Celebrate Earth Day

Vulnerable homeless are going to be kicked out onto the street, again!!!!!

For the last 18 months, the old Best Western in Pollock Pines has been housing the most vulnerable homeless to protect them against Covid19 through Project Roomkey. The time has come to transition this program into more permanent housing by having the County purchase the property and turn this into Project Homekey.

WE URGE YOU TO WRITE IN, CALL IN, AND/OR SHOW UP AT THE BOARD CHAMBERS ON JANUARY 4TH.

Overall, the idea is to have facilities in several places in this county for the homeless, not just Pollock Pines. Eventually in every district of the County, Placerville, Cameron Park, and other communities, too. This is just a start. But, we need to start.

On January 4th, BOS meeting, Sue Novasel is bringing forward a resolution to halt the efforts on pursuing the Pollock Pines Best Western Hotel currently used for Project Roomkey to transition to Project Homekey.

Item 28. 22-0075 Supervisor Novasel recommending the Board consider directing staff to discontinue the pursuit of the Homekey Round 2 NOFA application for the purchase of the Best Western Inn in Pollock Pines.

(There are no supporting documents with this agenda item; it stands alone as stated.)

Here is how you call in to the board:

Members of the public may address the Board via Zoom to make a public comment. The public should call into

530-621-7603 or 530-621-7610.

The Meeting ID is 896 1648 4207. Please note you will not be able to join the live-stream until the posted meeting start time.

Here is how you write an email into the board:Write to Clerk of the Board Kim at [email protected]. In the subject line put 1/4/22 BOS meeting, item 28. and ask her to send your email to all Supervisors and Don Ashton CAO and Don Semon, DHHS. Please try to send in your email by Sunday evening at the latest. Letters posted online with the agenda item 4pm each week day.

TRUTH NOT LIES

  1. This is not the only hotel in Pollock Pines. There is another one about 1/2 mile west on Pony Express Trail for locals to house their out of town guests. Some Pollock Pines critics say Best Western is the only hotel.
  2. The neighbor complaints of crime and misbehavior are overblown. The facility is well managed and guests respect the boundaries of the facility.
  3. The West Slope area is not like SLT, and there are not a lot of facilities or hotels to choose from when trying to make use of the Project Homekey funds.
  4. One dilapidated hotel was reviewed by the county for this project, but the results were that the repairs needed were too expensive and price too expensive for the condition of the hotel. (this is mentioned because Sue Novasel thinks project Homekey should be housed in a more run down facility that is then fixed up. She sites what SLT Homekey has done with fixer-upper hotels, but we don’t have the same options here.)
  5. Some argue that this facility is too far from services needed by the homeless. Not true. Either the needed services have been brought to this facility, or, the bus is readily available as it runs along Pony Express Trail.
  6. Volunteers of America have been awarded the grant to run the Project Homekey at the Pollock Pines facility. The necessary parts are in place.
  7. If this project is rejected, it’s just like kicking the can further down the road. It’s a step backwards, and will take away housing for the most vulnerable homeless and put them back on the street.

Please encourage the Supervisors to continue with this project, the first of many to adequately house our homeless population.