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Deb Haswell's avatar

Good on OS Police Services for recognizing this issue as a community issue -and OS staff for responding and holding this forum. It is complex and requires decisive action by all support services , particularly the city’s own bylaw enforcement.

I was unable to attend- however - from some conversations w a few small business owners that attended- the evening was quite uneventful , lacked focus on the issue of open drug use, safety of citizens visiting the downtown , enforcement plans of city bylaw department and lack of enforcement of property standards downtown along with need for increased lighting to enhance community safety , location of used needle receptacles , location and target date for installation of 24 hour public washroom.

One thing I do not understand is the governance , funding and management of Safe n Sound. If this group receives any public money from Grey County ( I understand approx $140,000.00) why is there no accountability and/ or representation by way of OS Mayor & Deputy Mayor- as Owen Sounds county representatives. The crisis has passed , yet , there is still no plan of action from city leadership to partner and support OS police and community support services to ensure downtown is safe for all people. The board of Directors of Safe n Sound would benefit greatly ( and the residents of OS) with mayor / deputy mayor as active members on their board of directors at this critical time.

As a citizen I have met with Safe n Sound management - unfortunately my offer to volunteer was rejected with no response. This is concerning and speaks to the need for transparency and accountability.

The issue is here - now-

on Owen Sounds streets , negatively affecting our small business community, our visitor numbers , our perception of a safe and proactive community. Inaction and lack of accountability combined with inaction on behalf of council continues to drift - while small businesses struggle in an increasingly complex environment locally . An action plan with target dates and perhaps some real discussion around a facility to house all services , overnight shelter , support services and Oshare would be a start . What is needed is some leadership .

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Mary Anne Alton's avatar

The meeting hosted by the City of Owen Sound was facilitated by Joel Pennington based on a community engagement model with 4 steps; respect, connect, reflect and direct. The facilitator's goal for the evening was “for participants to leave the meeting desiring more formal and informal dialogue to build collaborative relationships to address complex challenges.”

From what I have heard and read that goal was met. Hard topics were addressed in a collaborative and respectful manner and a sense of working together with the city was evident. There was no expectation that a 2 hour meeting would solve downtown's problems. Social agencies, businesses and people downtown are concerned about homelessness and drug issues and actively advocate for more supports. Some tangible suggestions such as downtown bathrooms, a men's shelter and a campaign to show a thriving downtown were shared. There is an openness to ongoing discussions and a report will come back to council in September.

I have faith in the capacity of people, in the community I am grateful to call home, to find positive paths forward.

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Deb Haswell's avatar

Yes indeed

When you have 100 interested folks willing to participate and an excellent facilitator-there will definitely be some participants who report out a resounding success- to be clear -no question as to the very high quality of both the facilitator and meeting format - it is also important to report out on those who found it without grit or specific targets.

I certainly do not believe anyone who actually participated would have expected this complex community issue to be “resolved” - in “a 2 hour meeting “ those participants I spoke with were looking for more support and specifics on how the situation can be better managed to address the issue in terms of safety etc - a reduction in foot traffic in any downtown is a serious situation for businesses and residents alike.

Safe n Sound , CMHA and a myriad of community services provide excellent services , support and care for many of those suffering addiction and homelessness- on the street no question.

My ( & others) concern is certainly NOT with the quality of services that currently exist on shoe string budgets AND do an excellent job for our community - but - rather the lack of support/funding & accountability from Grey county and our

Grey County representatives - in this case specific to Safe n Sound .

A clearer understanding of how all these services work together to support those in need was largely left unanswered.

Small business owners run a business , support their community and provide employment- residents and small

Businesses alike- are invested in this community and as such - look to experts in the fields they are not experts in for help and assistance to co exist -

I suppose one can certainly hope the “next” meeting will have some specifics and some demonstrated collaboration to address the real concerns of many residents .

I do believe bylaw enforcement is grossly under utilized and could provide much needed additional daytime support to OS Police Services.

It is the point of collaborative efforts that some folks were seeking and left without any more clarity on that.

Since my initial comments here - I am awaiting a response from the Chair of the county of Greys Social Services Standing Committee re funding and governance of Safe n Sound . As Safe n Sound is embarking on a second location downtown - I believe it would be most helpful for Safe n Sound and the community at large to better understanding of their values and management.

I believe we live in a generally safe community- thanks to OSPS and attentive residents & business leaders across OS - it is the actual perception of the lack of safety downtown - as identified by small businesses downtown , OS Police service Board Chair and anecdotally by those visiting and people who live in this region - open drug consumption, increased presence of homeless folks, etc- Owen Sound is not in a bubble or lala land- this issue is in all small communities across the province - the rich get richer and the poor get poorer- today - as has been confirmed nationally- that old statement has never been more true

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