DATE: FEBRUARY 15, 2022
DEPARTMENT: ADMINISTRATION
FROM: STEVEN S. CARRIGAN, CITY MANAGER
BY: SOPHIA ROME, COMMUNITY RELATIONS MANAGER
TITLE: HEALTH & SAFETY DAY PROJECTS
RECOMMENDED MOTION:
No action is required. This Report presents information to the City Council regarding Health & Safety Day (HSD) Projects.
RECOMMENDATION:
No recommendation is provided since this Report is presented for informational purposes only.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
On October 12, 2021, the Council gave direction for the Litter and Debris Subcommittee (Councilmembers Gonzalez, McShane, and Osornio) to evaluate issues and community concern surrounding encampment clean-ups. Staff developed a preliminary framework for Health and Safety Day activities working with the Subcommittee, which was presented at the November 16, 2021, City Council meeting. HSD Project activities are designed to align with strategic goals outlined in the Lead Me Home Plan Update (5 Year Plan to Reduce Homelessness) adopted by the Council on February 1, 2022.
BACKGROUND:
After some discussion at the City Council meeting of October 12, 2021, the Council gave direction for the Litter and Debris Subcommittee to evaluate issues and community concern surrounding encampment clean-ups, including:
Addressing health issues by creating a plan to identify the encampments and work with encampment residents in advance of clean-up activities; Working with stakeholders in advance of the day of cleanup; Provide ample notice to encampments of their upcoming Health & Safety Day; Working to align the Smith and Enright Contract for cleanups with the City’s housing goals; and Providing clarification that residents can return to encampment sites following the cleanup, with the ultimate goal of addressing the need for a longer-term homelessness strategy.
With Council considerations in mind, staff worked with stakeholders, Smith & Enright, and the Litter and Debris Subcommittee to develop a guide to inform the approach to HSD activities at encampment sites. The preliminary framework for this guide was presented at the November 16, 2021, Council meeting, including considerations such as:
Redefining the purpose of encampment cleanups, to be entitled Health and Safety Days; Notices to encampments, generally 15 days in advance of a HSD, to allow for outreach, community-level discussion, and connecting individuals to services, in addition to a 72-hour notice before the HSD; Personal property containers advanced to the HSD site at least one day before the scheduled date; and Consistency in maintaining the scheduled HSD date barring extenuating circumstances.
CEQA CONSIDERATION:
Not a Project. The City of Salinas has determined that the proposed action is not a project as defined by the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) (CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). In addition, CEQA Guidelines Section 15061 includes the general rule that CEQA applies only to activities which have the potential for causing a significant effect on the environment. Where it can be seen with certainty that there is no possibility that the activity in question may have a significant effect on the environment, the activity is not subject to CEQA. Because the proposed action and this matter have no potential to cause any effect on the environment, or because it falls within a category of activities excluded as projects pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15378, this matter is not a project. Because the matter does not cause a direct or foreseeable indirect physical change on or in the environment, this matter is not a project. Any subsequent discretionary projects resulting from this action will be assessed for CEQA applicability.
STRATEGIC PLAN INITIATIVE:
Health & Safety Day Projects align with the following Council Strategic Goals:
Operational Efficiencies – A framework for HSD activities, to align with the 5 Year Plan to Reduce Homelessness, has been created. This will help define the purpose of HSD activities for staff, partners, and residents, and will provide guidance on these activities to advance City of Salinas and regional homelessness goals. Additionally, staff continues to actively seek opportunities to leverage resources for HSD Projects, such as grant and program funding.
Public Safety – The framework for HSD Projects was developed to evaluate health and safety concerns for community members residing at encampment sites and best practices for staff, partners, and residents before, during and after a HSD.
DEPARTMENTAL COORDINATION:
The framework for HSD Projects was developed through coordinated efforts between City Administration, the City Attorney’s Office, Community Development, the Salinas Outreach and Response Team (SORT), and Public Works.
FISCAL AND SUSTAINABILITY IMPACT:
There is no direct fiscal impact to the General Fund associated with the acceptance of this Administrative Report.
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