This food for thought is from Mayor Pro Tem April Verlato, at the January 17th City Council meeting.  She highlighted how much it costs our Arcadia Police Department and Arcadia Fire Department to respond to calls for service for the unhoused in Arcadia.  These are taxpayer funds.

The question is: Should we allow this to continue?  Would we rather spend funds to actually address and assist our unhoused neighbors, to work to get them housed?

Mayor Pro Tem Verlato started off by saying that she receives numerous calls from businesses each week about Downtown Arcadia that the unhoused are camping, sleeping, trying to take residence in and around businesses, especially during the holiday. She stated that even though the City has an anti-camping ordinance in Downtown Arcadia that is supposed to be enforceable that prevents camping,  it doesn’t seem to be effective at all.  She said that even as a business owner herself they are feeling like there hasn’t been any positive outcome from Arcadia’s anti-camping ordinance. 

Arcadia is still addressing homelessness.  Our city’s police and fire departments handling calls around homelessness costs nearly 80k per month.  The figures to the left are what Mayor Pro Tem Verlato provided.

If you like to watch Mayor Pro Tem Verlato at the January 17th City Council meeting, go to the link below, and go to the 41st minute in the video.

Link to Arcadia City Council meetings