Atwell told The Sarasota News Leader she
had concerns about the city-owned site on
Osprey Avenue that county officials were
pushing as the top site. But she added that
the saga is not over. "I call this a relationship
break. We arrived at an impasse."
Atwell continued, "We cut the ties, but we did
not cut the rope. The whole process got bro-
ken, but I think, ultimately, this will morph
into something more appropriate and amena-
ble to everyone."
Atwell says her eyes are still on "the prize,"
which is a come-as-you-are shelter open to
all homeless adults in the county. She is an
important voice on the City Commission
because her term does not expire until 2017.
Two people will be appointed temporarily
this fall to fill seats left open by the County
Commission candidacies of Paul Caragiulo
and Shannon Snyder, and the next city elec-
tion, in 2015, will fill three district seats.
Asked what she envisions as a compromise
between the city and county, Atwell replied
that she would like to see a triage center
where homeless adults can be assessed and
then receive the appropriate services — from
counseling to job training to substance abuse
rehabilitation. One option for the facility is
a site that is not right downtown, a change
City Commissioner Suzanne Atwell listens to discussion during a joint city/county meeting on June
23. Photo by Norman Schimmel
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Read the letters exchanged between the city and the county.
Sarasota News Leader August 8 & 15, 2014 Page 38
