Standing Committee on Homelessness
February 20, 2025
Meeting Minutes
The February 20, 2025 Standing Committee on Homelessness was called to order By Chair Melendez at 8:39 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
Imelda Huerta, Assistant City Manager
Bevely Roxas, Assistant City Attorney
Kathy Valdez, City Clerk
Josh Sino Cruz, Assistant to the City Manager
Jonathan Lung, Homeless Services Program Manager
Daniel Sturman, Management Analyst
Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Melendez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes
Approved the September 19, 2024, meeting minutes.
D1. Discuss Different Organizational Options to Continue the Standing Committee on Homelessness (SCOH)
Homeless Services Program Manager, Jonathan Lung, presented five potential organizational options for homelessness governance. The options included:
1.Continue the SCOH in its current format, with Deputy Mayor Melendez and Mayor Franklin rotating as Chair and Vice Chair, and remaining councilmembers as ex-officio members
2.Appoint community members to serve on the SCOH with voting authority equal to the Chair and Vice Chair.
3.Replace the SCOH with a Homelessness Commission, which would be comprised entirely of appointed community members.
4.Consolidate the SCOH and semi-annual Strategic Plan Update Workshops •Quarterly Strategic Plan Updates, which would include all councilmembers, allowing formal City Council actions.
5.Continue with the semi-annual (twice a year) Strategic Plan Update workshops only with intermediate items requiring City Council action e.g. contracts, grant funds, brought to regularly scheduled City Council meetings (eliminate SCOH) DRA
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Meeting Minutes
Committee members and staff discussed the following:
• Currently doing options 1 and 5
• Chair Melendez recommended establishing a homelessness commission, increasing the number of workshops, and including stakeholders in commission appointments.
• Chair Melendez noted to keep internal working group and discussed a combination of options 3 and a modified option 4 with more long-term strategic planning and evaluation of spending.
• Vice Chair Franklin opposed the formation of another commission, citing the additional burden on staff, questioning the criteria of commission applicants, and expressing concern that recommendations of the commission may not align with the City Council’s views. He emphasized that the Council has the final decision- making authority and that it should not be delegated.
• Vice Chair Franklin also noted that commissioners do not have spending authority, and noted that public attendance at current meetings remains low, despite open invitations, and the interference of the meeting timeframes with the public’s family time and other obligations.
• Chair Melendez argued that a commission would enhance public engagement, ensure better accountability for public funds, and provide expert perspectives in an advisory capacity. Emphasized that the commission would not make final decisions but serve in an advisory role to staff and Council. • A comment was made regarding holding some meetings virtually to assist with participation.
• Chair Melendez expressed needing to have a commission with individuals with lived experience, business, aptitude, and expertise. She also agreed to have the commissioners evaluated similar to other commissioners. • Vice Chair Franklin commented on outreach for these meetings. • Assistant City Manager Huerta stated that staff will work on improving meeting notifications and outreach.
• Assistant City Attorney Beverly Roxas stated that any formal commission formation would require City Council approval and ordinance revisions.
Pete Haggard, Buena Creek Navigation Center, emphasized the need for mandatory attendance at these meetings for city-funded contractors, expressed concerns that fear of repercussions may prevent contractors from speaking openly at these meetings, and suggested scheduling meetings later in the day for increased accessibility.
Helene Bell, St. Francis Church, thanked the City Council and staff but noted that meeting notifications were received late. They emphasized the importance of long-term solutions and questioned whether funds are being effectively allocated to address homelessness.
Ex-Officio member Corinna Contreras commented through Zoom and supported the idea of a commission.
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After deliberation, the Committee agreed to make the following recommendation to the full City Council:
• Establish a Homelessness Commission with seven members, meeting every other month (on odd months) in the evening, five times per year. • Maintain the Standing Committee on Homelessness (SCOH), meeting in opposite months (even months) of the Commission, five times per year, at 8:30 am. (Will continue to meet monthly until the establishment of the Commission). • Continue to hold two evening Workshop meetings (semi-annual) focused on long-term strategic planning. Consider making these a joint City Council/Commission working dinner meeting in the Community Room and include long-term strategic planning.
• Continue to include General Homelessness Update on the agendas • Request for Assistant City Attorney to review if Commission information can be filtered through the Committee before bringing forward to City Council.
Adjournment
Chair Melendez adjourned the meeting at 10:09 am
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