Administrative
Report
H.7., File # 22-3557 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
To: MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL
From: MICHAEL W. WEBB, CITY ATTORNEY CHERYL PARK, ASSISTANT CITY
ATTORNEY ANASTASIA PAPADAKIS, SENIOR DEPUTY CITY PROSECUTOR JOY ABAQUIN,
QUALITY OF LIFE PROSECUTOR
TITLE
APPROVE THE MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING WITH THE SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL
OF GOVERNMENTS FOR USE OF COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES INNOVATION GRANT FUNDS TO EXPAND THE CITY’S HOUSING INITIATIVE COURT, ALSO KNOWN AS HOMELESS COURT, AS WELL AS FOR BRIDGE HOUSING FOR THE AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $306,299 FOR THE TERM OF JANUARY 1, 2022 UNTIL JUNE 30, 2023.
ADOPT BY 4/5 VOTE AND BY TITLE ONLY RESOLUTION NO. CC-2112-124, A RESOLUTION OF
THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF REDONDO BEACH, CALIFORNIA, AUTHORIZING A FISCAL YEAR 2021-2022 BUDGET MODIFICATION TO APPROPRIATE $121,169 IN INNOVATION GRANT FUNDS FROM THE SBCCOG TO THE INTERGOVERNMENTAL GRANT FUND.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The South Bay Cities Council of Government (SBCCOG) awarded the Cities of Redondo Beach and Hermosa Beach $306,299 for the expansion of the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court also known as “Homeless Court”. This would result in Hermosa Beach taking over hosting duties for 4 of the 12 sessions per year as their misdemeanor cases would now be heard as well. This would also include funding for five interim beds for bridge housing in Wilmington. The recommended action will authorize the Mayor to sign the Memorandum of Understanding accepting the grant on behalf of the City.
This item was originally brought to the City Council and Mayor for approval on December 21, 2021, but the incorrect MOU was attached and signed. We are bringing it back to the City Council and Mayor so that the correct MOU can be approved and signed.
BACKGROUND
In February 2020, the SBCCOG awarded the City of Redondo Beach $245,287 of Measure H Innovation Funds for Fiscal Year 2020-2021 for the City’s Enhanced Response Pilot Program. At the time, the City was the only city awarded funds for being innovative in addressing people experiencing homelessness. Since then, the City of Redondo Beach has become a model for other cities to replicate, being the first to execute an outdoor homeless court and build fifteen pallet shelters for
H.7., File # 22-3557 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
replicate, being the first to execute an outdoor homeless court and build fifteen pallet shelters for bridge housing. As such, cities like Torrance and Long Beach are creating their own response to homelessness with programs that involve homeless courts and shelters.
On July 13, 2021, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors approved a motion to allocate $1,905,000 to the South Bay Cities Council of Governments (SBCCOG) to provide Innovation Funds to its member cities for Homeless Services for January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The SBCCOG reviewed roughly $3.5 million worth of proposals submitted by nine South Bay cities. Due to the competition of proposals, the SBCCOG formed a review panel that consisted of the SBCCOG Executive Director, Senior Project Manager of Homeless Services, Analyst, and Chair of the South Bay Coalition to End Homelessness. As part of the process, the Review Panel met with every submitting city, conducted follow-up information gathering, and received feedback from the San Gabriel Valley COG.
Redondo Beach submitted two proposals: a joint proposal with Hermosa Beach for $390,269 for interim housing, a census and court services; and another for $410,500 for various police costs related to homelessness, including the contract with Harbor Interfaith. The SBCCOG did not fund the latter proposal due to the number of competing proposals.
The joint proposal requested funding for additional special services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, an annual census of the Redondo Beach homeless population, rental of five interim housing beds, ongoing costs for the Redondo Beach Homeless Court, and expanding the homeless court program to include Hermosa Beach cases that involved defendants experiencing homelessness. While the SBCCOG did not fund the census nor ongoing costs of the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court, all other requests were awarded funding for a total award of $306,299.
The Grant Funds is divided into two Tranches. Tranche 1 will be for $121,169 for the first six months of the MOU, the remainder of this fiscal year. Tranche 2 will be for the remaining $185,130 for the last 12 months of the MOU, which will only be available once the SBCCOG and County of Los Angeles contract is extended. Once that contract is extended, the City Attorney’s Office will return with another Resolution for Fiscal Year 2022-2023 for City Council approval.
As previously mentioned, the Grant Funds includes funding for rental of five interim housing beds from January 1, 2022 to June 30, 2023. The Mayor and Council originally approved rental of five interim housing beds in Wilmington, which is within Service Planning Area 8, from January to June of this year. Funding was unavailable from June to August. On September 7, 2021, the Mayor and Council approved a lease to rent five units at the same location for the months September through December. The Innovation Funds granted will allow us to continue rental of these units. While the SBCCOG did grant that request, they required that the units be made available to all Beach Cities, prioritizing Redondo and Hermosa Beach people experiencing homelessness.
In addition, the Grant Funds also include funding to expand the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court to include Hermosa Beach. Currently, the City of Hermosa Beach contracts with the City of Redondo Beach for prosecution services for misdemeanor violations that occur within the City of Hermosa Beach. However, Hermosa Beach defendants who are experiencing homelessness are not included in the Redondo Beach Housing Initiative Court.
In exchange for adding defendants that commit misdemeanor crimes in Hermosa to the Redondo Housing Initiative Court, the City of Hermosa Beach has agreed to host the homeless court once per
H.7., File # 22-3557 Meeting Date: 1/11/2022
Housing Initiative Court, the City of Hermosa Beach has agreed to host the homeless court once per quarter in a location that is already pending site inspection and approval. The Innovative Funds awarded will fund the start up and ongoing costs to host the homeless court in Hermosa Beach four times a year. This reduces the number of times Redondo Beach hosts the homeless court to eight times a year. (Manhattan Beach has indicated they would be willing to host the homeless court two months of the year if the District Attorney agrees to participate, which would reduce Redondo Beach hosting the homeless court to six times a year.)
COORDINATION
The City Attorney’s Office coordinated with the South Bay Cities Coalition of Government to execute this MOU.
FISCAL IMPACT
The Innovative Grant award of $306,299 will cover rental of five interim housing beds in Wilmington, additional special services such as mental health and substance abuse treatment, and the expansion of the homeless court program to include Hermosa Beach cases that involve defendants experiencing homelessness.
ATTACHMENTS
· MOU Redondo Beach and South Bay Cities Council of Governments · Budget Resolution to Accept SBCCOG Funds