CITY OF SEBASTOPOL
CITY COUNCIL
URGENCY ITEM - AGENDA ITEM
City Staff have requested that an urgency item be added to the agenda as it first came to City staff’s attention after the posting of the agenda, and requires immediate action. Approval to add this item to the agenda would require a 4/5th vote.
Meeting Date: January 3, 2023
To: Honorable Mayor and City Councilmembers
From: City Administration / Planning Department
Subject: Approval of Resolution of Support for West County Community Services application to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission for Funding Recommendation: That the City Council Approve the Resolution Funding: Currently Budgeted: ______ Yes ___X_____ No _____ N/A Net General Fund: $40,000
Account Code/Costs authorized in City Approved Budget (if applicable) _______ (verified by Administrative Services Department) INTRODUCTION: The item before the City Council is for Approval of Resolution of Support for West County Community Services (WCCS)’s application to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission for Funding.
BACKGROUND:
WCCS has been in contract with the City of Sebastopol since 2017 to operates Park Village mobile home park site at 6665 Sebastopol Avenue, a city-owned site, as an affordable housing site, and to provide a Homeless Outreach Coordinator for the City in the last couple of fiscal years. City and WCCS staff have been meeting to identify potential funding for this position, and WCCS has identified a Sonoma County Community Development Commission (CDC) potential funding streams to apply for funding.
DISCUSSION:
The Sonoma County Community Development Commission has issued a Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for grants related to affordable housing and associated social service programs, such as the outreach coordination, rapid rehousing, etc. WCCS intends to submit an application to support two outreach positions for rural West County, and is proposing that WCCS and the City submit a joint Public Services application for $40,000 to fund fifty percent (50%) of the Sebastopol Outreach Coordinator for FY23-24. The other 50% would be provided by the City of Sebastopol. The Sebastopol Outreach Coordinator will be an employee of WCCS but dedicated to work within the City limits.
Applications are due January 10
th 2023. The City was notified of this request after the posting of the agenda for the January 3, 2023 Council Meeting. Therefore it would be required to be added as an urgency item as Council action is required prior to January 10th, 2023,
Per the funding application requirements, the application requires a Resolution of Support from the City of Sebastopol as the City would be responsible for funding the other half of the coordinator. Alternatively, the City could discuss with WCCS representatives whether asking for the full funding is appropriate or would be competitive.
CITY COUNCIL AND/OR GENERAL PLAN GOALS:
GOALS:
Goal 9 – Enhance housing opportunities in Sebastopol and, when possible, provide assistance to housing projects.
Housing Element Policies:
Policy D-2 – Encourage expansion of housing opportunities for extremely low-income households.
Policy H-2 – coordinate housing activities with Sonoma County and other suitable organizations to administer the City’s housing programs.
Policy D-6 – Work to prevent homelessness and support housing services to the homeless.
PUBLIC COMMENT:
As this is an urgency item, the City has not received any public comment. Public comments may be offered during the public comment portion of this item.
PUBLIC NOTICE:
This item is being presented as an urgency item.
FISCAL IMPACT:
The City would be responsible for $40,000 (in FY23-24 budget cycle for a dedicated Sebastopol Outreach Coordinator position with WCCS should the grant be awarded. If the full amount is requested/awarded, there would not be any impact to next year’s budget.
RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council Approve the Resolution of Support for West County Community Services’ application to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission for Funding.
Attachment:
Resolution
RESOLUTION NO. XXXX_2023
RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SEBASTOPOL SUPPORTING THE APPLICATION
OF WEST COUNTY COMMUNITY SERVICES (WCCS) TO THE SONOMA COUNTY COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION
WHEREAS, West County Community Services (WCCS), works to strengthen and empower individuals, families, and communities by providing access to critical social programs to at-risk and vulnerable populations. Through the work of West County Community Services, all youth, adults, families and seniors in Sonoma County are afforded the opportunity to be resilient, informed and resourceful, emotionally well, and self-sufficient. And, WHEREAS, WCCS is applying for funding from the Sonoma County Community Development Commission to fund outreach coordinator positions for West County as well as the City of Sebastopol; and,
WHEREAS, WCCS has partnered with the City of Sebastopol since 2017 to successfully operate Park Village, a City-owned mobile home park operated as a cost-effective and sustainable solution to affordably house low income residents, and most recently have added an Outreach Coordinator to the City’s contract to support outreach to unhoused individuals and families; and WHEREAS, the City of Sebastopol finds that persons of very low and low income are experiencing increasing difficulty in locating and maintaining adequate, safe and sanitary affordable housing; and
WHEREAS, the on-going provision of a homeless services outreach coordinator is consistent with the City’s General Plan, in that it fulfills several Policies in the City’s Adopted Housing Element, including:
Policy D-2 – Encourage expansion of housing opportunities for extremely low-income households;
Policy H-2 – coordinate housing activities with Sonoma County and other suitable organizations to administer the City’s housing programs.
Policy D-6 – Work to prevent homelessness and support housing services to the homeless. And,
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the City Council of the City of Sebastopol does hereby support West County Community Services’ application to the Sonoma County Community Development Commission for Funding.
IN COUNCIL DULY PASSED, APPROVED and ADOPTED this 3
rd day of January, 2023.
I, the undersigned, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly adopted by the City of Sebastopol City Council by the following vote:
VOTE:
Ayes:
Noes:
Absent:
Abstain:
APPROVED: __________________________________________
Mayor Neysa Hinton
ATTEST: _______________________________________________________________ Mary Gourley, Assistant City Manager/City Clerk, MMC
APPROVED AS TO FORM: _______________________________________________ Larry McLaughlin, City Attorney
January 3, 2023
West County Community Services (WCCS) will partner with the City of Sebastopol (City) on an application for the 2023-2024 NOFA released on December 7, 2022 and managed by the Sonoma County Community Development Commission.
WCCS and the City will submit a joint Public Services application for $40,000 to fund fifty percent (50%) of the Sebastopol Outreach Coordinator for FY24. The other 50% will be provided by the City of Sebastopol. The Sebastopol Outreach Coordinator will be an employee of WCCS.
Tim Miller
Executive Director
West County Community Services
16390 Main St, PO Box 325
Guerneville, CA 95446
Tel: 707-823-1640
www.westcountyservices.org
◊ Counseling and Behavioral Health ◊ Senior Services
◊ Employment ◊ Housing and Homeless Services