Viewpoint: Urban camping ordinance lowers Missoula’s quality of life

David Moore

The City of Missoula’s ordinance that allows overnight shelter in parks is an attempt to groom the citizens into accepting a lower quality of life for the entire community. This ordinance will hurt the economy of Missoula.

The Economic Impact of Local Parks from the National Recreation and Park Association (2019) released a report showing that Montana had 3,916 employees working for Parks and Recreation with wages of $191 million. Value added to the state of $284 million, with a total economic activity of $634 statewide.

Missoulians have a generational investment in the city parks with taxes and other investments.

Public parks have significant value because they improve water quality.

Parks naturally manage stormwater.

Parks reduce air pollution.

Parks enhance community health.

Parks provide recreational opportunities.

Parks help attract and retain businesses.

Parks support economic development.

Parks encourage active lifestyles and reduce healthcare costs.

The larger impact to property owners includes a decrease in property values which could lead to decreased property tax revenue for the city, which could lead the city to raise property taxes to fill in the loss of revenue. Typical snake eating its own tail analogy.

Shockingly for the community, this ordinance failed to look at the Safe Routes for School children safety in this plan. Residents surrounding the parks detailed in the initial map were not notified. Both Law Enforcement and MCPS have voiced their concerns over this ordinance.

Neighborhoods have reported multiple campers violating the overnight shelter regulations and were told by law enforcement that they are unenforceable. There are no consequences for breaking rules. The fear of my neighbors is that something unbelievably bad is going to happen before action is taken.