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HomeMy WebLinkAbout05 - Restructuring of the Homeless Task ForceQ SEW Pp�T CITY OF z NEWPORT BEACH c�<,FORN'P City Council Staff Report November 19, 2018 Agenda Item No. 5 TO: HONORABLE MAYOR AND MEMBERS OF THE CITY COUNCIL FROM: Grace K. Leung, City Manager - 949-644-3001, gleung@newportbeachca.gov PREPARED BY: Carol Jacobs, Assistant City Manager, cjacobs@newportbeachca.gov PHONE: 949-644-3313 TITLE: Resolution No. 2019-100: Restructuring of the Homeless Task Force ABSTRACT: The Homeless Task Force (HTF) was created in March of 2019 to help the City Council and staff address the issues surrounding homelessness. Since that time, the Task Force has provided important public input on a variety of complex issues including housing, public education, regional coordination, and public and private partnerships. On November 12, 2019, the HTF Members recommended that the HTF be re -constituted as an Ad Hoc Committee of the City Council to provide greater public participation directly with Council Members on the HTF and to allow the HTF to make recommendations to the entire City Council in a more expedited and efficient manner. RECOMMENDATION: a) Determine this action is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) and 15060(c)(3) of the CEQA Guidelines because this action will not result in a physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly; and b) Approve Resolution 2019-100, A Resolution of the City Council of the City of Newport Beach, California, Reconstituting the Character, Membership and Purpose of the Newport Beach Homeless Task Force. FUNDING REQUIREMENTS: There is no fiscal impact related to this item. DISCUSSION: Since the initiation of the Homeless Task Force (HTF), the HTF has created a number of subcommittees to focus more on the specific tasks to address homelessness. The HTF subcommittees include: Housing Options and Financing, Data Collection and Accuracy, Mental Health and Substance Abuse and Education and Public Relations. A prior HTF subcommittee also focused on the OCTA bus depot. 5-1 Resolution No. 2019-100: Restructuring of the Homeless Task Force November 19, 2018 Page 2 Each of these subcommittees have worked diligently to gather data and support each other and the City Council. However, the HTF has discovered over the past several months that meeting monthly as a full HTF delays the sharing of information to both the community and the City Council. At its November 12, 2019 meeting, the members of the HTF recommended that the HTF be changed from a Task Force that includes both community members and the City Council to a City Council Ad Hoc Committee. This will allow the new Ad Hoc Committee to move quickly and address the City Council every two weeks if needed. As reconstituted, the purpose and responsibility of the Ad Hoc Committee will be to analyze issues related to people experiencing homelessness and return to the City Council with a recommendation regarding the following: 1. What are the best options for housing those persons experiencing homelessness including, but not limited to, temporary shelter and/or permanent supportive housing opportunities? 2. How should the City conduct public outreach and education regarding issues related to people experiencing homelessness? 3. What are the best options for the City to coordinate with other governmental agencies to address homelessness? 4. What are the best options for the City to establish public/private partnerships to address homelessness? The Ad Hoc Committee will continue to seek public input and participation on a regular basis and is expected to meet monthly. Furthermore, current citizen members of the HTF have given their assurance that their expertise will be fully available to the Ad Hoc Committee, for which the members of the proposed Ad Hoc Committee remain grateful. ENVIRONMENTAL REVIEW: Staff recommends the City Council find this action is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. NOTICING: The agenda item has been noticed according to the Brown Act (72 hours in advance of the meeting at which the City Council considers the item). ATTACHMENT: Attachment A — Resolution No. 2019-100 5-2 ATTACHMENT A RESOLUTION NO. 2019100 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF NEWPORT BEACH, CALIFORNIA, RECONSTITUTING THE CHARACTER, MEMBERSHIP AND PURPOSE OF THE NEWPORT BEACH HOMELESS TASK FORCE WHEREAS, on March 26, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019- 25, establishing a City Council/Citizens' Committee known as the Newport Beach Homeless Task Force ("Committee") to study the impacts of homelessness on the City of Newport Beach ("City") and develop solutions to end homelessness; WHEREAS, on May 14, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-42, increasing the membership of the Committee to three (3) councilmembers and seven (7) residents; WHEREAS, on September 14, 2019, the City Council adopted Resolution No. 2019-85, declaring a shelter crisis pursuant to Senate Bill 850 (Chapter 48, Statutes of 2018 and Government Code Section 8698.2); and WHEREAS, given how quickly issues are developing related to the homeless crisis, on November 12, 2019, the Committee recommended that the City Council reconstitute the character, membership, and purpose of the Committee to provide greater public participation directly with Council Members on the Committee and to allow the Committee to make recommendations to the entire City Council in a more expedited and efficient manner. NOW, THEREFORE, the City Council of the City of Newport Beach resolves as follows: Section 1: The Committee shall be comprised of three (3) councilmembers. Mayor Pro Tem O'Neill, Council Member Avery and Council Member Brenner shall continue to serve as members of the Committee. The term of the appointed members of the Committee shall be indefinite pending City Council action or expiration of the Committee as set forth in this resolution. The seven (7) residents previously appointed to the Committee shall no longer be members of the Committee; however, the City Council is grateful for the invaluable insight they have provided related to people experiencing homelessness. Section 2: The sole purpose and responsibility of the Committee shall be to analyze issues related to people experiencing homelessness and return to the City Council with a recommendation regarding the following: 5-3 Resolution No. 2019 - Page 2 of 3 A. What are the best options for housing those persons experiencing homelessness including, but not limited to, temporary shelter and/or permanent supportive housing opportunities? B. How should the City conduct public outreach and education regarding issues related to people experiencing homelessness? C. What are the best options for the City to coordinate with other governmental agencies to address homelessness? D. What are the best options for the City to establish public/private partnerships to address homelessness? Section 3: The Committee shall continue to function as an ad hoc committee and shall not be subject to the Brown Act. The City Council encourages the Committee to hold regular public meetings to solicit input on issues related to homelessness and the issues that will affect the recommendations to be made to the entire City Council. Section 4: The Task Force shall expire upon making its recommendations to the entire City Council, at a noticed public meeting of the City Council, or December 31, 2020, whichever is sooner. Section 5: The City Council hereby repeals Resolution No. 2019-42. Section 6: If any section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution is for any reason held to be invalid or unconstitutional, such decision shall not affect the validity or constitutionality of the remaining portions of this resolution. The City Council hereby declares that it would have passed this resolution and each section, subsection, sentence, clause or phrase hereof, irrespective of the fact that any one or more sections, subsections, sentences, clauses or phrases be declared invalid or unconstitutional. Section 7: The recitals provided in this resolution are true and correct and are incorporated into the substantive portion of this resolution. Section 8: The City Council finds the adoption of this resolution is not subject to the California Environmental Quality Act ("CEQA") pursuant to Sections 15060(c)(2) (the activity will not result in a direct or reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment) and 15060(c)(3) (the activity is not a project as defined in Section 15378) of the CEQA Guidelines, California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Division 6, Chapter 3, because it has no potential for resulting in physical change to the environment, directly or indirectly. 5-4 Resolution No. 2019 - Page 3 of 3 Section 9: This resolution shall take effect immediately upon its adoption by the City Council, and the City Clerk shall certify the vote adopting this resolution. ADOPTED this 19th day of November 2019. Diane B. Dixon Mayor ATTEST: Leilani I. Brown City Clerk APPROVED AS TO FORM: CITY TTORNEY'S OFFICE C. - Aaron C. Harp City Attorney 5-5