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Tent City Q & A - June 17, 2007
Tent City at the
United Churches – Information for the Congregation
Frequently Asked
Questions – June 17, 2007
Q. #1. How long will Tent City be at the Church?
Tent City will be here 90 days – from May 19th, through August 16th.
Q. #2. Do we have a permit? Are there any issues with the City of Olympia?
We have a compliance agreement with the City. The agreement requires the Church to have sanitary conditions, like a porta potty, to have 24 hour monitoring of the site, and other criteria around health and safety, such as a code of conduct for the residents. The City is very pleased with how things are going. Thurston County inspects the site every two weeks. We passed all of our health inspections to date with flying colors!
Q. #3. How many residents are in the Camp?
Right now there are 20. The compliance agreement has a lid of 22.
Q. #4. How about our neighbors – how is that going?
Very good. We spent the first weeks talking to our many neighbors, meeting, providing information, listening, finding out particular concerns, and adjusting our plan in response. At the end of the day, we want this to be a good experience for everyone.
Q. #5. In general how are things going at the camp? Any cause for concern?
Things are going well. The day to day goings of the camp are governed by the residents. The camp elects three residents to serve as mediators, with one new mediator elected every week, and one rotating off. The camp is responsible for assuring its code of conduct is adhered to. The church has an 8 member oversight committee as well. The oversight committee has daily contact with the mediators and camp residents to see how things are going, to get the status of the residents, and to discuss issues as they arise. The camp code of conduct requires a background check of all residents, and the oversight committee in conjunction with church staff makes sure all of that information is current.
Q. #6. How can I help?
We need you to volunteer your time to sit at the host tent. This is the key to making this a success. The shifts are 3 hours. To sign up, send an email to tucocamp@gmail.com or call Debora Reynolds directly at 480-6361. What is really working is for folks to volunteer for a shift each week so we can plan the remaining weeks. We have 8 shifts a day, and have two more months! Lots of folks have brought by coworkers and friends, who have signed up for shifts themselves.
Q. #7. Any other way to help?
Absolutely. You can bring by prepared meals for the camp residents. The Church also needs donations of money. We pay for porta potties, bus passes, first aid supplies, and other items, all through donations only. We need additional money for the remainder of the stay. For example porta potty pumping is over a hundred dollars per week. You can also thank the City of Olympia for their work with us and contact our neighboring cities, asking them to work with other churches to allow Tent City to come to their jurisdiction.
Tent City – Q&A – May
18, 2007
Relocation to The United Churches of Olympia
Dear Congregation:
Since addressing you this past Sunday, much has occurred. I know that among us
there are some who are not happy about Tent City, some who are being patient,
and some who are excited. We all make up the Church and we all matter. We all
deserve to be listened to, and all deserve respect. I put together the following
information to fill you in on the work that has been done over the past few
days. Mark Dowdy, David Nightingale, Lee Johnson, and Pat Dickason have been
working hard to get the site ready for Saturday and thereafter.
On Sunday at 9:30 and at noon we will be having an open question and answer
session about Tent City. At that time we can share more specific information
about parking during the upcoming 90 days, access to the lower doors, and how
you can help.
We are looking for a few more folks to be on the Oversight Committee. We need
people who are willing to have a set routine of talking to the residents,
fielding questions, troubleshooting, and engaging in some simple monitoring.
In the meantime, you can learn more and meet our guests, by coming to the Church
on Saturday as our guests arrive. We will be sharing more detail through email
regarding the approximate Saturday arrival time.
Peace,
Leslie Cushman
Q. When will Tent City come to the United Churches?
A. Tent City, which is a community of about 25 homeless people, will arrive on
Saturday, May 19th.
Q. Where will it be located?
A. It will be in the Church parking lot on Washington Street, immediately
adjacent to the Church.
Q. When did the Church make this decision?
A. Tent City Residents visited the Church Council on the evening of May 10th,
and asked that the Church be the next host for Tent City. The 90 day permit at
the Unitarian Church was coming to its conclusion and the residents had not
found a new location. Thus, on May 10th Church Council voted to host Tent City.
A Steering Committee was appointed to make the arrangements and identify a
beginning date. The Steering Committee met on May 14th, and made a decision to
aim for May 19th as the start date so that Tent City residents had certainty.
Q. Why did the Church decide to host Tent City? It seems like this happened all
of a sudden.
A. The Church was just beginning the planning for a very deliberate and
thoughtful process of dialogue with our congregation, neighbors, and community
around the issue of homelessness, with a possible hosting of Tent City in our
future. However, when the residents of Tent City told us of their immediate need
for a new home, we felt, while we would have liked more time, given Tent City
residents’ need for a safe location the right thing was to grant their request.
Q. Is the Church working with the City of Olympia to get the proper permits and
get the site ready?
A. Yes, representatives of the Church began to work with the City on May 15th,
and have had ongoing discussions in order to meet the city’s expectations
regarding compliance. Tent Cities don’t fit neatly into the City Code and we are
working closely with the city.
Q. How will this impact the Church neighbors?
A. It is hoped that there will be little impact on Church neighbors.
Realistically there will be some impact of course, and our intent is to manage
the footprint and activities. Tent City is largely self-contained. There will be
a privacy fence to screen the facility from the street. There will be
porta-potties, water hookup, and garbage facilities. Thurston County Health
Department will make regular inspections. Tent City residents will commit to
following four key rules: No violence, no alcohol, no drugs, and no stealing. In
addition, all residents will have background checks run through the WSP
background check system. We have committed to providing a presence at the site
24 hours a day. Members of other churches and organizations are pitching in to
help.
Q. Has the Church been contacting its neighbors?
A. Yes. A number of church members have been visiting businesses in the
neighborhood in person or placing phone calls. We have also been in contact with
the Department of General Administration and the Washington State Patrol.
We will host an open house on Thursday May 24th from
4 pm to 6 pm to answer questions and listen to concerns.
Q. Who can I contact if I have questions or need more information?
A. You may contact
Pastor Mark Dowdy at 943-1210 or the Church
Moderator,
Leslie Cushman,
at 280-0087. Either one of them would be happy to answer questions and are
available to meet with you to share information about Tent City. Their emails
are
Markd@theunitedchurches.org and
Lesliecush@comcast.net
Come Journey with Us ! 
