HomeMy WebLinkAbout06/28/2022
Staff: Committee Members:
Christian Clegg, City Manager Vice-Mayor Ken Weir – Chair
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager Councilmember Patty Gray
Juan Heredia, Administrative Analyst III Councilmember Eric Arias
Regular Meeting of the Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee
of the City Council – City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, June 28, 2022 12:00 p.m.
City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301 AGENDA 1) ROLL CALL
2) PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements
b. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements
3) ADOPTION OF THE MAY 24, 2022 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
4) STAFF REPORT
a. Update on the City’s efforts to address homelessness.
5) NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion of a Regional Homelessness Action Plan conducted by the
Bakersfield Kern Regional Homeless Collaborative. - Valdez
6) COMMITTEE COMMENTS
7) ADJOURNMENT
Staff: Committee Members:
Christian Clegg, City Manager Councilmember, Ken Weir – Chair
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager Councilmember, Patty Gray
Crystal Rubio, Administrative Analyst III Councilmember, Eric Arias
Regular Meeting of the Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee
of the City Council – City of Bakersfield
Tuesday, May 24, 2022 12:00 p.m.
City Hall North, First Floor, Conference Room A 1600 Truxtun Avenue, Bakersfield CA 93301 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
Meeting called to order at 12:03 p.m. 1. ROLL CALL
Committee Members: Councilmember Ken Weir, Chair
Councilmember, Eric Arias Councilmember, Patty Gray
City Staff: Christian Clegg, City Manager
Anthony Valdez, Assistant to the City Manager Crystal Rubio, Administrative Analyst
Ginny Gennaro, City Attorney Viridiana King, Deputy City Attorney
Paul Saldana, Economic Development, Director
Additional Attendees: Members of the Public
2. PUBLIC STATEMENTS
a. Agenda Item Public Statements – No public statements
b. Non-Agenda Item Public Statements – No public statement
3. ADOPTION OF THE MAY 24, 2022 AGENDA SUMMARY REPORT
The report was adopted as submitted. 4. NEW BUSINESS
a. Discussion and recommendation to move to City Council First Reading of
Cart Containment Ordinance. – V. Gennaro & V. King
City Attorney Ginny Gennaro provided the Committee an overview of a Cart Containment Ordnance at the request of Council. City Attorney Gennaro
noted her appreciation for the group effort by all departments involved with
abandoned shopping carts. City Attorney Gennaro went on to explain
current state Business and Professions Code that the City mirrors, except for
requiring retailers to provide a phone number. City Attorney Gennaro
explained that we currently do not have a containment and/or retrieval
policy and that when they polled survey cities, many only had the state
mandate on their books.
City Attorney Gennaro provided the committee options for the city to
consider.
Committee member Arias asked what the City is currently doing with carts
now. City Attorney Gennaro and City Manager Christian Clegg responded
that the current practice is to pick up abandoned carts and discard them.
Committee member Patty Gray expressed support for an ordinance but
asked if there was grant money available to assist business owners if a new
city ordinance become a financial burden. City Manager Clegg answered that yes, there are some options available to assist with implementation costs.
Economic Development Director, Paul Saldana provided some estimated
projected costs depending on the business size.
Chair Weir offered his support for an ordinance and congratulated City staff in their efforts to research and bring about a meaningful solution.
Committee member Arias made the motion to move forward with staff
recommendation to bring the Cart Containment Ordinance to council. All
were in favor; motion carried.
b. Update on City of Bakersfield contracts with Flood Ministries, Mercy House,
and Bakersfield Homeless Center for services to unsheltered individuals. –
Valdez. (No action needed)
Assistant to the City Manager, Anthony Valdez provided the committee
members with an update from contractors that the City collaborates with to
aid in our homelessness outreach. Assistant to the City Manager Valdez
made noted that the number of assistance resistant individuals was reported
as 29 out of 76 referrals, primarily due to mental health and substance abuse.
Assistant to the City Manager Valdez provided a quick update on the
construction/expansion of Mercy House, noting that they are on track for
completion by end of year. Assistant to the City Manager Valdez went on to
share that the Bakersfield Homeless Center Jobs Program just opened their new facility on Union Avenue and those 2 individuals had moved on to
permanent employment outside of the Bakersfield Homeless Center Jobs Program.
Committee member Gray asked what the average number of days it took for
an individual to go from receiving services at Mercy House to permanent housing. Committee member Gray was informed that it took an average of
90 days, but time varies depending on individual situations.
Committee member Arias commended the continued permeant housing
placements made this month and commented that he hopes the trend
continues as information sharing and collaboration with the County
continues.
c. Discussion of City of Bakersfield partnership with Kern Medical Center to
address mental health and substance abuse Services – Valdez
(No action needed)
Assistant to City Manager Valdez, discussed the current challenges the City is
facing and offered thoughts on what can be done moving forward. Assistant
to the City Manager Valdez, noted policy changes happening in
Sacramento and making targeted investments to implement the changes
needed. Valdez shared recent involvement of CalCities and Big City Mayors
noting the need to make those policy changes to address mental health
issues. Assistant to the City Manager Valdez discussed how the City would
invest HHAP monies to provide innovated programs. One of those being,
adding therapist to the shelters to provide services to those needed support.
Assistant to the City Manager Valdez went on to discuss the partnership with
Kern Medical Center and their desire to build a separate psychiatric
emergency room which would be a stand along facility to quickly provide the correct services to patients and introduce Natalie Garrett, Vice President
of Kern Medical Center.
Vice President Garret with Kern Medical Center explained that although they
have Mary K. Shell facility, in order for patients to receive medical clearance, which often time they do, they would have to go through Kern Medical
Center’s Emergency Room. Vice President. Garrett further explained that the pandemic has increased both the number of emergency room visits and
mental health emergencies that has overwhelmed the capacity and has left up to 18 psychiatric patients holding in our emergency rooms. Vice President
Garrett also shared that currently Kern Medical Center is the only approved facility to accept psychiatric holds and only hospital with a PEC unit. Vice
President Garrett proposed a 28-bed psychiatric emergency room, a 16-bed
in-patient unit and 20-24 bed detox center.
Assistant to the City Manager, Valdez reported that there are some options to
partnering and providing these facilities. The City and Kern Medical Center
have met with State Department of Human Services, and they expressed their
excitement on the innovative concept. Valdez also shared there are state
monies are available to pay for the capitol in terms of building facility and
operations with an application due in October.
Committee member Gray asked about the one-time seed money to be
provided by the city for the architectural design. Assistant to City Manager
Valdez, explained that it would be to assist with the completion of the
application process and some of the upfront engineering reports. City
Manager Clegg added that monies had been set aside through the City’s
allocation of American Rescue and Recovery Act dollars to address homelessness issues that could potentially be used for this wise investment.
Committee member Arias asked whether there was enough monies at the State level to cover entire cost. Vice President Garrett explained that there
are still gathering information on total cost and where the monies will be
coming from to includes monies from State, Kern Medical and grants.
Committee member Arias expressed his support for this concept.
Chair Weir shared his support for the project and is interested in seeing the
request presented to full council.
5. COMMITTEE COMMENTS No comments.
6. ADJOURNMENT
Meeting adjourned at 1:27
Page 1 of 2
Bakersfield City Council Homelessness Ad Hoc Committee Monthly Report
May 2022
The City of Bakersfield contracts with Flood Ministries for street outreach services to unsheltered individuals.
May Report Weekly Average
Contacts with homeless individuals in the field 101
City’s Brundage Lane Navigation Center (BLNC) turn-aways due to lack of dorm or pet capacity (includes field contacts, walk-in, and call-ins) 97
BLNC turn-aways due to lack of dorm capacity 82
• Male 28
• Male with pet 4
• Female 26
• Female with pet 4
• Couple (# of individuals) 14
• Couple with pet (# of individuals) 6
BLNC turn-aways due to lack of pet capacity 15
• Male 3
• Female 4
• Couple (# of individuals) 8
Service Resistance Month Total
• Shelter referrals received for an individual from the following sources o Executive Referral o Elected Official
o City and County Staff o Email
o Social Media
o City and County Code Compliance o City and County Joint Evaluation Teams o Bakersfield Police Department o Sheriff’s Office o County Park Rangers
o Flood Ministries Front Desk o Flood Community Referral Line o Kern Behavioral Health and Recovery Services (HAT, ROEM, etc.)
72
• Referred individuals who refused shelter 33
• Percentage of individuals refusing service 46%
Page 2 of 2
The City of Bakersfield contracts with Mercy House to operate all aspects of
the City’s Brundage Lane Navigation Center (BLNC).
May Report Weekly Average Maximum Capacity
% Of Capacity Filled Weekly
City’s Brundage Lane Navigation Center beds filled 148 150* 99%
• Male 75 76 96%
• Female 53 54 98%
• Couple (# of individuals) 20 20 100%
Housing Placements May Total Fiscal YTD
• Placed in permanent housing 6 65
• Guest/Family reunifications 0 9
* BLNC’s maximum capacity is 150 beds. Each night four (4) beds are held open for the Bakersfield Police Department to
utilize which brings the functional capacity to 146.
The City of Bakersfield contracts with the Bakersfield Homeless Center (BHC) for a jobs program serving multiple City functions, including but not limited to
downtown ambassadors, green solid waste, high-way clean-up, animal shelter, and sump cleaning. A new City-funded BHC Jobs Center building was completed in December.
May Report May Total Calendar YTD Maximum Capacity % Filled
Newly hired employees 5 31 -- --
Current employees 108 -- 109 99%
• Male 65 -- -- --
• Female 43 -- -- -- Program participants placed in permanent jobs 3 7 -- --