Housing and Human Services Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Housing and Human Services Commission Wednesday, October 22, 2014 7:00 PM West Conference Room, City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave., Sunnyvale, CA 94086 CALL TO ORDER Chair Gilbert called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG ROLL CALL Present: 5 - Chair Diana Gilbert Commissioner Dennis Chiu Commissioner Patti Evans Commissioner Chrichelle McCloud Commissioner Barbara Schmidt Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Younil Jeong Commissioner Navpreet (Ruby) Sidhu Council Liaison Tara Martin-Milius (present) Vice Chair Jeong (excused absence) Commissioner Sidhu (excused absence) Commissioner McCloud arrived at 7:10 p.m. Chair Gilbert noted that agenda item 4 was being moved ahead of items 2 and 3, as a courtesy to the attendees present for that item. No one objected. PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1.A 14-0978 Draft Minutes of the Housing and Human Services Commission Meeting of September 24, 2014. Chair Gilbert stated that she had contacted staff to request corrections to the titles of officers listed in the draft minutes. Staff provided a corrected set of minutes prior to the meeting. City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final October 22, 2014 Commission Commissioner Evans moved and Commissioner Chiu seconded the motion to approve the consent calendar comprised of the Draft Minutes of the Housing and Human Services Commission meeting of September 24, 2014 as amended. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Chair Gilbert Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner Schmidt No: 0 Absent: 3 - Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Sidhu PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2 14-0788 Consideration of Housing Mitigation Fee Nexus Study Findings and Alternatives This item was heard after agenda item 4. Housing Officer Suzanne Isé gave a summary of the report and noted that the Housing Mitigation fee has been in place since 1983, was added to the Municipal Code in 2003, and was indexed to inflation by Council action in 2008. This fee generates the largest amount of revenue for the City's affordable housing programs. However, the fee rate has not significantly increased since the inception of the program. She also noted that one of the unique aspects of Sunnyvale’s Housing Mitigation fee is that it only applies to new development projects in industrial zones of the City. The goal of the nexus study is to determine an appropriate fee rate based on the amount of housing need generated by new job-creating developments, and how it might be applied more broadly to other commercial zones. Chair Gilbert opened the public hearing at 8:05 p.m. Councilmember Martin-Milius asked how the fee would be applied to mixed used projects. Staff explained that the current study does not get into that level of detail, however that is the type of detail that would be addressed in an ordinance City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final October 22, 2014 Commission implementing changes to the fee. Staff would most likely recommend taking a pro-rata approach based on the percentage of space dedicated to each use type in the structure, such as office or retail. Chair Gilbert closed the public hearing at 8:07 p.m. After additional discussion and clarifying questions of staff, Chair Gilbert asked for a motion. Commissioner Chiu moved and Commissioner McCloud seconded the motion to approve Alternatives 1, 2, and 4: Recommend that Council expand the Housing Mitigation Fee to all net new square footage of all non-residential development projects, in any zone; recommend that Council consider adopting a fee of $12 per square foot for office/industrial projects ($6 per square foot for first 25,000 square feet), and $6 per square foot for retail and lodging projects, both based on net increase in square footage and adjusted annually for inflation as part of the annual fee schedule adoption; and recommend that Council have the new fee apply to projects where a complete planning application is submitted after the effective date of the fee. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Gilbert Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Schmidt No: 0 Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Sidhu 3 14-0789 Determine Priority Needs for Human Services for Fiscal Years 2015-16 and 2016-17 and Supplemental Funding Amount for Fiscal Year 2015-16 Housing Officer Suzanne Isé gave an overview of the report and explained that this item is heard every other year per Council Policy. It provides an opportunity for the public, the Commission and Council to consider the pressing needs in the community for different types of human services at the time. The list of priority needs determined through these hearings are incorporated into the Request for Proposals for CDBG funding which staff will release this winter. The current priority needs list was developed in 2010 as part of the 2010-2015 Consolidated Plan development. City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final October 22, 2014 Commission The actions the Commission is being asked to consider at this time include: review the current list of priority needs and reaffirm it or modify it in any way; consider and make a recommendation to Council regarding the current supplemental funding amount for next year; and consider increasing the minimum CDBG grant amount to $25,000 to reduce the risk to the City of potential non-compliance by its sub-recipients. Chair Gilbert opened the public hearing at 8:34 p.m. The following agencies submitted comment letters prior to the meeting: Abilities United, Senior Adults Legal Assistance, Family and Children Services, and Catholic Charities Ombudsman Program. The comment letters noted an increased need for the services provided by these agencies to the City's most vulnerable residents, including: people with physical and developmental challenges; seniors at risk of abuse, isolation or institutionalization; at-risk and very low income youth and their families; and residents of nursing homes and care facilities. The letters expressed support for the provision of $100,000 in supplemental funding for human services for next year. All the letters expressed gratitude to the City for current and past support of these programs. The following representatives attended and spoke on behalf of their agencies: Senior Adults Legal Assistance’s Staff Attorney Beatriz Lopez; Bill Wilson’s Director of Development Pilar Furlong; Sunnyvale Community Services’ Executive Director Marie Bernard; and West Valley Community Services’ Executive Director Naomi Nakano-Matsumoto. The speakers expressed gratitude for the City's continued support and several noted their support for staff's recommendations. They also noted the increased need for their services for seniors, individuals and families who are homeless or at risk of homeslessness, and at-risk youth and their families, and also noted that high housing costs contribute to the increased number of clients needing services. Chair Gilbert closed the public hearing at 9:01 p.m. After some discussion and questions of staff, Chair Gilbert asked for a motion. Commissioner Evans moved and Commissioner Chiu seconded the motion to City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final October 22, 2014 Commission approve Alternative 1, a modified version of Alternative 3, and Alternative 4, as follows: Recommend to Council the list of priority needs as shown above, excerpted from the ConPlan; recommend that Council determine a supplemental funding amount of $115,000, to be adjusted annually by increases in the Consumer Price Index, for human services grants; and recommend that Council modify the Human Services Policy to increase the minimum grant limit, only for applicants seeking CDBG funds, to $25,000, and retain the current maximum grant limit of 25% of total human services funding available. The minimum grant limit for applicants seeking General funds only would remain at $10,000. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Gilbert Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Schmidt No: 0 Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Sidhu 4 14-0881 Recommend Approval of Assignment and Assumption and Modification Agreements between Senior Housing Solutions, Sunnyvale Senior Homes LLC, an affiliate of Charities Housing, and the City of Sunnyvale Regarding Transfer of 1230 Klee Court and 1675 S. Wolfe Road in Sunnyvale This item was heard right after the Consent Calendar and before agenda items 2 and 3. Housing Officer Suzanne Isé explained that the report is regarding the transfer of two senior group homes from Senior Housing Solutions (SHS) to Charities Housing. in 2013, SHS determined that it was no longer able to operate with its current funding model, and had to dissolve as a non-profit agency and transfer all of its properties to another agency. Staff has been working with SHS and the staff of several other cities and the county for nearly two years to develop solutions to this situation and plan for a smooth transition of the homes. Staff's main concern in looking for a solution was to allow the senior residents to remain in the homes with minimal disruptions. Any other solution, such as selling or foreclosing on the homes, would most likely result in the cities having to relocate the current tenants, which would be very difficult and costly. She introduced the agency which was the City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final October 22, 2014 Commission only one interested in assuming responsibility for the homes, Charities Housing, and was approved by all of the participating jurisdictions to take over the homes. A representative from Charities Housing, Vianey Nava, was present to answer questions. Chair Gilbert opened the public hearing at 7:29 p.m. Chair Gilbert closed the public hearing at 7:30 p.m. Commissioner Chiu moved and Commissioner Schmidt seconded the motion to approve Alternative 1: Recommend the Council Approve the Assignment and Assumption Agreements as presented in Attachments 2 and 3. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Chair Gilbert Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner Schmidt No: 1 - Commissioner McCloud Absent: 2 - Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Sidhu Commissioner McCloud dissented because she did not agree with the terms of the transfer due to concerns about the agencies' equity in the homes. NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments None. -Staff Comments None. ADJOURNMENT Chair Gilbert adjourned the meeting at 9:15 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 6