It was on June 6 that the City Council enacted a series of amendments updating the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO). One of the amendments was the “Safe Outdoor Spaces.” The legislation passed on a 5 to 4 vote. Voting YES to allow Safe Outdoor Spaces were Democrats Isaac Benton, Pat Davis and Tammy Feibelcorn and Republicans Brook Basan and Trudy Jones. Voting NO were Republicans Dan Lewis, Renee Grout and Democrats Louis Sanchez and Klarissa Pena. Mayor Tim Keller signed off on the legislation making it law.
“Safe Outdoor Spaces” are organized, managed homeless encampments with 40 designated spaces for tents that allows for upwards of 50 people, require hand washing stations, toilets and showers, require a management plan, 6 foot fencing and social services offered. The Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) sets a limit of two in each of the city’s 9 council districts. The cap does not apply to religious institutions.
After tremendous public outcry and objections to Safe Ourdoor Spaces, Republican City Councilor Brook Bassan, who had voted “YES” and previously voiced support for safe outdoor spaces, did an about face and changed her mind. On June 22, Bassan introduced two bills, one bill to stop the city from accepting or approving safe outdoor space applications and the other to eliminate “safe outdoor spaces” from the zoning code altogether.
During the June 22 meeting the council did not act on the 2 bills and failed to enact the legislation that was to provide for rules and regulations promulgated by the Keller Administration for “Safe Outdoor Spaces”. The city council’s failure on June 22 to take any action on either the bills stopping the application process or repealing the land use resolution resulted in “Safe Outdoor Spaces” becoming a permissible land use on July 28. Applications have been filed for the land use, with one approved by city planning behind closed doors on August 8 without notice to the public nor a public hearing.
FIRST “SAFE OUTDOOR SPACE” APPROVED
On August 10, the City of Albuquerque approved the first “safe outdoor space” for homeless camps. The address of the site is 1250 Menaul Blvd, NE and is an open space area that borders I-25. The applicants have said that encampment is intended to provide accommodations for “sex-trafficking victims” and other vulnerable populations.
On July 30, Dawn Legacy Point filed the first application ever for a Safe Outdoor Space homeless. On August 8, the City Planning Department approved the application for a homeless campsite at 1250 Menaul, NE. Dawn Legacy Point said the homeless encampment will provide accommodations for upwards of 50 woman who are homeless and who are “sex-trafficking victims” and other vulnerable populations.
The City Planning Department unilaterally reviewed the application behind closed doors with no notice to surrounding businesses or neighborhood associations, no public hearing and no public input. The application was “fast tracked” by the Planning Department to approve the application just 8 days before the City Council was scheduled to repeal the Safe Outdoor Spaces zoning use on August 16.
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
There is no getting around it. What the Planning Department did does not pass the smell test. The application approval was as sneaky and underhanded as it gets. The planning Department decided it had the authority to simply grant the application before the City Council votes to repeal Safe Outdoor Spaces on August 15.
With acquiescence from Mayor Tim Keller, the Planning Department approved the Safe Outdoor Space on city owned property valued at $4,333,500 to be operated by Dawn Legacy Point and subsidized by the City to house women in tents who are victims of “trafficking and exploitation”. It is something that progressive Decorate Keller should be absolutely ashamed of with “trafficking and exploitation” victims being housed in tents as a housing solution thereby being exploited again by denying them proper housing.
What is being created at 1205 Menaul, NE is a location for victims to become victims once again. The actual location is troubling and has the potential of becoming a magnet for crime, prostitution or illicit drug trade. It’s located in close proximity to a truck stop known amongst law enforcement for prostitution and illicit drug activity. It’s directly across the street from a major call center, a motel suites and is walking distance of Menaul Boarding School and apartments.
Less than a half mile from the vacant land located at 1250 Menaul Blvd, NE and within walking distance from the property is Menaul School, a private boarding school for 6th to 12th graders. Directly across the street from the property is the T-Mobile Call Center and a Quality Inn & Suites. Going West on Menaul and one block from the property is Carrington College and two apartment complexes.
Occupants of the Safe Outdoor spaces are not confined and will be free to go and come as they please and could easily wind up as uninvited wherever they want to go. This includes the truck stop and disrupting the peaceful use and enjoyment at nearby locations or engaging in illicit activity.
Dawn Legacy Pointe board chair Kylea Good bragged that the approval represents years of “behind-the-scenes work” with the Keller Administration and others going along to get approval at the exclusion of the public. Why bother going public and being transparent when you can sneak around city hall with the Mayor’s support to get something you want and the general public be damned.
It’s repulsive and irresponsible when applicants Kylea Good and Brad Day proclaim that the Safe Outdoor Space encampment will be for “sex-trafficking victims”. When the words “trafficking and exploitation” are used, what is being talked about are woman who are victims of crime such as kidnapping or forced prostitution. They are saying that they want to provide tents in city sanction encampments to woman who have already been victimized believing they are somehow acting compassionate. Victimized women need actual, compassionate treatment and permanent housing that is safe and secured and not living in a tent city.
FIEBELKORN AND AIDE GASLIGHT OPPOSTION ON “SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES”
Democrat City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has told media outlets that she wholeheartedly supports Safe Outdoor Spaces. In June she told Channel 7:
“this is an opportunity for us to give [the homeless] a space that they can camp that’s not in our residential areas, in city parks, or on open space.”
https://www.koat.com/article/albuquerque-approves-safe-outdoor-space-homeless/40876329
Fiebelkorn has never mentioned the need to provide other services to assist the homeless who are mentally ill and those who are drug addicted and only concentrates on where the homeless camp. What Democrat City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn and her paid city hall aide have done is to taken to viciously attacking and gaslight lighting vocal critics who oppose Safe Outdoor Spaces. Both have exhibited an astonishing level of arrogance and intolerance for anyone who may disagree with their political agenda.
NEW MEXICO SUN COVERAGE
On June 27, the on line news agency the New Mexico Sun published the following column entitled “Community organizer: City council aide ‘called me a Nazi’ written by staff reporter David Beasley:
“A policy aide to Albuquerque City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn accused a “housing first” advocate of wanting to throw the homeless into concentration camps.
In a recent phone call about Albuquerque’s acute homelessness problem, an aide to city council member Tammy Fiebelkorn essentially called long-time community organizer, activist and policy analyst Valere McFarland a Nazi who wants to “put the homeless into concentration camps,” McFarland said.
McFarland is requesting an apology from the aide, Laura Rummler.
According to McFarland, Rummler said during the phone call, “I know who you guys are. You want to put the homeless into concentration camps, away from the city, away from services, away from jobs,” McFarland wrote in an email to Fiebelkorn and other city officials.
“Ms. Rummler thus called me a Nazi,” McFarland wrote. “I demand a formal apology from Ms. Rummler. I do not take this statement lightly. She should not be in a position of interacting with the public. I believe she needs to be disciplined, if not outright terminated for the comment she made to me and the unprofessional way in which (she) spoke to me.”
According to the email, a copy of which was provided to the New Mexico Sun, McFarland placed a call to Fiebelkorn’s office Monday to follow up on a previous message encouraging the mayor and city council to suspend any consideration of zoning permit applications for the city’s tenuous plan for sanctioned homeless encampments across the city called “Safe Outdoor Spaces” (SOS).
With a doctorate in education policy studies, McFarland is an experienced public policy expert and civil rights activist. She has worked internationally as well as for many years in Hawaii and New Mexico where she joined and built coalitions to challenge and confront issues involving equity in education and environmental causes.
In Albuquerque, McFarland is an active member of Women Taking Back Our Neighborhoods (WTBON), a group founded in 2018 to inform the public and demand greater accountability from elected and other civic leaders for preventing crime on Central Avenue, in neighborhoods and in public parks. McFarland has also advocated for animal and environmental causes.
McFarland recently co-wrote an opinion piece published by the New Mexico Sun arguing that the city of Albuquerque should pursue a “housing first” approach to Albuquerque’s homelessness problems called The Campus Model.
The National Alliance to End Homelessness describes “housing first” as an approach prioritizing housing for people experiencing homelessness as well as emphasizing flexibility, support services and individual agency.
The New Mexico Sun previously reported that the city’s sanctioned encampments plan, first added to the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) albeit without budget and operational rules in place in early June, has faced citizen-led opposition. City councilors are now planning an Aug. 15 vote to remove the Safe Outdoor Spaces encampment scheme from the IDO.
Fiebelkorn represents Albuquerque’s District 7 including the mid-heights, uptown and parts of the near northeast heights. Elected to the city council in December 2021, Fiebelkorn is serving her first term on city council.
McFarland said an apology has not yet been issued from Fiebelkorn’s office for Rummler’s comments.”
The link to the New Mexico Sun Article is here:
https://newmexicosun.com/stories/629452870-community-organizer-city-council-aide-called-me-a-nazi
SECOND NEW MEXICO SUN ARTICLE
On August 4, the New Mexico Sun published a second article written by staff reporter T.H. Lawrence relating to the unprofessional conduct of City Council aide Laura Rummler. Following is the unedited article:
HEADLINE: “Albuquerque activist: Rummler’s conduct is deplorable and should not be tolerated from any city employee’
“An Albuquerque resident who spoke to City Council aide Laura Rummler in late July said she was dismayed by the way she was spoken to by the city employee.
However, another citizen, who has dealt with the city in the ongoing debate over homelessness, isn’t surprised by the ill treatment.
The New Mexico Sun recently reported that Rummler, who works in Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn’s office, was dismissive and demeaning to policy expert Valere McFarland when McFarland called Fiebelkorn’s office July 25 to follow up on a previous message encouraging Mayor Tim Keller and the council. She asked them to suspend any consideration of zoning permit applications for the city’s tenuous plan for sanctioned homeless encampments across the city called “Safe Outdoor Spaces” (SOS).
McFarland detailed her thoughts in a May 12 memo to city officials.
“You can and should do better for what is the most beautiful city in the United States,” she wrote.
“Albuquerque is unmatched with its geographical beauty, location, perfect climate but, most of all, the generous hearts of its citizens. Why would you even consider such an unworkable from the get-go plan that threatens to harm the citizens who pay your salaries? Please slow down and consider plans that work.”
According to McFarland, Rummler said, “I know who you guys are. You want to put the homeless into concentration camps, away from the city, away from services, away from jobs.”
McFarland described the exchange in an email to Fiebelkorn and other city officials.
“Ms. Rummler thus called me a Nazi,” McFarland wrote. “I demand a formal apology from Ms. Rummler. I do not take this statement lightly. She should not be in a position of interacting with the public. I believe she needs to be disciplined, if not outright terminated for the comment she made to me and the unprofessional way in which [she] spoke to me.”
Colleen Aycock, an Albuquerque citizen advocate, said these kinds of comments are not acceptable.
“This conduct is deplorable and should not be tolerated from any city employee, much less one who represents a city councilor elected to serve by listening to all ideas, and acting in, the best interest of all citizens,” Aycock told the New Mexico Sun.
She said such remarks are not really a surprise.
“Laura Rummler previously worked as policy analyst for Councilor Don Harris, District 9, and that should say it,” Aycock said.
She is a founding member of Women Taking Back Our Neighborhoods, which has opposed city efforts to expand sanctioned homeless camps. McFarland, a former Albuquerque resident who said she plans to return to the city, also is a member.
The citizen activist group was formed in 2018 with an expressed goal of informing the public and demanding greater accountability from elected officials and civic leaders to prevent crime and keep communities safe. Aycock has been notably public about her concerns about homeless encampments where drug use and dealing were common.
The New Mexico Sun previously reported that the city’s sanctioned encampments plan, first added to the Integrated Development Ordinance (IDO) albeit without budget and operational rules in place in early June, has faced citizen-led opposition. Councilors are now planning an Aug. 15 vote to remove the Safe Outdoor Spaces encampment scheme from the IDO.
Harris served 16 years on the council before choosing not to run for another term in 2021. Critics said he was not fully involved in city business in his later years on the council, including missing meetings and departing when some were still in progress.
Aycock said while she has mostly dealt with Rummler via emails, and said they were mostly routine, she was surprised when Rummler tried to take the reins during a 2021 meeting in the Foothills district to discuss neighborhood concerns. Samantha Martinez, a crime prevention specialist based in the Albuquerque Police Department crime prevention specialist, organized a meeting for the Foothills Area Command.
Aycock said it was a packed meeting, with 125-130 people in attendance, including members of Women Taking Back Our Neighborhoods. Rummler appeared to be upset they were present, she said, and made an announcement.
“She said this meeting was solely for people wanting to start neighborhood associations,” Aycock said.
That caused several members of the WTBON to leave, but Aycock said she and some of the group stuck around. Someone asked Rummler why she was involved in a police meeting, wondering what her role was.
She explained what a policy analyst was and said she worked for Councilor Harris. That caused someone to say it appeared she soon would be out of work, since Harris was not seeking re-election.
There were some candidates for the district 9 seat present, and Rummler said perhaps one of them would hire her. Aycock said that seemed out of place at such a meeting.
“And it was more tacky than unprofessional,” she said.
Fiebelkorn represents Albuquerque’s District 7 including the Mid-Heights, Uptown and parts of the near Northeast Heights. She was elected to the City Council in December.
Neither Fiebelkorn nor Rummler responded to emails requesting comments.
FIEBELKORN MAKES SEXIST INSULT TO CONSTITUENT
On June 1, 2 and 3, a remarkable exchange of emails occurred between City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn, who has been in office for 6 months, and Pete Dinelli. The purpose of the contact by Dinelli was to request Fiebelkorn’s assistance in removal of a homeless encampment. What occurred was a brush off by Councilor Fiebelkorn telling Dinelli he needed to follow the process of calling 311 and Fiebelkorn revealing her support for “Safe Outdoor Space” city sanctioned homeless encampments. Fiebelkorn went far as to make a remark that reveal that she is a sexist. Following is the email exchange:
EMAIL EXHCHANGES
Following is the series of email exchanges:
Date: 6/2/2022 4:38:31 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Request to evict unlawful encampment
From: Tammy Fiebelcorn
To: Pete Dinelli
Hi Pete,
Thanks for reaching out. Have you reported this encampment to 311? If not, please do. As you probably know, the city has a decampment policy and process that begins with a report to 311. Please feel free to cc my office on that report so we can monitor progress and make sure the city process is working.
Thanks,
Tammy
Date: 6/2/2022 5:06:55 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Clean up accomplished
From: Pete Dinelli
To: Tammy Fiebelkorn
Councilor Fiebelkorn:
Thank you for your email. I am disappointed that you told me I needed to call 311 when I was contacting you as my city councilor. I feel it was your responsibility to do something. Your staff could have sent 311 a request based on the information I sent. I do not need you to monitor anything because the work got done. …
Date: 6/2/2022 5:09:02 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Clean up accomplished
From: Tammy Fiebelkorn
To: Pete Dinelli
Pete,
There is a process at the city to deal with these types of issues and I will always encourage people to use that process.
Tammy
Date:6/2/2022 5:22:50 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Clean up accomplished
From: Pete Dinelli
To: Tammy Fiebelkorn
Councilor Fiebelkorn:
You do not have to explain the process of 311 to me. My wife worked for 311 and she was the Senior Administrative Assistant for 10 years. I also took and handled referrals from 311 as Chief Public Safety Officer or Deputy City Attorney dealing with nuisance properties.
With all due respect, your emails are a brush off. Your constituents are allowed to contact you and not just 311 and ask and expect your help which is something you have yet to fully learn and understand.
Have a nice evening.
Date: 6/2/2022 5:31:44 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Clean up accomplished
From: Tammy Fiebelkorn
To: Pete Dinelli
Pete,
I am fully aware of my role as City Councilor. Mansplaining of my responsibilities is not welcome or needed. I will continue to work to ensure that the city processes work for everyone – not just people who reach out me directly.
Tammy
Date: 6/2/2022 6:02:12 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Your sexist offensive remark
From: Pete Dinelli
To: Tammy Fiebelkorn
Councilor Fiebelkorn:
Your sexist remark is just as offensive as your arrogance thinking you know it all. Like it or not, you are my city councilor and its obvious you have your own personal agenda. You are hostile to anyone who disagrees with you and could not careless what your constituents think.
Date: 6/2/2022 6:46:27 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Your sexist offensive remark
From: Tammy Fiebelkorn
To: Pete Dinelli
Thankfully, most constituents of D7 are kind, caring people who are interested in working together to make positive change. I’ll keep working for and with them.
Tammy Fiebelkorn
Date: 6/2/2022 10:41:17 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Try asking them what they think
From: Pete Dinelli
To: Tammy Fiebelkorn
Councilor Fiebelkorn:
I agree with you that your constituents are kind, caring people, so do please keep working with them and for them. Please ask the handful of constituents you work with if they are okay with having “living lots” or “safe outdoor spaces” in their neighborhood and if they want homeless encampments on city parks like Jerry Cline Park and if they tell you no, please tell them to call 311.
Date: 6/3/2022 11:21:17 AM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Try asking them what they think
From: Tammy Fiebelkorn
To: Pete Dinelli
Pete,
I have active dialogue with D7 constituents all the time and work with them on a variety of projects. When there is a problem that should be taken care of by basic city services, I ask them to use the city system to report the problem so that we can ensure that all city services are running properly. If they aren’t running properly, my office intervenes. If they do run properly, that’s great news all around.
In terms of upcoming legislation, that is obviously not a city service and I welcome all input from constituents. Overall, the community response to Safe Outdoor Spaces has been positive in our district. Of course, there are people like you who continue to say that they would be located in residential areas or city parks – which is blatantly false – so there is some education needed.
Tammy
Date: 6/3/2022 12:32:56 PM Mountain Standard Time
Subject: Doubt you have any dialogue; City map showing where “living lots” and “safe outdoor spaces” will be allowed
From: Pete Dinelli
To: Tammy Fiebelkorn
Councilor Fiebelkorn:
“You are wrong when you say “the community response to Safe Outdoor Spaces has been positive in our district.” You obviously have not talked to those who live around Jerry Cline Park and those who post on Next Door.com who have been upset about the homeless encampments at the park, including those within the Mark Twain Neighborhood Association.
The only education needed here is that of you. A map prepared by the city detailing where “living lots” and “safe outdoor space” zoning would be allowed for encampments revealed numerous areas in each of the 9 City Council districts that are in walking distance to many residential areas. Upwards of 15% of the city would allow for “safe outdoor spaces as a “permissive use” or “conditional use”. Under the law, once such permissive uses are granted, they become vested rights and cannot be rescinded by the city council. … . “
COMMENTARY AND ANALYSIS
Fiebelkorn has been in office a mere 6 months. The freshman city councilor and her city paid aide have exhibited a level of arrogance and hostility that is beyond comprehension towards anyone who oppose or question their actions. Both act in an unprofessional way when they speak to members of the public and constituents who they do not agree with their agenda.
It is hard to take Fiebelkorn serious when she says “I have active dialogue with D7 constituents all the time and work with them on a variety of projects”. The only active dialogue Fiebelkorn is known for is talking to her progressive democrat supporters and animal rights supporters who tell her she is doing a great job. What she has done is ignore problems her district is confronted with, especially crime. When she ran for city council, a major plank of her platform was animal rights and the city’s high crime rates and public safety were essentially ignored.
FITTING IN AFTER 6 MONTHS
City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn has ostensibly trained her little minion Laura Rummler, who is paid upwards of $70,000 a year as a legislative analyst, to gaslight anyone who dares to take issue with Fiebelkorn and to brow beat concerned citizens
City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn is fitting in nicely by not being so nice with the existing Albuquerque City Council given that she is exhibiting more than a few nasty little traits of some other city councilors and in particular Democrat City Council Isaac Benton, who is the current city council President. He has the reputation of brow beating constituents and city officials during city council meeting or in private. When Benton does not like what you say, he brushes you off or cuts you off or simply ignores you.
City Councilor Tammy Fiebelkorn needs stop and listen to those she disagrees with and maybe, just maybe, she might learn a thing or two and realize she does not know it all. Being an elected city councilor is the most difficult because you are so close to the garbage cans. Public service as an elected official and as a government employee is about listening, even listening to those you do not like or care for in any way and even help if you can.
The public and voters have the right to contact their elected officials directly and to voice their concerns and not be brow beaten and subject to sexist insults nor to insults and gaslighting. Voters have the right to ask for help with a problem and not be told to follow “the process.” It’s called constituent services.
Private citizens have every right to question the job performance of any city councilor, their support staff and if any city council does do not like it, they have no business running and holding office. With any luck, Tammy Fiebelkorn will be a one term City Councilor and her Laura Rummler will be out of a city job.
A SEXIST CITY COUNCILLOR
One thing that is now known for certain is that Tammy Fiebelkorn is a sexist. She makes up her mind up in a vacuum without educating herself on what her constituents actually want. Her assistant Laura Rummler is even worse when she viciously attacks a member of the public that she disagrees with essentially calling that person NAZI and refusing to apologize. Rummler is a city employee, is not an elected official and her disrespect for McFarland was totally unacceptable meriting termination.
SAFE OUTDOOR SPACES A DISASTER FOR CITY
The homeless crisis will not be solved by the city, but it can and must be managed. Safe Outdoor Spaces represent a very temporary place to pitch a tent, relieve oneself, bathe and sleep at night with rules that will not likely be followed. Safe Outdoor Spaces are not the answer to the homeless crisis. The answer is to provide the support services, including food and permanent lodging, and mental health care needed to allow the homeless, and yes those who are the victims of human trafficking, to turn their lives around, become productive self-sufficient citizens, no longer dependent on relatives or others.
“Safe Outdoor Spaces” will be a disaster for the city as a whole. They will destroy neighborhoods, make the city a magnet for the homeless and destroy the city’s efforts to manage the homeless through housing. If the City Council allows for “safe outdoor spaces” zoning, it will be a major setback for the city and its current policy of seeking permanent shelter and housing as the solution to the homeless crisis.
CONTACT CITY COUNCIL
On Monday, August 15, the Albuquerque City Council will be meeting and will be voting on repealing the Safe Outdoor Spaces amendment to the Integrated Development Ordinance. Voters and residents are urged to contact and voice their opinion and tell all city councilors to vote YES on the repeal of Safe Outdoor Spaces. Their phone numbers and email address are:
CITY COUNCIL PHONE: (505) 768-3100
CITY COUNCIL EMAILS
lesanchez@cabq.gov
louiesanchez@allstate.com
bmaceachen@cabq.gov,
ibenton@cabq.gov,
namolina@cabq.gov,
kpena@cabq.gov,
rmhernandez@cabq.gov,
bbassan@cabq.gov,
danlewis@cabq.gov,
galvarez@cabq.gov,
patdavis@cabq.gov,
seanforan@cabq.gov,
tfiebelkorn@cabq.gov,
lrummler@cabq.gov,
trudyjones@cabq.gov,
azizachavez@cabq.gov,
rgrout@cabq.gov,
rrmiller@cabq.gov,
LEWISABQ@GMAIL.COM,
nancymontano@cabq.gov,
cortega@cabq.gov
cmelendrez@cabq.gov