Council expresses continued support for housing moratorium
The El Centro City Council was in agreement Tuesday with all five members unequivocally voicing support for an extension of a transitional housing moratorium extension in the downtown area.
This includes approximately the area bounded by 4th and 8th streets and between Broadway and State Street. The original moratorium went into effect March 21 and was due to expire at the end of this week but all council members remarked they would vote to extend the moratorium and it could be re-enforced for another 10 months and 15 days.
Councilman Jason Jackson, who grew up in downtown and whose mother ran a beauty shop there noted in 2008 when the city decided to include mixed use residential zoning, the idea was that residents would provide steady income for the merchants in the neighborhood. “We’ve made some strides in recent years but we need to do much more,” said Jackson. “With undergrounding of wiring for new lighting we’ll have new lights by summer which is not a friend to criminals. What we need most there is more mom and pop and specialty stores.”
I have so much invested in my business to make it business friendly. Keep downtown commercial.” Jacob Zavala, El Dorado Printing & Embroidery Services owner
City Attorney Elizabeth Evans stated that extending the moratorium is a vote on the consideration of the commons that all residents share and is not a hearing targeting anyone proposal. Evans went on that the extension would not be discriminatory toward any one group of people, particularly those who may suffer drug addiction. The public comments by a dozen citizens of El Centro was a process of community outreach expressed by residents and will be considered by the federal Bureau of Prisons when considering Behavioral Systems Southwest request for proposal to approve their establishing transitional housing in downtown.
But Steve Doran of Behavioral Systems Southwest asserted the proposed housing in not a homeless shelter and will be supervised 24/7.
“We’ll be spending $2.5 million a year buying resources,” he said. “We’ll provide additional jobs. We’ll not allow our clients to have access just anywhere. If they mess up they’ll be returned to prison. They’ll have accountability. They’ll be returning to civilian life anyways, so it’s better they have supervision.”
Geoffrey Wills, attorney representing Behavioral Systems Southwest alluded to a lawsuit against the city if their actions further jeopardize their contract for transitional housing.
Yet every public comment speaker opposed the housing proposal. Jacob Zavala, owner of El Dorado Printing and Embroidery Services noted he is frequently interrupted at night by police informing him his business was broken into. “Keep pushing for a new, good downtown,” Zavala urged the council. “I have so much invested in my business to make it business friendly. Keep downtown commercial. We appreciate the new lighting, but you should really extend the moratorium.”
On a more ominous note, Gene Brister of KXO Radio cautioned if the moratorium was lifted, the council would put the final nail in the coffin of downtown.