HomeMy WebLinkAboutHill 12.03.20From: CityClerk <cityclerk@rentonwa.gov>
To: Julia Medzegian <Jmedzegian@Rentonwa.gov>
Cc: Ed VanValey <Evanvaley@Rentonwa.gov>; Armondo Pavone <APavone@Rentonwa.gov>; Council &l
t;Council@Rentonwa.gov>
Bcc: eprince@rentonwa.gov; rcorman@rentonwa.gov; rperez@rentonwa.gov; rmcirvin@rentonwa.gov; vohalloran@
rentonwa.gov; kvan@rentonwa.gov; abenedetti@rentonwa.gov
Date: 2020-12-03 16:16
Subject: FW: Sign up for Council testamony
FYI
Jason A. Seth, MMC
City Clerk/Public Records Officer
425-430-6502
rentonwa.gov/cityclerk
All correspondence received at this email address is subject to Washington State’s Public Records Act – RCW 42.56.
-----Original Message-----
From: Holly Coleman <antiques4u.wa@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 3, 2020 3:16 PM
To: CityClerk <CityClerk@Rentonwa.gov>
Subject: Sign up for Council testamony
CAUTION: This email originated from outside the City of Renton. Do not click links, reply or open attachments unless you know the content is safe.
My name is Nick Hill owner of Antiques 4U and Puget Sound Cider in downtown Renton. I would like to share my experience as a business owner of a business
in the downtown core over the last six years.
We have seen a steady improvement of customer traffic, reduced crime and an overall positive perception of downtown.
Then we had COVID-19, our customer traffic dropped by 90%. We are barely able to keep our business open in the current environment.
Since the Red Lion was converted to a shelter, we have seen a dramatic increase in homeless people roaming about downtown. Many times these people are in
distress, clearly in need of mental help. Several have entered our business at various times disrupting business and frighting our customers. Acts of vandalism
against our business have cost us several hundred dollars. These individuals are well known to Renton police, unfortunately the police can do little to solve this
problem.
A poorly run, low barrier shelter allowing drug and alcohol use and unsupervised mentally ill people to rampage through downtown Renton has hurt the Renton
community and businesses.
This shelter, is a Hazard and a safety risk to Renton, its residents, businesses and even the people living at the Red Lion shelter. Recent arsons and emergency
situations clearly demonstrate the folly of this shelter/hotel/mental health hospital. Please for everyone’s sake move these people to a proper care facility before a
life is lost like the recent stabbing death of a social worker at another Seattle homeless shelter.
Nick Hill
LR - 000615