART, saying at one point that the greatest thing they took was her hope (I’m glad she persisted) and how HART was harming people and not helping. She had her medications taken among everything else.
Even without these facts, there is no justification for the treatment of HART and their denial of people’s dignity and belongings. As I have mentioned, I have personally witnessed them refusing to let people take personal carts and backpacks that could have easily been rolled away. I have seen them ignore a clear request to store and in one case, not check to see if any items can’t be stored (It is stated that soiled items cannot be stored, but this term is subjective and can be used to deny storage), but put a whole personal cart of items into the crusher along with their wheelchair.
There is no valid justification for this.
Throwing away items whole, results in situations, such as one service provider shared: “ She had let me know that they took her tent and all the belongings in it during an early
morning sweep. The ashes were in a tin in her tent and the full thing was picked up and thrown into the dump truck. This also isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone mention their loved ones/ ashes were taken either.”
But we also
have been told by so many people that when someone has identified something important, like medications or irreplaceable mementos, they are either ignored, threatened with arrest if they impede the disposal, and even told “Too bad.” There is no justification for not allowing people the time to move their belongings, much less refuse to hand back items that can be taken in hand or ruled away. There is no justification for arresting people for trying to leave with their belongings. In one such case, the man told me, he was moving his belongings when the police said to leave them and was arrested for it because the only photograph of his parents (Black and white as he was middle aged) was in his things.
Casto mentions that police reports don’t reflect the complaints we raised, but our unhosed community members aren’t safe even recording the abatements and as that service provider stated, “She would now have written a report, because they’ve done nothing but tear her down while she was here so she did not believe it would do anything and she knew the ashes would be gone for good anyways”
Another service provider told me, “I have had clients who had to order social security cards, birth certificates and IDs
three, four times a year because HART kept taking them.
How are they supposed to "get a job" with no ways to verify themselves?” The violation of the needs and rights of those disabled by HART should be enough to demand accountability and seek a different approach, with non-police. Those who are disabled aren’t even given accommodations of time to move belongings, which is a right allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if they are required to leave an area. I have been present when an older woman with a walker on disability
I have assisted people, including those with disabilities and injuries, in moving belongings from private property when they were told to vacate. Shortly after their belongings were on public property, another HART crew came and threw everything we moved away. In this specific situation, HOPE made contact with those in the camp during the week, but the day before informed the occupants that there were no shelter beds available.
I have been present when someone set a bicycle outside of a portion of the irrigation district property, in which they were allowed time to move their belongings, and HART immediately threw the bicycle away when it was on public property.
There is no justification for this. People have nowhere else to go until they get into shelter and, ultimately, permanent housing.
The treatment by HART is an impediment to the work of the service providers and to their clients who are trying to do what they need to do.
I want to note again that these actions cause more harm and make people more vulnerable, which is noted by disability rights professionals, youth advocacy organizations, and human trafficking organizations among a few.
We need accountability and to protect those amongst our most vulnerable (Which Dyer himself called those unhoused at the PIT count press conference) From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Public comment: Final Budget vote, personnel, 6/23, editted (typos( Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 4:13:12 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear council,
I reviewed the motions and there are so many moves for investment in community services that are important and will help our community and I hope that these are integrated into the final budget.
I am glad that the council and city recognizes the
importance of Advance Peace and the work of Aaron Foster and others in decreasing homicides and violent crime through their work with those in the community.
We mentioned the need for rental assistance and I see the investment in groups that include that in their work.
I again ask that in identifying areas where these expenses can be funded, the council does not approve the expansion of HART with more police.
When we told you about the losses and mistreatment that people have experienced by
HART police, this is reflective of years of poor treatment with no accountability, resulting in harm to our community members and impediments to getting off one’s feet. So many people with lived experience have spoken up.
Dyer and others will point to all that the city has spent regarding those unhoused, much of it going towards the shelters, with federal and state funds. We aren’t saying that the city isn’t doing anything or that there aren't services that have been beneficial. We have needed low barrier shelters that allow for pets and belongings to be brought in, among other services that have been made available.
I want to point out that this doesn’t answer or justify the issue of mistreatment by HART and the approach. Unfortunately. It seems to be used as a way to brush off the complaints about HART treatment with claims that because of this spending, the people still unhoused are refusing service Even at that time, the vice protestant of FMCOC responded on a news report said this is not true
by noting the overwhelming number of people who
g o o MAPS every day to seek services, not to mention those who have already connected with HOPE, WestCare, and other service providers and are in the CES.
We cannot minimize the issues that are contributing to people continuing to lose housing and not easily getting back on their feet, as well as the barriers for those who have been unhoused for many years.
In the Point in the Time count, I noticed that what was not addressed as contributing to the numbers of those unhoused was the steep rise in rent just since 2020 that
has spiked the average rental cost, outpacing income, especially those who are on SSI, such as those who are elderly and disabled who are the highest rising demographic of those losing housing.
You have seen the need for the Eviction Protection
Program,indicating one of the causes for those who weren’t able to get this service. The 2023 PIT Count indicates almost 1 in 5 people being survivors of domestic violence. Many
people lose housing in exiting unsafe conditions and have difficulty getting housing on their own. I have spoken to people who were living in a rental on a fixed income and the house was sold and the difference in what they paid in rent versus what is available made it unfeasible to avoid homelessness.
Looking at the monthly CES reports, we can see that even with services provided and housing, with rapid rehousing and those on the supportive housing priority list, the number of people remains almost the same even as people are housed.
One friend finally got into supportive housing through Kings View in the county. What she needed was to get on disability, which was a long, difficult process. Her caseworkers identified supportive housing for those on disability. She was not refusing services, but it took many years to overcome this barrier before permanent placement.
During that time,
she communicated much about the treatment of HART, saying at one point that the greatest thing they took was her hope (I’m glad she persisted) and how HART was harming people and not helping. She had her medications taken among everything else.
Even without these facts, there is no justification for the treatment of HART and their denial of people’s dignity and belongings. As I have mentioned, I have personally witnessed them refusing to let people take personal carts and backpacks that could have easily been rolled away. I have seen them ignore a clear request to store and in one case, not check to see if any items can’t be stored (It is stated that soiled items cannot be stored, but this term is subjective and can be used to deny storage), but put a whole personal cart of items into the crusher along with their wheelchair.
There is no valid justification for this.
Throwing away items whole, results in situations, such as one service provider shared: “ She had let me know that they took her tent and all the belongings in it during an early
morning sweep. The ashes were in a tin in her tent and the full thing was picked up and thrown into the dump truck. This also isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone mention their loved ones/ ashes were taken either.”
But we also
have been told by so many people that when someone has identified something important, like medications or irreplaceable mementos, they are either ignored, threatened with arrest if they impede the disposal, and even told “Too bad.” There is no justification for not allowing people the time to move their belongings, much less refuse to hand back items that can be taken in hand or ruled away. There is no justification for arresting people for trying to leave with their belongings. In one such case, the man told me, he was moving his belongings when the police said to leave them and was arrested for it because the only photograph of his parents (Black and white as he was middle aged) was in his things.
Casto mentions that police reports don’t reflect the complaints we raised, but our unhosed community members aren’t safe even recording the abatements and as that service provider stated, “She would now have written a report, because they’ve done nothing but tear her down while she was here so she did not believe it would do anything and she knew the ashes would be gone for good anyways”
Another community organization based service provider told me, “I have had clients who had to order social security cards, birth certificates and IDs three, four times a year
because HART kept taking them. How are they supposed to "get a job" with no ways to verify themselves?”
The violation of the needs and rights of those disabled by HART should be enough to demand accountability and seek a different approach, with non-police. Those who are disabled aren’t even given accommodations of time to move belongings, which is a right allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if they are required to leave an area. I have been present when an older woman with a walker on disability
I have assisted people, including those with disabilities and injuries, in moving belongings from private property when they were told to vacate. Shortly after their belongings were on public property, another HART crew came and threw everything we moved away. In this specific situation, HOPE made contact with those in the camp during the week, but the day before, a disabled woman, who had later been housed, that outreach returned and told them that no shelter beds were available. She got a bed shortly after, but lost so many belongings uneccessarily.
I have been present when someone set a
bicycle outside of a portion of the irrigation district property, in which they were allowed time to move their belongings, and HART immediately threw the bicycle away when it was on public property.
There is no justification for this. People have nowhere else to go until they get into shelter and, ultimately, permanent housing.
The treatment by HART is an impediment to the work of the service providers and to their clients who are trying to do what they need to do.
I want to note again that these actions cause more harm and make people more vulnerable, which is noted by disability rights professionals, youth advocacy organizations, and human trafficking organizations among a few.
We need accountability and to protect those amongst our most vulnerable (Which Dyer himself called those unhoused at the PIT count press conference) . We can do better that would
benefit our whole community and neeatively not affect the dignity and well-being of those unhoused.
From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Please replace first public comment with second that I emailed Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 4:14:45 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Hi!
in addition to the embarrassing subject header, I found a few areas to correct. Please reject the first public comment for june 23 and submit the second
From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Public Comment: June 23, Final Budget Vote editted Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 4:57:35 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Dear council,
I reviewed the motions and there are so many moves for investment in community services that are important and will help our community and I hope that these are integrated into the final budget.
I am glad that the council and city recognizes the
importance of Advance Peace and the work of Aaron Foster and others in decreasing homicides and violent crime through their work with those in the community.
We mentioned the need for rental assistance and I see the investment in groups that include that in their work.
I again ask that in identifying areas where these expenses can be funded, the council does not approve the expansion of HART with more police.
When we told you about the losses and mistreatment that people have experienced by
HART police, this is reflective of years of poor treatment with no accountability, resulting in harm to our community members and impediments to getting off one’s feet. So many people with lived experience have spoken up.
Dyer and others will point to all that the city has spent regarding those unhoused, much of it going towards the shelters, with federal and state funds. We aren’t saying that the city isn’t doing anything or that there aren't services that have been beneficial. We have needed low barrier shelters that allow for pets and belongings to be brought in, among other services that have been made available.
I want to point out that this doesn’t answer or justify the issue of mistreatment by HART and the approach. Unfortunately. It seems to be used as a way to brush off the complaints about HART treatment with claims that because of this spending, the people still unhoused are refusing service Even at that time, the vice protestant of FMCOC responded on a news report said this is not true
by noting the overwhelming number of people who
g o o MAPS every day to seek services, not to mention those who have already connected with HOPE, WestCare, and other service providers and are in the CES.
We cannot minimize the issues that are contributing to people continuing to lose housing and not easily getting back on their feet, as well as the barriers for those who have been unhoused for many years.
In the Point in the Time count, I noticed that what was not addressed as contributing to the numbers of those unhoused was the steep rise in rent just since 2020 that
has spiked the average rental cost, outpacing income, especially those who are on SSI, such as those who are elderly and disabled who are the highest rising demographic of those losing housing.
You have seen the need for the Eviction Protection
Program,indicating one of the causes for those who weren’t able to get this service. The 2023 PIT Count indicates almost 1 in 5 people being survivors of domestic violence. Many people lose
housing in exiting unsafe conditions and have difficulty getting housing on
their own. I have spoken to people who were living in a rental on a fixed income and the house was sold and the difference in what they paid in rent versus what is available made it unfeasible to avoid homelessness.
Looking at the monthly CES reports, we can see that even with services provided and housing, with rapid rehousing and those on the supportive housing priority list, the number of people remains almost the same even as people are housed.
One friend finally got into supportive housing through Kings View in the county. What she needed was to get on disability, which was a long, difficult process. Her caseworkers identified supportive housing for those on disability. She was not refusing services, but it took many years to overcome this barrier before permanent placement.
During that time,
she communicated much about the treatment of HART, saying at one point that the greatest thing they took was her hope (I’m glad she persisted) and how HART was harming people and not helping. She had her medications taken among everything else.
Even without these facts, there is no justification for the treatment of HART and their denial of people’s dignity and belongings. As I have mentioned, I have personally witnessed them refusing to let people take personal carts and backpacks that could have easily been rolled away. I have seen them ignore a clear request to store and in one case, not check to see if any items can’t be stored (It is stated that soiled items cannot be stored, but this term is subjective and can be used to deny storage), but put a whole personal cart of items into the crusher along with their wheelchair.
There is no valid justification for this.
Throwing away items whole, results in situations, such as one service provider shared: “ She had let me know that they took her tent and all the belongings in it during an early
morning sweep. The ashes were in a tin in her tent and the full thing was picked up and thrown into the dump truck. This also isn’t the first time I’ve heard someone mention their loved ones/ ashes were taken either.”
But we also
have been told by so many people that when someone has identified something important, like medications or irreplaceable mementos, they are either ignored, threatened with arrest if they impede the disposal, and even told “Too bad.” There is no justification for not allowing people the time to move their belongings, much less refuse to hand back items that can be taken in hand or ruled away. There is no justification for arresting people for trying to leave with their belongings. In one such case, the man told me, he was moving his belongings when the police said to leave them and was arrested for it because the only photograph of his parents (Black and white as he was middle aged) was in his things.
Casto mentions that police reports don’t reflect the complaints we raised, but our unhosed community members aren’t safe even recording the abatements and as that service provider stated, “She would now have written a report, because they’ve done nothing but tear her down while she was here so she did not believe it would do anything and she knew the ashes would be gone for good anyways”
Another community organization based service provider told me, “I have had clients who had to order social security cards, birth certificates and IDs three, four times a year
because HART kept taking them. How are they supposed to "get a job" with no ways to verify themselves?”
The violation of the needs and rights of those disabled by HART should be enough to demand accountability and seek a different approach, with non-police. Those who are disabled aren’t even given accommodations of time to move belongings, which is a right allowed under the Americans with Disabilities Act, if they are required to leave an area. I have been present when an older woman with a walker on disability in which HART denied her request for accommodations for more time to move her things.
I have assisted people, including those with disabilities and injuries, in moving
belongings from private property when they were told to vacate. Shortly after their belongings were on public property, another HART crew came and threw everything we moved away. In this specific situation, HOPE made contact with those in the camp during the week, but the day before, a disabled woman, who had later been housed, that outreach returned and told them that no shelter beds were available. She got a bed shortly after, but lost so many belongings uneccessarily.
I have been present when someone set a
bicycle outside of a portion of the irrigation district property, in which they were allowed time to move their belongings, and HART immediately threw the bicycle away when it was on public property.
There is no justification for this. People have nowhere else to go until they get into shelter and, ultimately, permanent housing.
The treatment by HART is an impediment to the work of the service providers and to their clients who are trying to do what they need to do.
I want to note again that these actions cause more harm and make people more vulnerable, which is noted by disability rights professionals, youth advocacy organizations, and human trafficking organizations among a few.
We need accountability and to protect those amongst our most vulnerable (Which Dyer himself called those unhoused at the PIT count press conference) From:
To: Clerk
Subject: Re: Please replace first public comment with second that I emailed Date: Monday, June 22, 2026 4:57:54 PM
External Email: Use caution with links and attachments
Sorry. I had a third edit.
On Mon, Jun 22, 2026 at 4:14 PM Brandi Nuse-Villegas >
wrote:
Hi!
in addition to the embarrassing subject header, I found a few areas to correct. Please reject the first public comment for june 23 and submit the second