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Residents and camp supporters clash in public comments over UCAN spending and neighborhood impacts
Summary
Public commenters raised accusations that UCAN overbilled for early navigation center operations and urged expansion of low-cost camps and basic services such as water and warming pits; other residents said they were not notified about camps and worried about property values.
Several members of the public used the meeting's comment period to press opposing views about informal camps and the navigation center.
Bernie Woodard, who identified concerns about invoicing and conflicts of interest, said he would give documents to the city manager alleging "over invoiced significantly for the first 18 months of UCAN operation at navigation center." Woodard said the documents show roughly 10 people in pods for 18 months while UCAN had received about $1,600,000 through Sept. 23, 2023, and characterized that average as "over $9,000 per month per person in pods." He called for the commission to review loans and payments and said the city had been "notified that there is an apparent fraud or possible fraud." He offered the documents to city staff.
Supporters of Bernie's camps also spoke. Jesse Spain said the camps "provide a safe place" and recounted a personal example of a camp resident who found work and housing after staying in a camp. "They have a real sense of community," Spain said, and asked whether the city could help provide water, fences or safe warming pits. Blair Bailey, a resident, urged the city to consider a specific 1.3-acre paved lot on Diamond Lake Boulevard as a possible site and asked for written responses to public comments.
Other residents raised neighborhood concerns. Sherry Wellman said she was not notified that a camp would be placed in her neighborhood on Mill Street and said the development has "devaluated my home." John Berman described supporting partnerships between private business and education as a model and offered general support for collaborative approaches to the issue.
Meeting officials did not make any formal findings about the billing allegations; Woodard said he would hand documents to the city manager for review. UCAN staff present at the meeting defended their operations during the update and said they follow strict fiscal policies and audits.
The commission took no formal action on public-comment items during the meeting.
