HomeMy WebLinkAbout04-10-2024 SM Agenda PacketMayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino Page 1
CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
SPECIAL MEETING AGENDA
FOR THE
SPECIAL MEETING OF THE MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO,
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ACTING AS THE SUCCESSOR
AGENCY TO THE REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY, MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN
BERNARDINO ACTING AS THE SUCCESSOR HOUSING AGENCY TO THE REDEVELOPMENT
AGENCY, AND MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO ACTING AS THE
HOUSING AUTHORITY, AND MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
ACTING AS THE SAN BERNARDINO JOINT POWERS FINANCING AUTHORITY
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 10, 2024
2:00 PM CLOSED SESSION – OPEN SESSION TO FOLLOW IMMEDIATELY
FELDHEYM CENTRAL LIBRARY • SAN BERNARDINO, CA 92410 • WWW.SBCITY.ORG
Theodore Sanchez Helen Tran
Damon L. Alexander
COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 1 COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 7
MAYOR
Sandra Ibarra Charles A. Montoya
COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 2 CITY MANAGER
Juan Figueroa Sonia Carvalho
COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 3 CITY ATTORNEY
Fred Shorett Genoveva Rocha
MAYOR PRO TEM, WARD 4 CITY CLERK
Ben Reynoso
COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 5
Kimberly Calvin
COUNCIL MEMBER, WARD 6
Welcome to a meeting of the Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino.
PLEASE VIEW THE LAST PAGES OF THE AGENDA FOR PUBLIC COMMENT OPTIONS
OR CLICK ON THE FOLLOWING LINK https://tinyurl.com/mccpubliccomments
Please contact the City Clerk's Office (909) 3845002 two working days prior to the
meeting for any requests for reasonable accommodations
To view PowerPoint presentations, written comments, or any revised documents for
this meeting date, select the link https://tinyurl.com/agendabackup From the City's
homepage www.sbcity.org select the Government category > City Clerk > on the
Navigation menu select Search for Records Online > Council Agendas > Current Year
2023 > Meeting Date
Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino Page 2
CALL TO ORDER
Attendee Name
Council Member, Ward 1 Theodore Sanchez
Council Member, Ward 2 Sandra Ibarra
Council Member, Ward 3 Juan Figueroa
Mayor Pro Tem, Ward 4 Fred Shorett
Council Member, Ward 5 Ben Reynoso
Council Member, Ward 6 Kimberly Calvin
Council Member, Ward 7 Damon L Alexander
Mayor Helen Tran
City Manager Charles A. Montoya
City Attorney Sonia Carvalho
City Clerk Genoveva Rocha
2:00 P.M.
CLOSED SESSION PUBLIC COMMENT
CLOSED SESSION
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
Significant exposure to litigation (Pursuant to Government Code Section 54956.9(d)
(2)): Notice of Claim, Steve Carrigan, dated November 28, 2023, Claim No.
GHC0065668
B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
(POTENTIAL INITIATION OF LITIGATION) Government Code Section
54956.9(d)(4) (One Case)
INVOCATION AND PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE
CLOSED SESSION REPORT
PUBLIC COMMENTS FOR ITEMS LISTED ON THE AGENDA
DISCUSSION
1. Homeless Initiatives Update (All Wards)
ADJOURNMENT
The next joint regular meeting of the Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council
Acting as the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency will be held on April 17, 2024, at
the Feldheym Central Library located at 555 West 6th Street, San Bernardino, California 92401.
Closed Session will begin at 4:00 p.m., and Open Session will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino Page 3
CERTIFICATION OF POSTING AGENDA
I, Genoveva Rocha, CMC, City Clerk for the City of San Bernardino, California, hereby certify
that the agenda for the April 10, 2024 Special Closed Session and Special Meeting of the Mayor
and City Council and the Mayor and City Council acting as the Successor Agency to the
Redevelopment Agency was posted on the City's bulletin board located at 201 North "E" Street,
San Bernardino, California, at the Feldheym Central Library located at 555 West 6th Street,
San Bernardino, California, and on the City's website sbcity.org on April 9, 2024.
I declare under the penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.
Genoveva Rocha, CMC, City Clerk
Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino Page 4
NOTICE OF A SPECIAL MEETING OF THE
MAYOR AND CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN BERNARDINO
DATE: Tuesday, April 9, 2024
SUBJECT: Special Meeting on Wednesday, April 10, 2024
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the City Manager, with a consensus of the Mayor and
City Council of the City of San Bernardino, has called a Special Closed Session and
Special Meeting (Study Session) for Wednesday, April 10th, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. to be held
at the Feldheym Central Library, 555 West Sixth Street, San Bernardino 92401. Closed
Session will begin at 2:00 p.m., and the Study Session will immediately follow.
Said meeting shall be for the purpose of considering the following:
CLOSED SESSION
A. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
Significant exposure to litigation (Pursuant to Government Code Section
54956.9(d)(2)): Notice of Claim, Steve Carrigan, dated November 28, 2023, Claim No.
GHC0065668
B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION (POTENTIAL INITIATION OF LITIGATION)
Government Code Section 54956.9(d)(4) (One Case)
DISCUSSION
TO REVIEW PRESENTATION, DISCUSS & PROVIDE FEEDBACK
1. Homeless Initiatives Update
Notice of this Special Meeting is furnished to the Mayor, each member of the City Council,
City Staff, and community members on the agenda notification list, and the newspapers
within the City of San Bernardino.
To be added to the distribution list, please email sbcityclerk@sbcity.org
ADJOURNMENT
The next Regular Meeting of the Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council Acting as the
Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency will be held on April 17, 2024, at the Feldheym
Central Library, 555 West Sixth Street, San Bernardino 92401. Closed Session will begin at 4:00
p.m. and the Open Session will begin at 5:00 p.m.
Genoveva Rocha, CMC, City Clerk
Mayor and City Council of the City of San Bernardino Page 5
NOTICE: Any member of the public may address this meeting of the Mayor and City Council and
the Mayor and City Council Acting as the Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency on
any item appearing on the agenda by approaching the microphone in the Council Chamber when
the item about which the member desires to speak is called and by asking to be recognized.
Speakers who wish to present documents to the governing body may hand the documents to the
City Clerk at the time the request to speak is made.
The Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council Acting as the Successor Agency to
the Redevelopment Agency may refer any item raised by the public to staff, or to any
commission, board, bureau, or committee for appropriate action or have the item placed on the
next agenda of the Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council Acting as the
Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency. However, no other action shall be taken nor
discussion held by the Mayor and City Council and the Mayor and City Council Acting as the
Successor Agency to the Redevelopment Agency on any item which does not appear on the
agenda unless the action is otherwise authorized in accordance with the provisions of subdivision
(b) of Section 54954.2 of the Government Code.
ALTERNATE MEETING VIEWING METHOD:
You may view the meeting from the following location if there are any technical issues with the live
stream or recording from the main agenda portal or if you require an option with Closed
Captioning.
https://reflectsanbernardino.cablecast.tv/CablecastPublicSite/watch/1?channel=6
PUBLIC COMMENT OPTIONS
Please use ONE of the following options to provide a public comment:
1) Written comments can be emailed to publiccomments@sbcity.org. Written public comments
received up to 12:30 p.m. on the day of the meeting (or otherwise indicated on the agenda) will
be provided to the Mayor and City council and made part of the meeting record. They will not be
read aloud unless you require an ADA accommodation.
Please note: messages submitted via email and this page are only monitored from the publication
of the final agenda until the deadline to submit public comments. Please contact the City Clerk at
9093845002 or SBCityClerk@sbcity.org for assistance outside of this timeframe.
2) Attend the meeting in person and fill out a speaker slip. Please note that the meeting Chair
decides the cutoff time for public comment, and the time may vary per meeting. If you wish to
submit your speaker slip in advance of the meeting, please submit your request to speak using
the form on the following page: https://sbcity.tinyurl.com/mccpubliccomments.
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CLOSED SESSION
City of San Bernardino
Request for Council Action
Date:April 10, 2024
To:Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
From:Sonia Carvalho, City Attorney
Department:City Attorney's Office
Subject:CLOSED SESSION
Recommendation:
A.CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
Significant exposure to litigation (Pursuant to Government Code Section
54956.9(d)(2)): Notice of Claim, Steve Carrigan, dated November 28, 2023,
Claim No. GHC0065668
B. CONFERENCE WITH LEGAL COUNSEL – ANTICIPATED LITIGATION
(POTENTIAL INITIATION OF LITIGATION) Government Code Section
54956.9(d)(4)
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DISCUSSION
City of San Bernardino
Study Session Meeting
Informational Report
Date:April 10, 2024
From:Charles A. Montoya, City Manager
Department:City Manager's Office
Subject:Homeless Initiatives Update (All Wards)
Executive Summary
The City’s response to addressing homelessness consists of both short-term and long-
term strategies. In the long-term plan, a permanent navigation center named the San
Bernardino Homeless Outreach Education and Prevention Campus (HOPE Campus)
will be constructed, offering 200 beds and a range of services to connect unhoused
individuals with housing and programs. The HOPE Campus is currently on track to
begin construction in November of 2024, with completion estimated to be July 31, 2025.
During this timeframe, the City will utilize motel vouchers as a short-term, temporary
solution of providing shelter. The City's ongoing efforts include homeless outreach
services provided by Hope the Mission (HTM) and a mobile shower and laundry service
program through Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino County (CAPSBC).
These initiatives aim to stabilize the unhoused population while efforts continue towards
permanent housing solutions.
Background
The State of California is currently experiencing a homelessness crisis, where it accounts
for 28 percent of all people experiencing homelessness nationwide and 49 percent of all
people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. One of the causes is the cost housing,
where prices have risen over 100% over a ten-year period. Compounding this issue is a
decline in affordable housing availability, insufficient affordable housing vouchers, and a
rising disparity in wages vs cost of living. Further exasperating the issue are increases in
mental illness and substance abuse, which have risen by approximately 38% over the
last 5 years in California according to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
During the period of 2017 to 2023, homelessness has grown 175% in the City of San
Bernardino, where 40% of the County’s homeless resides within City limits. To address
this growing crisis, the Mayor and City Council adopted a Resolution declaring a
Homelessness State of Emergency on February 1, 2023. Following the declaration, the
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Mayor and City Council adopted the Homelessness State of Emergency Implementation
Plan on May 17, 2023, which outlined a series of steps and measures that the City would
explore. This included expanding shelter bed capacity through various projects and
partnerships, as well as establishing or expanding homelessness-related services, such
as an outreach team and a mobile shower and laundry program.
Legal Landscape
The manner in which the City responds to the homelessness crisis is governed by the
legal precedents established by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals (“Court”) in the Martin v.
City of Boise (“Martin”) and Johnson v. City of Grants Pass (“Grants Pass”) cases. As a
result of these rulings, the City cannot enforce anti-camping ordinances without providing
adequate shelter nor can the City prohibit the homeless from using measures to keep
themselves warm while they are exposed to the elements. Furthermore, for the purposes
of enforcing an anti-camping ordinance, the City cannot direct homeless individuals to
shelters that mandate a religious-based treatment program. In its ruling, the Court did
clarify that: 1) their holding does not cover individuals who do have access to adequate
temporary shelter; 2) even where shelter is unavailable, an ordinance prohibiting sitting,
lying, or sleeping outside at particular times or in particular locations might well be
constitutionally permissible; and 3) an ordinance barring the obstruction of public rights
of way or the erection of certain structures may also be constitutionally permissible. The
Court did not, however, provide a specific definition for what constitutes “adequate
temporary shelter,” nor did they provide a specific outline on how to structure an anti-
camping ordinance to be constitutionally permissible.
To help fill in the unanswered questions from the Martin and Grants Pass cases, the City
uses various legal settlements as guidelines in how it approaches and navigates its
response to the homelessness issue. It is important to note that legal settlements are not
legal precedent, and they are only binding for the specific parties of the lawsuit; these
settlements only serve as guidelines for the City to reduce its legal risk. The settlements
agreements that involve the City and County of Los Angeles currently serves as guidance
for the City of San Bernardino. Under these settlements, the City and County of Los
Angeles must provide shelter beds for 60% of its unsheltered population, as well as case
management, warp-around services, and supportive services. Per the settlement
agreement, shelters may be government or privately funded, and can include, “tiny
homes, shared housing, purchased or master-leased apartments, hotels/motels, or other
buildings…”
Staff Analysis
As a response to the homelessness crisis, the City has developed a long-term plan that
includes the construction of a permanent, City-owned navigation center and the
implementation of ongoing services. Additionally, the City is working with community
partners to bring additional emergency shelters online. Through this long-term plan, the
City will be able to help stabilize its unhoused population and put them on a path towards
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permanent housing. Additionally, this will allow the City to enforce an anti-camping
ordinance, which will need to be in alignment with recent court rulings.
In the interim period, the City has also established a short-term strategy that includes a
motel voucher program and the implementation of encampment clean-ups. It is important
to note that these programs are currently on pause due to a preliminary injunction against
the City regarding its encampment clean-up operations. The reason the Motel Voucher
Program is also being paused is because the City is aligning this program to coincide with
the encampment clean-ups, as it provides a place of temporary re-location during the
clean-up process. Once the injunction is lifted, the City will resume these programs to
help improve the health and safety of the City’s public spaces.
Long Term Plan
The City’s navigation center, called the San Bernardino Homeless Outreach Education
and Prevention Campus (“HOPE Campus” or “Navigation Center”), serves as the
cornerstone of the City’s long-term plan. The HOPE Campus will provide 200 beds and
offer interim housing, recuperative care, and comprehensive onsite services that will
connect the City’s unsheltered population to a wide range of programs, services, and
housing.
For the design and construction of the HOPE Campus, the City is using the design-build
process to select a qualified developer. The first step of this process was the release of
a Request for Qualification (RFQ), which occurred on January 3, 2024. The purpose of
an RFQ is to establish a short list of qualified firms by evaluating their expertise and
experience as it relates to the project. The second step of the design-build process was
the release of a Request for Proposals (RFP) to the qualified firms, which occurred on
March 18, 2024. Through the RFP, the qualified firms will submit their proposals for both
the design and construction of the HOPE Campus, which will be awarded on a “Best
Value” basis rather than “Lowest Bid.”
The proposals for the HOPE Campus are due May 13, 2024, and as part of the evaluation
process, the City will conduct a series of panel interviews with the firms that submit
proposals. The City anticipates bringing a recommendation for the Mayor and Council’s
approval at the June 5, 2024, Mayor and City Council Meeting. If approved, the City
estimates that the design will be completed by October 30, 2024, and construction will be
completed by July 31, 2025.
The City is also a partner with Lutheran Social Services of Southern California (LSSSC)
on the San Bernardino Community Wellness Center (Community Wellness Center), which
will consist of 140 interim housing units and an onsite federally qualified health clinic,
where case management, behavioral health treatment, and other services will be
provided. On December 9, 2023, the City and LSSSC were awarded a $35 million
Homekey grant award for this project, and City staff have been holding weekly
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coordination meetings with LSSSC to ensure that it remains on schedule. A
groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled on April 15, 2024, and the interim housing
units will be completed in December of 2024. LSSSC anticipates full project completion
by the end of March 2025.
Short Term Strategy
The City’s Motel Voucher Program serves as a temporary, short-term measure to help
address the City’s homelessness crisis while the Navigation Center is under construction.
The program was approved by the Mayor and City Council on December 6, 2023, and is
aligned to operate alongside the encampment clean-up operations. The Motel Voucher
Program serves as a way for the City to temporarily re-locate homeless individuals in
order to help facilitate the clean-up efforts, while also connecting them to local non-profit
agencies so that case management services can be provided. Staff previously examined
several alternative interim shelter options; however, their costs and timeframes made
them non-viable for an interim solution.
Currently, the City has agreements with four (4) local motels, all of which were selected
through the RFP process and approved by the Mayor and City Council. All four (4) motels
are in good standing with the City, as there are no outstanding business license or code
enforcement issues associated with the properties. In total, 201 beds are available, and
the program is funded through state and federal funds; there is no General Fund impact
associated with the program. The Motel Voucher Program is currently on pause as a
result of the preliminary injunction against the City’s encampment clean-up efforts.
Ongoing Programs
The City currently provides homeless outreach services through Hope the Mission (HTM),
a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. The homeless outreach team was approved by the
Mayor and City Council on May 17, 2023, and outreach services commenced in June
2023. During that time, HTM has enrolled 184 individuals in case management programs,
and have successfully placed 65 in shelters, substances use services, and/or permanent
housing. Once the Motel Voucher Program is resumed, HTM will also assist in providing
referrals to the Motel Voucher Program and will coordinate with service providers such as
the Pair Team and California University of Science and Medicine to provide wraparound
medical and behavioral care on-site.
In addition to the homeless outreach team, the City also provides a mobile shower and
laundry service program through Community Action Partnership of San Bernardino
County (CAPSBC). The program was approved by the Mayor and City Council on May
17, 2023, and utilizes a 28-foot-long mobile unit that is equipped with three (3) full-service
restrooms, two (2) washers, and (2) dryers. While the mobile shower unit can relocate
as needed to different areas of the City, it requires a connection to the City’s water supply
in order to operate. The mobile shower unit visits multiple sites every month as part of its
standard rotation, which includes the following locations:
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•Benjamin Jones Resource Center
Seccombe Lake Recreation Area
160 W. 5th Street, San Bernardino
•Family Assistance Program
323 7th Street, San Bernardino
•San Bernardino Valley College
701 Mt. Vernon Ave, San Bernardino
The mobile shower unit has also been deployed for special events, such as the Veterans
Standdown and Homeless Resource Event held at Perris Hill Park in October 2023.
Next Steps + Timeline
The table below provides the timeline for the design and construction of the HOPE
Campus / Navigation Center:
Navigation Center Construction Timeline
May 13, 2024 Request for Proposals Due
June 5, 2024 Contract Award Date
October 20, 2024 Design Completion
July 31, 2025 Construction Completion
Future Fiscal Impact
There is no immediate General Fund impact associated with the Navigation Center, Motel
Voucher Program, Homeless Outreach Team, or Mobile Shower Program. These
programs and projects are currently funded through State and Federal funds. Beginning
fiscal year 2026/2027, there will be an annual General Fund impact of $2 million to help
sustain homelessness-related services, which was authorized by the Mayor and City
Council on October 4, 2023.
2021-2025 Strategic Targets and Goals
The Homelessness Initiatives update relates to Key Target No 3: Improved Quality of
Life.
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