Council Special Meeting

MINUTES CITY COUNCIL SPECIAL MEETING CITY OF MONTEREY Wednesday, March 29, 2017 4:00 p.m. FEW MEMORIAL HALL OF RECORDS, CITY HALL MONTEREY, CALIFORNIA Councilmembers Present: Councilmembers Barrett, Haffa, Smith, Roberson, Albert Absent: None City Staff City Manager, City Attorney, Director of Information Resources/City Clerk, Present: Assistant City Manager, Community Services Director, Finance Director, Acting Community Development Director, Housing & Property Manager, Principal Planner, HPM Administrative Analyst CALL TO ORDER Mayor Roberson called the meeting to order at 4:02 p.m. STUDY SESSION 1. Receive a Report and Presentation on the City's Housing Office Programs and Homeless Strategy (Not a Project under CEQA Article 20, Section 15378 and under General Rule Article 5, Section 15061) (Plans & Public Works - 207-01) Action: Received report City Manager McCarthy introduced newly appointed Acting Community Development Director Cole, and she introduced the report. Property & Housing Manager Marvin gave a brief overview and Housing Analyst Miller and presented the staff report. On question, Mr. Marvin explained the 'Citizen Participation Plan.' Councilmember Haffa suggested that the Monterey Bay Economic Partnership might be added to the plan. On question, Mr. Marvin presented additional details on Project Sentinel, saying that the organization provides tenant-landlord dispute mediation. Councilmember Smith asked for clarification regarding the projected funding, and Mr. Marvin reviewed the numbers, but said that it is not clear until Congress passes the budget. Mr. Smith commented that he would be interested in additional marketing on the programs that help keep seniors in their homes. Councilmember Albert complimented staff on the comprehensive plan, said that the video was very informative, and suggested finding additional ways to get that out on media. Mr. Marvin provided additional information on the Coalition of Service Providers and the Leadership Counsel that works to eliminate homelessness within ten years. Councilmember Barrett requested clarification regarding the statistics regarding poverty and Mr. Marvin said the numbers are from the American Community Survey. Mayor Roberson opened public comments on the item. Cathy Wilda, Fund for Homeless Women, asked how "Air bnb" impacts housing. She noted that there are 500 homeless women on the Peninsula. She said that the Coalition of Homeless Providers only involves agencies that receive HUD money. Elouise Shemm asked for additional information on what income level City Council Minutes Wednesday, March 29, 2017 constitutes affordable housing eligibility. She voiced concerns regarding privacy with regard to having to give personal information. Esther Malkin suggested that additional outreach is needed and suggested posting information on NextDoor and Facebook. Jeanette Hildebrandt said that she is homeless and some older HUD housing buildings could be reconfigured and upgraded to house more people. Linda Fredrickson, Monterey resident and volunteer at Gathering for Women, suggested that the televisions at the Sports Centers host ads for meetings like this. She reminded Council that her organization is working with the City to find housing. Dan Silverie, Silverie Properties, thanked the Council for their support of the housing project on Alvarado. He noted that there is a fabulous project in Moreno Valley and another one in the works, and they are not qualified to get the tax credits. He said cutbacks will make it even more difficult. He said that Salinas has housing that they provide for the working poor. He said that angel investors are needed in order to get more affordable housing and the City can help with zoning issues. Nancy Soule, Old Town Neighborhood Board Member, made suggestions regarding additional marketing for these meetings. She said that she hopes that the Historic District in Old Town remains intact after the new housing projects are done. She described "Project Match" where people are matched to become roommates in order to be able to afford a place to live. She described the San Jose Family shelter program that works well. With no further requests to speak, Mayor Roberson closed public comments. Property and Housing Manager Marvin addressed the questions. He noted that private information is necessary and is protected. Councilmember Barrett noted that various issues have interest groups associated with them, so it is challenging to do outreach to each group. He said that the website is a good source. Information Resources Director/City Clerk Gawf advised that people can subscribe to the City's Agendas and Minutes lists. Councilmember Haffa said that he is proud of what the Council and staff are doing to provide affordable housing, and there is still a lot of work to do. He noted that this is an extremely expensive place to live and there are a number of lower-paying jobs. He said that there has really not been an economic recovery. He said there might be some interest in housing sharing in a "project match" and the conversion of a warehouse into a shared living community is an interesting idea. Councilmember Smith reviewed the City's strategy listed in the agenda report and suggested that the regional approach should be identified as part of that strategy. He suggested replacing the fourth item to say, "Identification of Regional Strategies and Service focused toward non- governmental organizations." He said that non-government organizations do this work best. Councilmember Haffa said that there are a lot of gaps between the non-profit organizations that present a need for leadership. He agreed that it is a regional problem, not just Monterey. He wondered how the regional energy could be generated and how to engage peers. Councilmember Barrett said that he agreed with Dr. Haffa and Mr. Smith. He noted that the Council passed an Ordinance at the last meeting that opens a door to partner with non-profits. He noted the importance of community cohesion and helping people stay in their community. He thanked the speakers for coming forward and said that he would like to take another look at the statistics. Mayor Roberson said that Alliance on Aging used to match people to room together. He noted that there are a number of students in Monterey that presents an opportunity for sharing housing. 2 City Council Minutes Wednesday, March 29, 2017 ADJOURNMENT Mayor Roberson opened public comments on the closed session item, had no requests to speak, closed the floor and adjourned the meeting to closed session at 5:41 p.m. ANNOUNCEMENTS FROM CLOSED SESSION Information Resources Director/City Clerk Gawf announced that the City Council gave confidential direction to their legal counsel in a conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation on Turn Down the Lights v. City. Respectfully Submitted, Approved, Bonnie L. Gawf Clyde Roberson Director of Information Resources/City Clerk Mayor 3