LOVELAND, Colo. — An emergency Loveland City Council meeting called by the mayor, in hopes of extending a permit for the city's now closed overnight shelter, got heated Thursday night.
It ultimately failed in a 4-4 vote, following hours of council members going back and forth and public comment getting contentious.
The South Railroad Facility opened in 2023, intended as a short-term solution for unhoused individuals in the community.
On Tuesday, September 30, it was taken down because the city said there wasn't enough funding.
"I would ask that if it’s there, that I get some help cleaning up what they throw on my property. They sit on the wall, they throw their food over, they use it for a restroom. I keep the doors locked, and I just think I’m too old for this," one woman said during the public comment period of Thursday night's Loveland City Council meeting.
"This is unbelievable. We’re sitting here with people outside. They don’t know where to go tonight. And if you keep this up they won’t know where to go for the next two months," another man said, agreeing with the other side.
Jim Thompson, the city manager, said there is an item on the agenda for an executive session for this upcoming Tuesday to discuss a long-term solution.
Thompson wouldn't go into what that could mean, other than to say they're working closely with providers in a way they haven't in the past.
He also reminded residents, the Loveland Resource Center will remain open as an emergency overnight shelter when it gets cold.
