September 8, 2020 Joint Meeting of Mountain View City Council and Shoreline Regional Park Community

Video

Transcript

[00:21:26] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: To make first, this meeting will be conducted in accordance with state of California, executive order N 2920, dated March 17, 2020. All members of the city council are participating in this meeting by video conference with no physical meeting location. Members of the public wishing to observe the meeting live may do so at mountain view.legistar.com. Comcast Channel 26. As noted on the meeting agenda, members of the public may provide all public comments during the public comment period for the item by signing up at Mountain View.gov slash CC underscore speakers or by phone by dialing 669-900 dash 9128 and entering webinar ID 918-900-39691. Any emails received by 5 PM today, we're forwarded to the city council. Emails received after 5 PM will not be read during the meeting, but will be entered into the record for the meeting. All votes will be taken by roll call vote, and we have Spanish translation available for item 7.one, and I'd like to ask Miss Elena Garcia from our community outreach team to make a brief announcement.

[00:22:42] Elena Garcia: La preducciona l'español estadispo nible, para el articulosiete punto uno, y le paridre, a lena Garcia de nuestre quipo de alcanse communicario, que aga, nombre de annuncio. Gracias.

[00:22:56] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Now we will have the pledge of allegiance. So if you could please join me in the pledge. I think we're gonna bring the flag up. Great.

[00:23:14] Unknown Speaker: I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic. For which it stands, one nation, under god, indivisible, liberty, and justice has to fall.

[00:23:30] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. And can we now have roll call, please, speak click.

[00:23:39] City Clerk: Council member Clark.

[00:23:40] Councilmember Chris Clark: Here?

[00:23:41] City Clerk: Council member Hicks,

[00:23:42] Councilmember Alison Hicks: here.

[00:23:43] City Clerk: Council member Matachek.

[00:23:45] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Here.

[00:23:46] City Clerk: Council member McAllister.

[00:23:48] Councilmember John McAlister: Here.

[00:23:48] City Clerk: Council member Ramirez.

[00:23:51] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Here.

[00:23:52] City Clerk: Vice Mayor Kameh.

[00:23:54] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Here,

[00:23:54] City Clerk: Mayor Abi Koga.

[00:23:56] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Here. Thank you. Thank you. We are all present, and we will start off with item 3 presentations, and we have a COVID-19 update, as you probably have heard, we're in a new color zone. So we have our city manager, Kim Brown McCarthy, to provide our update. Welcome, Miss McCarthy.

[00:24:18] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Thank you, Mayor. I'm going to pull my screen up here. Okay. Um, yes, so thank you for having me present the latest COVID update to the council and to our residents this evening. I will just start off by talking a little bit about the numbers, not only in our county and city, but also talking about what's happening at the statewide level. So, in terms of, um, countywide, the county updates, their numbers every day. And so the numbers that you see on the screen were less updated on the seventh. So right now, there are 18,717 cases countywide, about 119 per day. And in Mountain View, we have 481 positive cases right now, and that is an increase of about 12 over the prior day. So what we had been seeing up until this point in Mountain View was about approximately an average of about 7 new cases a day. So, um, obviously we were up 12 over the prior day, but, um, the average right now is around seven. As far as the county goes, they are seeing an average of about 176 new cases a day. So, uh, they are continuing to see um, increased cases every day, which is indicating that there is still widespread community transmission. In terms of the state. Right now, statewide, there are 737,000, almost 738,000 cases. Um, and what is happening statewide? The reason why I wanted to show this is because it is showing that the age group that is the majority of these cases, over half of the cases, are occurring in the 18 to 49 age group, and that is also what we're seeing in Santa Clara County that, um, The younger age group is, um, essentially testing more positive than other age groups. So, whether that's an indication of, um, folks being more out and about, um, or attending events where they might not be distancing or wearing masks, um, we are seeing this statewide. So, um, the top line message essentially is to continue doing the 3 things that we have all been hearing about over these many weeks. So wearing some sort of face covering. Conducting your business outside is much more preferred than indoors and also just maintaining that physical distance is important. So in terms of the testing that's being provided by the city and partnership with um, numerous medical providers, including the county of Santa Clara and El Camino Healthcare District and Stanford Medicine, and also Planned Parenthood Marmonte, we have been able to provide not quite, but almost uh, 5800 tests at our facilities since the end of July. We do continue to have the ongoing drive up testing at our shoreline athletic fields, and that is Tuesday through Thursday from 8 until 1230 every day. Also, El Camino Hospital is offering ongoing appointments Monday through Friday from 730 AM to 7 PM. The next testing events that we have at our center for the performing arts are on Tuesday the 15th from 930 to 430 and Wednesday the 23rd from 830 to 420. And those 2 events are by appointment only, and to register. You can go to that website that's listed, www.sccfreetest.org. Um, it will take you through a couple questions, short questions to help you navigate through um, setting up an appointment for that testing. Um, as the mayor said, we did get a bit of good news today. So, um, as we mentioned, in the last COVID update, a couple weeks ago, the state has introduced a new, uh, what they're calling the blueprint for a safer economy. And so, what they've done is they've put counties into 4 different tiers, um, in different colors, um, based on 2 different factors. So they look at the daily case rates and the test positivity. So, uh, Santa Clara County was in the purple category, which really um, basically meant that most of our sectors were closed to indoor operations and just today, we moved to the red tier. So, there are 4 big changes that I wanted to highlight for everything. Um, or for everyone just out, what does this mean then? So the 1st one is that schools can apply to reopen. If uh, we stay in the red tier for 14 days straight. Um, and I do also want to make sure that, um, People understand that this is something that the school districts decide. Um, so they would petition the county, um, and appeal to to reopen. This is not a city decision, but that is a bit of good news for schools, as long as we can stay in that tier for at least 14 days. Also, shopping malls can open indoors at 50% capacity. And personal care services. So, including nail salons, can now open indoors. Also gyms and fitness centers, and this also includes gyms inside hotels, can open indoors at 10% capacity. So the way you stay in the tier is that um, you have to hit your numbers. Basically those 2 factors that I mentioned earlier. So the, um, daily case rates and also the amount of testing that's done, um, you have to stay in that. That basically subset of data for at least 3 weeks before you can move to the next tier. In terms of the guidelines for what the county is opening or not opening. Um, whatever guidelines are more strict, uh, are what is going to be applied locally in our county, and I'll talk about that on the next slide. So this basically gives a snapshot of where all of the counties in the state are right now in terms of the tier they're in. So as you can see, most counties in the state are in the purple tier. I believe there were about 38 counties that were in the purple tier a couple weeks ago, and there are a few of us who have moved into the red tier. Um, so in those uh, in those tiers, along with the things that I just mentioned, um, all retail is now allowed to be open in the red tier and also museums, zoos, aquariums, um, places like that can now be open. So I wanted to mention what county capacity means. So like the last slide, we talked about shopping malls, being open indoors at 50% capacity, gyms and fitness centers at 10%. That capacity was actually determined by the businesses. So when the business filed their social distancing protocol with the county. Um, that is how that percentage is determined. So it's whatever the business submitted. Um, there are 3 things that even though they may be allowed at the state level, uh, the county is not allowing right now until our positivity numbers improve. So right now, there is still no indoor dining for restaurants, there are no indoor gatherings, such as religious gatherings, and there are also no indoor movie theaters that will be allowed to be open in the county. So, even though we have made that substantial progress and there are new things allowed, those 3 areas are still not going to be allowed until our numbers improve. I also wanted to mention what's happening with the wildfires because obviously that has been a um, significant area of concern across the state for the last few weeks. So, this has been a historic wildfire season. So far this year alone, there's been a little over 7600 fires. And about 2300000 acres have burned across the state. And just this comparison to 2019. Last year, there was not quite 5000 fires. Um, so from 5000 to to 7600 is quite significant. Um, so far there have also been over 14,000 firefighters deployed statewide. 3400 structures have been destroyed and there have been, unfortunately, 8 fatalities. In terms of Mountain View, we have 13 firefighters that are currently deployed right now. And the smoke that we have all been seeing in Mountain View and in our area today and um, yesterday is actually not from the fires in our area. So the CZU or the SCU complex fire. Um, and those are between 80 and 95% contained. Uh, but the smoke we're seeing is actually from the creek fire and that is a new fire in Fresno and Madeira counties. That is 0% contained. So, um, that fire is really contributing to the smoke and the the hazy, um, Smoggy looking air that we have in the Bay Area right now. So, uh, we also had deployed, um, a few of our police officers to help with mutual aid in the fires a few weeks ago, although none are deployed at the current moment. So, I did want to thank our 1st responders for all the help that they've been giving across the state and then, of course, responding to all of the incidents and, um, giving the help to all of the Mountain View residents for those teams that are here in Mountain View. So moving to a few updates on our programs and we'll talk a little bit about, um, this later, the rent relief program update, we have expended almost expended all of all of the funds that the city has provided. Um, so so far it's a little over 2500000 that's been expended for the program, with the average assistance still remaining just a little over $2000. And we do still continue to provide the most rent relief funding to the folks that are at the very, very lowest, um, area median income. And we'll also hear a lot more about our, um, updates to our homeless and unstably housed later on tonight, but I did want to mention that right now we have a total of 59 vehicles and that's up one vehicle since the last report, and there's a total of 132 people that are being served right now in the safe parking lots. And that's up for people um, since the last, uh, update. So I do have news that the Alta housing lot has opened and so that has given us 9 more capacity. So that's up 9 spaces since the last presentation. I also want to mention that our HRC is right now currently doing the listening forums on local policing. So I wanted to mention the next 3 sessions uh, that residents can join and participate in this dialogue. So on Thursday, September 10th. We have the youth session on the 17th of September. We have a session in Spanish and on the 24th, we have a session in Chinese. So, you can go to engage.mountain view.gov to sign up for those sessions and they are all in the evening. Then I also wanted to mention the ask MV portal that residents can use to report, um, incidents on the road or really anything that they see around town in Mountain View that they want to, um, let staff know about that, um, may need fixed or, um, that they notice something um, that they need to alert us to. We have been getting a lot of emails, either going to council members or just to individual staff. And so I want to make sure that everyone knows that right on the city's homepage. There's a button on the top of the screen that is the ask MV, and you can go right to this portal in, um, select the department and select the issue that you're having and enter in your information so that it goes directly to the person that, um, can help take care of the issue. So I just want to make sure that our residents know that there is that resource available to them on the city's website. And lastly, I want to remind everyone that the census has been extended to September 30th. So far, we have a 74.4% um, rate, which is great, that that's also already exceeded our rate from 2010. So you can go online at my 2020 census.gov or call the 800 number listed on your screen to take the census. And that concludes my presentation this evening, I'm open for any questions.

[00:38:26] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you very much. Any questions from council members? That's member McAllister?

[00:38:34] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, you know a few. Thank you for the update. Um, I was looking, um, this is more about, uh, questions are focused on the testing. So you said SAC free test dot and I missed the last part, is it? dot gov dot government dot com? Um, you remember what the last part of the uh, website was?

[00:38:59] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Dot org.

[00:39:00] Councilmember John McAlister: Dot org. Okay, great. Um, Concerning the testing, I've had uh, some concerns from uh, businesses, that they might have one person test positive. But since they were in close proximity, contact with somebody, then those people need to take tests. And what's concerning is the time of length from the time to get a test and the time to get results. Because if these people, if someone comes along, tests positive, these people have to be quarantined, and then they need to be retested or tested beforehand, depending on how close they were. Is there any, Kelly City ability to say, hey, these people need to get their results within a date, because otherwise they're sitting 3 or 4 days out, and what's happening is it's disruptive to their income, because the longer vice, the county guidelines, these people have to not come back to work. So the longer they have to sit out once they get the test and scheduling, they're losing income. And the 2nd is, they're very disruptive to small businesses that if you have a small staff, then all of a sudden you get 3 people taking a test, and then you got to wait for them to get the results. It's very disruptive. So is there any way that the city and the county can, uh, hate to see, you know, prioritize those workers to get back their tests quicker so they can get their life, so they get their income, and the small businesses get more moving along?

[00:40:37] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Thank you, council member McAllister. So, um, I wish is the answer. I think that you raise an important point that many of our city leadership and county leadership actually have been raising to our healthcare providers. I do know that they are turning around the test quicker than they have been in the past. So, um, El Camino and both the county are trying to turn around test within just a few days, um, sometimes within 3 days or so, um, 3 to 4 days, sometimes earlier. But this is certainly a topic that both city, all the cities and the county are talking about how can we turn them around? quicker. And so I'm sorry, I don't have a great answer for you other than the fact that we are advocating for faster and more rapid test results for all the reasons that you cited and others. And that is something we will continue to do.

[00:41:39] Councilmember John McAlister: So if somebody goes to shoreline. And they get a test. How long should they expect to wait before they get a result?

[00:41:49] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Um, Council member McAllister, I'm going to ask our community services director, John Marchant. I see him over in the queue. Um, he is actively working with our uh, testing partners, and I know that, um, he is aware of what's been happening and kind of the average weight right now. So I'd ask him to to help provide some contacts as to our shoreline testing.

[00:42:15] Community Services Director John Marchant: Good evening, John Marchant, Community Services director. So really it depends on the week and the day you go. Um, If you are positive, you should receive a result within 3 days, and if you are not positive, not positive, if you go to Shoreline, uh, they're actually sending you a response in the mail. But you know whether or not you are positive within 3 days.

[00:42:44] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, so what can the city do? To get this in the mail could extend somebody's time away from a livelihood and disruption? 4 or 5 days in addition to the time to get the test? How can the city help, whoever decided to put it in the mail, go forward?

[00:43:05] Community Services Director John Marchant: So that's going to be a discussion with the county, the Planned Parenthood, Marmonte's actually the contractor, um, for the county, and so we'll continue to have the dialogue at the county level. The county testing that's taking place on site at the, um, at the performing arts is actually turning around a quicker time than the shoreline athletic fields. Um, and so if those that are going to the center of performing arts on the county days, I've heard a turnaround of 3 days with positive or negative.

[00:43:38] Councilmember John McAlister: What about at the El Camino hospital?

[00:43:42] Community Services Director John Marchant: Similar of 3 day turnaround.

[00:43:44] Councilmember John McAlister: 3 day turnaround. Okay. Do you know if they, okay, well, that's a, that's a very big concern. Hopefully we are pushing those limits there. Thank you, Mr. Marchant community service director. Um, Also, back to the city manager, on the schools, um, daycares, are under state guidelines for a minimum amount of potting, you guess, a 14. So when you said schools can reopen in, Three weeks. Is that public schools or because I know some private schools are also applying for waivers. So when you say schools, Is that daycare, childcare, all those schools?

[00:44:29] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Uh, thank you, council member McAllister. I know it is public schools. And in terms of daycares, I know that daycare providers, depending on their operations, um, some have been able to operate since Midsummer. Um, but I will have to get back to you on where daycares fall, along with that that rule with the public schools.

[00:44:50] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay. And um, That's it. Thank you.

[00:44:55] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you for the update. Um, I just wanted to add about testing. So this is a topic we talk about almost every Saturday morning and the the challenge is that it depends on the lab that, um, the testing sites use and, um, that that determines the, the length it takes to get results, um, or that's one part of it. So, um, we continue to, you know, bring it up. But, um, we've been told it's all based on the capacity at the labs to turn around the results. So, I think there's some work being done, that they're building new labs, that should be ready in the next couple of months or so. Um, but that's where we are right now.

[00:45:39] Councilmember John McAlister: So, mayor, I, it's considering what the community service director said about putting it in the mail for negative. Is that something that you can address on a Saturday morning and say, well, why would one lab do it this way and one lab mails it? So that would be appreciative and an update would be appreciated.

[00:45:56] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Uh, happy to do that. We haven't talked about it before and it has, I think some of it has to do with privacy issues, but I've also heard, I forget where, but when, when source sends emails, if you're negative. So, Unfortunately, there's no uniform, seem like there's no uniform, um, you know, strategy or, or, um, process, but, um, we will bring it up and, um, ask them to, to try to speed up the results. Thanks. Uh, Counselor Ramirez?

[00:46:30] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. Just a couple of quick questions. Uh, first, um, the state addiction moratorium is, uh, is com- complicated and it preempts, um, our local ordinance. Uh, and I'm wondering if staff can provide us an update on, uh, our education or communication strategy to, uh, help, uh, both landlords and tenants understand the new requirements. Um, and uh, whether there's any further action that the council needs to take, um, related to the state moratorium. So can you provide us an update?

[00:47:14] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, I can actually provide an update on that. You're correct. The state, uh, Bill AB 3088 does preempt, uh, most local ordinances across the state, including mountain views, the rules and timelines are complicated. We have already briefed the housing division on the most important aspects of the new law that are most important to the stakeholders in Mountain View, and we've been working with the housing division to ensure that that information gets clearly and concisely communicated to those stakeholders. And I don't know if uh, Wayne Chen is on the on the call, but perhaps he could have an update on the actual mechanics of that. But I know the information has been, uh, compiled by the housing division with assistance from our office, and as far as transmittal of that, I might defer to the housing division on how that's most effectively going to be done. I don't see Wayne channel the line at the moment. And to answer your 2nd question, there's no further action required by counsel, but I can follow up with you, council member Ramirez and and the rest of counsel to give an update on what exactly those outreach efforts will entail.

[00:48:45] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: That would be great. Thank you. Um, the other question, I saw, Tom Myers, um, in the attendees list. Um, if it's, if, if, if it's okay to promote him, I want to ask him a question about the rent relief program. Um, in the context of the new state, addiction moratorium, would that be okay, Mayor?

[00:49:08] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yes, um, oh, there he is already. Oh, Mr. Meyers. Hi,

[00:49:16] Tom Myers: good evening. Uh, Madam mayor council member Ramirez and uh, uh, city staff as well. Uh, yes, uh, thank you for the question actually. It's one that's been weighing heavily on, on our minds is because, uh, uh, as was just mentioned, it's a very complicated, uh, a bill that was passed AB 3088, uh, provides uh, for an extension of the eviction moratorium, but it also provides for some things that we have to keep on our radar screen. Uh, I wrote a, a memo to, uh, uh, uh, city staff into uh, uh, CSA staff, joint memo saying that there were several things that I think we need to, to keep an eye on, and not the least of which, and probably most importantly, is that there's now a 25% uh, rent repayment that's required each month. And we need to take a look, I think, at the impact that's going to have on the clients who are coming to us and the residents who are coming to us to seek rental assistance. Uh, so, uh, I've asked the CSA staff to work closely with the city staff on uh, modifications that may be necessary. There are other things that I think we need to be aware of. We were very, very fortunate that this program is reaching, uh, such a high percentage of low income people, uh, with uh, over 50%, almost 60%, uh, being extremely low income, uh, over uh, 80% being very low income and 96% being uh, at 80% AMI, uh, uh, area median income. I think I've not heard of another rent relief program in the area that's doing that well on reaching those folks. But I'm very concerned that people may be falling out of the system with this new 25% that's required each month.

[00:51:13] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Tom. So I guess my, my question would be appreciating now that, that there's some urgency and um, delivering, at least for those folks who still have lost income or or no job at all. Um, you know, and and they've already gotten 2 months of assistance to the city, city funded portion of the program. Would it make sense to limit the amount of assistance to 25% of the rent that each household is required to pay in order to maximize the number of households that we serve. Um, you know, with, with the limited resources we have left, or, uh, what is the, is the current structure appropriate where folks, uh, would get as much assistance as they would need, given the amount of income that they currently have, even if that restricts the number or limits the number of people we can serve. Um, do you have any sense, Tom, what would be more appropriate? And then for staff. My, my sense is, we, we, the council didn't set those parameters, and I'd rather not weigh in too heavily in in the administration. Is that is that a determination that could be made at the staff level or would it be helpful accountable to provide direction on that?

[00:52:36] Tom Myers: Um, I'll answer for the CSA part of things. I think that's an excellent question, and that's one that the staff are actually asking here at CSA themselves. Just this afternoon, we had another significant funder destination home, as that many of you know, has is talking with us about their phase 3 of COVID relief funds as well as their next implementation of homelessness prevention funds. And I apologize for going deep in the weeds here. I'll stay as undeep in the weeds as I possibly can because I know rental assistance is a very complex issue and with juggling over a dozen funders to this. Uh, it's a difficult issue. We've already, and this started actually several weeks ago, compiling a list of people who are in need of 3rd, even 4th or 5th months rent, uh, assistance. Now, just this afternoon, the CSA staff, uh, was working with uh, uh, folks from destination home on with this new phases of, uh, of, uh, rent relief funding that is coming in and the implementation of those funds. And those funds will be available for multiple months. So before we start saying what we should use the city funds for, I want to get some details from what happened this afternoon. I will say this, though, yes. And one of the reasons why the 25% hit, hit me, uh, smack in the face when I 1st saw that was that, that really is kind of a game changer. that people who may have no income coming in right now are suddenly on the hook for 25%. And so that may mean that we need to change our prioritization. I will say this from the very beginning. City staff have been very open to making this one of the most flexible rent relief programs I've seen. Now, that said, it's not, you know, there are certain rules and regulations depending on where the funding comes from, whether it's HUD and CDBG and so forth. Uh, but, uh, I think that, that, from my experience with city staff, they would be very open to suggestions that come from CSA staff as long as, uh, it was within the parameters of what they would be able uh, be able to do. Uh, so I I, I do think that, uh, you know, there are rules and we all have rules that none of us like on that, but, uh, but I, I do think that, uh, we will be more than happy to forward our suggestions to city staff and, and I know that they will be taken seriously. But I guess if I could just interject real quickly, the short answer to your question is that 25%, I think, is the real game changer in this, and one that we need to take a very close look at.

[00:55:16] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Um, could you, um, elaborate on the destination home funding? Is that, um, state or federal or private donation? Is that part of the Solicon Valley strong effort? It's wondering.

[00:55:32] Tom Myers: It's a it's a combination of a number of things. Some of their funding, the Silicon Valley strong stuff is used specifically for COVID relief. That money in the past has been for financial assistance. They've now changed that over to do only rental assistance. Other funding, though, is ongoing funding that we've gotten from them over the years for homelessness prevention. And that is specifically rent relief. So it's a combination of funding.

[00:55:57] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Thank you. Counselor McAllister?

[00:56:00] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, Tom, I have a question for you, but when you said game changer. So could you clarify that? A little bit when you're saying it's a game changer?

[00:56:08] Tom Myers: Yeah, we've seen, as I've said before, that we've seen a real collapse of the service sector and gig economies, and people have not been able to make money, uh, who were engaged in those areas. Uh, everyone from massage therapists to delivery drivers and so forth. We all, you know, know the drill on that. What I mean by that is though, many of those people are still either unemployed or underemployed. And so now if they are required to pay 25% of their rent each month as AB 3088 requires that 25% of the rent must be paid each month, even though there's still an eviction moratorium. Uh, that that means that we may have people with no income now required to pay 25% of the rent. And that may mean that we need to take a look at prioritization of that. As council member Ramirez just pointed out, uh, he, you know, do we need to start looking at not paying full months rent for everybody and instead paying for uh, just uh, uh, 25 uh, percent of the rent for everybody to try and make the money go further. But I'm not going to. I'm not going to weigh in on that until I have an educated answer from, from my staff and of course from city staff. because they're going to know a lot more than I am.

[00:57:30] Councilmember John McAlister: Thank you, Tom.

[00:57:31] Tom Myers: Sure, thank you.

[00:57:33] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Any other questions for Mr. Myers or staff? On this item?

[00:57:41] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Just a quick clarification, mayor. So for staff, do you need direction from the council on modifying the parameters?

[00:57:48] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: A city manager.

[00:57:55] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Uh, thank you, mayor and council member Ramirez. Yeah, if I may speak to that. I think that, um, we have enough indication and working with, uh, Mr. Myers and and knowing the constraints that we have in place that I'm, I'm confident that staff can work with, uh, CSA to come up with the best solution in order to help serve those, uh, folks who may need the 25%, um, and come up with a solution that's flexible that works. So I'm comfortable with that, doing it at an administrative level, um, and letting council know that that will be our intention.

[00:58:33] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you. Thank you, Counselor Hicks.

[00:58:39] Unknown Speaker: Yeah, the other thing I'd add into the mix, along with the the new 25% payment requirement is that rents have been dropping in Mountain View. So, an additional thing that we may be inadvertently doing when we're paying the full rent is propping up rents at the time that they're dropping. So I actually would be very interested in looking into the 25% for both of those reasons, because I'd like not to have a program that's propping up rents to the point that they were at, you know, before COVID started, which was kind of peak of the market. You know, letting the market play out a little bit. And then also because of this new 25% requirement. So for both of those, um, reasons, I would really like the way we handle this program to be re-examined. Thank you.

[00:59:31] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Any other questions, comments? If not, I will go to, thank you, Mr. Myers, and I'll go to the attendee box. Any members of the public and the attendee box wishing to speak on COVID relief update. Please raise your blue hand. I don't see any. Is there anyone on the phone? If you hit star 9 if you're on the phone, please. Anyone city clerk, DC?

[01:00:02] City Clerk: I just see one phone in collar, but they have not raised their hand.

[01:00:06] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Okay. Great. All right, then we will close this item and move on. Thank you very much. City manager. We'll move on to item 4, the consent calendar. These items will be approved by one motion unless any member of the council wishes to remove an item for discussion. The reading of the full text of resolutions will be waived unless a council member requests otherwise. Would any member of the council like to pull an item? Yes, cancel member Matt a check.

[01:00:36] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So I'd like to pull item 4.4 and 4.6. For, um, a potential, um, modification to what the staff recommendation is.

[01:00:48] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, uh, council member Hicks.

[01:00:51] Councilmember Alison Hicks: I'm just gonna pull 4.4 just to talk about it, but council member Mattachek already did that, so.

[01:00:59] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Any other council members wishing to pull an item? If not, are there any members of the public wishing to speak to an item? If so, if you are in the attendee box, please raise your blue hand, and if you are on the phone, please press star 9. I don't see any blue hands. And I see the phone in color doesn't have his hand or their hand up. So I will close public comment on the consent calendar. Um, if I could get a motion for the balance of the consent calendar, please. So everything other than item 4.4 and 4.6 Council member Clark.

[01:01:43] Councilmember Chris Clark: Well, I'll move the balance. So the consent calendar, which is the consent calendar -4.4 and 4.6 and that includes item 4.5 adopt a resolution fixing the employer contribution and an equal amount for employees and and a new attempt. Under the public employees, medical and hospital care act with respect to a recognized employee organization, 001 safety fire to be read entitled only for the reading wave detachment one, the council report. Adopt a resolution fixing the employer contribution at an equal amount. For employees in the new attempts under the public employees, medical and hospital care act with respect to the recognized employee organization group 002 safety police to be read entitled only for the reading wave attachment to the council report. Adopt a resolution, authorizing the city manager, or designate to execute a side letter, amending the memorandum of understanding between the police officers association in the city, for a period for the period July one, 2020, through June 30, 2021, to be read in title, only for the reading, wave detachment, treat the council report. Um, 4.7 adopt a resolution, appointing a member of the rental housing committee, to be read entitled, like, for the reading wave detachment, one of the council. report. And uh, those are all the items that need to be read, I believe.

[01:03:01] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you very much, and vice mayor.

[01:03:03] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Uh, it's like the 2nd the motion.

[01:03:06] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. So we have a motion by council member Clark, 2nd by vice mayor, commit to approve the balance of the consent calendar other than 4.4 or 4.6 if we could get a roll call vote, please, city clerk.

[01:03:21] City Clerk: Thank you, council member Clark.

[01:03:23] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yep.

[01:03:23] City Clerk: Council member Hicks.

[01:03:25] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[01:03:26] City Clerk: Council member Mattachek.

[01:03:27] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[01:03:28] City Clerk: Council member McAllister.

[01:03:30] Councilmember John McAlister: Yes.

[01:03:31] City Clerk: Council member Ramirez.

[01:03:33] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Yes.

[01:03:34] City Clerk: Hi, Mayor Kmei.

[01:03:35] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[01:03:36] City Clerk: Mirabi Koga.

[01:03:37] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Hi.

[01:03:38] City Clerk: Thank you.

[01:03:39] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, mentioned Carrie, 70 with no abstensions. Let's go on to item 4.4 Council Meta check, would you like to start us off?

[01:03:47] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, on both 44 and 46. I'm speaking with the city manager earlier today. And um, then we also got some uh, public comments on this via email. And I was wondering if these 2 items, if there are any like tweaks to them or changes to them, does it really have to come to council? And, um, I think we had an interesting discussion about this, and I don't want to put words in your mouth. Um, so, um, if our city manager wanted to, uh, respond to that question of does this really have to come to council, so everyone can hear the answer. That would be great. And then I have another thing to say.

[01:04:25] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Sure, thank you, council member, Mattachek. Um, I do think we can make some adjustments so that this doesn't have to come back again. Um, for both of those items, one adjustment that I would suggest is that we um, extend either both of them actually until the end of the emergency period. So we can still keep the December 31st date in there or extend it to the end of the emergency. And I know that city attorney Chopra. We have talked about it. And so, uh, we have the potential language for both of those. We can make that adjustment to the language and I think that that would be easier so that we don't have to come back with this and then extend it for a while. So, and,

[01:05:10] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: um, the, The city manager and her role as the, is it emergency director, director?

[01:05:17] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Yes, yes. Thank you. I remember Manachek. I forgot to mention that. Yes, the director of emergency services, being that we're in the state of emergency. So within my my purview under that role, I can also extend it.

[01:05:30] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Right. Or make modifications to it that would make sense. And I think part of the reason it's coming to council is so that there's discussion and greater awareness of this, but, you know, we talked about how, but sometimes you're just going to have to modify things quickly and it really doesn't have to come to council. Um, and so I would like to, um, change these 2 items to say that, that, the, uh, end of these is at the end of the state of the emergency, um, and the city manager can actually, um, decide on when the state of emergency ends, but I'm sure we'd also have a discussion about that at the council level, but that extends it most likely beyond the end of the year.

[01:06:18] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, and I have uh, language uh, proposed to read into the record, uh, But I want to check if you had other comments or discussion.

[01:06:27] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I don't, but, um, and I'm happy to make a motion when we get to that point, um, but it looks like there's other folks who want to comment.

[01:06:35] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Uh, let's get a council member of Ramirez.

[01:06:39] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, mayor, and council member Mattachekos, hope you 2nd your motion. Uh, I think your, your recommendation is, is, uh, is very good, uh, and, and sort of in line with what we had discussed with our eviction moratorium, about just providing the certainty of a set date, but also, you know, an allowance for continuation if, uh, if, if needed. And I think you're right, that there's probably very little probability, probability that, um, you know, businesses will be able to operate at 100% capacity indoors by the end of the year. So I support your um, your proposed modification. Um, I, I do want to, if there's a way, um, incorporate also your suggestion to allow some flexibility in the program. Um, you know, the, the resolution, for instance, includes a language, um, saying no more than 25% of the total parking lot area can be utilized by businesses, on site for temporary outdoor operations, and I think that's, you know, that's a fair number to maybe to begin with, but, in some areas, maybe you can justify a 3 or 35%, um, you know, allowance of, of, Um, you know, surface area for for a parking lot for business operations. I think sort of the underlying point being that we don't want our regulations to restrict outdoor business activity, if there's no negative impact. Uh, because every cable you could put out there is an opportunity for a business to generate some revenue, then it also has implications for our fiscal health as well. Uh, so, you know, maybe some flexibility with the parking, and the only other one where I thought there might be some opportunity for flexibility is the, the hours of operation. I understand staff, uh, concerned about impacting, um, residential areas, near commercial centers, but there are some areas where maybe a business can operate until 10 PM on a weekday, with minimal or no impact on residential areas, and at at the very least, giving a business an opportunity to go through a process and justify that with staff, um, would be helpful. Uh, so, uh, council member at a, at a check. I appreciate you bringing this up. I like your suggestions and I hope that the rest of the council supports them as well.

[01:08:58] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Counselor McAllister.

[01:09:01] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, well, I wanted to throw in a tweak there. I support the idea, but I was thinking of a little tweak myself. Uh, we used to have Thursday night live going downtown and we had entertainment and so, uh, this thing where it says, is there entertainment allowed? I asked the question, can we modify the no amplifier speaker rule? I think this should be explored. I think we should talk with the downtown business association or the chamber, but why can't we have some music one night every Thursday or bring, start bringing some normalcy back to downtown. I think that will draw some more people. I think that will add some vibrancy downtown a little bit more. And I'd like to see that, uh, tweaked also to be, um, You know, determined by the city manager, the community, whoever, uh, public works director or somewhere along that line, uh, community service director that we can modify that and allow some music, even if it's on a pilot programs to say one Thursday and say, hey, we're gonna try something like this.

[01:10:09] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Uh, go to council number Hicks.

[01:10:12] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Lucky for me, people, people mention previous council people mention most of the things I was going to mention. So, I support the changes that previous council people have brought up, the extending the deadline, um, looking at making the parking more flexible, and yeah, even the music, because I know that, um, my neighbors who I talk to about the way the downtown is functioning, really appreciate the times, it may not be fully legal, but the times when there has been music. So, um, so I would like to look into that. The one additional thing I was going to say is that, is that I very much appreciated the uh, email that we all received from the Chamber of Commerce that, uh, summarized what it was kind of a summary of what a lot of small businesses have said they need. And so I was kind of, I don't think any of this requires a change in the resolution, but, um, but, uh, they said the things that I appreciated that they kind of came together and told us were that they would like continued large creative approaches and investment, um, for especially for protection from the wind and rain. Um, maybe doing a more festive kind of winter, uh, business setup. Um, and also to look to other cities for successful and attractive operations that they, uh, may be using to turn city blocks into outdoor commercial centers with tending and heating and lighting and decorations and so forth and that they'd like us to think bigger than we have been thinking. So, um, and I think they also add in their letter something along the lines of looking to more than just our downtown, looking to, I don't know what we, they may be places that are in our general plan, we, we refer to as village centers, but anyway, and this may be part of when we look at, um, our small businesses and uh, reopening the economy, and we may be able to incorporate some of those suggestions that's coming, that are coming to us from the businesses via the chamber who's summing them up. But I really appreciated that, that email and I will be, I will be supporting the changes that council members are suggesting. Thank you.

[01:12:32] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Um, I will just add my, also my support for, um, as much flexibility as possible. I think the key here is to try to help our businesses get through this time. And so whatever we can do to make it easier for them to do so, um, I very much support. So, um, I think, and maybe a counselor or a matter check, if you'd like to include the diff, the changes, um, in your motion, that would be great, but I heard extending to the end of the emergency. Um, parking, flexibility, or the use of parking lots, flexibility, and I actually support amp, uh, music as well. Um, I think I saw 6 PM was the end time, but I think we could go to 8 or 9. I lived out of town and I've had a church that has music playing till like one AM sometimes across the street from me. So, um, I think we can be a little more flexible about music as well. So with that counselor, may I check, would you mind making the motion?

[01:13:39] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I'm happy to. So, um, Item 4.4 adopt a resolution temporarily allowing activities on public and private property to facilitate outdoor business operations in response to the COVID-19 state of emergency. Uh, to be read entitled only, further reading, waived, and on that one, um, the modifications would be the end date is, uh, the end of the state of the emergency. And I would add to this, and maybe there's more technical language. I'll add the city attorney, uh, add that in a minute that I would add, um, that, um, you know, for me, it's more, it's more global and it would be, um, I want to make sure that, um, were as flexible and move as quickly as possible. Um, and some of the examples would be, we could be flexible on parking. We might be flexible in music, but I would look to, um, the chamber, uh, the central business association or any individual business to, uh, contact the city. And our city manager and our very capable city staff can look at the situation and determine whether or not it makes sense. Um, it doesn't need to come to council.

[01:14:53] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, and council member Matachek, I do have some suggested language, and if it's, um, agreeable to you, you don't need to reread it in the motion. So for both resolutions, beginning with, uh, item 4.4, my recommendation would be the language added to the last section of the resolution, uh, to strike. The phrase December 31st, 2020, and to add, until 14 days after the expiration of the local, Emergency declared on March 12, 2020, and ratified by the council on March 17th, 2020, and the 14 days for everyone's information, is in consultation with the public works director, a grace period to allow businesses to adapt to the change afterwards and we decided 2 weeks was a reasonable time. So that changed that that exact language, and Madam Clerk, I will have this language for you, uh, in detail after the meeting. Uh, that same language will be inserted into item 4.6 in the, uh, 2nd term on page 3, again, striking December 31st, 2020, and adding the language I just mentioned, and then for both resolutions, I'm recommending adding a additional term that says generally The director of emergency services, which is the city manager, is authorized to make minor modifications to facilitate this program.

[01:16:41] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: If I may, Don Cameron Public Works director. Um, to, for the city attorney, we do include already in the outdoor businesses resolution a recital. I'm sorry, um, A resolve. That actually gives the public works director and the community development director, flexibility to make modifications. Uh, this is very important, also, as you know, just as we see what the ongoing business needs are, but also to be responsive as the county public health order changes. For an example, one restriction the county public health order has is no live entertainment allowed related to outdoor dining. Now, obviously, if they modify that, then we will quickly adapt our own requirements to start allowing that. So those are examples of things that we will do as we watch changing conditions. For um, the Castle Street closure one, although it was not specific in the resolution, we did develop it in a way that basically said staff would develop guidelines that could be adjusted as needed. So, In many respects, we feel that you've already given us the authority for Castle Street closure to make modifications. And there is a specific resolve clause here that provides staff that authority.

[01:18:02] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay, and thank you for that, um, Ms. Cameron, I I wasn't aware of that specific language. I do see it now in item 4.4. I do see that, and, uh, I didn't see the flexibility explicitly an item 4 point uh, 4.6. Would you be able to point me to that? Don?

[01:18:28] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: It probably more relates to the original resolution than me because of the Second Amendment. If, if, if counsel would like to be absolutely certain. They could add the exact same, uh, clause, um, to the Castle Street closure one and not just.

[01:18:48] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay, I will review that again and why don't we have the motion include, um, adding the same language which exists in in resolution 4.4 if needed to uh, the resolution for item 4.6. Thank you for that. Thank you. So, I still need to read item 4.6, right? Just checking.

[01:19:14] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, yes. And with the modifications, and it's discussed, yes.

[01:19:18] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So, uh, doctor resolution amending resolution number 184-70 and resolution number 184-89 temporarily suspending and designating parking restrictions, and prohibitions pursuant to Mountain View, city code chapter 19, and temporarily closing the 10, 20, 30, 400 blocks of Castro Street, pursuant to the California vehicle code section 21101 to facilitate outdoor dining. To be read in title only, further reading, wait, attachment one to the council report for both of those. Um, so then, um, for item 4.4, we would add the, um, statement about if, The section that Miss Cameron read regarding giving the public works director and the public services director, was it? Um, the flexibility to make modifications would be added to 4.4.4.

[01:20:18] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: Yes, uh... development director and public works director. Yes. Yes, and it exists in 4.4 It would be added to 4.6.

[01:20:29] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Yes. I had those were first. Yeah, no problem. Um, okay, and I guess, um, from my perspective, I'm not sure what the definition of minor versus, you know, more major change, but I'm pretty comfortable, um, that if it's a major change, I'm okay with the city manager, um, making that change and if she feels like she needs to come to council, uh, for ratification than we would. But I feel pretty comfortable with her making more than minor changes. To other council members. Okay. So I would say I wouldn't include the minor changes. I would just say changes.

[01:21:14] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: I do not, the language doesn't actually say minor. It just says maybe modified as needed.

[01:21:19] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So it's something the city manager that earlier, though, it said, he said minor. Was that true?

[01:21:27] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: I'm sorry, that might have been my suggestive language before I knew what it was already in there. Okay. That I think that's what the confusion was. So it is, it doesn't have the word minor. It just says maybe modified.

[01:21:40] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Great. Okay. think that's it. Thank you.

[01:21:45] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: So there's emotions. Is there a 2nd? Uh, Counselor Hicks.

[01:21:52] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes, I'll 2nd that.

[01:21:54] Councilmember John McAlister: But I have a, Nelson or McAllister? Discussion on page 5 of the, uh, I guess you call those the program operating requirements. There is a section on amplified speakers. And we had some discussion about, um, right now it says 8 to 6 outside the listed hours, and I would propose that we change those to, um, 8 or 9, possibly 9. When did Thursday Night Live end?

[01:22:30] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Sorry, if I may just confirm, um, page 5 relates to, um, businesses that perform outdoor worship services, outdoor recreational fitness or gathering activities, it's not for, um, outdoor dining. Um, so I just wanted to clarify council member McAllister. If that's what you meant, that you wanted to increase those, To 9 PM versus 6.

[01:22:56] Councilmember John McAlister: Well, I mean, it does, and others allowed outdoor gatherings and according with the cities, noise regulations. I've seen some street artists out there, the foraging stuff. So, I want the flexibility that if somebody in a corner is performing music, that, It benefits with the surrounding people without gathering a crowd, you know, could be a small sound or something. But I want the flexibility that, We can add some kind of attraction that doesn't gather too many people. But still allows a little bit more ambiance to the area. And so that's what I was thinking. Again, I'll leave it up to the city manager to always figure out the correct answer. Uh, but instead of 6 o'clock, maybe 8 o'clock to just or 830 or somewhere along that line to just add that.

[01:23:50] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Yeah, we can, we can, we can extend the hours and we can allow it to apply to other uses, such as outdoor dining, uh, but then as we noted for all these uses, they're still subject to restrictions, uh, from county orders, which currently don't allow entertainment. So if they do, then they will apply. We can apply the same hours to them.

[01:24:15] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, just like the former mayor. was trying to do. I would like to say, here's the rules. If they change above us, then you can jump right in and have the flexibility to do that. So, I won't speak to, but a council member, Mattachek, would like to amend it. I'll leave that up to her.

[01:24:38] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: And just as an FYI for Castle Street, um, the guidelines allow them to have the amplified music until 10 at night.

[01:24:47] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, where was that, uh... So it's in somewhere also the skideline pages?

[01:24:54] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Um, for the Castle Street, uh, closure, which is part of item 4.6. Uh, we, We have, uh, the staff has developed and distributed to businesses guidelines that are available on our website. We have adjusted over time. And so that's what those particular guidelines say. They're different. For Castle Street than they are for the other outdoor business guidelines.

[01:25:19] Councilmember John McAlister: Well, Then, uh, if that's already in there until 10 o'clock. Uh, Rosanna Dennis says, never mind.

[01:25:32] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Right. Never mind. I gotta cancel them Ramirez.

[01:25:37] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor, just, just to clarify, um, I understand that staff has the discretion to modify the regulations as needed, uh, which would apply sort of system wide, but it is, does the, the, uh, what was it, the, the resolved laws allow staff to have the discretion to modify regulations for a particular business. So, for instance, if a business can justify occupying, you know, 50% uh, of the parking spaces on the lot, um, without having a negative impact, can staff allow for that deviation from the regulations, or is that something that we would need to include now in the motion?

[01:26:22] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Um, just uh, typically what we would do is circumscribe the rules. We could amend them, but it would be difficult to apply it just on a site by site basis until there were specific requirements that we would have to adhere to. That way, There are clear requirements.

[01:26:41] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: But if if, I'm trying to find a way that would allow us to be flexible. And yet be within the requirements. The only way I see is, If there's a way for them to show that they've got more parking than they need, right? Um, at any given time.

[01:26:58] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Even that requires more work on their part. So we wanted to have a permitless amount, which says you don't need to do anything. You can just go start doing this. And then anything above that. They could follow up with us. Um, and typically that gets you into a permit process. But if council member, you're trying to find flexibility without a permit. I think we might have to take this back and see if we can extend it up to a certain percentage under certain criteria. If that's your direction to us, we could go back and look at that. But,

[01:27:32] Unknown Speaker: um, um, to your question, customer Ramirez, this has been set up in a way that, uh, you could, um, counsel could direct staff, to please go and look at more flexibility, and if we can find it, we can implement it. We do not have to come back to council for approval. Because the resolve was set up to allow staff to make modifications such as even the percentage of parking space that can be used up in a parking lot without having to come back to council.

[01:28:03] Public Works Director Dawn Cameron: Yeah, our intent wasn't to come back. It was just to establish what allowed people to go from one percentage to higher percentages. That just allows us to assess that.

[01:28:14] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Okay, great. Thank you. That's helpful.

[01:28:17] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Okay. Right, so are we clear on the motion? And the question from Counselor Matachech, 2nded by council member Hicks. Could we get a roll call vote, please?

[01:28:32] City Clerk: Council member Clark.

[01:28:34] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yes.

[01:28:35] City Clerk: Council member Hicks.

[01:28:36] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[01:28:37] City Clerk: Council member Mattachek.

[01:28:39] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[01:28:40] City Clerk: Council member McAllister.

[01:28:41] Councilmember John McAlister: Hi.

[01:28:43] City Clerk: Council member Ramirez.

[01:28:45] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Yes.

[01:28:46] City Clerk: Vice Mayor Kame.

[01:28:48] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[01:28:48] City Clerk: Mayor Abbe Koga.

[01:28:50] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I,

[01:28:50] City Clerk: thank you. And she can carry 70 with no abstentions.

[01:28:55] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you very much. and we will move on to item 5 oral communications. This portion of the meeting is reserved for persons wishing to address the council on any matter not on the agenda. Speakers are allowed to speak on any topic for up to. I'm gonna say 2 minutes during this section. State law prohibits the council from acting on nonagenda items. But any member of the public on the line like to provide comment on non-agenda items, if you're in the 10 D box, please raise your blue hand, and if you are on the phone, please hit star 9, and I see Tim McKenzie, please go ahead and unmute yourself. Bye.

[01:29:35] Tim McKenzie: Hi there. Hi, uh, thanks for giving me time to speak. I spoke last week or I took part last week in the human relations committee meeting to once more provide members of the Mountain View community the opportunity to share our vision of how we can change policing. Um, Apparently extensive comments at city and city council are not enough. So I was happy to participate. Thank you for the opportunity. And I know that you will be getting a report later in the year from the group. I look forward to being able to read that, but also it was made very clear in June how terribly complex the budget process is. So I wanted to give you some of the themes that emerged last week, so it can start entering into your thought process if budget issues come up. Nearly every report back from all the small group breakout discussions. Just about everyone said they wanted to reallocate resources from the police department into places that will help build and nourish our community rather than through, uh, punitive actions and they, and armed police states. One specific uh, proposal that came out several times was removal of uh, resource officers from schools. Having weapons in schools is not a conducive environment for learning. We have empirical evidence that when there are armed agents at schools during school shootings, they do not go and stop them. They run away. We saw this in Florida a few years ago. Um, so that it doesn't help with safety. It is non-conducive to a learning environment, um, and just I want to let you know about that. People want to reallocate resources from the police department. Um, and so thank you for the time, uh, defund the police. I yield my time.

[01:31:29] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Anyone else in the 10 bucks wishing to speak. Please raise your blue hand. I don't see any other hands. Uh, city clerk, is there anyone on the line who would like to speak? Well?

[01:31:49] City Clerk: Hi Mayor, I know, there are 2 phone calling listeners, but I don't see hands raised.

[01:31:54] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Okay, we need to press star 9 to raise our hand. I don't see them right here. So I would see them as well then. Yeah, yeah. Okay, great. All right. Then I will close oral communication, and we will move on to item 6. Actually, we have no public hearing this evening, so we'll go to item 7 new business, 7. options for extending the safe parking program, and we have a staff presentation by Kimberly Thomas, our assistant to the city manager. Welcome, Miss Thomas. And I will also just make another announcement. This item is being uh, translated. And so, um, If you see on your screen an interpretation button, that's the button you should be, um, pressing and I don't know, Ms. Garcia would like to make that announcement again. I will go ahead and allow Nora Beltran to do that.

[01:32:55] City Clerk: It's difficult to move to move Elena back in when she's on the translation side. So...

[01:33:01] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Um let's see. nor are you able to provide a brief announcement for us? You're muted currently. There we go Oh, this Belchan. See. I hear some letter.

[01:33:28] City Clerk: We seem to be having technical difficulties, yeah, we can't see or hear her at this time.

[01:33:35] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I didn't mean to put you on the spot, vice mayor, but would you mind making the announcement?

[01:33:42] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Sure. Okay. Uh, una buenas noches. Uh, Calición en Español, esta, desponible, uh, prima, and button, que se interpretación, por favor. Thank you so much. You just click the globe, right, Lisa?

[01:33:59] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: That's what I said. Okay. Thank you very much. Uh, so yes, uh, Ms. Thomas.

[01:34:07] Assistant to the City Manager Kimberly Thomas: Well, good evening, Marin city council members, I hope that you can see my screen share, city clerk.

[01:34:16] City Clerk: Not quite yet, Kimberly. Not quite yet.

[01:34:19] Assistant to the City Manager Kimberly Thomas: Okay, I will try one more time if you give me one moment.

[01:34:42] Assistant to the City Manager Kimberly Thomas: City clerk, I do have it clicked.

[01:34:48] City Clerk: I don't. We're not seeing your screen yet.

[01:34:53] Staff Presenter: Okay, hold on 12nd. Let me see if I can fix things. Here we go.

[01:35:18] Unknown Speaker: Got it. Miss Thomas.

[01:35:20] Staff Presenter: Okay, wonderful. Give me one moment to just give the video back on. There we go. Thank you. Sorry for those little technical difficulties. It's so different presenting from your living room.

[01:35:30] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Very, very different. Thank you so much.

[01:35:33] Assistant to the City Manager Kimberly Thomas: Good evening, Marin City Council members. The purpose of this report tonight is to recommend cancel action associated with a safe parking pilot program. A memorandum from staff will also be provided shortly addressing the deferred study session item about existing homelessness initiatives and actions implemented in response to COVID-19. Although we'll also be showing some highlights of that in this presentation tonight. Tonight, the presentation will include background, the safe parking program status. Lot operations summary, where we're at the 1st 6 months of operations, a potential increase in mock capacity for passenger, vehicle parking, as well as a number of recommendations for staff, including one related item to homelessness matters generally, which is the home key project. The county of Santa Clara competes a comprehensive biannual point in time homelessness count, which includes the unsheltered and unstably housed, enumerating those individuals and families who are sleeping in emergency shelters, in transitional housing, as well as people sleeping on the streets, in vehicles, abandoned properties, or other places not meant for human habitation. As shown on the chart on screen. Over the past 3 county points in time counts, the number of homeless in Mountain View has increased substantially. More than doubling in 4 years. The vast majority counted were unsheltered, unsheltered does include of people who are living within vehicles, which are not meant for habitation. The counties count considers residents, again, living in recreational vehicles to be unsheltered. Over the same period, the total number of homelessness, homelessness in Santa Clara County also increased significantly. uh, from 600, 6,556 and 2015 to 9,706 and 2019. Also a nearly 50% increased. To augment information that's provided from the county on homelessness at large and homelessness unsheltered, which would be living in vehicles. The city has also maintained on a yearly basis since 2017, a yearly basis or more per year, depending upon when we had items coming before the council. A street by street count of the vehicles that appear to be in use for living purposes. As seen on the chart on screen, over the past 3 years, the counted vehicles in the public right of way, again, this chart is showing you the public right of way, not the safe parking lots, which were a new development brought online over the last 6 months. Uh, it has range between 250 and 300 vehicles. Since the December 2018 count, more than half of those counted have been living in RVs. If the 55 vehicles that are now located at the city's safe parking lots, were included in this total on screen. The total number of vehicles, identified as of July of 2020, would be up to 320. There are 55, again, that are in the shoreline and VTA lots. There are several factors that could be contributing to this rise in the count in the public rights of way. If you include both that as well as the safe parking component, the loss of housing and greater need due to COVID could be a contributory factor in the pandemic. People seeking basic services that other cities may not provide. A reduction in the enforcement of the 72 hour parking rule by the police department in light of the COVID pandemic and shelter in place orders. and the overall limits on the city at this time to be able to regulate parking in the right of way in relation to the narrow streets and other considerations that were brought forward last year. That is pending consideration by the voters. In addition, it may be possible that these vehicles were always in Mountain View and with the shelter in place, we're getting a better count, but it gives you some gauge of the realm of possibilities associated with why there is a slight increase in the count. For the past 5 years, the city has been studying and taking actions to address the challenging rise in homelessness and unstably housed individuals. Today, the city is a recognized leader in addressing this regional problem, looking at all options, and forging strong partnerships with the county of Santa Clara and many community-based providers. An extensive work plan, 14 council reports. This is the 15th, and a 100 action items have been developed and executed, just highlights of which are shown on screen for you here over the next 3 slides. Some of these achievements include an adoption and extension of a shelter crisis to provide flexible and streamlined options for safe parking, creating an innovative, safe parking ordinance to ensure the public safety, securing 5 safe parking lots for Mountain View participants, resulting in the city of Mountain View, having the largest safe parking program in the county in the county. Uh, updating uh, and providing various basic services, human services that range from showers to case management, updating the needs assessment and goals responding to the consolidated plan, participating in regional homeless initiatives by staff and council on a continual basis, and refining uh, the existing rent relief program and then a significant expansion for the COVID-19 response. In short, looking at the past few years highlighted on the screen here, the journey over the last 4 years has taken the city from having no options on safe parking. No one had originally responded to our RFP for safe parking services in 2015. 2 being a city that now has the largest safe parking program in the county. Shown on screen here, as I mentioned, we are going to be providing a memorandum that will give an update on various services in response to COVID, and the city manager highlighted it earlier that we'd be offering some additional information tonight shown on screen here for you is the various activities the city has done to engage and share information with the homeless, vulnerable and unsheltered community to make sure that we are reaching out and engaging, both ourselves, through our police department and our uh, but also utilizing our resources and links through the CBO community. Outreach has been done using all channels that are that the city possesses. The city's police outreach team has disseminated information on a continual basis in English and Spanish to individuals and has placed flyers on windshields. This has been a program that we have been continuing since 201617, where we hand deliver flyers on a continual basis. We have amped that up and ramped that up for COVID response, and that is an ongoing effort. The city's multilingual community outreach program that's assisting with translation here tonight, also assists us on a continual basis, doing translation in the 4 languages of the program. The city also widely communicates on social media and our various digital channels for those with digital and cellular access. Also on screen here is speaking to some of the core efforts. Not everything, but some of the core efforts and some of the key data points associated with the proactive actions we've taken to respond to the needs of the homeless and residents living in vehicles during the COVID crisis. Well, we know, the resources cannot meet the magnitude of the need, as was highlighted earlier in response to rent relief. The intent is to identify emerging needs as quickly as possible. Work closely with the city's collaborators, mainly the county, uh, CSA, Hope's Corner, and Move Mountain View, to try to address as many of those concerns as we can. To develop solutions and provide as much assistance as possible. Shown on screen again are highlights of this response. Lastly, shown here are some of the main efforts to limit increases in homelessness through things such as rent relief and the very important during COVID eviction moratorium that I believe you also had a conversation about earlier. This is really crucial. Keeping folks in their existing housing is vital, and it's one of the main tools within the homelessness prevention and goal is to prevent homelessness from happening in the 1st place. Uh, also, these efforts have been vital and it highlights some of the additional, um, uh, allocations the council has provided uh, in response to COVID, COVID, the COVID crisis. Based on the council direction, early on, staff aim to connect with the countywide system. To leverage its resources and to expand the public private partnerships, to address the needs of those who live in vehicles, and others experiencing or at risk for homelessness in Mountain View. The needs and services related to homelessness can be viewed within a continuum of coordinated care that is shown on screen here. This focuses on homelessness prevention, rapid rehousing, and permanent supportive housing. The chart shown on screen summarizes the number of Mountain View affiliated, households, and individuals that had been housed through these supportive housing programs. For, again, mountain view affiliated households. Since the start of the programs when the city began in 2017, it was mid-year, to current year, which is a current fiscal end of fiscal year, which was June 30th of 2020. As planned and implemented over the last 3 years, the city now has 5 safe parking lots online to serve Mountain View participants. Temporarily, one of the faith lots is on hiatus right now. But all lots are operated by Move Mountain View, the nonprofit that was supported by the city and the county, over the last number of years, that has taken on this huge task of providing this service as a brand new nonprofit. The current capacity for safe parking is 67 oversized vehicles, and up to 18 spaces. This is dependent upon the council direction to allow flexibility to the provider, to have up to 15% of those OV spaces used for passenger vehicle living. Without the 15% ratio and just looking at strict numbers and including faith. There are 76, 76 total spaces. During the crisis, the COVID crisis, the safe parking lots were consistently hosting over 100 individuals. This section really is highlighting that the city has come a long way, since the exploration of safe parking began in 2015, as I mentioned, when we didn't even receive a response to our request for proposal for safe parking services for an operator. As of the as a result of the consistent efforts and the clear direction from the city council, the city has been instrumental in attaining many of the goals shown on screen and discussed in the previous achievements section. The core of our discussion tonight is on the safe parking program status and next steps. This section will discuss that of my presentation. Today, the city of Mountain View is providing up to 76 safe parking spaces. Again, as I've mentioned, it's a running theme, but making Mountain View, the largest safe parking provider in the county. providing over 80% of the total oversized vehicle parking spaces and 10% of the passenger spaces. The counts shown on screen here are based on the data from the provider as of August 24th, at which the Terabella site was not up yet. So we're not accruing data on that site yet. The sites are open in operation. They're at near capacity with a total of 130 participants living in 57 vehicles. A majority of the participants are families and residing in oversized vehicles such as RVs. Of the 130 participants in Mountain View safe parking lots, 19 are under the age of 19 and 19 are age 60 and above. Of the 54 participants who self identified their race, 4 are identified as black or African-American, of the participants who have, uh, uh, African-American, uh, 5 are identified as Asian, and 16 as Caucasian, and 29 identified as Hispanic or Latinx. Of the participants who have left a safe parking program, 5 have moved to interim housing. 6 have moved to permanent housing. One has moved to an emergency shelter. 2 have moved out of the county. At 11 have exited the program with undesignated clarification pending. The data now shown on screen highlights the safe parking program status. What the overarching participation, according to the city's preferences, the city's preferences for safe parking, are to serve people who have lived and worked in Mountain View, who have students in Mountain View school districts, who are seniors, or who are disabled. Looking at nearly 6 months of data from the 247 safe parking operation, 38 families and individuals report having lived in Mountain View, or are working in Mountain View, 15 are children who are in students in schools, mountain high school districts, and the pilot data shows that 30% of the lot participants are employed, that's currently that's given the COVID crisis that may be impacting those numbers. The numbers in the chart above represent data derived from the qualifying applications, not a census by move. Data is reported by family unit as some participants fall into one or more category. I should also note there is a footnote on this slide. This is an update from the chart that's included in your staff report. This was updated due to a slight omission in some data, and it has been updated for you here. Over the last 6 months of operations in working with the provider and the county, we've needed to make some modifications to ensure that we're addressing the needs of the participants on the lots. Modifications have included things like providing 2 ADA compliant commuter vehicle spaces that are adjacent to the ADA oversized vehicle parking location. Adding 2 loading zones that were created to help resident participants more easily stock items to their RVs. In addition, shade structures and other services have been provided. The city and its partners have provided additional service on the lots, and that will only continue to be refined and grow based upon need. But at this time, it's included things like providing temporary water service on the 3 city lots that shoreline Evelyn and Terabella. It's also included working with various partners to try to better address the basic needs of participants on the lots. And this includes things like grocery store gift cards, volunteer food deliveries that move coordinates on a continual basis. Uh, monthly COVID testing that's done by the county, mobile medical visit units that are done by the county, uh, and distribution of mass, hygiene kits, and sanitizers, plus ongoing information exchange that's done by the police NES unit or outreach officer. That's done roughly every 2 weeks. So that's an ongoing effort. Move is also doing new program development to assist participants on the lots, and one of their most recent activities is to provide a new reading program for youth on the lots. Through its regular coordination with Santa Clara County. We also encountered an additional issue that the city needed to send an application in. And that was in relation to a use change, an update for environmental health, related to using this lot on a 247 basis for safe parking. So that was something that the city has also dealt with and would deal with on an annual basis as needed if the program were to continue. The city has also provided some temporary solutions or emergency urgency solutions to address commuter vehicle parking. It's turned out that the lion's share of the residents that are participating currently in safe parking, the participants. They do have a secondary commuter vehicle. That was somewhat indicated in the early data on safe parking, uh, the PD counts, about 50% or so, uh, on average over time, have shown that they had a commuter or associated vehicle, but the numbers have beared out based upon the participation rates in the current program that many, if not, you know, higher than 50%, have a commuter vehicle. Staff dealt with that, collectively to address it for night parking at the dog park at Shoreline, and then also provided 15 urgency spaces within the existing footprint of the Evelyn lot. The council has continually wanted staff to ensure we're providing the maximum level of service, and now that we have been in operation for the pilot of 4 to 6 months, depending upon which lot you're counting. We did want to re-look at the lots themselves and see what additionally could be done to maximize its usage. To further address this parking concern, staff has reanalyzed the lots for any additional parking capacity while still maintaining the core existing structure. There are many reasons for that, that range from contracts to actually trying to maintain the folks that are currently on the lots. But the result is staff is presenting an option for you shown on screen here tonight, which would allow us to maintain within the existing footprint and maintain 10 foot buffers that are required for lived in vehicles. Uh, this would include uh, areas both for the shoreline mart, which has less capacity, and more for the VTA lot. For the shoreline lot, this would result in 4 spaces that could be used for living, added safely within the existing footprint of the shoreline lot. Uh, then we would recommend that there would be a continuation of the 15 parking spaces that are used at night at the dog park to facilitate the commuter parking of the participants at that lot. For the Evelyn lot. There are 21 spaces that could be facilitated for living and added to the lot. This would include 3 within the existing footprint. And 18 that are outside the existing footprint that would be facing and adjacent to the office complex. It's currently an area that is unoccupied. It was provided as a buffer between the office complex and the program and what we are recommending here is that the extended to allow us maximum usage, especially during COVID. Uh, we would also recommend that the 15 day and night parking spaces on the VTA lot, so it's continual, 1st come, 1st serve basis, that those parking spaces be kept for uh, a non, uh, for passenger parking, commuter parking, non-lived in parking. Steph has a number of recommendations of a fiscal nature that are noted in your report. This includes approving an appropriation of 150,000 for the safe parking program expansion as discussed in staff's recommendations, providing contract authority for the full 575,000 that would include the existing budget, as well as the new request for appropriation, to coordinate contract services with the county of Santa Clara. In addition, there is a ancillary related item, but it is an important item. We received some good news today in relation to the city's home key application that was discussed at the August 25th meeting in greater detail. And at that time, we were unsure about what our status would be. We've gotten an update adjust today. ironically enough, that the city and life moves our partner. The project has moved forward. matching meeting all of the preliminary requirements for review. and have had funds reserved. I wish I could say that I knew the exact details of what funds reserved means, but it's a very positive sign, and it looks like the project will be moving forward. And what we want to do is part of staff's plan is we have developed a funding strategy as one of our greatest challenges that was discussed with you at their prior meeting. Was the operational challenges, coming up with the funding to operate the facility on an ongoing basis. And so as a part of that to show the city's commitment, staff does recommend that the council commit 2400000 from the Google Landings community benefit for homeless initiatives toward the operation of this facility. Shown on screen here and also one additional slide are the formal recommendations that staff is recommending to the council. I won't go read them in detail, but they are in detail should they be needed for later. This is the 1st screen. This is the 2nd screen. This concludes staffs presentation. We are available for questions, both myself, as well as members of our team, and if I can just briefly highlight who should be on the call for the city clerk that is available to answer questions. That would be Harsher Ramshandani, who is our regional fellow, and she has done a major effort running some of this data that you see highlighted so beautifully in this report. Tom Myers, you've already heard speak tonight, who is a partner, the executive director of CSA. Amber Stein. She's the executive director of Move Mountain View, the operator of Mountain View Safe Parking Programs. Michael Love, known in many other contexts, but in this context, the operations manager for Move Mountain View. Hillary Baroga, she is the senior programs manager from the County Office of Supportive Housing. In addition, I believe we may have potentially reps on the call from life moves and Hope's Corner. Thank you. That concludes my report, and I'm happy to answer questions along with the team.

[01:59:27] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you very much, Miss Thomas, and I know it's a team effort, but I do want to recognize your leadership on this issue for 15. I believe you mentioned 15 update reports to the council over many, many years, so thank you very much for all of your hard work and leadership. With that, do we have any questions from council members? Yes, council member Hicks.

[01:59:54] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Sorry, took me a moment to unmute. I have a quick, I have a quick question, but 1st I wanted to really congratulate you all on the home key application. That's tremendous. And of course, on the rest of this work as well. It's a Herculean task and I wish I could individually thank everyone. Um, but I'm sure I'd leave someone out. My question is uh, pretty simple. Can people run generators in the safe lots? And one of the reasons I'm asking is I'm particularly concerned because of the, um, you know, the heat we've been having and then it will get cooler in the winter. So, I'm, I'm very glad that you uh, brought in the shade structures, because I was worrying about that and then I'm wondering about, um, generators as well.

[02:00:52] Ms. Thomas: For the city's ordinance at large, for any other applicants, such as the faith life, lots, running of generators is not permitted for the city lots, there is more flexibility there and we have shown some flexibility working with the county. But the guideline is generally, it needs to limit any excess noise from outside that unit. Uh, the main reason related to that, even on the city lots is, don't forget for the uh, the Evelyn Lot, as well as the Terabella lots. They are situated around many, many businesses, as well as within residential. And so we do our best to continually manage that. There are various options that we also include move and the county provide a various solar cell chargers, ways to charge your laptop. There are a variety of options that are made available to them. But the key reason behind generators is to ensure that they don't get out of control and become a major noise issue.

[02:01:50] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay, that's a that's a good answer. So do, do I understand that you're working on a host of approaches to address the, the heating and coolant needs and that you're monitoring, your interacting with people and monitoring the noise versus the other options that they have?

[02:02:09] Ms. Thomas: I would say that from our, I get reports on it, but it's definitely move, Amber and Michael, who are lead with move, that are continually, you know, balancing this issue, as well as the county. We've had conversations about it. Really the goal at all times. That's one of the reasons why the shade structures, um, sharing of information about being able to go to the park and walk in the surrounding area, when those heat, uh, advisories are in effect. They do all of those things.

[02:02:38] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay. So I have a 2nd question, which is that I, I got, we got an email from a gentleman who owns a property adjacent, I think, to the Evelyn site, and he said that there were associated people trying to get into the site and then sleeping on his property. I'm wondering whether there's any current monitoring of, or contacting the businesses that are nearby or the property owners nearby or monitoring the situation nearby, so that if there are any problems associated with, you know, in the adjacent properties, if, if, who's following up on those things and who's keeping track of those things?

[02:03:18] Ms. Thomas: It would be depend upon which kind of when it comes in. And then we do share that, of course, with both the county and move. It's a partnership between the city, county and move. Um, I personally have spoken with many of those, uh, uh, customers, um, who have concerns, uh, but in addition, we share that information forward to the county, uh, as well as moves so that they're aware of what those considerations are. We have, as you probably recall, on that VTA lot. We did a significant outreach campaign in the fall of 2019, including hand walking around to all the businesses, handing out information in Spanish and English about what the program was about, how to contact both us, the county or the operator. So we've shared that through that round. We've shared it again, when moved it, an additional outreach and flying process, when they began to take on, uh, cars on the lots in March. So it's a continual effort, and I do know, and Amber Stein, the executive director of move, might want to respond. There are plans when we are in a non-pandemic situation. One of moves strategies, which is really delightful, is they want to work as a partner in the community. They want to have an open house. They want to invite folks in. They want to share what they do and share what their participants are about. They've just not been able to do that during the COVID crisis. Always, whether or not Amber's on and she might like to share something additional on that because it's something she believes in strongly.

[02:04:46] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Sure, that would be great. Amber Stein, if you could be joined. In New York.

[02:04:52] Executive Director Amber Stein: Okay, good evening, everyone. I thought I was going to get away with not showing up. Probably didn't work. Um, Yeah, we are aware of the the business owners, especially at Evelyn. And I think, um, We want a good relationship. We did go around and speak to all of them before the lot was opened. We are there. available to speak to them even now. We are aware some of people that are not in our program, let alone in their parking lot. Once in a while, when we have opening, they come in, and so we are monitoring with lot monitors as much as possible. But it's a constant, it's a conversation that needs to be had and just recently, for example, um, some of them were parking their, their, um, commuter vehicles over there. And so we had a community meeting and expressed why that is not to be done and, um, that, you know, we want to be good neighbors to, to the business owners as well. And I think people were very accepting of that. And women, also, we let the police know that our people are not allowed to park over there, so if they see any of that, to go ahead and take action. Um, but on the other hand, I don't know if this is the time to bring it up, but I think also to, to, um, reach out to our neighbors, uh, to also let them know. I think, you know, you guys as council members may be able to do that is, um, our people are there. The street parking is available to them. Then there's been some pushback from the from the business owners for some of our tenants parking on the streets, which is not very neighborly. Um, I'm not going to go and confront them, but I think, um, you know, we are, we are doing our best to be able to honor their space, so we would like them to also work with us in terms of our, our constituents parking on the streets. Um, it's, you know, it's, it's an adjust, it's an adjustment, just when we get everybody figured out and everyone's not following the rules and then we'll get people leaving and we get new tenants and then new people. So it's it's it's a constant balance.

[02:07:07] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you, Amber.

[02:07:09] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yeah, thank you. No more questions on my part.

[02:07:13] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Hey, can you cancel my Ramirez?

[02:07:16] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor, and echo echoing your words earlier, I'm very grateful to that for, um, the immense amount of work that you've put into, um, ensuring the success of the safe parking program, and also, uh, it looks like, you know, some, at least preliminary success with the project home key applications. Thank you very much. I do have a couple of quick questions for Amber if you're still there. Um, but thank you for, for, for being here tonight. Um, I, 1st question is, can you share with us some of, uh, the experiences you've had in operating the 2 sites and, uh, any lessons learned, uh, improvements that have been made over time, you know, from, from the perspective of the lot operator or monitor, uh, what, uh, you know, how, how, how has it been? What, what, where have been some of the successes and and I think areas for improvement?

[02:08:14] Executive Director Amber Stein: Well, I think, um, we're all learning. I mean, city staff as well as us in terms of how to operate. Uh, parking lots, the caliber that we're operating. I think one of our biggest, uh, 1st lesson was in terms of, um, what do we supply, what what things do we provide as, as a safe parking measure, you know? Is it just bottled waters or do we need water and it ended up being that there should be water available? That was a big, big learning curve for all of us. Um, and then I think right now, the one that we've been, we've been struggling with and it looks like there's uh, some resolution, is the, the parking of 2nd vehicles, that was not anticipated, and uh, people came with their 2nd vehicles, and I think part of the understanding of that is, uh, you know, I mean, people were leaving their, their RVs at the, at the streets and going and working and coming back to them. And we, I, in the city count, maybe the 2nd vehicles were not, were not visible. But most everyone has a 2nd vehicle. And trying to figure out how to, you know, have parking, um, save for their vehicles and also save for them. So the walking distance is not too far. Some people come to work in the middle of, in the middle of the night or they go to work in the middle of the night. And and working through that as well. Now at BTA, we are open for 15 vehicles. Then we're going to be doing that according to who came in 1st. That way that, you know, takes away this thing of, of, um, 1st come 1st serve kind of deal. Um, So, those things we are learning. And then also, we, we, we learned, actually, the biggest, one of the biggest lesson is, we have a lot of clients that came to us that were, that are in liberate. Um, you know, giving out the pamphlets, et cetera, is not, is, You know, you're giving them to people who couldn't even read in their own language, let alone in the English language. So, um, I think Michael and I and anyone else that was related to our work. I've been on the ground, uh, shortly after shelter in place, um, came to, to being because our clients need to be served on a much more face to face with somebody to translate. Um, and then the other is, I think, maybe for city to ask us more of what's going on because we are on the ground. We do know what's going on on a regular basis and um, sometimes. Uh, I think we would like to put some input. It's not so much that we're constantly just an advocate for the, for our, for the residents, uh, on a lot, that is for the advocates for the program and the success of the program as well. So we have things that we see on the ground that most everyone else would not see. So to just be part of that, that, the calling as a team.

[02:11:05] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Right. Thank you. and sort of related to that last point. The staff recommendation includes some very specific parameters for the site configuration. I feel like, you know, we have a limited amount of space and there are 3 types of vehicles that we can, we can, you know, incorporate into the additional space that we're making available. The commuter vehicles that you've identified. There are passenger vehicles that are occupied or inhabited. And then, you know, you could have additional RVs, but it would take up more space and so you'd have fewer RVs. Um, you know, as opposed to inhabited passage vehicles, and part of the challenge I have is, I don't really know what the right combination of each is, and I, I feel a little bit of reluctance in being very prescriptive. So, can you help us understand how you came to this configuration? Is this the right configuration, you know, do you need some flexibility and how you adhere to core parameters of the program, you know, the buffers between vehicles and that kind of thing. Can you walk us through, how you came to this particular configuration of each of those types of vehicles that we could place in the footprint of each of the sites?

[02:12:28] Amber: Well, the configuration came from the city. I mean, it was for mainly for RVs. Both parking lots were created for RVs with a certain percentage of cars. Where people dwell in them. And we have tried. We followed that, uh, pretty much to the letter, actually, I think it is like 4% or it's like 54 cars, 5 cars, something like that for a lot, and the rest of it has to be for, for, um, RVs. It had been once in a while, but we've been tight in terms of, um, for example, one time we had a lady with 3 children and she was in a van. And it was like, shoot, you know, both part, both, both lots have, um, the number of cars that we can put in in them. So, um, you know, we, we put her in the church lab, she could probably benefited better being in the, in the bigger lot because that way she would have had access to food for her children, because she can't cook in the van. So once in a while, that kind of a setting, you know, ties our hands. But um, we have been. We've been learning to flex with it. Um, and I think the other one too, worth exploring is the generator as well. Um, Not everybody has the solar, uh, we have tried, and I think Kimberly is right. We, you know, we have handed those out. We have, um, tried to make all of that as available as possible. But there are times when people have the need to be able to cook their food, et cetera, et cetera. And um, I'm going to just out there confess so you guys can um, decide what you're going to do with my confession. But we have, we have, uh, let people have it, their generator on for, uh, until about 9 in the evening, you know, from probably dinner time to, to the time when people are cooking, saying, you have to understand you guys are all neighbors to one another and we'll give you this much time to go ahead and do what you need to do. So we've taken that flexibility. I don't know if you guys like it or dislike it, but it works. People honor it, put it pretty well. Okay? So, um, I, I mean, some of it, I guess I take, I take liberty in, in, making some of those decisions because we are dealing with people, we are dealing with situations, and I'm a great believer of policy. But sometimes, um, until we do the actual and set up the programs, we are not exactly sure uh, if the policy really fits, fits the, the need of the individuals.

[02:14:58] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. And then the last question is, I think it's the intention of the council for this program to transition people out of homelessness. It's not a permanent, you know, RV park that we're creating. Um, and I was happy to hear that we've successfully transitioned a number of households out of homelessness. Um, like for lack of a better way of phrasing it. Would it be helpful to include an explicit parameter that limits the amount of time a household can use a lot. Um, we may not know what that number is, but are you finding that people are making good faith efforts to transition out of homelessness? Um, or do you think that, you know, some kind of, uh, requirement to, you know, either achieve some milestone with a, within a certain amount of time or, you know, a maximum stay, you know, something like that would be helpful in, um, in allowing the program to function as it's intended.

[02:16:05] Amber: I don't know that answer for you right now under COVID. Okay? Um, we started these big lots, right? Just, you know, just shortly before COVID started, and then the big lots became pretty much shelter in place for, for, for the RV dwellers. So, uh, with that in mind, I would say, um, to put any kind of parameter until we have a better handle on, on, on what the COVID situation is going to be. Um, because this is a shelter in place as well. But I think eventually, um, we, we also will be, uh, I mean, I don't want to be operating a lot that people are not moving forward. Believe me, I that's just not what I want to do. So I think we need to give. we are now at a point where we can scale up case management. And be able to start searching with people in housing. And I don't know what kind of the housing situation is with COVID. I know that rent is going down, so maybe that's good for our individuals, but we have to also remember some of the people that have come to us who are employed, gainfully employed, and have lost your jobs. And I have, they have a young man right now. He lives in his van and he was working, not far from Google, in a restaurant, uh, and he was able to make a living that way, but now he has nothing to do. So, I don't, I would say, during this time, it would be, it would be pretty hard, um, move to put any kind of stipulation around it. Um, one because of COVID. The other is we've been so busy trying to get these the lots and being it. I mean, people were coming at us and trying to get them into their places, et cetera. Now I think we're at a point where we are at where we can hire case management. And we'll be able to look at the next round of how do we get people out. We've been doing that in a small manner, but I think we can be able to do it in much bigger. So give us, I would say, give us the opportunity. Maybe in the next meeting. You can.

[02:18:18] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Counselor, man, check.

[02:18:20] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. Um, I do have a few questions. Um, so, um, in the council, Q and A, somebody sent in a question, um, about whether or not there is a referral program to the safe loss. And what, there is. Can you tell us how that works?

[02:18:42] Amber: Actually, the reform program before COVID was through CSA. And before COVID, things were very well, somewhat manageable, because people would go to CSA, and then CSA would do the assessment and then they would refer them to us. But then during COVID during shelter in place, most places closed. And so that referral that was coming from CSA, uh, no longer was there because, um, people were not going directly to CSA because the office was closed. Um, we've gotten referrals from the school district, the school system that knew people that the children that were homeless, so we've gotten referrals through that. Actually, the majority of our children that we've gotten, uh, as living in the Arabic have come from CS from the school district. We have gotten referrals from, um, various other uh, outreach programs. You know, people will come to us saying hoax corner sent us or so-and-so sent us. So maybe those organizations aren't directly calling us, but they are sending the people to us. So, um, And then after a while it is becoming more a word of mouth kind of process. As well, but I think the number one referral for us before COVID is CSA, and then now CSA has picked up a new referral to us. As well.

[02:20:04] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So, um, do you know or do you have an estimate of, um, of the folks who have come to the safe lots? Were they previously parked on streets in Mountain View or were any of them parked in on streets in other cities?

[02:20:22] Amber: We asked those questions. We asked those questions and as the criteria is, do you, you know, Not necessarily where you parked in Mountain View as much as do you work in Mountain View or do you live in Mountain View? So one of those answers out of that could be a yes, I work in Mountain View or I live in Mountain View. Um, the ones would have school children in the mountain view school district. That's, you know, uh, no question to that. Um, and we do ask people, we, I even asked senior citizens for, you know, did you live here? What is your connection to Mountain View? How is it that you came to be? So, um, knowing the criteria that we've said and knowing the amount of need that there is. We, we do ask those questions. And, um, and, you know, and we do try to see if we can verify it as much as possible with a continued question and then with continued kind of documenting. Where in Mountain View did you live? Okay, where was your RV part? Oh, you know? And some of them can actually tell you the street and the area, and and a great deal of them actually know each other. I, you know, in terms of where they parked in Mountain View. Um, um, so it's, you know, it's, it's a community within itself as well. So I'm not saying that the the system is not flawed. I'm sure we'll get one or 2 that will tell the story and get in, but overall, we have been very diligent in asking those questions because it matters to us as well. That the, you know, the program is designed that ways to meet the means that people announce to you. So, um, we're doing our best in asking these questions.

[02:22:04] Kimberly: And Amber, thank you because I think that's also part and parcel of the fact that the city has preferences that are established as a part of our ordinance and both the county and move comply with those preferences. And so that's part and parcel of the referral process, as we highlighted earlier in the data, that the participants need to meet certain requirements to be able to be a part of the program. So, uh, those connections to Mountain View are established by the ordinance. And then that's what, in turn, the county has agreed to enforce and what move is working each day to make sure is provided on the lot. I also wanted to circle back if I could, to a prior question by council member Ramirez, inquiring about the parameters of the lot layouts. The original lot layouts were done by the city to maximize the locks that we had access to on a contractual basis for that cap, which was in our ordinance up to 30 oversized vehicles. So that was round one. That was what our goal was then. What our goal has been through this recent modification, uh, using, you know, our entire team, which includes the internal staff team as well as coordination and dialogue with the county and move, is to look at what additionally we could do with those lots without disrupting the current participants. That's really the key. We don't want to disrupt the current participants. And we have very specific criteria for our ordinance that we need to comply and meet. So I wish I could say it was something where staff would make a recommendation that was open-ended, um, that maybe you could take, you know, roughly up to this amount and roughly up to that amount. That's not something that we would be comfortable with from a variety of reasons. Both for the ordinance compliance that we do still do our due diligence to comply with. The contract basis where we need to explain and provide a lot layouts specifically of what those parameters are. There are key reasons that we need to make sure the lots are laid out very strategically. So that's a really important point. Thank you.

[02:24:04] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Uh, Counselor, may I check, did you have other questions?

[02:24:07] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I did. Actually, I want to finish the question I was asking about the referral and the criteria we have. Um, I think, uh, maybe I had a different understanding of, um, a prior resident of Mountain View. Um, I thought that meant you resided in an apartment or some sort of physical um, place as opposed to you lived in a vehicle on a street in Mountain View.

[02:24:39] Kimberly: That is the criteria that's in our ordinance is that you need to have, I can pull it up. It's actually in your council questions. Give me one moment, and I can read that to you. It is in our ordinance and it is what the guidelines are. So it's it's the live work preference. It's very similar to what the city uses for affordable housing. And that live work preference provides a preference to anyone who currently works in Mountain View or had a legal address or resident address for the purposes of voter registration in Mountain View within the last 5 years.

[02:25:12] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Right. So yeah, so that was my understanding. I'm not sure that's what's being used. And so I guess I'd like to clarify that to implement the ordinance, it would be the criteria, the definition that you just read to us.

[02:25:27] Kimberly: Yes. I don't know if you had a response to that, Amber. Is that the criteria you're using?

[02:25:35] Amber: No, I'm not. No, we're not. We've been using, we've been taking people that have been living in vehicles. In the mountain view area, asking them where and how long. but not in homes because if that was the case, then I think, Uh, well, I don't, one, I did not know the interpretation, clearly, uh, that it's, it's you had to have an address for the past 5 years. Some of the people that we have in our RVs have been living near RVs in Mountain View for the last 7 years, 8 years. So and they don't have an address. But, um, you know, by verification of the fact that their children are going to school or they are working in Mountain View, we have we have taken them in. Um, I did not know they had to be in an apartment for 5 years, and then, So I think it's, it's, it's, it's the only criteria you could meet is, you lived in Mountain View, it would have to be, um, as Kimberly met red. But if you have children in the school district, that's another criteria. Yeah, most of others have gone with, live and work. Those 2 kind of go together, live and work. There's no one that's living here, has lived in Mountain View doing nothing. So is live or work. That's how that's that's how that's how we run that criteria, is live or work. Unless you're a senior citizen. You know, then they qualify under senior citizen or disabled.

[02:27:06] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Right. Yeah. Maybe we just...

[02:27:07] Kimberly Thomas: Staff can also, staff can also interject and assure that the county is aware of that. We've done multiple training sessions with the county and also with move on this. And if there's any further clarification that we can provide, we're happy to do so. But that is clearly both in our contract with the county, um, as well as uh, their subcontract uh, uh, with move.

[02:27:28] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. And so a couple of other questions. Um, Do we have information on the demand? For um, Spaces for people living in passenger vehicles, passenger cars?

[02:27:45] Unknown Speaker: Yes, we do. We have wait lists and Amber can speak to that. Also too, just the very nature of the limited amount that we have in Mountain View. We are showing rising numbers of vehicle passenger vehicles in the right of way that are showing signs of living. So we have that indicator. We also have, it's been a, frankly, a continual struggle. And Amber can highlight that, that mountain views level is based the vast majority on oversized vehicles and less on passenger, plus right now, we have a temporary period where one of the faith lots that host passenger normally is on hiatus. So there's definitely a need there. Amber, if you'd like to join any additional information there as well. Please feel free.

[02:28:31] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I guess my question, though, is, are the folks who are living there saying we want to participate in the safe parking program.

[02:28:39] Kimberly Thomas: Oh, uh, I think the only indicator that would be most uh, direct to that would be the wait list. Um, and so Amber, I think we do have a number of passenger vehicles that are on the wait list currently, correct?

[02:28:49] Amber Stein: Yes, we do.

[02:28:51] Kimberly Thomas: You do.

[02:28:51] Amber Stein: And I can give you that number right now, but it fluctuates. It can go from as low as 405, depending on uh, what the situation is and if we've been placing them, all the way up to 15, which and people in cars, if you don't find someplace for them at a quicker rate, they don't, they don't, they tend not to stay. They they will find another. And also they can, they, they're low on the radar, so they can, they can stay on the streets much louder than people in the RVs.

[02:29:23] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay. Um, and um, for the terra bell a lot. How many, um, spaces are there on a lot for associated vehicles? Are there any?

[02:29:38] Kimberly Thomas: There are not any on that lot. There is no space on that lot. As you recall, that is just a portion of a former private property that has been repaved. So that law will have to be carefully matched to clients that have a single vehicle to make sure that it is conducive to use on a long term basis at that site. Right. Um, so, uh, the associated vehicles, we actually have been measuring this for quite some time, it's been in, uh, we have council reports, yeah. And so this is not a new issue for us.

[02:30:16] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Um, and I was wondering uh, the, Shoreline lot. Um, we have some capacity there, but uh, at the dog park. But where are the other, um, cars being parked, it's not like there's a lot of options there.

[02:30:35] Kimberly Thomas: There are some. uh, we've done a kind of a scoping of the whole area to lay out where there is public parking and there is public parking, uh, ample public park parking and I'm blanking on the street, but I will ask a harsher rumpshin Donny to, uh, remind me by looking at the map because I don't have it in my printouts here. Uh, the street name. It's right along the Google complex, uh, where there is parking. There is also other parking in adjacent areas that are within .7 miles for parking. So we did a zone look at the entire surrounding area to see where there was parking, and we provided that information to the program participants so that they were aware of where there was public parking.

[02:31:15] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Okay, great. Same principle for VTA as well.

[02:31:19] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. So, um, I'm gonna follow up on council member Hicks's question about, um, especially around the VTA lot, um, the email we got from one of the business owners there. And, you know, when we find folks who might be sleeping or, um, uh, spending time on the, Business properties in that area. Are we trying to connect them with services and help them, um, to try to find more stable housing, like, what do we do when we come across folks like that?

[02:31:56] Kimberly Thomas: It would be one of 2 things. It would either be a CSA referral for outreach during a normal process, right? During a non-shelter in place, Uh, during a, the shelter in place, our most conducive uh, option is we work with uh, Sergeant Scott Nelson of NES, our community outreach officer, um, and then he will go and see if he can provide assistance. He does this every single week, multiple times. So we'll have a customer concern raised about a van parking at location X. He'll go out, he'll connect, he'll give flyers. He'll come up with some options. If it's formal, he'll do a formal referral onto CSA, but that's a continual process. In addition, we've linked and we've offered information to many of the businesses. Sergeant Nelson is also coordinated and talked with many of the businesses in the area to make sure they know, you know, what the parameters are of the program, how they can reach us, if they have a concern, including the county, will also take in that feedback. Everybody wants to ensure that there is a conduit to sharing their concerns.

[02:32:57] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Oh, that's it for now. Thanks.

[02:33:00] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Sure. Right, I fear.

[02:33:04] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Great, thank you. So, um, I just want to echo my thanks to staff and providers, our partners and our residents in particular for both having the patients and the perseverance. I know that this has been a long 5 plus years in the making. I just want to put my thanks out there. So I just have 2 quick clarifying questions. Um, the 1st one is for staff and perhaps I may have imagined this, but I do know that, you know, given the pandemic, um, everybody is sheltering in place and that includes those in the safe lots, I think, as Amber mentioned. And I thought I read that we were also trying to provide connectivity for those at our lots and I know that we've been looking to provide our and the Wi-Fi at the specifications. that correct?

[02:33:55] Kimberly Thomas: The city has looked at that option that is not an option that is available where we're not adjacent to city facilities. So it is challenging when you look at, obviously, the faith loss, if they're not using those services, or when you're looking at Adaline. Out at Shoreline, there is Wi-Fi capability in and around the area. So that is an option. What we have done from a city perspective is we have shared all of our accessible locations, our public locations, in map form. We have a digital map that many of you are aware of. It's all of our resources for anyone who is underserved or has any needs. It is available online. Then we also have paper copies of that. And so we share that. And then the other point of additional service that's been held by the county and our CBO Hope's Corner is the power banks that I mentioned to you in the solar charger. So that's another piece of it. And of course, the school districts have done an amazing job through their McKinney Venta representatives, making sure that, you know, certified homeless individuals from McKinney Venta at the federal level that they are getting the Wi-Fi hotspots that they need.

[02:35:00] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Great. Thank you so much. I knew that we were doing a lot and I just wanted to make sure that we were able to share that information.

[02:35:08] Kimberly Thomas: Of course.

[02:35:08] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: My 2nd and perhaps this might be for you, Miss Thomas as well. Um, but it was prompted by something Ms. Stein said, which is, um, you know, the sharing of information, um, and that it might be, I think that that's a, that's a T-way street, right? So it would be great for the city to share information with the lot operators, but also the lot operators to be sharing with us. And so I'm just wondering, you know, how often is that happening? Um, just, and that was only prompted because of the comment that I heard, but I, but I feel like,

[02:35:44] Kimberly Thomas: of course. There are multiple meetings that we talk with the county and nearly every day and I'll let Hillary Baroga. She is our programs manager with the county office of supportive housing, jump in on this because there is a heavy lift piece of this that is theirs, which is they coordinate with us a quarterly meeting with constituent members on the lots. We also have a bi-weekly CBO meeting that used to be weekly, so that includes all the partners that you see here on a continual basis, and we are often delighted by having all folks continually on that call. So that's great. In addition, we have a monthly call with the county and with the provider to go over status updates, anything that's going on. So there's there's rarely a time that we have large gaps without exchanging information, both in a verbal context, but also certainly emails. I'm sure everybody on this queue would rather not receive any additional emails from me. And uh, thank you. And Hillary, I'm sure you can share.

[02:36:46] Programs Manager Hillary Baroga: Yeah. Um, Kimberly covered it in terms of the frequency and number of meetings and, um, I, as necessary when, uh, the city staff and the operator are not talking directly with each other and a conduit of information as well.

[02:37:05] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Great. Thank you so much for clarifying and I might be teetering into comment territory, but um, I didn't hear small businesses mentioned. And so kind of given the, um, questions that council member Matachek was mentioning that we've been receiving, particularly in, on the private lots. It might be great to also find ways to be communicating with those adjacent properties and those businesses in that area. Okay, those are my questions. Thank you, mayor.

[02:37:32] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Of course. So I'm Emma McAllister?

[02:37:38] Councilmember John McAlister: Uh, 1st question is for Tom Myers with these. I see his name there, but I wonder if it's still available there. There he is, Mr. Tom. Go get set. Good. Hey, um, so somebody, what, the, um, Who was it? Amber mentioned that CSA was just getting back to gearing up for case work. So can you give me sort of a little history since March, what has happened to your caseworkers, availability and caseload?

[02:38:10] Tom Myers: Yeah, when we went into shelter in place, we uh, uh, attempted to, with varying degrees of success and with various programs at CSA, do as much of our case management work, uh, off site. Uh, and so that, you know, as an employer, we wanted to try and protect our employees and follow uh, uh, guidance as well. Uh, I think that that it was with the uh, immediate ramp up of numbers in the in the safe parking program uh, that happened so quickly as well as uh, our our good faith attempts to try and uh, keep our our uh, uh, employees safe. Uh, we, uh, we found that that was, uh, uh, too slow a process and that the, the, Lobots were ramping up much more quickly, uh, than we could keep up with. Our case manager is back on site on the lots now, and doing that work. Uh, now. But even with that, there's still need, as Amber will tell you, that there's still need for even additional case management beyond that. Uh, so yeah.

[02:39:21] Councilmember John McAlister: Well, what percentage would you say that you're back at doing casework? Because caseworkers was a very important aspect for me to help rapid rehousing and help guide these people through a process. So, are you, what percentage of ability are you right now for casework that you were prior to?

[02:39:40] Tom Myers: Well, we are back up to 100% of what we were prior to, but I think Amber and those others on the lot would tell you that that's still not enough. Uh, that the lots are big enough now that there's a need, much greater need. And I see Amber shaking her head right there, that there is need for even more case management on the locks. Because as everyone has said, the goal was for this to not be a permanent solution, the goal was for this to be transitional, uh, and to, uh, this to be a way to expedite helping people get into permanent housing.

[02:40:14] Kimberly Thomas: And a staff inmate, jump into. Yeah, Hillary, please.

[02:40:19] Programs Manager Hillary Baroga: The, I think that what Amber was referring to in addition to CFA coming fully online again with case management is that under the county's contract with Move Mountain View, they will be hiring additional case managers. And so between the CFA case managers and the move, Mountain View case managers, they'll be able to offer a deeper level of case management for all the safe parking purchase.

[02:40:45] Kimberly Thomas: And then if staff can just join that, that case management is a requirement of the program. And if individuals are not moving forward along that path to case management, that becomes an issue for the reissuance of their permit.

[02:40:59] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, so, I understand everything was up, again, I'm going down this basic caseworkers, to me, it's very important. I mean, it's to me, it's a critical tool to get people to move. And I can understand, but if CSA is up 100%. And move Mount View is, Who's going to pay, move Mount View to for those case workers? Who's who's going to get?

[02:41:26] Kimberly Thomas: Yeah, Hillary can jump in on that, but right now there is some continued funding from the city, associated with just the Palo Alto housing lot. And then there is ongoing funding that is part of the city's revenue sharing contribution that goes into the county. for the case manager that's already providing assistance to the lots. That's 60,000 that we put in and the county matches 60,000. And then the county is a part of its additional contract to expand services into Mountain View, is doing an allotment for 2 case managers. And I believe right now, uh, Hillary, you're contemplating the potential need for another, uh, which with us doing this expansion for these potential additional 25 units.

[02:42:10] Programs Manager Hillary Baroga: Correct. Our goal would be to get to a place where we don't have much more than 25 cases or case manager, so that folks are really well served with case management services, and the funding would come from the total school of funds to operate state parking. From the city and the county.

[02:42:35] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, and so we got CSA, we have the county and move Mountain View. But there still seem to be getting CSA gets a lot of their money from Mountain View. Move Mountain View seems to be getting money from Mountain View. And then, uh, the county is sort of, We're sort of subsidizing county case workers also.

[02:42:55] Programs Manager Hillary Baroga: No, the county is funding move mountain view caseworkers, the new ones that will be coming through to move mountain view will be funded through the county. And there are no county employees offering case management. The county is simply the contract holder with Move Mountain View so that we are well coordinated with the city.

[02:43:17] Kimberly Thomas: So you're really just passing your money through us to move Mountain View to help us all be really well coordinated.

[02:43:24] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: And so the city is doing an ongoing contribution to that, and we are asking the council for the additional 150,000 to continue to expand this program. A piece of that will be expansion of case management. And so that it's really just a way that all of our contract services were asking you for the contract authority, it is bundled with the county and the county administers those contracts, but we are we are Mountain View has a key contribution in that process.

[02:43:54] Councilmember John McAlister: Why don't we just give the money to CSA? They've been working with them for years. They have a rapid reprogramming. Rapid House. It does, uh, move Mountain View work with CSK for the rapid rehousing.

[02:44:09] Unknown Speaker: Uh, it, it, it's a little bit more complicated than that. It's a variety of actors. I think since the very beginning, an inception of our homelessness initiatives response, one of our core things has been using CSA, and they've been kind to cooperate with us on everything from showers to rent relief to providing the mobile outreach program, which was a creation that was developed in Mountain View and implemented with CSA's extraordinary guidance. So that's been ongoing, that we have the case management relationship. really from the big operation, all the different levers that can be pulled and all the different contracts that are available. Hillary, if I'm not mistaken, the county has 6 different contracts that are available for adjust permanent supportive housing and these types of services. So it gives us a greater ability to get the services that we need.

[02:45:02] Hillary: And if I could just interject real quick, I think something that you all will hear me say quite frequently is that CSA can't do it all. And, uh, you know, we, we, we try really hard. And, uh, listen, and, and I think most of the time the heroes that work here at this agency do a pretty darn good job of it. But we can't do it all. And so we want to work in concert with uh, with uh, the others. But ultimately, it's Amber and her team at Move Mountain View that are the ones that are the coordinators of the safe parking program itself. And I think that the idea of case managers from from CSA, working hand in hand with case managers of Move Mountain View, that would be ideal because each can bring their own talents, their own abilities, uh, to this work, because the homeless services that we provide at CSA, are are not just around people in vehicles. In fact, the last census that we took of our own internal homeless clients, of the 100s of homeless clients that we serve, actually only about 10% of them live in RVs, and about 20% of them live in passenger vehicles. So you're talking about a much broader homeless population that we have here at CSA, but boils down to what I said earlier about, we can't do it all, and I think working in, in cooperation and collaboration. With Move Mountain View is a good way to do it because the I will say this, one thing we are learning continually, every single day, from the data that I see at CSA, or the data that we see from the program, uh, in general, but from the stuff I see from the data we have here at CSA on our homeless clients. This particular population that's living in the safe parking program, needs a great deal of case management. And especially if we're going to try and transition that population into permanent housing.

[02:47:04] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Well, and also staff can interject. I think one of the key things, Mountain View has a great luxury, frankly, that not every organization of our size has is the partnerships that we've built. And so, you know, for example, in COVID, called up Tom and said, Tom, we desperately need to get some grocery store gift certificates out there. Can you assign us a resource and how much would it cost within minutes? I mean, within minutes, on the same call. He's, yes. So both move, both hopes corner, CSA, the county, they all come and they all try to assist us with any idea that we're trying to implement. And I think that's something that we should be very grateful for.

[02:47:40] Councilmember John McAlister: Of course. So, Amber, what, how are you guys? Okay, since my idea, when safe parking came along, we've been working along, it was to transition people and I still believe that is our major goal is to transition people into permanent housing. What have, So, what background do you guys have or what procedures do you have in place? to get people into rapid rehousing. Uh, since CSA is is pretty busy and so work with conjunction. So, This is fairly new to you, I believe, maybe it's, you guys done this before. So what are you guys doing to help rapid rehousing?

[02:48:23] Unknown Speaker: Well, we are in the process of hiring 2 case workers. But as we wait that, I'm a social worker with a master's degree. And uh, I've been attending uh, the meetings with the county for rapid uh, rehousing programs and networking with all the resources that are in the county. And uh, sharing some of these information with specific clients that meet some of the criteria of the information that we are given. We are having meetings with our individuals or our clients on the parking lot, and uh, pretty much messaging that this is about housing. And uh, this is about permanent housing. And that, um, If they have another means, if they have another means of gaining a home. And they need our assistance. Uh, that they need to come to the office and we will provide. So we've done housing both on a, it's a smaller scale because we haven't been around for a very long time. But, uh, we worked in tandem and housing, an individual that was in the church parking lot, an older lady ended up in Hollister, and, um, mainly because she was coming with the application, and not knowing what to do and being able to provide a space and, and, and copy machine, et cetera, and a process of this is how you can do it. This is what you need to do. I've had multiple of conversations with individuals encouraging them to look outside of the county, that's outside of mountain view, and some have moved outside outside of the county because we've been able to find them resources there. So I'm one person, um, but that's why we are going to be hiring 2 more workers as well as a social worker at CSA, who is now on the ground and is doing case management and is exploring housing possibilities with clients. Um, but also we have to understand housing is not that easy to come by. Uh, we have that the shortage and not everybody qualifies for, for, uh, the, the housing that are available. So part of that is qualification of the individual clients, and some of that is availability of housing that they qualify, and then the other part of it is, yes, growing our service to to the population because it keeps increasing.

[02:50:44] Councilmember John McAlister: So when you are working with the rapid rehousing. So, when you say housing is a shortage, uh, but you also mentioned Hollister. So, you will be directing people to where housing is available or okay. Now, how long would you think since we'll take, uh, with your 2 case workers and CSA to be able to handle, is that enough case workers to handle all the people in the parking lots?

[02:51:13] Unknown Speaker: Well, I think that's where we're, I think Hillary was trying, answering that saying we need to have about a kit per every

[02:51:21] Hillary: case worker can handle probably 25 at the most clients. That's uh, that's about uh, uh, that's a strong average. Some some people are going to need a lot more intensive case management. Others are just going to need uh, a place to to be able to explore ideas and possibilities. And they just need the empowerment of saying, you know, go that direction. And others are going to, uh, depending on their background and what their need is. They're going to need a lot more. Maybe they need to apply for SSI, maybe SSD. We don't know if they have a disability. Maybe they have those other forms of funding that they need. They need resources too before they can actually even explore the possibility of housing.

[02:52:09] Councilmember John McAlister: One time we were talking, I don't know, still the case, but to be in one of our safe parking lots, you need to have a caseworker. But to me, that was very important because I want to help people who can help themselves, want to help themselves. What has your been in your experience with these people when you say, hey, our goal is to ultimately get you some permanent housing. Some may say no. So then how do you deal with the demand for those who want the housing and willing to work with case workers? And I know it sounds, it's a little premature right now because you don't have the caseworkers. But then of course those that, hey, we're fine. Don't leave us alone. We're good.

[02:52:53] Unknown Speaker: Yeah, I think if they're not going to go through the process of working with us to find permanent housing, they won't be in the program. But I think also as a social worker, I do know when you come, when somebody comes and say, when you tell them, we're going to help you get into permanent housing. Uh, if these people have been living, uh, you know, in in the condition that they've been living, and trying to get help, there is doubt in terms of, are you really going to do it? How are you going to help me? So part of that is a relationship building process. No, and and saying, yes, and and you know, we need to do step, this, step, this. And and then we also have some that would just say, absolutely not. I am happy in my trailer. I don't want to be here. Then they will, they will, we will have to say to them goodbye. You know, good luck.

[02:53:41] Councilmember John McAlister: Have you, okay, so I, things are starting to settle down, I guess, a little bit is because you've ramped up and now you're starting to get your feeding. So have you come across those people and say, hey, we're fine. And we said, well, thank you. We're glad you're fine, but we, you need to move on. Have you asked people to move on?

[02:53:59] Unknown Speaker: We have not asked anybody to move on since COVID. Okay, we have not asked anybody to move on since COVID. I have had people that I've done intakes with that I have that have not come to the parking lot. And if they say they don't want to engage in any kind of case management. We said we can't take her to the program. Even if they even if they meet Mountain View criteria. We said, no, we want, we can't take you into the program because housing is a, is a, is a goal for this program.

[02:54:25] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, thank you. on top of that, Amber?

[02:54:27] Amber: Um, yeah. Part of our protocol is that when they fill an application out with us, there's actually some specific questions that they have to affirmatively answer. And one of them is, is that they will work with a case worker towards the end result of some form of, um, Permanent housing option. And so we're very clear at the top with them. And, um, and so the very small number of folks who have said they're just not interested, do include folks that are just with us now during this shelter in place, and we'll, we're aware we'll have to be, um, given the option to think about that again, and and, and perhaps exited because they're not going to be in the, in the guidelines of the, of the program because, of course, as we all know, we've never offered, A permanent housing solution and an RV on a parking lot. We're offering a place that's safe enough for them to attend all the business that would help them get to a permanent housing solution. So we give them the safety and the space to work with someone maybe to get their job situation figured out, who knows? But the result has always been, um, we're working you off the lot as soon as we possibly can. And COVID has really been a challenge in the midst of all that, as we've, as we've said a couple of times here this evening, and we're poised now to begin to move into more um, proactive work towards, towards housing solutions.

[02:56:04] Councilmember John McAlister: Well, that's great to go, uh, uh, uh, that's glad. I glad to hear that. That's encouraging because that was our goal. So, thank you. Question for Kimberly. Um, it was brought up these commuter cars. And I'm a little concerned, you know, that, uh, if we're trying to maximize our lives for people that really need it. I'm a little bit confused about it, if somebody has a commuter car and they're able to go or majority, and I wish we had more. I was disappointed, I need to see exact numbers of how many people, but it sounded like, More than the majority, 80% or so ahead, commuter cars. These people have potentially jobs, if they're commuting somewhere or is, is that my understanding,

[02:56:54] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: so I'm not characterizing anything that these people that have carved, that they are going to a job. That's all, that's what indications are, is that that would be used for both a commuting purposes, if they were going to a job, to school, taking their children to school, going to get supplies, that they need to restock their unit. So that's would be how they are used. Um, and we did respond in council questions. It was included in the staff report, the exact data on commuter vehicles that are in the lots that's included in the staff report, and then we included the breakdown that was based upon our analysis over time in the current time period of where we're seeing the secondary vehicle based upon the police department's assessment. It is somewhere in that range of about 50%. We do know that the current clientele is higher for both of the main city lots, that there is a higher threshold of the current participants, that have a secondary vehicle, and there are even a couple of folks that have more than one. They're a family of grown driver aged children.

[02:57:58] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay. Are we providing, or is there any public transit? Other than, I would think, on Evelyn, there might be some public transit, but on Terabella.

[02:58:08] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Um, I can, I can, uh, potentially ask CSA or Hillary, um, in terms of any, you know, it's certainly a conversation with the case manager, and I did want to make sure and correct one thing for the record. There is a current case manager from CSA that is providing services to the clientele on all the lots. So that's an important clarification for the record. I just want to make sure that's clear. What is being onboarded is 2 additional case managers through moves auspices, funded by the city and county, and then also an additional request that we are putting in here to get that ratio down to a caseload of about 25. So that's what's happening tonight. So the goal is to meet that and have that be ongoing. But right now, Kathy is doing yeoman's work out on the lots and providing the case management services. And Cathy is the CSA case manager, Kathy Rodriguez.

[02:58:57] Hillary: Kathy Rodriguez. Yes. And in fact, she's out there right now, probably. But the, but to answer your question about public transit. CSA does obtain VTA bus passes, that, well, we don't we get we have to pay VTA for them, but that's a whole other issue. Uh, but uh, we uh, uh, and we are able to provide those for either free or no cost uh, to our clients that are homeless. Uh, and so we do have offer those uh, those uh, transit passes. But I got the impression your your question was more about access to transit near the lots. Yes.

[02:59:38] CSA Representative: Yeah, and that I can't comment on. That's that's really a question for VTA or city staff, perhaps.

[02:59:45] Unknown Speaker: Does our community show go by any of these lots?

[02:59:49] Unknown Speaker: Uh, at a staff level. I dont know if the community shuttle does go by. I think it may go near the VTA lot, but that is certainly something that we could map. All that we've mapped so far. We know where the bus lines are, um, uh, through the, you know, the basic bus maps, but we don't, uh, we don't know. I don't know about the shuttle. I can't respond to that. But we certainly could get that information.

[03:00:10] Unknown Speaker: Okay, so I'm trying to figure out. I want to maximize housing on our lots and minimize commuter cars, and if we can get public transit so that they can have a lot somewhere that we have. We're providing the service that our intent was. We weren't intended to be a parking lot for commuters. And so I want to maximize that. Um, The other question I had, and I think, um, you answered it, Amber, about the weight, uh, verifying that you do verify jobs. And the reason I ask this question is because there is a demand. And we have criteria, and I just want to make sure, and you say some people get through it, but I was glad to hear that you do verify that type of information. People on the wait list, the vehicles. Um, How long, how do you keep in contact with somebody on a wait list that's homeless? Do you have a phone for them or how does that work in that process?

[03:01:14] CSA Representative: Um, because that sort of falls on my desk more. If you don't mind, Amber, is that okay?

[03:01:20] Amber: Yes, please. Yes, go ahead.

[03:01:22] CSA Representative: Um, We keep, uh, you know, we don't have tons and tons of people waiting. Let's be clear, and it's easy for us to go through that list from time to time and either, either we do and or the caseworker regularly gets back in touch to see if they need, still need the space, if they still need to be waiting. And the clients themselves regularly check in with us. So we're in pretty uh, constant communication.

[03:01:52] Councilmember John McAlister: Um, um, I feel like I'd like to jump in a little bit on the commuter vehicle thing for just a 2nd if you'll permit. Um, one of the purposes of safe parking is to prevent people from finally sliding out of not only their home and their job, but maybe their vehicle onto the street. And it's it's a, it's one of those low hanging fruit kind of projects. If we can turn somebody around from living in an RV back into work. Um, it's, it's 10 times easier than turning somebody around from the street. back into the work. And so that's that's been the whole housing 1st thrust. Someone who has an RV. and has a, has still functioning at a high level of transportation, getting their kids to the school, making doctors appointments going to work, is a very, very good candidate. For all the all the social skills, all the um, personal skills that are needed to be rehoused. Um, I, I, I don't want to paint a bleak picture, but someone who is on, on the street and an RV is all they've got. May not be the one who's driving off to work every day, they may be camping. And so I just want to add that extra kind of flavor to the thing that the presence of the commuter car is, um, a sign that this is somebody who's really at the cusp of being able to be as quickly as possible diverted back into permanent housing. So, I, there's a, there's a lot of ways to nuance the presence of the commuter car. I just I just wanted to throw that part into the mix as well.

[03:03:35] Unknown Speaker: No, I appreciate that perspective. Because those are the ones that I would anticipate that's their hope that you do help them move along a little bit. Um, So, with this vehicle, if we, we arranged and Kimberly, you stated, I think in one of the parts, I hope that there are no commuter cars on any of our lots.

[03:04:00] Kimberly: You mean, commuter cars currently on our lots?

[03:04:03] Unknown Speaker: Correct.

[03:04:04] Kimberly: Actually, that's not a true statement. I didn't say that in the notes or in the report. What we have is the temporary modifications. We've made a required modification for an adjacent commuter vehicle, 2 of them to match both ADA spots. So we've done that for both the city lots. Then what we've also done is we have, um, added in the 15 at dog park, which is not within the lot existing border, and then we've added in the 15 on VTA. So we've done that already because we needed to do based upon emergency response, and we are asking to continue that to maintain that level of service.

[03:04:39] Unknown Speaker: Okay. If I may speak, the shoreline lot does not have commuter cars on the parking and on itself. It's on a dog park, which is adjacent. It's a walking over distance. The VTA lot has the commuter cars on a lot, but is not was not designated for RV parking, the area that's being used.

[03:05:05] Unknown Speaker: Okay. Well, I'm gonna ask the question because I would like to get those people that are on a wait list, in a safe place versus having a car park here, and that's, that's what I was trying to go for.

[03:05:17] Unknown Speaker: Well, and that's the balance in terms of the staff recommendation is trying to, trying to get some sense of a balance to bring on more lived in vehicle, uh, but also provide at least that minimum, uh, of the assistance to the folks who currently have, um, commuter vehicles.

[03:05:34] Unknown Speaker: So when you say assistance, Meaning allow them a parking space?

[03:05:38] Unknown Speaker: Crack. On the lots. On the lots for VTA and adjacent for Shoreline.

[03:05:45] Unknown Speaker: Okay. Okay.

[03:05:48] Councilmember John McAlister: One of the reasons that one of the things I was saying, if you don't mind, if I could speak is, I just want,

[03:05:54] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: we're getting a little long here, so

[03:05:55] Councilmember John McAlister: I, I'm almost done there, mayor. I'd like to just, you know, kind of...

[03:06:02] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: It's been about an hour, John.

[03:06:05] Councilmember John McAlister: I been that long? Okay, well, I will yield my time as they say. Thank you for your time.

[03:06:12] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Thanks, Mr. Ramirez.

[03:06:15] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, man, and I'll try and be quick and tactical. So I see in the attendee with Joanne Price from life moves, and just as a, as a comparative, because life moves operates the other major safe parking sites in the county, I'm hoping, can we elevate her? As a panelist, just so I could ask some questions, just, I think, sort of in line with what other temple members have, have talked about. Um, Would that be possible?

[03:06:45] Unknown Speaker: Either Joanne or potentially Hillary could speak to it and um, the life move lots are different than what is operating here in Mountain View is their passenger vehicle based mostly. But Joanne, I don't know if you can speak to that. You're here for home key. But if you wanted to join and offer any comment. Or Hillary.

[03:07:06] Joanne Price: Yeah, I'm here.

[03:07:08] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Hi, Joanne. Thank you very much. So just a couple of quick questions, I think, based on what we've heard. So can you share with us the the ratio of caseworkers to safe parking participants for for the lots that you control?

[03:07:27] Joanne Price: Yeah, we control 2 lots in San Jose, 24 parking spaces each photo club 48 Our ratio is one case manager per every 15 clients. Those clients fluctuate on each and every night, because often they might go off, they might find a bed or sofa at a friend's house or a family, so that rate always fluctuate.

[03:07:52] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Right, but those are overnight. I got that. Is that correct?

[03:07:59] Joanne Price: They're overnight watts about 24 seven. Yes, but if you're living out of a vehicle and you know, haven't like managed to stretch your legs or had a shower and you just want to break from living in your vehicle, we see people disappear for a night or 2 and then they come back.

[03:08:16] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Okay, and then what is the, the success rate of the lot for transitioning people out of homelessness or some other kind of housing?

[03:08:27] Joanne Price: Yeah, we're seeing a success rate of around 40, 41% right now, and that's to transitional housing or permanent housing.

[03:08:38] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Okay, thank you. And then are those lots? Um, county funded or city funded?

[03:08:44] Joanne Price: The city funded. And people regularly stay around 90 days, so 3 months.

[03:08:51] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Okay, that was, that was, you've been participating in my last, my last session, so, like, those days. Thank you very much in, in case that's helpful just to give a sense of, and you know, our program is, is newer than San Jose's, but if it's helpful just to give a comparative what kinds of metrics we might want to use. I figured those might be helpful. Thank you very much.

[03:09:09] Unknown Speaker: And also, Joanne, you might want to share that your ratio of passenger vehicle to RV.

[03:09:14] Joanne Price: Yes, yes.

[03:09:16] Unknown Speaker: And because you're limited on RV and dominant toward passenger.

[03:09:20] Joanne Price: Correct. Correct. I don't know that ratio up the top of my head. But it's a different clientele and it's a different, a different process in terms of getting clientele housed from that situation versus a more challenging situation oftentimes from an RV and a commuter vehicle that need to be managed. Yes.

[03:09:39] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yeah. I'm going to jump in because I have some questions and I haven't had to ask them. Um, so I wanted to start out with, um, I think I read in the staff report in regards to the HRC's work and trying to find more lots. Um, what is the status there?

[03:10:04] Unknown Speaker: The HRC has been continuing over the last year to work on that initiative per the council's direction. Coming up shortly in that memo that I referenced that was a former study session. It is now a memorandum. We do have a about a 2.5 page update from the HRC expressing what their experience has been over the last fiscal year. So that report will be coming to the council due to COVID and many constraints on staff that got a little tied up at the end of the year when they had wanted to originally present it. What they've done is they have captured their entire fiscal year in their current report. And that effort on their behalf is ongoing. And I believe the work plan for the HRC that includes this item will be approved at, I think, the next council meeting.

[03:10:49] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: So they have not found any new lives, however.

[03:10:53] Unknown Speaker: They have not, but what I can say, and what they will share with you, is their important contribution to sharing information with a variety of members in our community, taking the time because they spent hours with staff, and we gave them like a 6 inch binder on safe parking. They went in depth and wanted to understand all the issues associated with safe parking. They've also helped staff immensely. They've shared information when we were launching our permitting process and are updating our webpage, gave us some great nuances and things to change in terms of that messaging to better reach the members of our community. So there are a variety of other things that they have contributed beyond simply looking at lots, although that is a core thing that they are doing on an ongoing basis.

[03:11:43] Unknown Speaker: Okay, thank you. And then I would just add, I, um, I know that this is passed on to my colleagues that I asked, uh, the county county supervisor, submittian's office as well, as you know, that he was, um, engaging in a campaign to try to get more lots to sign up, and they have not had any, um, any success yet. I think they're working on one, uh, they said, a large property owner at this time, but nothing has come to France.

[03:12:16] Unknown Speaker: ongoing, ongoing effort. Sure. Um, So then I just wanted to make sure I got the numbers correct on the chart with all the cities and what each city is doing in terms of safe parking. So in particular, I was looking at the San Jose, and I know that came up earlier, but it looked like San Jose has 75 spaces on 5 lots. Um, and it didn't have a breakdown of RVs versus cars. Um, I just wanted to make sure that I got that number correctly.

[03:12:49] Unknown Speaker: Hold on 12nd. I'll look that up for you. And then also I can probably have Hillary jump in because I think you may have that whole table, Hillary.

[03:12:58] Hillary: I was scrambling for the table myself. Thank you. I'm trying to find it as well. I think it's attachment to me. And I will say that in the city of San Jose, there are multiple lots in addition to the lots operated by life moves. There's another community-based organization called Amigos Big Guadalupe, and they receive funding from the county, as well as some private donations, and they operate lots as well.

[03:13:29] Unknown Speaker: Okay, so if staff can interject and inject and just say, question 9 for council members, if you're trying to find a quick additional summary of Santa Clara County. Hillary, we used your chart and we modified it slightly for the updated information on Mountain View. It is the answer to question nine. The full chart is embedded in there. And it breaks it down by passenger car in our game.

[03:13:53] Unknown Speaker: Yeah, I just looked at the attachment chart and it said 75 spaces on 5 lots. I just wanted to make sure I got that correctly just because from what it looks like with the new alta housing space. We're now going to have 76 spaces, so we will now be the biggest, the city, but the biggest parking safe parking program in the county. Okay, that's why I make sure I got that correctly. Um, and then, um, in light of that, I wanted to understand better what the $575,000 pays for. And it sounds like, I don't, is it, is it correct that that funding, those 2 the county, and then the county contracts with Move, Mountain View, and other agencies to provide the case management. What about, and mention like bath, you know, the restrooms and all of that? Is that part of the 575 K? Or is that, and it just, a portion of that would be.

[03:14:56] Unknown Speaker: And so there's basically, uh, the core program is safe parking and the community outreach with CSA, the case management function and the permanent supportive housing. So those are the 3 core components of that total dollar figure, and 425 of that is something that the council has actually done in an ongoing basis. I mean, a budget basis for this fiscal year, and then we are asking for the new 150 to expand safe parking. So that's to execute the contracts with the county and then they subcontract that to qualified providers in Mountain View's case that's move Mountain View for safe parking, CSA for case management as it relates to being cited at the safe parking lot. That's the share position between the city and the county, and then permanent supportive housing, which is provided by peninsula healthcare connections. So we have permanent supportive housing basis for our...

[03:15:48] Unknown Speaker: Okay. But do you know how

[03:15:50] Unknown Speaker: it's approximately 20 a year and it's captured in the chart that we showcased today.

[03:15:56] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Okay. Um, okay. And then so it's the reason why we go through the county, for coordination purposes, I was just wondering, and you know, oftentimes I'm here, having worked in the nonprofit world, but it's sometimes caught more cost effective to just contract with nonprofit providers, but what is the intent of going through the county?

[03:16:19] Unknown Speaker: I think really since we began the programs, we wanted to realize and be cognizant that many of these areas of homeless services are not innate to a city of our size. And so we did begin that partnership 4 years ago and have really built a strong relationship where we might have a gap in some of our knowledge. We're able to gather and share that from the county and the county is always very responsive. And so that's something that we've looked at. We've also looked at it from the perspective of on an ongoing basis, now that we've gotten so many of these programs up and running, uh, that we want to uh, lessen some of our staff commitment. Um, city manager Kimber McCarthy may have a comment on that to ensure that we're providing additional services um, in terms of our staff capacity. really maximizing our resources.

[03:17:08] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: All right. And then this might be for Ms. Borega. Um, I guess I, you know, my my real question here and I've asked, I've asked it. I sent an email, but I guess I'm trying to really understand. Um, you know, my understanding has always been homeless services, is at the county level. We, you know, as you know, we don't have a housing or a homeless department in the city. Um, and I guess I was just a bit surprised that we are actually paying the county to provide the services. I thought the county gets funding to, to do these services, and I know your response was that you try to, to, to spread it out throughout the county, which is understandable, but in light of the fact that we now have the largest safe parking program in the county, um, are we getting our, frankly, our fair share of that funding?

[03:18:00] Borega: Um, I think that I, I think it's a little hard to speak to fair share because a lot of the funding that the county has for homelessness has been in, um, For example, our emergency shelter funding, which would include what is being contributed towards safe parking. A lot of the funding investments that the county has made has been invested in keeping ongoing shelter services going as much as possible. And a lot of the shelters throughout the county, um, were opened years ago and many of them happen to concentrate in San Jose, for example. And so our philosophy toward investing additional dollars is, where can we ensure that we're achieving the widest geographic spread, and how do we continue to add, um, beds throughout the county without losing beds? So I think that that's been one, um, That's been one uh, way that we've looked at these sorts of things. I think that the other thing is that we really focus, uh, on, um, the permanent solutions toward homelessness in, and not only on managing, um, how we serve people who are currently homeless. Um, in particular, uh, our partnerships that started a, as Kimberly mentioned 4 years ago with permanent supportive housing, by expanding our permanent support of housing resources. Um, the $125,000 that Mountain View invest in permanent court of housing is leveraged by um, deep permanent subsidies for all of the clients who are case managed with the mountain, the Mountain View investment. Um, In addition, most of the county's new shelter resources and expansion before COVID were done in the North County. So working with, um, the Trinity United Methodist Church on opening the Mountain View Weather Shelter, and then also opening the Sunnyvale Shelter. Um, and so that's added several new beds in the region. Um, so, I, I, so I think it's hard to say fair share because if it's, if I'm really honest, the county's opportunistic. If we see a project that could be opened and we can grab some land or some space and do something with it, we're going to do everything we can to do that. And I think that our partnership with Mountain View and the reason that safe parking has been able to expand so much in Mountain View is because you all have been willing to invest in the problem that exists in your city. And the county wants to be supportive. And while the county would certainly continue our investments in safe parking programs. But the mountain view investment really allows the program to do is provide enhanced case management services and a better result. Otherwise, the county's investment would pay for the very basic, the place to sleep. Bot monitors, toilets, and that's about it. Uh, if and probably not at the same level on all the luck as exists now. So, I'm not sure if that's wholly responsive to your question or if there's anything else I can clarify.

[03:21:46] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yes, I guess my, um, look, I understand that, um, I guess what I'm trying to get at is, you know, not every city or only, I see only half the cities in the county have a safe parking program. So, I think it's fair to say that Mountain View may be shouldering, um, a larger portion. than the other cities, are those other cities providing funding to the county to run these programs, or are we pretty much on our own doing it as a city? Um, but I guess I'm looking for where's the contribution from the other communities in this county?

[03:22:26] Borega: Sure. So, um, the city of Morgan Hill, for example, is funding, they're a lot independent of any county contribution. Um, the city of San Jose contributes to safe parking operations in their city. Um, Those are the the big active ones now. There are a few rotating safe car parks. That are really, um, managed and run by the faith organizations, and other community organizations that are sponsoring them, and only recently did the county contribute. Case management funding to those sites because we know that case management is one of the big factors in getting people permanently housed, which is our ultimate goal. The other thing that I would say is that the county is, um, formed an unhoused task force, focused on, um, the, the issues of emergency sheltering and how to expand any type of temporary housing and emergency housing options for homeless folks. And I could look it up in a 2nd um, but I believe that Mountain View has a representative on that task force. And I would encourage that person to stay to the other cities, we're doing our share. Will you please also?

[03:23:57] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yes, I believe that's Counselor Ramirez on the task force. All right, I'll see you again tomorrow. Thank you. I'm going to leave my questions to that. Um, Council member Medicheck. Did you have further questions?

[03:24:12] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: I just have 2 clarifying questions. So, um, following up on your questions, um, Mayor Abikoga. I was looking at the council questions, um, that lists on page 2 and 3, the number of, uh, spaces, and the different cities, and it looks to me like San Jose has more than, maybe that we were talking about here. Um, because there's 3 lots listed on page 2 and then 2 more lots listed on page 3 And I'm not sure, um, the up to 4 considered, if that takes away from the 24 that are listed, that I come up with 83 spaces in San Jose. Yeah, it's just looking at attachment too, to the report that has the chart and it says in box 3 lots capacity, 5 car lots with 75 cars and is trying to look for more, but I, it wasn't, yeah, that's all I saw. So the council questions, it said that, um, I didn't have, it sounded like, um, attachment to was preliminary data, and the council questions was more detailed data, and that there are more spaces than are shown in attachment to. that correct?

[03:25:38] Borega: That's correct. That was updated. It is 83.

[03:25:41] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay.

[03:25:42] Borega: And, um, It is 83 plus a couple times a year of rotation into sites in San Jose from the rotating shelters. Um, and for the, um, the sites where it says were considered, it is of the 24 total spot, 4 could be RB's.

[03:26:08] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. And then, um, we were also talking about, uh, waiting lists a little bit, uh, earlier, and I think I heard for passenger vehicles in Mountain View. We only talked about mountain view now, um, that there were, that the uh, waiting list, um, has varied over time, that there was about 5 at the moment. that what I heard?

[03:26:30] Kimberly: Actually, I don't have the data sheet in front of me of the number, but Amber or Michael can mention how many they currently have. Um, we do have that information coming to you in the fiscal year end reporting. That'll be part of the memo. It'll show their waiting list as of that date, but I do not have that as a part of my packet in front of me. Michael, did you want to mention how many are on the wait list?

[03:26:49] Michael: Yeah, that's correct. It lately has been fluctuating between 4 and 6. Um, and typically, and historically, it's been the lesser percentage of the inquiries we get. We get many more RV inquiries than we do for the for the cars. We have a waiting list for RVs

[03:27:10] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: and how many are on there?

[03:27:11] Michael: currently have, we currently have 4 on the RV waiting list. Okay. So we anticipate taking those into the, um, Toro Bell a lot quickly when that when that opens up.

[03:27:26] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay, great. Thank you.

[03:27:29] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Any other questions from council members? If not, I will open this up for public comments. If you are in a 10 day box and would like to speak, please raise your blue hand and if you're on the phone, please hit star 9. And we'll do 2 minutes. We'll start with the 1st phone number. It ends in 454. Please unmute yourself. And you can begin.

[03:27:58] Unknown Speaker: See you, Frank. There you go, you should be on.

[03:28:03] Jan Stevens: Hi. Um, my name is Jan Stevens and I'm a Mountain View vehicle residence and I would like to join with um, council man, uh, Ramirez and thanking all of you guys for being here. You must be one of the essential workers and seriously, you guys have done a lot of work, including Kimberly. Um, I thank you guys, you look, a big change has happened in the last year, um, number one, not only has the safe parking, become ample with a lot of people, but the time differential, the, the requirements to be there from 9 AM to 5 PM, whatever that was has changed. Which is a big reason why safe parking was successful in this time and age. Um. I would like to talk about the other vehicles, the commuter parking that is a problem. I would definitely be in a safe parking lot right now if I could, but the commuter parking that is so distant, and so far from the RV. It makes it almost impossible when you're not having a good day. Um it's really. I know you guys are addressing it and I what I didn't say was I have not had the opportunity of meeting Joanne and home key project and home mountain view and I thank you guys all for everything that you've done. really made a big difference. Mountain View has an opportunity at this point to not only be the citywide, leader, but the statewide, if not bigger leader, in this problem, the people that are living in RVs and cars are not here, because they want to be here, you and all your family members are a minute or maybe in this COVID era, a month from being living on the street. This situation is going to get much worse before it gets better. I think we need to address not only what we need in the, um, safe parking lots, but what's going to happen in about, you know, 3 to 6 months. So I'm going to go through these really quick safe parking needs on the parking, the 2nd vehicle, the commuter vehicle close by. The porta potties are getting cleaned twice a week. They need a lot more personal peoples there. People that are residing in that are cleaning it themselves. It would cost nothing to do a dumping or fresh water truck through the process.

[03:30:17] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I'm going to have to. So I need to go to the next speaker. Thank you.

[03:30:23] Jan Stevens: Okay, thanks.

[03:30:24] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: All right. Thank you. We'll get a team, Mackenzie.

[03:30:29] Tim Mackenzie: Hi, thanks, Tim Mackenzie. I'm mountain view resident for 5 years, live in the Montaloman neighborhood. There's a lot of, uh, dehumanization and the hostility from the council towards people that are using this service. Thank you staff for all the work you've done on this. I'm sorry it's had to be 15 reports. It seems like consoles are really dragging feet. It seems like a no-brainer to follow through on this, we're helping people, people want to be helped. There's not just imaginary people coming to take advantage and then just say, no, we're not gonna leave. It's, It feels a little bit ridiculous. Um, I hope I hope that you will take the recommendations of staff. Thank you for all your hard work, city staff that you've done on this. I yield my time.

[03:31:20] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Right, we'll go to Albert Jeans. Please unmute yourself.

[03:31:31] Unknown Speaker: Oh, it should be on, Mr. B.

[03:31:33] Albert Jeans: Okay. Can you hear me?

[03:31:35] Unknown Speaker: Yes.

[03:31:36] Albert Jeans: Okay, great. Yeah, I just had a couple things. I was reading the staff report and I was wondering, for instance, we're worried about, oh, we'd like to see good outcomes. I was surprised to see that 11 people left the safe parking lot with no, they said other unknown reasons. I'm just wondering if staff could elaborate on all of that. The other thing I want to do is just contribute some information about the Shoreline, uh, parking lot and the commuter vehicle parking there because I go there 3 times a week to walk my dog in the dog park. And when the watch 1st opened, there are typically about 6 or 7 cars in dog park parking lot. And I saw people also park on amphitheater Parkway. Shortly after that, COVID started. And so construction is shut down. And then, you know, I was wondering, how come there's always cars on amphitheater? Yeah, they were probably all associated with the parking lot. Recently, for some reason, Very few cars, I've seen very few cars in the dog park parking lot. Maybe it's because police are enforcing the nighttime only parking. But on the other hand, you know, construction is going full blast, Charleston East. And I don't think there's too many parking spaces left for, you know, people that at least, you know, leave and then try to come back and park there. And support that on Labor Day when I went there. Yeah, there's no construction going on. I always saw that 2 or 3 cars parked in the amphithesia Parkway. And yet there was still only one or 2 cars at the dog park. So I kind of wonder where all these commuter cars went, but there's certainly a lot, and I can certainly understand that people need these cars to get to their jobs. And the Apitheater Parkway, as the Korea speaker said, it is quite a hike. You know, I just measured it on Google Maps. It's a good half mile. So that could be taxing. I've seen people, you know, dragging their little kids all the way there to get to their cars. So, yeah, something I think needs to be done about the computer park, the computer cars, definitely. Thank you.

[03:33:32] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. We'll go to Charlotte Quinn, if you can unmute yourself. Please.

[03:33:40] Charlotte Quinn: Hi, um, I'm a Mountain View resident. I just want to say I'm really horrified. My city council members trying to limit people's time in lots. They're, you know, you guys have been dehumanizing my neighbors here and how you've been speaking about them, making up that there are just so many people who don't want any help at all. And just being so much more concerned about not working harder than any than anyone else than any other city than the county on this. It's seriously horrifying, especially considering like, how critical shelter is during a pandemic, especially considering how many more people than ever on the brink of losing their homes because of this council's failures to put renters' needs ahead of landlord's business ventures, especially considering the repeated attempts to kick RV dwellers out of the city that they live in and that they deserve to live in. Please listen to the people who live there, they need to have a space for their cars nearby. They need to have shade. They need to have their restrooms cleaned frequently. There's nothing more important for you guys to be doing. I seriously don't understand your function. This is not a priority if you're can possibly speak about not wanting to do more than San Jose, as if a bar that's set low is good enough and you don't want to do anymore. What are you worried about? Looking good? What are you worried about? Going to heaven? What are you worried about? Like, doing something right? It's really horrifying like. Please, you guys need to cleaning these restrooms. Need to have spaces for cars nearby. need to have shape and need to be expanding this. Like, it would be a good problem to have empty, empty spaces. It would be a good problem to have that. Wow, we pumped more money into this than we needed. That would be a good problem to have to have caseworkers have light loads and be able to really help the people that they want to help. It's really horrifying. I I'm really disgusting, honestly.

[03:35:38] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: All right, uh, anyone else in the 10 bucks would like to make a comment? You don't see any more blue hands, so I'll bring it back to council for discussion and deliberation. Um, How, how do you feel, would, would counsel like to take a break before we get into this or should, would you like to finish this out before we break? Yes, Council Ramirez.

[03:36:07] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: I'm another way. Uh, it's just,

[03:15:05] (archive recording) Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Everyone would like to take a short break and cool with that little power. We've been going for over 3 hours, so why don't we take a 10 minute break and then we'll be back at about 1010? Thank you.

[03:15:37] (archive recording) Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Now go into deliberation in possible motion. Against Maria Ramirez, you had your hand up earlier. Did you want to start us off?

[03:15:47] (archive recording) Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Sure, thank you, mayor. Um, I'll do my best to be um, quick. Oh, so 1st I think in response to some of the public, uh, comments. I, you know, safe parking has come a long way over the years, and I, for whatever it's worth. I'm, I'm deeply impressed with the progress that we've made, uh, just this year alone, you know, going from very few, uh, safe parking spaces on a couple of church lots to, uh, significant number, including safe parking available for RVs, uh, moving from an overnight program to a 247 program in response to the pandemic. Um, and now it potentially expanding the program. Um, I think we, we've made a great deal of progress and while there's no perfect program. Um, I think, uh, as as several have pointed out compared to what many cities in the county have done. Um, we're we're really stepping up. Um, and it's not a panacea. It's going to solve every, uh, challenge that we have here in the city. But I think, I think it's a, it's a, it's a, it's certainly a great start, and I'm very proud with the progress that we've made, and very impressed with the work that, that staff has done to, to make it as successful as it has been, and also our partners in CSA and move mountain view. So thank you all. Uh, very quickly. I'll be supporting the staff recommendation. I think these are generally reasonable, um, improvements. I think an extension is necessary, particularly, uh, as, uh, I think the last speaker part of that, uh, one of the speakers, things are gonna get worse, I think, before they get better, uh, and we'll have to be prepared for, uh, but the potential increase in homelessness if, um, you know, if, if the, the economic impact of the pandemic lasts longer than what we're predicting. And if, um, we don't have uh, substantial increase in assistance from the state and federal governments. Um, and unfortunately, I think if that doesn't materialize, We should fully anticipate and increase in homelessness. So I think this program, you know, can can help, um, address or or mitigate some of those concerns. Um, I, uh, want to respond quickly to, to some of the, the questions that council member McAllister had asked, you know, I, I, I, I've been struggling with this myself about how much of each type of vehicle we should add or, you know, incorporate into the program. Um, I can make a compelling case for, for any of the, the options. I think for for commuter parking. I understand that we're not necessarily increasing the number of people who are served by the program, you know, who will be able to exit the program, hopefully successfully. Um, but I, I think of it this a couple of ways. You know, we generally expect a given use to be fully parked. Uh and I think we should treat this use just like any other, right? If, I mean, when other variety of opinions about parking, you know, among the councils here, but, you know, to, to have a safe parking program where we know that there are a number of people who have an auxiliary vehicle, um, you know, to get to work or to, you know, go shopping or take, you know, kids to school. I think it, it's probably sensible to include some amount of on-site parking to, uh, to address that need. Otherwise, we'll have, you know, as we're seeing and hearing from the business community, um, you know, on, on, along the Evelyn lot. Um, there are some, there are some impacts. So, having some auxiliary parking spaces on site, um, I think is, is prudent. Um, but then again, the balance is, that means we're losing space that would otherwise go to help folks who, who are uh, inhabiting vehicles. Um, my proposed solution to that would be. Let's have move Mountain View, a safe parking operator, figure it out. I don't feel, um, really prepared to dictate the terms of, you know, the ratio or the number of vehicles. I think that's going to change over time as, as, you know, the, the participants change and as, uh, you know, as we learn more about the, the program. The other component of this too is if you don't provide, you know, convenient parking, especially for the folks who are living in RVs and have, uh, an auxiliary vehicle, you might discourage participation, right? So if we, if you have to walk whatever it is, um, and I, I, I think Albert told us the number, right, if you have to walk a fair distance to the dog park to get to your commuter vehicle. You know, you may just decide why not stay on croissanto. you know, why not stay on continent, continental circle, because I can park my vehicle right next door, and there's, you know, very, very little compelling reason to participate. But I think for that reason also to make the program more attractive. You know, some amount of parking on site would be helpful. Um, if there were a change I would make to the staff recommendation, it would be, to, you know, direct staff, to work with, move mountain view and figure out what the right combination of vehicles is, what the right site layout might be, to accommodate, you know, that configuration. Um, rather than have to go to council each time, you know, we want to make a, a change in which vehicles are, um, are allowed to, you know, to park on which part of the site. Um, but if that's something that the majority of the council, you know, isn't comfortable with, then my, my strong preference will be just to proceed with a staff recommendation. Thank you.

[03:51:14] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: That's not a medic check.

[03:51:16] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, uh, council member Ramirez, um, I don't feel like we had an opportunity to talk about, um, the staff recommendation for number 7. Were you including that in your motion?

[03:51:33] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Uh, well, I haven't made a motion because I know that there might be a lot of different opinions here, um, but to answer the question, you know, my, my preference also would be to, to make that commitment only because, um, I think as, as Kimberly had pointed out, it looks like we're actually closer to, um, to, uh, success, you know, with the application and some amount of city commitment to help, uh, you know, leverage outside funding would be valuable. And, you know, just with the limited general fund revenue that we have. I felt like this, this is a sensible, you know, source that we can turn to, uh, to, to hopefully, as the, as pointed out leverage county funds and and maybe outside funding, if that's available too. So, yes, I would, I would support that recommendation as well.

[03:52:21] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Um, okay, so, um, um, yeah, I, would echo everything you said about. It's great that we have come so far. I know from some people's perspective, uh, this has taken us a long time. Um, I think it's a very complex issue and I appreciate staff really digging into this and working so hard to get us, um, you know, as far as we've come. So I really appreciate that. Um, I am concerned about the number of commuter vehicles, especially at the Evelyn lot. Um, because it is having an impact on the businesses there. And, you know, at a time when we're trying to help our small businesses recover from the pandemic, um, or be able to operate during the pandemic, and, um, you know, their customers. Try to park on pioneer and they have a tough time doing that because there are so many commuter vehicles there. Um, and we heard that there were, um, only 4 to 6 passenger cars that were on the waiting list for spaces, um, and 4 RVs. So, I, I'm not convinced we need 21 new parking spaces at the Evelyn lot for, um, Passenger vehicle living. So, uh, you know, I could support, um, allowing staff and, um, the operators to figure this out, as long as we provide a direction to say, um, you know, the goal is to not have a negative impact on businesses around the Evelyn lot. Um, and it might be the number of parking spaces for commuters changes over time, depending upon the situation of the folks living in the oversized staples. So I'm comfortable reading it up to staff as long as they knew kind of what our objectives were. Um, oh, actually, I'm prepared to make a motion. Um, but I would like to take item 7 separately and have a little bit more of a conversation about that. Um, I am okay with the city contributing to this effort. Um, but I'm concerned, like I was the last time we talked about uh, the allocation of the community benefits from the uh, landings project. One, we don't really know the timing of it. And two, I do believe that community benefits should go to the neighborhood, the area around which they are generated. And there are a lot of projects that are needed in North Bay Shore to transform that area. Um, and I would rather see the 2400000 go to uh, the North Bay Shore area, then, um, this project, um, and I'm hoping we can find money from other, um, buckets, so to speak, um, CDBG home. Um, if there's any affordable housing, BMR fees that we generate over the next few years because this Money would not be available anyway for several years. Um, you know, maybe we can find money from other sources and I booked a staff to, uh, let us know what other sources we could find. And so I'll make a motion, um, and I'm just going to do, uh, items one through 6 and on the Evelyn parking lot. Instead of the staff regulation, I would say that staff and move Mountain Dew would work together and determine what is the optimal number, and it could change over time, depending upon the folks who are living in that lot.

[03:56:21] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: And Council member Matachek, you would just need to read the title of the resolution just for item number one.

[03:56:29] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes, thank you. So adopt a resolution. To temporarily authorize safe parking operations 24 hours a day in response to the COVID-19 emergency, to be read entitled only further the beating wave attachment one to the council report. So, items one through six.

[03:56:49] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Right. Is there a 2nd on the motion? No, 2 seconds. Take, uh, I'll take Counselor McAllister 2nd and then counts number Hicks, did you have comments?

[03:57:02] Councilmember Alison Hicks: No, I was just going to 2nd and I was going to say I like the direction of having staff and uh, staff figure out the, not having to come back to council every time for the parking configuration. And uh, council member Mattachek's comments about being a good neighbor to the businesses around. I think that that's an important component of making the safe lots, um, successful.

[03:57:28] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: And Counselor McAllister, did you have comments?

[03:57:30] Councilmember John McAlister: Yes, please. Then I will keep them shorter than my question. So staff, thank you. Uh, Kimberly, we've been working on this since 2015, I'm not mistaken. I just let the public know that we have been working on this since 2015. And yes, it's painstakingly slow. And it is complicated and trying to get all the pieces and the funding, but to come here and um, so that we're not trying hard is, is, is missing for it because we have been working very hard on this and Kimberly specifically has been working the lion's share of all this and a lot of this wouldn't have gotten this far without her effort. So thank you. After hearing everybody speak, I still have, I'm still harpering back to my version of what we were doing with the safe parking and the Philly D to get caseworkers to help people, to get the right information, the guidance, the money if they need it to move forward. And so I see in a couple, basically all the, Most of the recommendations for money, there's the word caseworker in there, and I think that is so important. Um, COVID-19 will end, hopefully, or regardless that, I've always said this was not a sustainable lifestyle. But right now, this is what we need to do. That's our responsibility as a city. But I do agree with the mayor, that the county is historically responsible for homelessness, and we are doing a great amount of effort to do that. Going forward, I was, I am concerned, and I think the vice mayor mentioned communication, and so Kimberly, um, and staff, I'm asking you to make sure that between CSA and Move Mound View, and the caseworkers are working together. And that they're following our prescribed guidelines that we have discussed in, to your words, 15 prior reports, which you know better than anybody, that are, we do not want to turn this into a de facto, Barbie Park. We're there for a purpose to protect, shelter these people, and help them get a better quality of life. And I just sense that there was some, Uh, again, everything's so autopsy-turvy and people are starting to, things are settling down with the lots going and I understand that. And I think going forward. We need that sense of, of general purpose for everybody that we're on the same page so that we can help people. get a better, as they say, quality of life and something that's sustainable over time, because living in an RV is, is tough, I don't know, because I don't live on, but it's got to be a tough life. So I will be supportive of everything. But I do hope that staff works together. I do think, number seven, uh, we should have a different little discussion with because I'm a big. Well, if you haven't printed out, I like to put as much money to rapid rehousing as possible. And so when we get to that item, I'll discuss it. But, uh, Thank you for the staff. Thank you for the support. Thank you for Mountain View. Thank you for the faith-based people that started way back in 2015 meeting to get this thing going. And hopefully it ends. Well for everybody. So that's my uh,

[04:01:09] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: And I think he's frozen. So, uh, come uh, lace my hair.

[04:01:18] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Great, thank you. Um, so I tried to do my things a little bit earlier, but I think patience and perseverance as I was mentioning prior, it pays off and I really think that we should all be proud of how far we've come, particularly in the amount of lots. Um, I'm just remembering early in 2019 when we actually hadn't had Shoreline as a lot and and now we we do, right? And so, um, I'm just, um, so grateful to staff and all of our partners for, um, not only, um, moving forward with our safe parking program, but being able to work with various members of our community, uh, to increase the amount of lots. So, um, I am comfortable with the motion that Council member magic is put forward. Um, initially, I was similar to Council member Ramirez and that I was comfortable with the entire soft recommendation, but also open to having the discussion on item number 7. Um, and really would be interested to hear what other innovative ways staff might recommend being able to support project home key because I really do think that that's a important kind of piece of the puzzle in terms of being able to provide, um, pathways to to rehousing. And so, I just want to make sure that we're supportive of that and that if we're not funding it through the landings, um, allocation that we will be able to find some sort of funding, not only, um, Stable funding, but also I would assume quickly. Um, and so I just wanted to put that out there. Um, there were some points within the staff report that I do want to highlight that I think are really important and just want to comment on those. Um, one is the exit data. Um, I, I know that we don't have any kind of existing metrics to kind of measure how we're doing. And so any type of, um, exit data, I think is going to be really critical as we continue with, um, our safe parking program, particularly what we're voting on tonight, which is, you know, sending the leases. Um, so I think, um, as much as we can, making sure that staff continues to get that information. Um, I really also appreciated the self-identified data in terms of, um, how people identify, um, yeah, racially, culturally. I think that, um, you know, having people speak for themselves when it comes to that kind of data is really important. And so I was, I'm happy to hear about that and would encourage that to continue down, um, that path. Um, and then, uh, yes, to talk about what I mentioned before, the communication processes, it sounds like perhaps the county is the, um, you know, in her words, a conduit for communication. And I think tonight brought up a couple different ways in which perhaps the catchy can do more of that. Um, particularly with our small business, um, properties and kind of the neighboring uh, adjacent areas and just would really like to, to see, um, more of that happen. Um, and then to circle back to the item that council member Ramirez 1st brought up and I think a couple other council members have touched on as well. Um, you know, I am comfortable with staff having the discretion of the, um, kind of configuration of the lots. Um, you know, I think we are working not only with the county and the various nonprofit agencies, because they are the experts in terms of what works. Um, for myself, um, You know, what's most important is providing opportunities for homeless prevention, property housing, permits part of housing. And so anything we can do to help, um, get people into into that via our safe parking lots is something that I completely support and a chess staff. That one's for John.

[04:05:24] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Any other comments from council members? Um, I just wanted to add a few comments. So, um, 1st of all, again, I just want to thank staff for all the hard work for over many years, um, on this issue and I do agree with my colleagues that we have come a long way, and frankly, I think, um, We've done it in a very short time the last year or two. Um, there was a lot initially of, I think, just not a lot of decision making, frankly, um, and so we had to make those decisions more quickly in the last couple of years, and, and, um, and I think that the program is doing well, um, I'm very pleased with it. And my intent had been to support staff recommendation. Um, I do like the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, the, uh, uh, move the operator to figure out what's best in terms of capacity and how those, the spaces are used best. Um, you know, I just want to respond in terms of my line of questioning, um, It's, It's just, it's, it's a constant, um, issue that comes up, I think, for us as a community. I am very proud of what Mountain View does and as in our leadership and so many issues, especially around housing and on even on this issue. And um, you know, as much as we can do, I am fully supportive of it. But on the other hand, I also believe that our child is to be fiscally responsible and we always have to keep our eye on our city finances. And that is why I ask the questions I ask. As long as again, if we can do it, great. But we are in times, and, you know, I bring this up off, and we've had good times, but we're now going into more challenging times in terms of our, um, the recession. And so I just want us to be very mindful of what our limited resources are. In a perfect world, if we had unlimited resources, I would want to help everyone. I think most of us feel that way. But that's the challenge that we are facing and we're going to be facing. And, um, you know, as much as, and I know that we do this, and I trust council member Ramirez on the task force will bring this up. You know, I totally, um, you know, I'm proud to be a leader, proud to set the example. Um, but I just get disappointed when I don't see followers from our neighboring communities. And that's my real frustration here. Um, and and frankly, it's just maybe a learning curve for me. I fully expected that the county was, you know, in charge of homeless services. And so I just question why we were putting city resources into that issue. Um, and as much as I entered, I, you know, I, I, I know that the not, well, I, normally it's by numbers, um, where the funding goes, and it's traditionally, I think, I think it's fair to say it's gone to San Jose and to the south, but in this situation, if you look at this program, we are doing, much more, and maybe we're, whatever, 77 spaces less than San Jose, but San Jose is 10 times larger than us. And that's all I'm asking is that we get the resources that we need and frankly, I think deserve to have to be able to run these programs successfully. So that, that's really my, that was my intent with the questions I've had. And I hope that, Counselor Ramirez, you can um, advocate for us when you have, when you participate in the county task force. So with that, um, if there are no other, uh, comments, I'd like to ask for a roll call vote, please, and this is for item one through 6 with the modification on the, This, this commuter.

[04:09:44] City Clerk: Council member Clark?

[04:09:45] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yes.

[04:09:46] City Clerk: Council member Hicks?

[04:09:48] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[04:09:49] City Clerk: Council member Mattachek?

[04:09:50] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[04:09:51] City Clerk: Council member McAllister?

[04:09:53] Councilmember John McAlister: Yes.

[04:09:54] City Clerk: Council member Ramirez?

[04:09:56] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Yes.

[04:09:57] City Clerk: Nice Mayor Kmei.

[04:09:59] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[04:10:00] City Clerk: Mirabi Koga.

[04:10:03] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Hi. Thank you. Thank you. question Carrie 70 with no abstensions, uh, council member clerk.

[04:10:10] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yeah, I just related to this, uh, question for staff. Is there a way, so obviously, home key is, uh, you know, the project home key application. Everything is moving very quickly, and that's very exciting, and I know that we want to make sure that we are allocating, um, the funding we need to maximize that program and get any matches that we can. Um, but given the timeline of the need for that funding, is there, is there a way for us to say, you know, commit the 2.4 tonight from the community benefit, um, that funding from landings that we have, but if, if later on we find, we're able to identify funds that maybe, um, are a little bit more restricted, whether they're, you know, CDBG or affordable housing funds or something that we can slot in and and, Um, and therefore free up some of that community benefit money. Is that something that we, we can do or we just completely locked in once we commit the, the community benefit funding tonight? I'm just wondering if we can make the statement that we'll do the 2.4 from the community benefit funds if we, if we absolutely need to, and there's no other, um, option when we get to actually needing to extend those funds. But, um, you know, maybe if, if we identify additional funding sources or better funding sources for this down the road, we could, um, sort of free up some of these funds later.

[04:11:36] Unknown Speaker: Council member Clark, thank you, mayor, if I may jump in and answer that. Yes, that is an option for the future. So, I know that currently right now, staff is working on identifying uh, many other potential funding sources, including those sources we may be able to leverage with, with this um, intention, should, should counsel go that direction tonight. So I think if um, council wants to at least dedicate this funding and then give the direction for for staff to look at other potential sources. Um, that's that's absolutely doable. And that way we can actually figure out if this doesn't come to fruition. Um, there are other avenues that we can pursue to plug in for that 2.4 million. Um, but I think Cares Act funding is also a potential. We'll see what happens with that if there's another round of funding there. Um, certainly we can look at home funding, CDBG funding in the future. Perhaps potential, general, non-operating fund, um, funding, we'll, we'll see what happens with that. But I think, you know, over the course of the next few years, we'll have more indication of other sources.

[04:12:47] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yeah, so given that information, that my my preference would just be to commit. Say that we'll, we're willing to commit up to 240000000 of the landing community benefit for this and, and, um, if, if we are unable to find any, um, other sources of, for these, better sources for these funds later on. That way we we've made the commitment and it increases our chances of succeeding here, especially with the matches. Um, um, rather than trying to sort it out tonight. So, that, that gives us the indication that we need moving forward or, or the public indication that we're, we're willing to commit 2.4 from the landings community benefit if, if, um, if that's what it takes at the end of all this, but, um, we're fairly confident that we'll find other sources and just direct staff to continue looking for other sources to fill that, um, to replace that community benefit funds so that we can use those community, community benefit funds for, for other things as Council member Metachek said for us in the, our facial area.

[04:13:46] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: An emotion council member card?

[04:13:49] Councilmember Chris Clark: Uh. Yes, I'll go ahead and move that.

[04:13:51] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I see others in the cube, um, if they're from the amendments, I'd be to entertainment. Thank you, uh, Councilman or Meta check?

[04:13:58] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thanks. I just had, um, a question. Do we have to specify where the funding is coming from? Can we just say the city's committed to 2 point 4 million? Up to 2.4 million?

[04:14:13] Unknown Speaker: Um, Council member Mattachek. So, I believe, um, there, There's no requirement that we specify exactly the source of this funding. Um, but the, The intention is is what is important right now and that was a source that we knew that was already put forward. Um, so it was something that staff could point to to signal to, um, the state housing department that, um, the city had the commitment to do that. And so it just so happened that the timing was today, that we got word that it was approved. But I do think there is the potential to use other sources, not that we had to identify that particular source.

[04:15:00] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: So I'm very supportive of the project. I think it's a great one. I hope more people think I'm not supportive about it. Um, it adds another um, dimension to uh, what we're doing to try to address homelessness. Um, and it's a very creative, I think, approach. I just, again, had the concern about using community benefits funds for this, when I think they should be used elsewhere. But if, um, staff is committed to, uh, looking for other sources, um, then I'll support the motion, but I'm not 2nding it. Thank you.

[04:15:39] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. I going to go ahead and 2nd it so we can continue discussions. So counselor Ramirez.

[04:15:45] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mayor. I was just about to, but I did want to ask the no, that's fine. Uh, I wanted to ask a quick question of uh, Joanne Price if she's still here because I know she's here for this item. Um, and uh, regarding sort of, I guess the, the certainty of the funding. So I, I'm, I'm pretty comfortable with your motion comes to number Clark. The one thing I would want to have some assurance of is, you know, if, if we're saying, you know, committing this funding, but we may end up drawing from other sources elsewhere. Um, does that have any impact on the, uh, I guess, uh, jeez, sorry, um, uh, our ability to to make a compelling case to the state that, that, you know, we're, we're, we're the most competitive. In other words, doesn't make a difference if we're staying 2400000 from the community benefit obligation as opposed to, we're committing 2400000. We haven't really made a determination on that source of funding yet. Um, does that make sense, Joanne?

[04:16:57] Joanne Price: Yeah, I'm happy to answer this. You know, it gives certainty, if we can commit, if the city can commit the 2.4 today, and in the mean, like, you know, then going forward, find other sources to replace that, that's fine, but it's good for the city to demonstrate where that funding is coming from. And if there is this bucket of money, that remember, this is for the next 5 years. It doesn't have to be at day one, we have the 50% commitment from the state for years one and 2 and that's 1200000 in year one and another 1200000 in year two. So you don't have to find that 2400000 today. You just commit to it and you commit to it in writing. And so if it's coming from this particular fund, I think that's good to say. But then if you find other sources, and we think there's more CDPG funding come in than the road pretty soon. Then you could switch that out. But, uh, We need to bolster our application, and this is part of it. Committing to the pending and where it will be coming from. So if we can assure the state that we have it from day one. We have a means of securing it, I think that would be preferable. But meanwhile, you know, still look for other sources, we should do that. Does that understand?

[04:18:19] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you. Oh, yes, yeah, I'll be supporting the motion given that clarification. Thank you.

[04:18:25] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: That's for McAllister?

[04:18:27] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, um. So in the staff, uh, council questions, there was the community benefit broken down and said homeless initiatives at $25 million. What was the thought at the time that we made that, uh, allocation to homeless initiatives? What were, what was staff thinking, uh, give me, uh, at that time?

[04:18:56] Unknown Speaker: Council member McAllister, um, I can take a take a stab at that and, um, if our community development director would fill in any blanks I have. So this community benefit came from Google. And they had originally identified, um, what they have called a vulnerable or disadvantaged communities, um, pot of funding, but it really was intended um, to go towards any of the homeless initiatives that the city identified. So um, that's where that came from. So I'm not sure if our community development director has any other, um, insight into that as I know her staff uh, spoke with Google about the community benefits package.

[04:19:40] Community Development Director: Um, that is the, the, the funding was put together by Google and I believe they talked to various community members and council members before making that, um, putting together the entire package, um, and they were open to converting that to homeless initiatives.

[04:19:59] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay, so there was nothing specific that they were saying that they wanted the money to go to or it was just the city you deal with homelessness. Okay. So why? Okay. yeah Okay. So, why is one 2.500000 and one's 2.4 million? Is the 100 going somewhere?

[04:20:19] Unknown Speaker: Mental member McAllister, the 2.40000 is what is needed. So it's 1200000 a year to operate the program. So essentially there's 100,000 left over from what the allocation was.

[04:20:33] Councilmember John McAlister: Okay. Um. You know, um. I'm still, I was concerned when this came up for, when we voted on the last time when I said, go for the thing, and I'm still concerned about spending money or allocating money, we may not see. Um, or when or if it comes in. And so, I'd rather, And I also have concerns about the whole, um, Mount View, the, uh, The home key program. If it's the really the best sense of using our money versus if we use that money, to go for the, uh, case workers and help people do more rapid rehousing is, and something that's more permanent. I'm looking to try to take our money and parlay it, as for more permanent solutions where the home key deal is just, we're gonna build some apartments, or we're gonna build some, or we're gonna place some trailers on a lot. And then say, okay, we're gonna move you from there, and I just, I still have concerns about it, and that's, I'd rather see something more, uh, substantial with our money and more definitive than putting it into the HomeKit could be a great program. But right now, to me, there's too many, uh, gifts on that. So, I may not support the motion.

[04:22:04] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I'm just gonna jump in, um, to help try to answer, Counselor McAllister, question, where did the money come from? I would actually say it came partially from you and asking Google. to, um, uh, use the, you know, the gold's gym lot for safe parking and then I followed up after that asking them if they would open up gold's gym for a homeless shelter and their response. I remember was, no, we can't do that, but how about if we give some funding towards homeless services? So you are part of the solution here. how I look at it. So, um, and I'll go to council member Hickson.

[04:22:46] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Council member McAllister, I thought you would be supporting this motion. This is buying a manufactured housing that the city will own. It's what you've always wanted. We will own these housing units. And I don't know if you've looked at them. They're actually beautiful. They're like an AD, if I had a backyard to put an ADUN. I would be putting one of these. They're pretty nice units. And I think it's something we can work with over time. I don't even know whether they can be moved to another underused lot at some other point. I don't know. I think it's a great, a great project that we can work with and evolve over time. So, I know you just said you won't be supporting the motion. I will be, and I'm hoping you'll change your mind.

[04:23:30] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: And I would add to that too. My understanding is that we would, um, I believe the city will have the parcel to then be able to build a permanent affordable housing project on down the road. So, I think for that. I've always just, I've been wanting to do a modular project for a very long time since they started kind of talking about it. And so I'm really excited for the opportunity to have a pilot program in doing that, but this is, you know, home key funding. It's very specific as to how the funding can be used. I think we should take the opportunity to um, to utilize it. And, um, I, you know, I totally understand. I think we need to commit to the 2.4 to show, to shore up our application. So, I think it's fine to look for other funding elsewhere, but if we need to identify it right now, then I'm in comfortable using this funding, in light of also where the funding, the community benefit from Google. Why, why, why they credit the funding um, into homeless services. So, um, with that council member, McAllister, I ask.

[04:24:39] Councilmember John McAlister: I just want, so, so council member Hicks concerned, I am supportive of buying apartment complexes that will be, that we preserve them, and that's, you know, that's my goal is to try to preserve existing affordable housing, and that would be a great way to use that money. Um, So, thank you for pointing out that sometimes we work together and we make funds and We encourage people to put the money in the right way. Um, you know. It's a it's a project. It's something new. I shouldn't be hypocritical and say, hey, we shouldn't try something new. I've been advocating for everything, try something new, and move forward. So.

[04:25:28] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: All right. I don't see any more hands, so with that, can we get a roll call, though, please?

[04:25:34] City Clerk: Here, if I may, can I just confirm the motion with the maker?

[04:25:37] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yes.

[04:25:38] City Clerk: Yeah, cast number, Clark? Could you just confirm that your motion is, um, item 7 with direction to staff to look at additional, or look at potential funding sources? And is that up to 240000000 or the 2400000 that's listed in the recommendation?

[04:25:54] Councilmember Chris Clark: My motion is, um, the staff recommendation, number 7 with the addition of your direction to staff to, um, try to identify other sources for this funding so that we can, um, that may not be as flexible as the community benefit funds so that, you know, if, if new funds are identified before we need to actually, um, spend them, that we can free up some of the, that more flexible community benefits.

[04:26:20] City Clerk: Thank you very much. And 2nd with that.

[04:26:23] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yes thank you. Can we get a roll call vote, please?

[04:26:26] City Clerk: Sure, council number Clark.

[04:26:28] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yep.

[04:26:29] City Clerk: Council member Hicks.

[04:26:30] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes.

[04:26:31] City Clerk: Council member Mattachek. Council member McAllister.

[04:26:36] Councilmember John McAlister: Cautiously optimistic, yes.

[04:26:38] City Clerk: Council member Ramirez.

[04:26:40] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Yeah.

[04:26:41] City Clerk: Vice Mayor Kamei.

[04:26:43] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[04:26:44] City Clerk: May I be Koga? I.

[04:26:47] City Clerk: Thank you. So motion carry is 70 with no abstentions?

[04:26:52] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you very much. Um, so. We will now go into our study session. Um.

[04:27:05] Unknown Speaker: Yes, Madam Mayor, I believe you made a note.

[04:27:09] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: I, if there's, is there a motion to continue past the 10 o'clock? A 2nd that, um. Can we get a roll call vote please?

[04:27:23] City Clerk: Council member, Clark.

[04:27:24] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yeah.

[04:27:25] City Clerk: Council member Hicks.

[04:27:26] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yes,

[04:27:27] City Clerk: I'll remember Mattachek.

[04:27:29] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yes.

[04:27:30] City Clerk: Council member McAllister.

[04:27:36] Councilmember John McAlister: No.

[04:27:38] City Clerk: Cancel member Ramirez.

[04:27:40] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Yes.

[04:27:41] City Clerk: Vice Mayor Kameh.

[04:27:43] Vice Mayor Ellen Kamei: Yes.

[04:27:44] City Clerk: May Abi Koga.

[04:27:45] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Hi.

[04:27:46] City Clerk: I should hear you. 61 no abstensions.

[04:27:49] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Um, but in light of the hour, and this is a study session, it's trying to, like, pull up the counselor report. I don't know if there were any actual questions that the council had to respond to. So I was wondering, hoping we could maybe shorten the presentation or, um, I don't know how other council members feel dispensing it a bit and just going straight to questions. Does that sound reasonable?

[04:28:18] Unknown Speaker: Yes. Yes.

[04:28:20] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Yeah, I think I saw 4 thumbs up. So, yeah, so, um, if that, if we can move forward in that manner, um, are there any questions from customers on the, study session item. Which is, uh, 8.one plan Bay Area regional housing needs allocation. Yes, canceling Ramirez.

[04:28:45] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Thank you, Mark. Just one question. Um, so I understand another, a lot of state law, um, has changed over the years, uh, including, uh, or the components around the housing element, which I think will be probably the, you know, more challenging discussion we'll have later on. Can you give us an update on some of the changes related to the housing element that we should be mindful of when we're thinking about this?

[04:29:15] Unknown Speaker: You know, council member Ramirez, uh, we're trying to familiarize, um, ourselves with some of the recent changes, but I can I can give you our experience that we've had over the years with HCD. Um, they have been more and more strict with looking at sites. As you know, being a built up city, we do, um, have to identify sites that are already developed with other uses. Um, and uh, if it's a mixed use site or an industrial site. Um, they won't count the the entire site, or the entire density over the Atran site. Um, they discount some of that. Uh, we also have to do research and then give them information on, um, what density we typically build projects at, and it's further discounted if we're not building at 100%. Um, that's since gone away since a lot of our projects are coming in at 100%. Um, so those are examples and, um, I know that we'll be working with the planning collaborative and we're looking at hiring a housing element consultant early on to start identifying sites, even though, um, uh, the renal process isn't expected to end until, um, the end of next year. Um, so we're happy to get that information and share it with the council once we have it.

[04:30:35] Councilmember Lucas Ramirez: Right, thank you.

[04:30:37] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Counselor, I'm gonna check.

[04:30:42] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: And so a couple questions, um, on page 2 of the staff report, um, in the list of PBA focuses. Um, it says shift the location of jobs. Do they have any detail on just how that might be accomplished?

[04:31:04] Unknown Speaker: Um, they were actually looking at, um, I don't believe some of these have been implemented yet, but they were actually looking at disincentives, um, for, for, um, uh, providing jobs, um, and examples were, um, charging fees, um, or a regional fee um, for office projects. So these were examples. I don't believe they've landed on anything specific at this time. Uh, I don't know, Martin, if you have any additional information. Um, but, but those, those were examples of what they had discussed, um, with us.

[04:31:45] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Um, Let's see. I was wondering, let's say, on page 8 of the stop report. It lists the potential different methodologies that could be used, and there's 5 listed there with the one that, um, is being recommended the middle one. But did we take a look at the other 5 methodologies to see, um, what, um, mountain views, meaning of them might look like under those other methodologies versus the one that's, Looks like it's going to be the recommended.

[04:32:31] Unknown Speaker: Um, I know they had, um, uh, they had a tool that allowed, um, uh, people to play with the different baselines. Um, and I'm trying, I remember we looked at 27, 2019 households. We looked at um, the 1st three. But the last two, I don't remember if they had given us those as baselines to look at. But we could certainly go back and give you the information. Uh, but, um, because the South Bay is expected to grow, um, the most when you compare it with any other area, using the future housing growth, um, did, um, elevate our numbers greatly, and we did express some concern, which is why they landed at, um, the future of your households, which is basically, Um, a balance between the 2019 and the growth. Um, but we, we could go back and look at that. I don't remember looking at urbanized land area or existing jobs as the baseline.

[04:33:39] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Yeah, I'd be interested if those numbers are readily available and you didn't have to do any other work.

[04:33:44] Unknown Speaker: Yeah, we can go back and look at the tool and see if they still have information on that.

[04:33:48] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay. Um, and then... If anything changed and in terms of uh, Rena, uh, members, um, in terms of, if you meet them or not, are there any like serious implications of not meeting your numbers?

[04:34:13] Unknown Speaker: You know, that did come up as an item to be added to the formula. But, um, the HMC chose not to include that because they wanted to have a more forward looking approach. Um, however, there are various state laws, and this is one of the research pieces we will be, we will be doing to find out if there are any more teeth built into the laws, but I can give you an example, um, SB 35, for example, um, The percentage of projects, the percentage of affordable housing in projects. Um, in order to meet or qualify for an SB 35 project depends on the performance of that particular jurisdiction. Um, um, related to the housing element. So there are housing, there are jurisdictions that required projects to have 50% affordable housing. If they performed well. Um, uh, and then there were those that only required 10% in order to qualify for SB 35. So they're little. They're starting to emerge in other laws. I haven't seen anything recently. Um, with SP 330 or anything where, um, that's an item, but I do know that having an adopted housing element, um, is, is, is a, um, is a feature we see very often in, um, in most of the new housing laws. Where um, yeah.

[04:35:49] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Okay, well, um, I don't have any other questions. Did you want? I just have one comment. Did you want me to do that now? Or is this just questions?

[04:35:58] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Um, this was questions I was going to open up for public comments, if you wouldn't mind holding that, so you're coming. Thank you. Thank you.

[04:36:05] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Anyone else have questions? Nope. All right, then I will open this up for public comment. Any member of the public wishing to speak on this item if you are in the attendee box. Please raise your blue hand. Or if you're on the phone, please hit Star 9. I don't see any hands going up, so I will close public comment and bring it back to council for comments and I'll go look to you, counseling how to check.

[04:36:33] Councilmember Lisa Matichak: Thank you. So, um, I found the letter from the Santa Clara County planning collaborative to be spot on in terms of the concerns I have about this. Um, I really appreciate um, a couple things um, in there. We don't have great public transportation, and so to allocate more housing to an area that whether isn't great public transportation doesn't seem like that's the right thing to do. It's only going to make road congestion worse. Um, and I believe the letter went on to say that, um, the way the investment in public transportation is working, its maintenance of existing infrastructure versus building new infrastructure. Whereas we would need new infrastructure, if we were going to add significant more, um, housing, and we're already doing that by adding infrastructure in North Bay Shore. But, um, it felt like those have to go hand in hand. So I appreciate the letter pointing out that right now they're not. Um. But I think, um, you know, I don't think I could save any better than the letter did. So I'll just say I wholeheartedly support what was in that letter. Thanks.

[04:37:54] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. That's Norman McAllister.

[04:37:57] Councilmember John McAlister: To my fellow council members. I just want to let you know that I'm looking at Artie and Martin. And I remember when I was on the planning condition, when I was an old man, way back when they were there, we were doing the arena numbers, and I tell you between the 2 of them. They will steer you correctly on what you want to do and how to best optimize the appearance of doing what we need to do. So they are experts at their jobs in your good hands as you guys go forward with this particular aspect of the housing out. That's it.

[04:38:40] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Any other comments? Um, I would just add the same. I think the letter is very, um, accurate, and, um, I guess it's more of a question, though. Um, but. What? What's the likelihood of anything changing, I guess is my question. Um, in light of this process and I, you know, I feel, I feel that we've said these things time and time again and I just don't see much change, but, um, do you see any likelihood of them making any revisions?

[04:39:19] Aarti Shrivastava: Um, to answer your question. Um, no, um, we, we, we, we try to connect with the technical staff and make the point that, um, you know, for example, North Bayshore, I think they've used the entire PDA. To locate housing, even though we did let them know that, um, housing in North Bay Shore is limited to certain areas while the rest of it is employment related. Um, but but they, they look. In a fairly cursory way at cities, um, PDAs and plans, um, but the assumption is that, um, more growth than a community might have planned for could potentially be allocated to them. Um, I do want to report back that since the report was written, last Friday, um, the HMC did make, um, um, straw motion to move forward a couple of options for their last meeting to review the formula. And that raised the numbers even more for Mountain View, in the 11,000 to 11,300 range. Um, we did make our point. To say that, um, that did represent about 33% growth within an 8 year period, which was a lot for communities to to absorb. Um, but, um, the, the motion moved forward and then we'll keep you updated on, um, anything that happens at the last meeting on September 18th. Um, after that, it's up to the A-Bag. Executive board. And I know we've been in contact with our members, um, um, council member Clark, and then, uh, um, council member, vice mayor can May, and we'll keep them, um, updated so they could maybe continue to reiterate our points.

[04:41:19] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: One other question. In terms of our numbers and um, what we can count the 7500 or so units in our pipeline. Can we count those towards this new allocation number?

[04:41:36] Aarti Shrivastava: Um, I believe they start looking at it within a certain period and we can confirm it. Last time around, they allowed you to count. Um, housing units that, that started within the planning period, um, and I believe it starts in. I think it's a 2023 to 2031 uh, planning period. So if all of these are developed before then, they don't count. Based on last time, no, we weren't allowed to count, and again, I don't know, Martin, if you remember, Mountview. But the credit or anything. It just seems like the frustrating part. You, the timeline shifts, right? Depending on when these projects come online and, um, If they're approved, then it's hard to count that site. If it's not done within that planning period. And then if it's already, the permits are issued ahead of time, then it's hard to count it for implementation. So you're always crossing your fingers and hoping there are enough sites um, at any given planning period.

[04:42:48] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thank you. Counselor Hicks.

[04:42:52] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I generally agree with staff, um, that, um, The increase in household growth isn't realistic because we can't develop the needed infrastructure and it's not just that we can't plan it. I, I don't think we have really the tax structure to fund a lot of the like transportation and so forth that we would need. Um, and it's difficult enough to figure out how to grow schools. Um, one of the things I'm most interested in is, uh, the policy around, um, because we have the job's housing linkage in the East Whisman precise plan and, um, you know, maybe putting that into other precise plans, whether that's, whether, we would be able to convince HCD to accept more of those housing units. So maybe we've already in some ways identified more than they would think we have. I'd like to know what their staff thinks that's an effective argument that could be used to identify, identify what we've already identified essentially.

[04:44:03] Aarti Shrivastava: Yes, we think it's an argument we could certainly bring to ACD. Um, and again, um, any sites that theoretically have don't have approved projects on them. Um, are sites that we can use um, in the housing element. Um, and again, I'm just, I'm basing this on our last experience and, uh, not to say the things won't change. Um, but historically, um, when I was in Cupertino, Um, they would only allow you to count, say, 50% of the total density on the mixed use site, right? Because they were expecting to see a number of mixed uses. So you have to have very detailed and very nuanced conversations with them. And we won't know what the results are, but we're very hopeful that our sites in North Bayshore, East Wisman, um, you know, El Camino, our, our great examples are 3 um, good potentially, um, you know, give us some options to look at. Um, so we, we are um, cautiously optimistic. Um, on meeting, um, what we're seeing as a fairly high number. Um, coming down. Just for reference, right? Our last time's number was just under 3000 units.

[04:45:23] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Yeah, I'm hopeful that the R 3 will produce some too. And then I think that eventually we could, we should look at Moffatt because I, I actually think that should be the other. It's, you know, if we're doing transit oriented development, that should be the other half of our downtown. Um, so I'm hopeful for some of those things, but I, but I do agree that we don't have the infrastructure and and, you know, to probably match all the units they're talking about. Um, and then the last thing I would say is, I would urge some, um, caution at, uh, because of the, the changes because of COVID and remote work. I would like to see whether there, whether there's reason for revisions over time because of that.

[04:46:11] Aarti Shrivastava: Yes, and as we noted in our responses, they've already started making adjustments to the, um, to the assumptions and and one of the assumptions they put in is about 30% of office workers would be telecommuting and they're looking at increasing that, even more potentially as a mitigation, um, requiring up to 60%.

[04:46:34] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I'm not totally clear on what that means. How does that affect the how might that affect the number of housing units that Mountain View is assigned?

[04:46:43] Aarti Shrivastava: You know, that's a good question. Um, if you ask them, um, they put in a bunch of assumptions into this black box and, um, I know we have Eric Anderson here who, I'm not sure, Eric, if in your conversations with Dave, um, From A bag, he was able to explain any better, um, how some of these might find their way into housing requirements, but I, I, I think it has more to do with commute patterns, if you ask me.

[04:47:14] Eric Anderson: Yeah, I didn't hear anything from the a bag MTC staff about how telecommuting might affect the arena numbers. Um, although you would think that it would affect some of the factors that the housing methodology committee is weighing. Um, You know, the Plan Bay Area is this thing, you know, over here that's kind of informing the arena process, which has its own factors. Um, and so the, the, the plan Bay Area analysis, which I've been talking to the, um, uh, the, the regional staff about, you know, they have their assumptions, but it's not really affecting these, these household growth. Um, numbers that they're uh, uh, projecting to 2050. Um, These factors, though, are um, at this point, pretty baked in stone, um, although you would think that these, these, you know, a factor like jobs housing balance, right? If fewer people are actually working in mountain view, um, because they're telecommuting from Morgan Hill or something. Um, That would have a better jobs housing balance as a result of it. But I haven't seen any changes in the arena, methodology factors. based on this.

[04:48:40] Unknown Speaker: Yes, they were mainly talking about working with, um, uh, card, which is the air resources board on on emissions. Um, when they were talking about telecommunity.

[04:48:55] Councilmember Alison Hicks: Well, I would encourage them to think about it a little more thoroughly, but those are all my questions, thanks. Nice there.

[04:49:05] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you. So I do want to assure staff, I ended up watching part of the EPC meeting last week, so I did see your presentation, but that's part of my question. I just recalled, I didn't get to watch the end in terms of the discussion and what their feedback was. Do you mind sharing that with us?

[04:49:26] Unknown Speaker: Uh, sure. So, um, they had a couple of comments, uh, some of their concerns were over the lack of transparency over the calculation of of these numbers. Uh, it is kind of the black box in terms of how they come up with their numbers. We have had a number of discussions with A-Bag staff. And we're starting to get a little more knowledgeable about about their process, but it is kind of a black box. Um, another concern that EPC brought up was, you know, they think thought that the uh, transportation funding should be tied to growth, so those should go in in together. Those are 2 of the main comments. They also said, as the region becomes more urban, to continue to stress the importance of open space planning as we add a lot more growth. So those were just a few of their comments.

[04:50:24] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you.

[04:50:26] Unknown Speaker: I think I mean, I would be fine. With everything my colleagues have said as well as incorporating those EPC comments because I do think that those are useful as well. Thank you mayor.

[04:50:38] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you. Thanks, Robert Clark.

[04:50:41] Councilmember Chris Clark: Yeah, I was just gonna say to, um, answer the mayor's question about, um, what the likelihood of things changing is, um, just based on the executive board being. I think, It's tricky now, and and by the way, I agree, the, the pointing collaborative letter, um, It's on most of the, um, the points and is quite articulate on, on why. Um, you know, these things are concerning in particular to, to mountain view and and um, and our area. I think what's tricky about the, the way the politics of this have evolved is, I think there was a, a sigh of relief among, amongst some communities when the, Ecity numbers came down and were lower than they were anticipated. And so, I think some of the, um, other communities that were aligned with Santa Clara County, um, sort of said, you know, let's just be happy with, with this and not, um, you know, um, I, I think that basically what I'm trying to say is the, the, um, The desire to re-look at this, um, in detail, sort of, uh, some the steam went out from that, um, and, um, now it's, it's just a handful of communities, and now with, um, where, agency is headed is, it's really putting the burden on just a handful of communities, and there's, I think there's even going to be, you know, some disagreement within Santa Clara County, because what you have is, um, you know, some communities have less of a burden, even, for example, Sunnyvale. Then, then Mountain V Palo Alto and Cupertino are going to have, and so I think they're going to be, um, a little bit reluctant to mess with some of these formulas because it may end up, you know, equalizing the burden a bit more and removing some of the burden for much political Cupertino and and Milpitas and others, um, but that burden would probably shift to some of the others. And so it's, um, I um. Having said that, um, it's not all doom and gloom. I think there's, um, I think there is an opportunity to work with the, with the staff and just make some of these cases so that they, um, you know, they're a little bit more transparent, um, as they become over time with their, with their black box. Um, so to speak, and there may be some ways to to tweak these things and just really hammer home the argument that, you know, please don't set the communities up for failure, um, who have, like us, worked really, really hard. Um, when it wasn't cool to do that. Um, and and no one else would or or very few other communities would. And so, you know, I plan to keep making that argument to, to the staff when I can, and then at the executive board meeting, but I just wanted to set a, you know, the realistic expectations here of the, there was initially quite a bit of steam behind really delving into these things and ensuring there was more of an equal burden. um, you know, the, the burden was, more equally spread across the various communities, but after the HDD numbers ended up being lower than originally thought, and then, the, um, we've gone in the direction of using some of the assumptions that actually, um, relieve some of the pressure on some of the communities that were most concerned about this initially, it's, um, I think it's just going to be a heavy burden to get the executive board to shift, um, and MTC, because it's not just a bag here, it's MTC as well. Um, to to completely shift, um, um, shift strategy at this point. Thank you.

[04:54:12] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thanks for the info. Anyone else with comments? No. All right, then I think that concludes this item. Thank you very much. Thank you, staff, for. Seeking it out. Um, we will now go to item 9 council staff committee reports any council numbers? Items? Yes, council member McAllister.

[04:54:44] Councilmember John McAlister: Yeah, I'm proud to show you my certificates of achievement. Uh, you can't see them, but they were for captain awareness, security working from home. Uh, I got that done, whatever. And then I got COVID, 19 best practices. So you see that? So I just want to tell you. Being at home, you can accomplish a lot. So that's all I got for you.

[04:55:12] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Good job, council member. Alister. Thank you for sharing. Counselor, man, check. I'm glad to see you're well trained there. City manager will ask to say something admirable.

[04:55:28] City Manager Kimbra McCarthy: Yes, councilman McAllister, I was just going to ask who gave you those.

[04:55:33] Councilmember John McAlister: Um, The crayon hasn't dried yet, so we'll just figure it out. Next time I won't ask the city manager for her input. Good, um, 2 things. We had a meeting at the airport, land use commission, and we are talking about updating the San Jose comprehensive land use plan. That's for the San Jose airport. Um, so they're changing some things, um, in the physical infrastructure of the airport. And so the, um, Comprehensive land use plan, um, has we have an opportunity to update that based upon those changes. So we're talking about that. Um, and we also had a meeting at the Silicon Valley Regional Interopability Authority, um, and our executive director, um, is ready to retire for the 2nd or 3rd time. Um, because uh, she was the uh, police chief or, Um, Morgan Hill, maybe? Don't worry. Go away. Um, and, um, she was with uh, SVRI. For a while. Gosh, maybe a couple years. And so we were interviewing candidates for her replacement and she's been kind enough to say that she will stay until the new person is on board and has a little bit of time to bring them up to speed, which is really nice of her. Um, that's it. Thank you.

[04:57:07] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great, thank you. Nice snare. Great, thanks.

[04:57:12] Unknown Speaker: I just wanted to share that the council youth services subcommittee met earlier today. Um, discussing a youth mental health. So we should have another meeting. I think we're going to have before the 20 meeting on the 22nd and then hopefully be able to come back to council.

[04:57:33] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Thanks. Great. Thank you. Counselor Hicks.

[04:57:37] Councilmember Alison Hicks: So I wanted to announce one last time. Let me see if I can get it up so I have it accurately. The, uh, everybody in this meeting and in the public is invited to an upcoming symposium called Green Streets for Sustainable Communities will be this Thursday, September 10th, starting at 9 in the morning. Um, on day one, I'll speak about designing streets for people on day two. Um, John Bella from Gel Design, who we've, uh, who we've hired to, uh, work with our summer streets program and also, uh, with the interface between our train station and the underpass will be the keynote speaker. And on day 3, Kimber McCarthy will speak about rethinking city budgets in a post-COVID world. So, um, if you go, if you Google green streets for sustainable communities, you can sign up to attend the symposium.

[04:58:41] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Right, thank you. Anyone else? Reports? Anything from staff? Is there a closed session report, city attorney?

[04:58:52] City Attorney Krishan Chopra: There's no closed session report tonight.

[04:58:54] Mayor Margaret Abe-Koga: Great. Thank you. Uh, we actually do need to continue our closed session item number one. So, um, I will adjourn this regular meeting at 1124 and we will reconvene in closed session, um, on the other Zoom line. So, um, let's say in about 5 minutes, 1130. We will see you over there. Thank you everyone, everyone, and have a good evening. Our next council meeting will be held on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2020 at 5 PM. Thank you.

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