Ashland Housing and Human Services Commission

Minutes November 17, 2016

CALL TO ORDER

Chair Boettiger called the meeting to order at 4:30 pm in the Siskiyou Room at the Community Development and Engineering Offices located at 51 Winburn Way, Ashland OR 97520.

APPROVAL OF MINUTES

Rohde/Parker m/s to approve the minutes of the October 27, 2016 Housing and Human Services Commission meeting with one correction.  Voice Vote: All Ayes, minutes were approved as amended.

Parker made a correction to the September 22, 2016 Housing and Human Services Commission regular meeting minutes.  Harris/Crader m/s to approve the correction to the September 22, 2016 Housing and Human Services Commission regular meeting. Voice Vote:  All Ayes, minutes were approved as amended. 

PUBLIC FORUM

John Wieczorek, Board Chair for Options for Homeless Residences of Ashland, and Montye Male spoke on the possibility of this Commission issuing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the Housing Trust Fund monies.  Both Mr. Wieczorek and Ms. Male encouraged the Commission to work with the City Council in order to issue an Request For Proposal to access the affordable housing Trust Fund.  This would allow organizations to apply for grants in order to address the affordable housing problem in Ashland.  Even if it were just for rental assistance this would help keep people in their houses and go a long way stated Ms. Male.   

It was recommended to put this topic on the next month’s agenda which will be the H &HS Commission retreat.  Reid explained that the affordable housing trust fund was designed to run in conjunction with the Community Development Block Grant RFP. 

DEBRIEF ON JOINT PLANNING/HOUSING AND HUMAN SERVICES MEETING

The Commissioners who attended the joint meeting gave an overview of what they took away from that meeting.  Commissioner Buechele remarked the meeting was very helpful acknowledging he especially like reviewing the report from Guy Tauer, the Regional Economist from the Employment Department.  Linley also said how much she learned from that report.  She appreciated the breakdown of the demographics in the Rogue Valley including the income levels in Ashland.  Rohde said the best thing the meeting accomplished was a good working relationship with the Planning Commission.  The Planning Commission seemed very positive about the issues addressed by this Commission, i.e.; Tiny houses and Accessory Residential Units. 

SOCIAL SERVICE GRANT APPLICATION DISCUSSION

Reid gave an overview of the process for the Social Service Grants.  Reid reminded the Commission that after the last grant process this group made some suggested changes to that process.  Reid has met with Jan Sanderson-Taylor from the United Way.  Generally the Social Service Grant application is a joint application with United Way and the City of Medford.  In prior years that application has been the same for all three organizations.  This Commission determined it was not necessary any longer to include all the information on the application and suggested omitting the logic model and the request for financial information. If we need financial information from the applicant we can request it but it would not be on the application suggested Reid.  The Commission would like to continue to coordinate with United Way which is beneficial for the applicant but make the process simpler.  

Reid explained that these grant monies are only for social service activities and they are tied to a strategic plan that this Commission drafted that includes four areas of priorities.  The applicant must address one of those four areas of priorities or we cannot consider funding their application, stated Reid. The Commissioners will discuss this process further at their December retreat.

JOHN TYLER PRESENTATION

John Tyler explained that a group of men in the community would like to begin a food service at the Pioneer Hall located at 73 Winburn Way. Tentatively they are thinking Thursday might be the best day to offer the service but are open to suggestions.  The plan is for two men to arrive at the center at 9:30 am and open at 10:00 am to anyone who might need help also providing coffee and snacks.  At 11:30 two more men would arrive and overlap until 12:00 at which time serve some sort of hot meal, soup, chili, stews etc. with bread.  They plan to close at 2:00 and leave by 2:30. They are considering offering this service on a seasonal basis from December to March.  Mr. Tyler inquired what the process would be for this group of men to make this plan happen. 

The Commissioners explained that ultimately this is a Parks Department decision but a recommendation from this Commission would go a long way to establish a relationship.  It was suggested to Mr. Tyler to check availability with the Parks Department.  Currently evening meals are offered in the community on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays but a noon time meal is needed any day of the week.  The Commissioners agreed this is a great idea and much needed service.   

Buechele/Harris m/s that the Housing and Human Services Commission is in support of the men’s group to provide a meal and warming shelter in the middle of the day one day a week.  Voice Vote:  all ayes, motion passed.

LIAISON REPORTS DISCUSSION

Porta Potty Sub-committee update – Harris reported that she has not yet heard back from Parks Director Michael Black.  She did meet with Michael Morrison from Public Works and came up with three possibilities of where to place a porta potty;

1. The intersection of the bike path and Tolman Creek Rd by the Goodwill
2. Mountain View Cemetery
3. Downtown area by the railroad park

Mr. Morrison informed Harris that the Porta Potty that is currently located in the parking lot at the Community Development Building at 51 Winburn Way has turned out to cost the City far more money that was put in the budget.  It gets very heavily used not just by homeless and transients but also by visitors and theater people.  The Commission inquired about the possibility of the public restroom in that same parking lot being left unlocked twenty-four hours a day and removing the porta potty.  Parker explained that in the past they were informed of the dangers of public restrooms being left unattended.  They can be one of the biggest risks for people to be assaulted in which could open the city up to liability if left unattended [at night].  The parks superintendent also spoke of the damages that can occur in the parks bathrooms and the expensive it creates to replace and fix fixtures.

Reid will put together a memo for the City Council outlining the porta potty proposal and bring it back to this commission for review.   

Council - Marsh was not present at this evening’s meeting.  In January a new list of Council liaisons for each Commission will be announced.  

Staff – Reid reported that the subcommittee to work on the Point in Time count is meeting next week.  The Count will take place during the week of the 23^rd.  The subcommittee that is working on the forum event for the county wide homeless task force is meeting tomorrow November 18^th at the Disabilities Service office in Medford. 

Housing Trust Fund Sub-Committee Update – Commissioner Rhode gave a subcommittee report.  The committee came up with a concept on how to put together funding levels and outcomes for the Affordable Housing Trust Fund.  The concept consists of four funding levels and a correlative sample set of activities/projects related to each of the funding levels.  The four funding levels of recommendation are between $50,000 and $300,000.  Activity levels range from down payment assistance to a multi-family affordable rental project development.  See Exhibit A at the end of the minutes.

GENERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS JANUARY 26, 2017 METTING AGENDA ITEMS

Quorum Check – Everyone should be present

Parker announced this is the first week of the winter shelter.  The first night was at the Presbyterian Church with about seventeen or eighteen people in attendance.  Second night was Pioneer Hall with thirty-five in attendance.  Everyone was calm and quiet. We are in desperate need of male volunteers because City Council would like to have both a man and woman present at the shelters each night, stated Parker.

UPCOMING EVENTS AND MEETINGS

Housing and Human Services Retreat – 9:30-12:30 PM; December 11, 2016 in the Siskiyou Room at the Community Development & Engineering Department located at 51 Winburn Way.

Next Housing and Human Services Regular Commission Meeting – 4:30-6:30 PM; January 26, 2017 in the Siskiyou Room at the Community Development & Engineering Department located at 51 Winburn Way.

ADJOURNMENT

The meeting was adjourned at 6:20 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by Carolyn Schwendener