Standing Committee on Homelessness
April 24, 2025
Meeting Minutes
The April 24, 2025 Standing Committee on Homelessness was called to order By Chair Melendez at 8:32 am in City Council Chambers, 200 Civic Center Drive, Vista, California.
Committee Members Present:
Deputy Mayor Katie Melendez, Chair
Mayor John Franklin, Vice Chair
Ex-Officio Members Present:
Jeff Fox
Staff Present
John Conley, City Manager
Walter Lung, City Attorney
Kathy Valdez, City Clerk
Josh Sino Cruz, Assistant to the City Manager
Jonathan Lung, Homeless Services Program Manager
Daniel Sturman, Management Analyst
Johannah Knieff, Management Analyst
Pledge of Allegiance
Chair Melendez led the Pledge of Allegiance.
Approval of Minutes
Approved the March 20, 2025, meeting minutes.
D1. Permanent Navigation Center Options
Homeless Services Program Manager, Jonathan Lung, and Management Analysts Johannah Knieff and Daniel Sturman, presented options for a permanent navigation center, including the current site, properties currently for sale in the business park, hotels available for sale, mobile modulars, and 200 Michigan Ave (City owned property currently leased by Lifeline Community Services).
Lifeline Community Services Director, Lisette Islas, presented on the current uses of 200 Michigan Ave and their concerns about the impact of locating the navigation center on the same property as their youth focused programs and services.
Committee and ex-officio members discussed the following:
• The Michigan Ave site allows for a variety of services; can redevelop the site using modular construction
• Concern that modular buildings do not maintain value; permanent buildings maintain or increase in value
• Sell property and use the funds to build elsewhere, can include Lifeline • Business park has lots of jobs, may be a good location • Desire to work with and continue to support Lifeline Community Services • Rescue Mission is interested in operating a navigation center at their own expense; have experience and success; concern it would be congregate only • Support issuing an RFP to identify an operator
• Operator can help determine what property/set up would be appropriate
Recommendation to full City Council:
Direct staff to issue an RFP providing the acquisition of a facility from the City and soliciting operator services
Mayor Franklin left the City Council Chambers and joined via Zoom.
D2. Homelessness Commission Composition
Homeless Services Program Manager, Jonathan Lung, presented the staff report.
Committee and ex-officio members discussed the following:
• Support for staff’s proposal of each City Councilmember making a recommendation for appointment and the Chair and Vice Chair each having one additional appointment
• Want to have individuals with lived experience on the Commission • Reserve the two additional appointments by the Chair and Vice Chair for those with lived experience; if none qualify then can fill the seats with other members of the community
• Support for the Power and Duties as suggested by City Attorney Chung
Recommendation to full City Council:
Direct staff to develop an ordinance to create a seven member Homelessness Commission with one recommendation of appointment from each Council member and two additional recommendation of appointments by the Chair and Vice Chair of those with lived experience unless no qualified applications are received. Power and Duties to be as follows:
• To act in an advisory capacity to the City Council and City Manager or their designee relating to homeless matters.
• To develop an annual work plan
• To review and provide recommendations to the City Council on Homelessness • To explore and suggest outside funding to accomplish the City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
• To promote and stimulate public interest and community engagement in the City’s Strategic Plan to Address Homelessness
• To provide a public forum for citizens to communicate their complaints, concerns, requests and suggestions
• To review and provide input and recommendations to the City Council on all matters referred to it by the City Council.
D3. General Homelessness Updates
Management Analyst Daniel Sturman introduced the item and each of the following individuals gave an update from their respective program:
Daniel Sturman provided an update for the Rescue Mission Elizabeth Perez, Site Supervisor, Jewish Family Services Nanette Steenstra, Administrative Statistician, Retread Brenda Viveros, Shared Housing System Manager, Townspeople Esperanza Zapico, Executive Director, Operation HOPE
Committee and ex-officio members discussed the following:
• Pleased to see increased participation in Townspeople services.
Adjournment
Chair Melendez adjourned the meeting at 10:17 am