Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/281176
Marbut, the city and county consultant, and it quoted him. However, Marbut's plan has a page with the heading, Immediate Next Steps, and the first step seems to encourage the city to take such an initiative: "Get started and do not get bogged down in politics. Simply just start!!" The exclamation points are in the original version. Another "immediate next step" is to Operationalize Homeless Outreach Teams. Thus, Marbut's own report seems inconsis- tent. "Simply just start!!" but only activate outreach "2-4 weeks before the opening of these new [shelter] facilities." Also on March 12, Sarasota County Sheriff's deputies responded to a property owner's complaint of a homeless camp along the rail- road near Mango Avenue. "At approximately 0930 I was notified by our dayshift north-side sergeant that the Sarasota Sheriff's Office had made a number of arrests and displaced a large number of homeless individuals from a number of camps in the county in the area of 17th St. and East Ave," Police Capt. Pat Robertson wrote in a memo to the police chief the next day. "The night shift central sergeant advised there was a perceivable increase in transients in door- ways and public areas in the downtown and Rosemary [District] neighborhoods." Marbut's report was created for both the city and county. So while a city police plan to clear out a homeless camp was stalled by City Commission questions, the sheriff went ahead and responded to public complaints. Meanwhile, Guillory is still waiting for action. THE PUSHBACK When the floor was opened to the public at the commission meeting Monday night, sev- eral of the tent city residents came forward to speak. Robin Couzino asked, "Are you going to get us a motel? The offer of the [Salvation Army] … will only allow us to do worse." Another person who did not give his name showed a picture of the sleeping arrange- ments at The Salvation Army. "Everybody reeks of alcohol and drugs; that's just the way it is," he said. "I'd rather go back to my camp. I felt more safe at my camp rather than at The Salvation Army." "I went to The Salvation Army and they couldn't help me. I called 211 and got nowhere," said Tonia Clum. "This is ridiculous. We are being City Attorney Robert Fournier. Photo by Norman Schimmel Sarasota News Leader March 21, 2014 Page 34