The best minds will figure it out

This is how it starts.

Smart people with passion gathering in one room Tuesday, staring at a seemingly impossible task but eager to make it work.

So goes the Citrus Hope discussion.

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The County Commission agenda says it’s a workshop for “homeless cooperation.” The end goal is to begin the process that will result in Citrus Hope, a local version of a successful program in three Tampa Bay counties.

The fact that we’re here at all is fairly impressive.

Commissioner Holly Davis has championed the Citrus Hope cause. Her colleagues were less than enthused when she first raised the idea of donating county property for a homeless camp. Holly then did what so many successful citizens have done in convincing commissioners of their plight — onsite visits.

It was these bus trips with Citrus County politicians and community leaders to Tampa Hope and Pinellas Hope that convinced them this idea might work here too.

Citrus Hope is not a homeless shelter. The Catholic Charities presentation for the board’s 9 a.m. workshop explains in detail how this works.

As someone who encourages open public dialogue, I’m all in on this workshop and whatever follows.

Take a look at the agenda. This is a community conversation, so let’s stay informed.

Some thoughts:

— I had a Cattle Dog chat a few weeks ago with the head of a local nonprofit. This man’s clients are some of the very people Citrus Hope would serve.

Yet, he had numerous concerns about the likelihood of taking what is essentially an urban homeless program and retrofitting it into a rural community.

From this man’s standpoint, Citrus County doesn’t have the public transit, job potential, or financial means to support such a lofty goal.

Truthfully, he took the wind from my sails. Until that sit-down, all I saw were positives. I encouraged him to attend the workshop to express those concerns.

It reminds me of an important point: The experts engage in what I call hand-to-hand combat, meaning they deal directly with the needy every day. They know what works and what doesn’t. They’re not interested in flowery political speeches or predictions. They’ve seen too much pain, heartache, and personal success to be swayed by such emotional appeals.

— Location, location, location. The report says the ideal spot is along the C.R. 491 corridor. I know they were initially looking at 5 acres near the county jail. They want to keep Citrus Hope away from neighborhoods and schools, but close to transit, services, and jobs.

Well, we have a challenge. Citrus County has three urban centers: Crystal River, Inverness, and Lecanto/Beverly Hills/Pine Ridge. Lots of homes and businesses elsewhere, but when we’re getting in the car, we’re likely headed to one of those three areas.

The challenge is drivetime. How does a Citrus Hope in Lecanto help folks from Crystal River, Homosassa, and Inverness? I notice Citrus County Transit doesn’t have a role in the homeless workshop. From what I hear, getting folks to jobs is a major challenge.

— As with anything, I’m fascinated by the politics of this issue. How far are Citrus County commissioners willing to commit public funds and staff time to what is essentially a community function?

I’m going on a vague memory, so excuse the blind spots. Some time ago, the County Commission decided it wasn’t going to support community organizations through the budget. It was based on a simple philosophy: Commissioners didn’t think assistance to community endeavors was the taxpayers’ role.

I’m sure there have been exceptions to that rule along the way, but that’s the general thinking.

So here we are. It’s not unrealistic to see the county providing the land or selling it to Catholic Charities super cheap. Where it gets interesting is suggesting the county provide some operational funding.

Proponents make the logical point that it costs far less to house a client at Citrus Hope than the county jail, where homeless may end up from circumstances related to their situation.

County commissioners don’t tend to think that way. Numbers are very black and white to the people whose job it is to set the tax rate.

But who knows? We’re having discussions on helping the most vulnerable in our community. Those discussions will lead to action. The county is already playing a role by facilitating the discussion. Commissioner Davis has her colleagues’ attention.

This is how it starts. With a beginning.

Have a tremendous Tuesday, friends.

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