Call for support of keeping Highland from being overburdened

Here's an update by Liz Swain, passed on by Dan Marcalus, which calls for support at the Tuesday meeting. The crux of this is to resist further overburdening a neighborhood with a shelter instead of distributing such burdens a bit more evenly.

"Here is the latest on the Tuesday, Jan. 12 City Council meeting, Government Plaza, 505 Travis Street. This meeting begins at 3 p.m.

At the moment, things are looking strongly in the favor of the Highland neighborhood. Joyce Bowman is the latest to say that she will vote on our behalf Tuesday. As you know if you are familiar with politics, though, it's only a done deal after the vote it taken.

It is still VERY IMPORTANT to have a strong showing on Tuesday, so please attend if you are able. Someone from each neighborhood association would be impressive. Tom would be a natural for HRA and should lead it off.

Avenues to push are that continued sheltering facilities/halfway houses are incompatible with the health and growth of our neighborhood, that we are facing very real problems from the density of those already here and that there needs to be an opportunity to stop and take stock of all that exist to determine placement in the future. We need to stress the neighborhood is working together to oppose this, all associations are on the same page, etc.

RESOLUTIONS from all three neighborhood associations if possible saying that the boards oppose the appeal.

I am doing the one for Highland Jazz and Blues.

Liz