The Sterling Stage, 6134 E. Hwy. 290
Helter Shelter
RECEIVED Mon., Feb. 13, 2023
Dear Editor,
Your article about the city's response to the winter storm [“Walking on Thin Ice,” News, Feb. 10] says that most City Council members think the greatest shortcoming in the response was poor communication. The more important shortcoming was the lack of adequate shelter for people without power. That is a potential life or death situation. Families with children were turned away from shelter. Registration for shelter required everyone to travel Downtown between 6 and 8pm during freezing temperatures and hazardous road conditions. Opening a few libraries during business hours was not sufficient; more complete shelters were not established until the Monday after the storm.
The city had two years since the last major storm to set up shelters. They have made some progress, but there is no excuse for not having shelters set up during this extreme event. There need to be shelters around the city that have back-up generators or solar and batteries. Some people can afford to stay in hotels (if they have space and power) or have relatives they can stay with, but many people don't. The city should create a list of vulnerable people that includes seniors and people with disabilities who do not have someone in town who can help them. That was also discussed by the Council but never completed.
The Council passed a resolution last Thursday to address extreme weather shelters. It has some good recommendations, but it was drafted prior to the storm, and its focus is on the unhoused population. Shelter for the unhoused definitely needs to be improved, but when you have hundreds of thousands of people without power, that requires a whole different level of shelter; and that was not specifically addressed in the resolution.
The city needs to make this a priority and get it done before next winter.
Your article about the city's response to the winter storm [“Walking on Thin Ice,” News, Feb. 10] says that most City Council members think the greatest shortcoming in the response was poor communication. The more important shortcoming was the lack of adequate shelter for people without power. That is a potential life or death situation. Families with children were turned away from shelter. Registration for shelter required everyone to travel Downtown between 6 and 8pm during freezing temperatures and hazardous road conditions. Opening a few libraries during business hours was not sufficient; more complete shelters were not established until the Monday after the storm.
The city had two years since the last major storm to set up shelters. They have made some progress, but there is no excuse for not having shelters set up during this extreme event. There need to be shelters around the city that have back-up generators or solar and batteries. Some people can afford to stay in hotels (if they have space and power) or have relatives they can stay with, but many people don't. The city should create a list of vulnerable people that includes seniors and people with disabilities who do not have someone in town who can help them. That was also discussed by the Council but never completed.
The Council passed a resolution last Thursday to address extreme weather shelters. It has some good recommendations, but it was drafted prior to the storm, and its focus is on the unhoused population. Shelter for the unhoused definitely needs to be improved, but when you have hundreds of thousands of people without power, that requires a whole different level of shelter; and that was not specifically addressed in the resolution.
The city needs to make this a priority and get it done before next winter.
Sincerely,
Susan Pantell
Susan Pantell
