Resident urges commissioners not to criminalize homelessness during public comment

Cheryl Eagle used the public comment period at the Sept. 17 Butte‑Silver Bow Council meeting to urge commissioners to reconsider policies that criminalize homelessness and to draw attention to the experiences of people who are unhoused. Eagle said she represents “struggling minorities and poor people” in the county and identified herself as an enrolled member of the Fort Peck Tribes and previously enrolled with the Blackfeet. She asked commissioners to “reconsider criminalizing being homeless or unhoused in Butte‑Silver Bow.” Eagle recounted personal observations from Missoula and Billings of restrictions placed on people living outdoors — tree pruning near the Capitol, removal of benches — and said those measures simply moved people to other locations. She also described a nearby incident where a person living under a residence stopped taking medication and began using drugs, creating safety concerns for neighbors; she said she sympathized with commissioners facing similar situations. Her comment did not prompt a formal response or action at the meeting; it was received during the public comment period.