We are writing in response to the Shelter Petition article published in the Times-Union newspaper dated Thursday, Nov. 18.
Our business name was listed in this article as a signor of the remonstrance petition filed with the Board of Zoning Appeals.
As owners of Creative Benefit Solutions, this came as a complete shock to us! It was our employee who was approached by Jerry Opperud and signed the petition thinking she was signing personally to obtain additional information regarding the shelter.
Our business address was given, but the owners of Creative Benefit Solutions, were not in the office at the time and had no knowledge of a petition having been signed in our name. We were later informed that the Times-Union matched the listed addresses with known business names and never verified if the signors were in fact business owners. Our employee is neither a "business owner" nor a "property owner" as stated in the article.
Our concerns are 1. The business owner(s) of Creative Benefit Solutions did not sign, but yet our business name was listed. 2. The article implies the listed business owners are against the homeless shelter. Creative Benefit Solutions feels there are valid arguments on both sides of this debate. We do feel more information needs to be supplied by all involved parties before decisions are made.
Since the Owners of Creative Benefit Solutions, did not sign this petition, and it was printed "The petition has 37 names of downtown business and property owners." and "The names on the petition are", we felt it necessary to set the record straight.
