Housing and Human Services Commission

City of Sunnyvale Meeting Minutes - Final Housing and Human Services Commission Wednesday, March 25, 2015 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 7:07 p.m. SALUTE TO THE FLAG Chair Gilbert led the salute to the flag. ROLL CALL Present: 6 - Chair Diana Gilbert Vice Chair Younil Jeong Commissioner Dennis Chiu Commissioner Patti Evans Commissioner Chrichelle McCloud Commissioner Barbara Schmidt Absent: 1 - Commissioner Navpreet (Ruby) Sidhu Council Liaison Jim Davis (present) Commissioner Chrichelle McCloud arrived at 7:12 p.m. Commissioner Navpreet Sidhu (unexcused absence) PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENTS None. CONSENT CALENDAR 1.A 15-0232 Draft Minutes of the Housing and Human Services Commission Meeting of February 25, 2015 1.B 15-0350 Draft 2015 Master Work Plan Chair Gilbert asked if anyone wanted to pull any item from the consent calendar. No one did. City of Sunnyvale Page 1 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission Chair Gilbert asked for a motion. Commissioner Chiu moved, and Vice Chair Jeong seconded, to approve the consent calendar which was comprised of the Draft Minutes of the Housing and Human Services Commission meeting of February 25, 2015, and the Draft 2015 Master Work Plan. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 5 - Chair Gilbert Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner Schmidt No: 0 Absent: 2 - Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Sidhu PUBLIC COMMENTS None. PUBLIC HEARINGS/GENERAL BUSINESS 2. 15-0298 Evaluations and Funding Recommendations for FY 2015-16 Human Services Grants and CDBG/HOME Capital Project Loans Housing Officer Suzanne Isé gave a brief report explaining how the scoring committee evaluated and ranked the proposals received in response to the requests for proposals for human services and capital projects, following the criteria detailed in the Request for Proposals. She noted that staff received 22 human services proposals and 2 capital project proposals. She also reviewed staff's recommendations and alternatives. Ms. Isé noted that both proposals received for capital projects were recommended for funding; Sunnyvale Community Services for their full request and MidPen Housing for slightly less than their request, due to the limited amount of funding available. Ms. Isé then reviewed Scenarios A and B for both CDBG and General funds for the human services proposals. She explained that Project Sentinel was not City of Sunnyvale Page 2 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission recommended for CDBG funding, but it was funded through a budget supplement last year and may pursue that option this year as well. The commissioners asked for specific reasons why some of the agencies that were not recommended for funding ranked lower, although some have been previously funded or have previously applied for funding before. Housing Officer Isé explained that the scores and ranking reflected the quality of the proposal that they submitted, and that past performance is taken into account to some extent, but that is not the only scoring criteria. Chair Gilbert opened the public hearing at 7:52 p.m. The following speakers spoke during the public hearing. Those that previously received funding from the City, and were being recommended for funding again, thanked staff and urged the Commission to support staff's recommendation. 1. Jeff Webber, a representative of Abilities United's Adult Services program for individuals with mental and physical disabilities, submitted a speaker card but had to leave before the public hearing began. 2. Mary Johnson, Sunnyvale resident, spoke on behalf of the Live Oak Adult Day Services program. She explained that, although she also looked at using the Day Break Cares program in Sunnyvale, she chose to take her husband to Live Oak in Cupertino because it was a better fit for her and her husband. 3. Sujatha Venkatraman, West Valley Community Services, spoke about the Haven to Home program, which provides intensive case management for homeless individuals and homeless families. 4. Ronald Nathan, Senior Nutrition Program at First United Methodist Church, described his program which provides hot, nutritious lunches, yoga, live music, dancing, socialization, and educational opportunities for many low income seniors. 5. Pilar Furlong, Bill Wilson Center, described the Center's Family and Youth Counseling program for at-risk youth and their families. It receives referrals from other non-profits, police, parents and schools. 6. Zakia Afrin, Maitri Legal Advocacy program, thanked staff for offering to provide feedback on their proposal to provide immigration services accredited by the Department of Homeland Security to victims of domestic abuse. 7. Teresa Johnson, the Health Trust, described the Meals on Wheels program, which delivers meals and provides wellness checks to seniors and disabled adults who are homebound, and noted that Sunnyvale's funds leverage funding from other sources to provide additional assistance, such as pet food. 8. Marie Bernard, Sunnyvale Community Services, described the Year-Round Food program which provides each family an average of $300 worth of food every City of Sunnyvale Page 3 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission month and delivers food to 100 seniors every month. The CDBG funding is used to fill the gap to purchase the food that is not donated by the food bank, such as dry milk and protein-rich foods. 9. Colleen Budenholzer, InnVision Shelter Network, described InnVision's program to provide "Beyond the Bed" services which help individuals regain permanent housing and self-sufficiency through intensive case management, benefits assistance and job development. Sunnyvale's funding will help the agency staff additional beds in four different shelters. Each one serves distinct types of clients: single women with children; families; individuals in need of mental health services; and single men. 10. Kyra Kazantzis, Law Foundation, and Stephanie Rabiner, Project Sentinel, described their Fair Housing Services. Project Sentinel staff provides the investigation services, intake, and testing, and the Law Foundation gives recommendations regarding the investigation of housing discrimination claims and provides legal services ranging from advice and filing administrative complaints, to filing suit in court when needed. Chair Gilbert called for a 5 minute break. 11. Wanda Hale, Catholic Charities, described the Long Term Care Ombudsman program, a federal- and state-mandated program that serves 13 cities in Santa Clara County. They visit nearly 12,000 residents of long-term care facilities, such as nursing homes, assisted living facilities and board and care facilities. A majority of their time is spent investigating elder abuse. Ms. Hale thanked the City for its past support and noted that this program does not receive any funding from Catholic Charities, in response to an earlier question by a commissioner. 12. Anky Van Deursen, Project Sentinel Landlord Tenant Services, submitted a speaker card, but left before the public hearing. 13. Jeff Summerville, MidPen Housing, described the Crescent Terrace rehabilitation project. Crescent Terrace was built in 1985, it has 48 one-bedroom units, and houses very low-income seniors. Funding will be used to replace major building systems, upgrade living quarters, and improve sustainability. All windows, cabinets, and lighting systems will be replaced, and solar and highly efficient irrigation systems will be added. 14. Greg Pensinger, Downtown Streets Team, spoke about the WorkFirst Sunnyvale program and showed a brief video, "We'll Lift You Up", which features team members from Sunnyvale that have directly benefited from the WorkFirst Sunnyvale program. 15. Colleen Hudgen spoke on behalf of Live Oak Adult Day Services and asked that the Commission consider funding her proposal, which staff did not recomment City of Sunnyvale Page 4 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission funding. 16. Maritza Henry, Family and Children Services, described their counseling services for at-risk youth. She thanked staff for its recommendation, and asked the commissioners to consider a higher amount. She noted that the waiting list for service at the Columbia Neighborhood Center for their bilingual therapist keeps getting longer. She added that the decrease in funding compared to the prior year will make the youth and their families have to wait even longer for the counseling services that they need. 17. Vanessa Corona, Friends for Youth, described her Mentoring Services program for students of Columbia Middle School, and noted that 50% of the kids on their waiting list are from Sunnyvale. 18. Kathleen King, Healthier Kids Foundation, described their new VisionFirst Program. She asked the commissioners to reconsider staff's recommendation and encouraged them to fund her program. 19. Georgia Bacil, Senior Adults Legal Assistance (SALA), described their free legal services for seniors who are very low-income, at risk of abuse, isolation, or premature institutionalization. Services are provided at Sunnyvale Community Services, which provides a private meeting room for SALA consultations. Commissioner Chiu asked if any of the agencies that were not recommended for funding would be willing to accept a grant of just several thousand dollars. The Director of Live Oak Adult Day Services, Colleen Hudgen, said that she would accept it. The Director of Healhier Kids, Kathleen King, responded that the administrative workload that these grants place on both her staff and the City staff is not justified for such a small amount of funding, so regrettfully she would have to decline it. Other commissioners also acknowledged that the administrative burden was the main reason for establishing a $10,000 minimum for general fund grants and $25,000 for CDBG funds. Chair Gilbert closed the public hearing at 9:27 p.m. Chair Gilbert restated staff’s recommendation and the alternatives listed on the report, and asked for a motion. Commissioner Chiu moved and Commissioner Evans seconded to recommend Alternative 3, Scenario A for CDBG and General Funds, with a modification to decrease Friends for Youth to $10,000, and add a grant of $5,000 for Live Oak Adult Day Services. City of Sunnyvale Page 5 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission Commissioner Evans spoke to the motion, reminding all the commissioners why the $10,000 minimum was established, and noted that she was not comfortable supporting the motion, but had seconded to allow it to be discussed. She asked everyone to remain objective, and added that she understood how difficult it was to make these choices, but urged all the commissioners to stick to Scenario A as presented by staff. Commissioner McCloud offered a friendly amendment to reduce the Meals on Wheels grant to $15,000, and to reduce Family and Children Services grant to $10,000, and award the remaining $5,000 to Maitri. After further discussion by Commissioners, Commissioner Chiu accepted the friendly amendment, and Chair Gilbert restated the motion, which essentially resulted in Scenario B, but with no grant for Healthier Kids, and a $5,000 grant each for Live Oak and Maitri. The motion carried by the following vote: Yes: 4 - Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Chiu Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Schmidt No: 2 - Chair Gilbert Commissioner Evans Absent: 1 - Commissioner Sidhu Commissioner Evans and Chair Gilbert dissented because they did not agree with awarding grants of less than $10,000, which is the established minimum according to Council Policy. After a brief discussion, Chair Gilbert asked for a motion regarding the capital projects proposals. Commissioner Evans moved and Commissioner McCloud seconded to recommend Alternative 4: Recommend funding the capital project proposals in the amounts recommended by staff. The motion carried unanimously by the following vote: City of Sunnyvale Page 6 Housing and Human Services Meeting Minutes - Final March 25, 2015 Commission Yes: 6 - Chair Gilbert Vice Chair Jeong Commissioner Chiu Commissioner Evans Commissioner McCloud Commissioner Schmidt No: 0 Absent: 1 - Commissioner Sidhu NON-AGENDA ITEMS & COMMENTS -Commissioner Comments None. -Staff Comments Housing Officer Isé asked the Commissioners if they would consider holding the May meeting on the 20th rather than the 27th, to accommodate the proposed timeline for the hearings on the draft ordinances to implement the two new housing impact fees. After some brief discussion they all agreed that they could attend and were agreeable to changing the date. ADJOURNMENT Chair Gilbert adjourned the meeting at 10:08 p.m. City of Sunnyvale Page 7