Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/129431
Sarasota News Leader May 10, 2013 Page 25 cause of the Health Department," she said. "The Police Department says they are not supposed to be hassling homeless people. One guy urinated in front of us and two officers; then we had a smashed window. The smell of urine and human excrement is gagging in the summer" all across the street from City Hall. THE BIG STALL Barwin arrived to take the city manager job as the street people/homeless/vagrant population climbed to its annual peak at the height of the tourist season. His attempt to put together an ad hoc committee to tackle the issues was greeted with a carrot and a stick. The CommuCity Manager Tom Barwin discusses homenity Foundation of Sarasota County offered lessness issues with the County Commission $60,000 to get the initiative started; but a lawduring a joint city/county meeting in early yer filed suit because the ad hoc committee February. Photo by Norman Schimmel did not advertise its meetings under the state's people. Additionally, he bemoaned the fact the sunshine law. City of Sarasota is carrying the whole burden, The committee has not met since the legal that there is no regional approach to low-inchallenge arrived. And the grant has been come housing or mental health needs. withdrawn because the lawyer dragged the A proposal to look at St. Petersburg's ordiCommunity Foundation into court, too, denances regulating panhandling, sleeping in manding its records. While Barwin's strategy rights of way, trespassing and public urination is stuck in neutral, that did not stop him from was deferred on Monday. City Attorney Bob making observations about the overall situaFournier was not ready for that route. tion to the CCNA. In other words, for the past six months, as Why are things they way they are? Barwin citpressures have grown, there has been no aced a lack of caseworkers to coordinate the tion. While there has been no lack of words search for diagnosis, treatment, employment from the homeless, the bureaucrats, the poliand housing. He cited the lack of mental health ticians, the police, the merchants and the puband substance abuse treatment facilities for lic, nothing has been done but the playing of indigents. He further noted the reticence of "Whac-a-Mole." local judges to commit people against their will for treatment beyond three days. And he From Five Points to Gillespie Park to Florida cited a lack of cheap housing for low-income Avenue, the question is, what is next? %