MINUTES
CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING
CITY OF MONTEREY
Wednesday, March 23, 2022
4:00 PM
ZOOM TELECONFERENCE
MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA
Councilmembers
Present:
Albert, Haffa (arrived at 4:10 p.m.), Smith (arrived at 4:15 p.m.), Williamson, Roberson
Absent: None
City Staff
Present:
City Manager, Assistant City Manager, City Attorney, Community Development Director, Police Chief, Parks and Recreation Director, Finance Director, Human Resources Director, Library Director, City Clerk, Police Sergeant, Lieutenant, Administrative Analyst (Housing)
CALL TO ORDER
This meeting was held with teleconference attendance, pursuant to the Ralph M. Brown Act, Calif. Government Code section 54953(e)(1)(C) and Resolution No. 22-023 C.S.
Mayor Roberson called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. City Clerk Klein explained to the public how to participate in the meeting virtually.
PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
Mayor Roberson led the Pledge.
PRESENTATIONS
1. Receive a Report on Homeless Services Provided on the Monterey Peninsula (Not a Project under CEQA per Article 20, Section 15378 and General Rule Article 5 Section 15061) Action: Received presentation
Housing Analyst Leonard, Police Chief Hober, and Police Sergeant Jenkins gave the staff presentation outlining services provided by the City to unhoused individuals including through the Police Department's Multi-Disciplinary Outreach Team (MDOT) and in partnership with community organizations. Additional slides on homeless services offered by community providers were presented by Robin McCrae, Community Human Services (CHS); Staci Alziebler-Perkins, Gathering for Women; Sophie Yakir and Kevin Gast, Interim Inc.; Kurt Schake and Kristen Massey, Veterans Transition Center; Carl Sedoryk, Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST); Katy Castagna, United Way Monterey County. During the presentation, Councilmember Haffa arrived at 4:10 p.m. and Councilmember Smith arrived at 4:15 p.m.
Public comment was received from Sonia Villalobos, who shared information on the difficulty finding appropriate and affordable housing in the area; Esther Malkin, who thanked the nonprofit agencies and Monterey Police Department for their work on homeless issues and stressed the need for renter protections; Karen O'Neal, who said that new information shows that 64% of the middle class lives paycheck-to-paycheck and spoke about the high cost of rental units and its link to homelessness; Paula Pelot, who echoed concerned comments about increasing rent costs and highlighted a gap between rent increases and CPI increases over the same period of time; Kent Glenzer, who urged the Council to show leadership and create City Council Minutes March 23, 2022
2 incentives for employers to provide a living wage, stating no more than 30% of income should go toward rent; Nina Beety, who described the local situation as a catastrophe and said that the State is not helping and that renters do not have the same rights as property owners in terms of receiving notices.
The Council discussed the matter. On question, Ms. McCrae clarified that there are eight emergency beds available through Community Human Services. On question, Police Chief Hober explained further details about the MDOT program. The Council expressed its appreciation to the service providers and the City for their work. The Council summed up the information presented by the providers: the strongest need is for more transitional housing, and for more affordable housing. Some concerns were shared about MST's proposal to create housing out of defunct buses.
It was stated by Council that conflacting issues like addiction and mental health need attention, and that rent stabilization needs to be addressed so that the homeless count doesn't rise even higher. It was stated that the One Starfish program does a great job. It was highlighted that CHS' Casa de Noche Buena shelter in Seaside was successful but that 10 times the number who had been successfully housed were still waiting for services. It was stated that funding is needed and that it could be helpful if the City sent a letter of support to the State.
On question, Ms. McCrae clarified that CHS had served 61 people, with 34 exiters, and that of the exiters, 31 had exited to permanent housing and only three to transitional housing, which she said was a pretty good outcome.
It was asked whether the Council could have a discussion about rent stabilization, or a about living wages. It was stated that it wouldn't be possible to fully address issues of homelessness if the City can't stop people from becoming homeless in the first place. The concept of "housing first" was mentioned and it was asked whether Project Homekey was a realistic way for Monterey to find an avenue to leverage state funding.
Housing Analyst Leonard provided information on Project Homekey. On question, Community Development Director Cole said that the first step would be for the City to send a letter asking if the hotel and motel owners would be interested in selling their properties. She said that the biggest constraint was the need for water to build new housing in Monterey.
On question, the providers addressed Councilmembers' comments. Ms. McCrae said that Housing First works at Casa de Noche Buena. Ms. Alziebler-Perkins clarified that many people in the area are on the brink of homelessness and that one small issue can push people easily over that edge. Ms. Castagna said that staffing at United Way Monterey County is thin and that she would love to add social workers and case managers to their front line staff.
On question, Housing Analyst Leonard explained the process of conducting the local homeless count. On question, Police Sergeant Jenkins and Police Chief Hober explained challenges associated with their MDOT program.
It was stated by Council that programs that treat, place, participate heavily in case management, and avoid enabling and recycling would be the goal for the City's support. The providers present were praised for accomplishing these goals. It was stated that housing voucher amounts are not sufficient and that the City should be communicating this and other homeless matters to the State. It was stated that home ownership is one of the keys to breaking the cycle of poverty. It was stated that large employers have available land and should start stretching their thinking to consider providing worker housing.
City Council Minutes March 23, 2022
3 CONSENT ITEM
No public comments were received on the consent item.
On a motion by Mayor Roberson, seconded by Councilmember Haffa, and carried by the following vote, which was conducted by roll call, the City Council approved the CONSENT ITEM:
AYES: 5 COUNCILMEMBERS: Albert, Haffa, Smith, Williamson, Roberson NOES: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
ABSENT: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
ABSTAIN: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
RECUSED: 0 COUNCILMEMBERS: (None)
Resolutions
2. Authorize Remote Teleconference Meetings of the City Council and Boards, Commissions, and Committees for the Period March 24, 2022 through April 22, 2022 Pursuant to AB361 Ralph M.
Brown Act Provisions (Not a project under CEQA per Article 20 Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5 Section 15061)
Adopted Resolution No. 22-026 C.S.
***End of Consent Agenda***
***Adjourn to Closed Session (See additional agenda)*** No public comments on the closed session were received.
The Council adjourned to closed session at 5:46 p.m.
ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION
cs1. Conference with Labor Negotiators Pursuant to Government Code Section 54957.6 Agency Negotiators: Allyson Hauck and Gina Russo; General Employees of Monterey (GEM), Management Employees' Association (MEA), Monterey Police Association (MPA), Police Lieutenants' Management Association (PLMA), Monterey Fire Fighters' Association (MFFA), Monterey Fire Chief Officers' Association (MFCOA), Monterey Executive Management Employees' Association (MEMEA) (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061)
Action: On a 4-0-1 roll call vote with Mayor Roberson absent, confidential direction was given to labor negotiators
ADJOURNMENT
Respectfully Submitted, Approved,
Clementine Bonner Klein Clyde Roberson
City Clerk Mayor