jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Marietta City Council will not have completed allocations for emergency homelessness reprieve by year’s end.
Legislators and other city administrators are looking to other routes for public funds to support a warming center at a local church through the county homeless project, local food banks and vouchers for motel stays to be carried by law enforcement for immediate distribution on cold nights.
In January of this year, a Marietta law enforcement officer was called out to one of the homeless encampments for a wellness check.The police officer was at a loss for available action that cold January afternoon, speaking with the Times and Councilman Geoff Schenkel about not wanting to find a frozen body but also having nowhere to offer those without a home.
jpatterson@mariettatimes.com
Marietta City Council and administration committed $75,000 to combat homelessness through this coming winter Monday during Finance Committee.
Through utilizing the remaining coronavirus stimulus funds provided to the city this year (CARES Act) officials pledged to use those federal dollars to relieve the financial burden upon the city general fund by using that money to pay for salaries and benefits within the police and fire departments.
In doing so, the group decided to use the savings to meet the immediate needs of the most vulnerable in Marietta.
“You can’t leave them out in the cold,” said Councilman Mike McCauley.