Well said Librarygirl. Victoria does need to build public restrooms and ones with a couple of shower stalls is a good idea. With all of the downtown public events I would start by putting one downtown. All the small towns have them, not with showers, but public restrooms for sure. With the economy failing and more layoffs daily, we surely need some cinderblock public restroom/shower facilities. It would be a good project for some of the local organizations to take on.

I'd like to respond to some of the negative comments made about our public library. First, the library is one of the most important buildings in our community. Without it, where would we go when we need a free computer to apply for a job? Where would we go when our children need resources for school? Where would we go when we need to know how to get a divorce? Where would we hang out all day when it's 100 degrees outside and we don't have an AC? Visit the library on any given day, and you will see that our library serves all of these needs and so much more. In fact, visit often and you will see library staff having friendly conversations with "the regulars"--many of whom are considered "needy" or homeless. Our library welcomes ALL people -- so long as they take care of the facility and respect the people in it. Someone bathing in a public restroom is not the issue. The issue is someone making such a mess that others cannot even use the facility. The issue is our library trying to make sure that EVERYONE feels safe and comfortable.

The city of Victoria use to have a public restroom downtown, until like the 1940's. If I recollect it was located behind Fossateis (sp).

Then all the health regulations kicked into gear.

I wonder how many homeless there are in Cuero, they built a nice public restroom.

A while back there was a group called Family Promise, which was planning to utilize church facilities to house homeless families. The churches were going to take turns hosting each week. I'm not sure exactly what all happened, but what I heard is that not enough churches agreed to sign on to the project so nothing happened. That's ashame!

What is really sad is the amount of community resources and good will that have gone into 3 new animal shelters and virtually no public effort to support homeless facilities. We take better care of stray animals than we do humans down on their luck.

The ex president of Valero was supposed to be teaming up with the city of San Antonio to build a homeless "complex". It was a wonderful vision, social workers, temp shelter, a place to set up an address, medical clinic, etc was to be available. I haven't heard anything about it lately. I hope that it hasn't been "shelved" as it is necessary, especially here. Homeless people fall through all the cracks, without an address they aren't able to benefit from any of the social programs that are out there, which makes it harder for them to get on their feet. The "chronic homeless" ie; people with mental disease, alcoholics, drug addicts, etc can't get the medical help they need. With a complex such as the one that was being proposed, those people could find themselves in a long term "nursing home" type placement, where they can get the help they need to manage their disease states. That cause is so much more worthy of our tax dollars than sidewalks, new buildings etc. Invest in the people & you will see results.

so where are these poor people supposed to use a bathroom? I think there should be a public place for them to use without having to worry about some person complaining! the city should try to help in some way to provide bathrooms for the homeless!

I use to work at a fast food rest,for about 10 yrs.The last winter I was there,"Billy" would come in mornings.The crew would take up whatever change we had to get him coffee or whatever food we could.One morning he came in freezing.It was about 25 degrees outside.His hands were red and he was shaking real bad.We quickly got him a cup of coffee and found him a coat no one had claimed.Then fed him and wouldn't let him leave until it warmed up.A few patrons were also kind enough to donate money so he could eat.After a while we didn't see him for about a month.When he finally came back,he was clean,well dressed,had a place to live,and very grateful and proud that someone had the guts to help him.These people need help.I'm so proud of "Billy" and would like to thank whoever helped him.I hope he's still doing good.

Libraries are great resources for the community. A great library is a sign of a great community. Rich and poor, young and old, the library belongs to everyone.

Visit any big city library and you will find the homeless. They’ll be reading books, looking for jobs in the paper, cooling down, or just relaxing. Let the homeless use the restroom. However there should be expectations of conduct. Don't trash it out and clean up your mess. If someone came into my place of business and trashed my bathroom they would not be allowed back. Treat your library and librarians with respect.

This only proves that people in this community have no sympathy for the needy. Ok I hear people complain about the dirty stinky homeless. Now I read people complain about the homeless trying to clean themselves. Its sad. I see no harm in using a public restroom to clean up and change. BUT I do think they should clean up after themselves.

I see that the main question is that "Where can they go to bathe?" There are some shelters that allow them to bathe at night, I think. But there is limited room at these places.With the economy going the way it is it is only going to get worse.That's where Victorians can step in and do something about it.I'm not talking about supporting these people but giving them somewhere they can go till they can get up on their feet where they can stay all day and not have to roam the streets.Many of these people have no family here or no friends.I know it would take time but the people of Victoria can make it happen.I have spoken with some homeless people here in Victoria they say they have no problem at all working it's just that they have no decent clothes, no transportation, they were laid off in the first place, hygene issues such as shaving, needing a haircut, or dental work they need done and are ashamed to talk or smile at someone because of it. If enough people put their heads together something can happen. I have seen communities come together on tv and in the news and get donations of stuff to help people, fundraisers, even government grants to open shelters for families there was one thing I saw on tv where someone actually donated a building to a group that was doing things for the homeless in their community.So I know it can happen.

I agree Hicktoria. Give these people a break, at least they are trying to clean up. Who knows, maybe they have a job interview to attend & need a clean, mostly private, roomy place to clean up. Where else can they go?

They should not be shunned just because they are trying to clean up. Not having a home, is NOT a reason to keep people out of a PUBLIC place. If you do not want them there for that reason, close the bathrooms to all people, not just homeless.

PROBLEM SOLVED

Some people may not be homeless by choice. I really do not care where they take a bath, as long as they clean up after themselves. They can even come and bath in my water sprinklers.

SundaeM...

Fantastic idea! I'd volunteer to help for that.

Problem: I'm currently trying to pass on an idea I have, but I'm not having much luck getting someone to spearhead it, so evidently I don't know how to start something like that.
Anyway, I agree. Good idea! I wish I could do more.

Frequently an article prompts some pretty decent input from good-natured souls, but also inadvertently incites emotional responses that cause some of us to shoot from the hip. This article was about resolving a problem in the library. It also generated comments about easing the homeless people situation, but that's a much bigger problem in itself.

To assume that crime in Victoria is non-existent because the police force monitors the library is a truly erroneous assumption. I feel that their presence is needed to ensure the safety and well-being of the people in the library, which VERY often includes kids. I'm not saying the homeless are dangerous; I'm saying I don't know what to expect from them, and I do NOT want to risk having kids being in a newspaper article the next day. So I totally support this decision.

I have sympathy for the homeless, and I don't wish them any harm or hardships, but I feel a "criminal trespass warning" is justified if they continue bathing in the restrooms.

If the bathing is allowed to continue, that would then mean that ANYone could bathe there. But that would be silly. So, the simple answer is, don't let anyone bathe there at all. How do you prevent that? Start with trespass warnings. As cold as it may sound, things have to follow a process.

It's really a shame - I'm finding a few of the same posters continually criticizing and condemning our local law enforcement, and rarely offering good advice or compliments.

Does anyone here see a trend with the public library? I recall an article a few weeks ago dealing with some unpaid fine leading to a court case. If I had it my way, I would shut the place down (fire all of the employees) and make it a shelter. Hey, who knows, maybe the former employees could use the place also considering they do not have jobs now. :)

jen08-I think you put it perfectly...I was born and raised in this town and I remember it being a friendly place where pretty much everyone knew eachother or grew up together...since it has gotten bigger people seem to forget where they come from and have gotten very bitter towards people here. I also think the homeless situation has gotten out of hand and that the people of Victoria need to do something about it..it could be a simple as having a fund raiser every few months to open a homless shelter for families and single homeless people ( I say it like that because all of the shelters they wanted to put my family in at one point in time wanted to seperate my family to where we could not see my fiance' at all, then another one which I will not name wanted me to press charges on my husband for things he DID NOT do.)I would love to help organize something like this to benifit people in Victoria.There are alot of empty buldings in this town that could be used for more then shopping centers.Like we need more shopping centers in Victoria,with the economy going the way it is all the new ones here wont make it anyway.

I think the article should have pursued more about where these people CAN go during the day. I would like more Victorians to think about how they could help one another instead of calling the cops to "get rid of them". Also...I believe that Bruce Ure could have stepped up and stated that his officers were assigned to "serve and protect" and not to kick people out and be a "presence".

Maybe some of the "sidewalk money" could be set aside for ideas for the homeless population.

I normally would not comment on an article of such interest but this time I will...I normally would not air my business out there for everyone to hear not just from being ashamed but from pride as well..My fiance' has been out of the Army since September of 2007..since then he has had a real problem finding a job..you think being ex-military with 7 years in this would not be a problem but it is...which is why he is going back in very soon..That knowlege aside..this has led to us being almost homeless several times with 4 children..I know they shouldnt be using public restrooms as places to bathe and change clothes but I know first hand that agencies in town that offer help for people who become homeless only help with certain things and only let you stay there for a certain amount of time or they make it hard to get help from them like having to have an id or a source of income before you stay there..people who become homeless may not have these things and when you are homeless they are harder to get then you think.Some shelters make you be in by a certain time then make you leave by a certain time in the morning..so they have no where to go during the day..people say there are day labor places where they can make money but as my fiance' has learned they only take certain people for those jobs and even those jobs are few right now.To get this finished up with our boring anyone too much I'm not saying that the library is wrong or that the homeless are wrong I'm just saying that these people have hit hard times and it's not fun let me tell you trust me they don't plan on having to do these things and they are ashamed as well about having to do so..and making the Victoria PD patrol the bathrooms and kick them out dont make them feel any better nor does it get their hopes up about their situation all it does is make them feel worse and make them that much more depressed.If it wasnt for family we would be in that same situation right now.Instead of kicking them out maybe you should get a list of resources for them to hand out.Maybe you should even go to these agencies in town that are SUPPOSE to help you and tell them you are homeless and see how you get treated just to see how it is first hand..trust me you will have a whole new view of the meaning "homeless" and the people who endure it.

TrueOmniscience...You make some really good points -- especially about the Victoria revenue agency. I've never been bothered by any homeless person at the library and have never seen anyone bathing in the restroom. I've no doubt it happens and that some have been bothered but it's never happened to me.
 What I do object to, however, is the number of seemingly unaccompanied kids running around and hollering inside the library much like on the playground. Where are the parents of these kids? Have they simply dropped them off in lieu of day care? My mother began taking me to the public library when I was in the third grade and it was impressed upon me that when inside the library, you remain QUIET! No one expects absolute silence, but the noise made by these unsupervised kids is far more than a simple distraction. I have even had strange kids stop and look over my shoulder at the computer monitor where I was working!
 Perhaps when the homeless bathing problem is solved, the library staff can address unsupervised kids running wild -- not in the restrooms -- but on the main floor where patrons are trying to locate books, read, or use the computers.

Homelessness is a huge problem and growing daily. The statements that most homeless are that way by choice is entirely inaccurate. The poster's that take this uninformed position should do some research before making statements of "unsubstantiated information as fact". The average age of a homeless person in the USA is between 6 and 9, depending upon which statistics you review. To state that the homeless are that way by choice is as assinine as stating the people who got layed off by one of the petrochemical plants did it by choice. The majority of homeless are in a situation they could not control, loss of a job, medical expenses or some other major life event. Victoria needs to address the homeless situation with compassion and insight, not with negative comments by a few uninformed individuals. No, the library is not the place for anyone to be taking care of personal needs but let's look for ways to solve the underlying issues and not put all homeless people into the same "group" as the chronically homeless.

this a problem. its sad that this occurs but it does. but to use this facility as a living qtrs. is wrong. but whats wrong with changing in a restroom. Its a hygiene room.

Now if you go there to stay of the elements and cause no trouble then hey let them be.

Whataburgers have homeless ppl there all the time as well. In the summer the mall has the poor getting free a/c.

Is there a fix?!?!? Here is one. A keypad that lets you in and requires a code from the counter person.

Doesn't the Salvation Army provide services for the homeless. I am not sure what the rules are.

I go to the library about twice a week.  It is one of the best kept secrets in Victoria!!
I've never encountered a homeless person there. Just lots of kids/families and retired folks. I can see the point of the library staff and that of a patron. Lots of children there, with parents or school groups. Not just a safety issue for patrons and staff. Also a liability if someone walks in, slips and falls. Or something even worse.
If one wants to warm up during the cold or cool down in the summer, fine. However, it is not a place to conduct ones 'person hygiene' routine.
just my thoughts.........

Alton lets be real. If you owned a establishment, would you want this? Might hurt your business huh? The library may not be a business, but it is a kid oriented establishment. P.S. Get a new picture. I can't take a grown man in a green tank top seriously.

I went to the library a lot during the summer and I always saw a few homeless people lounging around in the back area of the library in chairs. Some were even sleeping. I found it a bit weird, but none of them ever bothered me. I would look for a book on the shelf standing right by some of them, and they never said anything to me. I'm pretty sure they just wanted to get out of the heat and into some air conditioning. But I agree, we need to find a place for these people to go. It kind of sends a message about our city if you have to encounter homeless people in the public library. I don't blame them for being there, but it falls on our city to find a better place for them to go, and lounging in the public library is not that place.

Let's take a look at the problem and the proposed solution.
The problem is that the homeless, do not have the funds or money to have a place to bath. They need a place safe to bath. So instead of providing a place for them to bath, you want to threaten them with jail time where they can bath? A place that will cost the taxpayers more money. And you call this a great plan?