Standing Committee on Homelessness
March 21, 2024
Meeting Minutes
The March 21, 2024 Standing Committee on Homelessness was called to order by Chair Melendez at 8:30 am in City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Drive, Vista, California.
Committee Members Present:
Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez, Chair
Mayor John Franklin, Vice Chair
Staff Present
John Conley, City Manager (left at 11:30 am)
Imelda Huerta, Assistant City Manager
Bevely Roxas, Assistant City Attorney
Kathy Valdez, City Clerk (left at 11:00 am)
Kallison Leahy, Assistant City Clerk (arrived 11:00 am) Jonathan Lung, Homeless Services Program Manager
Daniel Sturman, Management Analyst
Brent Longfellow, Sergeant, COPPS unit, Vista Sheriff’s Station
Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Melendez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes
Approved the February 15, 2024 meeting minutes.
D1. Buena Creek Navigation Center intakes
Homeless Services Program Manager Jonathan Lung and Management Analyst Daniel Sturman provided an overview of the current intake process.
The following individuals provided information to, and answered questions of, the Committee members:
Steven Gonzalez, Homeless Solutions Manager, City of Encinitas Hannah Gailey, Retread, Inc. Executive Director
Pete Haggard, Retread, Inc. Program Director
Committee members, staff, and providers discussed the following:
• Options that would allow for shelter to be provided outside of regular business hours:
o Hold a bed open – additional cost for staff, no other shelters offer this, bed may go unused
o Motel vouchers provided to law enforcement and social workers to provide housing until the next business day
Standing Commission on Homelessness
March 21, 2024
2 o Set up a “pallet shelter” (60 sq ft temporary building with up to two beds, no restroom or running water) on site – will have additional electricity costs • Concern about impact on staff and residents if allow for after-hours intake. • Intake outside of regular business hours is beyond the scope of the contract.
Would require additional staff time estimated at $600 per occurrence, $40,000 to have staff on call and $100,000 to have dedicated weekend and nighttime intake staff.
• Outreach happens five days a week, outreach workers get to know all of those on the street; seems unlikely that a bed would suddenly be needed after hours or on the weekend
• Motel vouchers could be used for unexpected circumstances • City staff receives a list of clients from multiple agencies. Do not have wait list, no staff time to manage; is up to outreach workers to track/check in • Intake was initially limited to Building 4 which is for individuals with disabilities and women; 24 beds; All buildings now available
• When determining priority, look at chronicity; prioritize chronically homeless (defined as 12 consecutive months homeless or 4 times for 7 days in a row in last three years)
• Outreach worker signs off that the person is coming from a place not meant for human habitation
• Need written protocol for intake process
• Beds should only be used for those that have been living in a place not meant for human habitation, not housing insecure
• Day 17 – currently have 36 residents, 27 from Vista and 9 from Encinitas; have had three positive exits – 1 to a nursing home and 2 (a couple) went to a family member ’s home
• Three guests from Safe Parking have applied for Navigation Center, but none have been admitted yet, priority has been for those that have living on the street; need to determine when appropriate to move to Navigation Center – consider health needs of client
• Want more details about clientele; seek voluntary disclosure of information to elected officials (not identifiable information); consider exit survey, done in a sensitive way
• Want detailed information on who is declined services and why • Coordinate with low-income senior housing being built on N. Santa Fe Ave to move people from navigation center to apartment.
Direction to staff:
• Request for an updated Outreach Workers list
• Request for report on why services are being denied
• Request on successful referrals from COPPS team
• Develop written protocol for intake, ensure case workers know process • Invite the housing agency building the low-income senior housing (National CORE) and county staff to tour the navigation center
Standing Commission on Homelessness
March 21, 2024
3 • Develop brochure with pictures of the navigation center for outreach workers to provide to homeless to peak their interest in the center
D2 Trespass Authorization Letter and Signage
Program Manager Lung introduced the item.
In response to questions, Sgt Longfellow provided the following information:
• Anyone can put up a no trespass sign, but it is not enforceable if there is no letter on file.
• If a letter is on file, it is enforceable even if a sign is not posted, but it is easier/better if there is a sign posted.
• What constitutes trespassing varies by business, but if the owner/manager asks someone to leave and they don’t, it is trespassing.
• New law expanded time a trespass letter is valid from one month to one year, but now requires notarization.
Direction to staff:
• Waive notary fee for no trespass forms
• Look at whether we can waive the notary fee for trespass letters • Agendize an update from the COPPS team
D3. Alliance for Regional Solutions Shelter Network
Program Manager Lung reviewed preliminary data; a full report will be provided at the June workshop.
Committee members discussed the following:
• Would like to see better outcomes
• The $200,000 allocated for shelter beds was expended in 6 months • When the full report is provided, want to see a breakdown of beds by shelter, average duration of stay
• Provide exit details at the next Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness workshop
MaryLynn McCorkle, Alliance for Regional Solutions Collaboration Manager, stated that the Alliance is continuing to provide beds for Vista residents; the upcoming report will include that data as well.
D4. Glossary of Terms
Program Manager Lung introduced the item. He stated the glossary is a working document that will continue to be updated as needed.
Direction to staff:
• Add definition for Homelessness
• Review strategic plan to ensure all terms are included in the glossary
Standing Commission on Homelessness
March 21, 2024
4 • Draft a reporting format for all providers, to be reviewed by committee prior to utilization
• Provide data monthly
D5. Updates from City Attorney’s Office
Assistant City Attorney Beverly Roxas reported that the Committee can be structured however the City Council determines it wants it to be: only City Council members, City Council members and outside members, or only outside members (appointments have to be approved by full City Council).
Vice Chair Franklin stated he is happy with the current structure and that he is concerned about conflicts of interest with including providers.
Chair Melendez stated the current structure is working well for now, but she would like to include stakeholders in the future.
Assistant City Attorney Roxas provided an overview of the City of San Diego’s camping ordinance.
Committee members discussed the following:
• Interest in looking at an ordinance to make camping unlawful, zero tolerance for all public parks; enforcement of ordinance regardless of whether a bed is available, expand authority
• Don’t want to unfairly punish park users, look at those who may be a threat; look at current status of Martin v. Boise
• Reduce abatement noticing requirement from 24 hours to 3 hours • Due process required, 24 hour notice required by City of San Diego; look at court decision and discuss
Direction to staff:
• Agendize a discussion item on a camping ordinance and specifically define encampment
D6. General Homelessness Updates
Jonathan provided an overview of Escondido’s policy
• Sobriety only acceptable option
• Public safety first
• Escondido first – local resource priority for local residents
Chair Melendez stated she disagrees with the policy and noted the following:
• The goal is to make homelessness brief one-time occurrence • Need to address housing first then can address other issues such as substance abuse and mental health
• Look at how to accomplish sobriety, doesn’t want to kick out an individual for a positive drug test
• Need variety of programs to meet community needs.
Standing Commission on Homelessness
March 21, 2024
5 • Behavioral response concerns
Vice Chair Franklin read through the City of Escondido’s statements and stated he does not agree with housing first and noted the following:
• There should be zero tolerance in parks;
• Utilize conservatorship for those that are a harm to themselves or others; for those that refuse help
• Vista programs should serve our own population first. • Cities should have their own shelter to serve own community. • Forced sobriety – do not hand out drug paraphernalia in shelters (include in policy)
Direction to staff:
• Agendize a policy similar to Escondido’s
Vice Chair Franklin stated his concerns regarding cannabis use by youth in schools and suggested funding school resource officers with the goal of eliminating alcohol, tobacco, and cannabis in schools; use cannabis tax revenue to fund drug prevention.
Adjournment
Chair Melendez adjourned the meeting at 12:26 pm