2026-10-13 - Advisory Committee on Homelessness

00:24You are live.

00:25>> All right. Well, with that, it is 5:15.

00:27We will call this meeting of the

00:29Advisory Committee on Homelessness to

00:30order. Um, I hope everyone received the

00:33packet, had a chance to look through it.

00:36starting off. So, part of the feedback

00:38we've received from folks is they're not

00:40always able to hear who's or understand

00:41who's speaking. So, the first agenda

00:44item is introductions. I will go first.

00:48My name is Alton Buzzle. I am the

00:50chairperson of the committee and I am

00:52the director of marketing for Hollywood

00:54Casino. We will go to my house.

00:56>> I am Amy West. I'm a nurse practitioner

00:58and the clinical director of homeless

01:00health services for PCHC.

01:04>> I'm Ben Treat. I'm the director of the

01:06Bangor public library.

01:08>> I'm Britney Dunham. I'm one of the

01:09senior directors of social work for

01:10Prebble Street.

01:12>> Finishley, son from the Bangor city

01:14council.

01:15>> Hey everybody, I'm Jason Goodrich. I

01:17live in Brewer.

01:19>> Hi. Uh my name is Ste Vasquez. I am part

01:23of the outreach and recovery community

01:25here in Bangor.

01:26>> I am Melissa Rhodess and I am the

01:28director of property management for

01:30Bangor House.

01:32>> Awesome. So with that uh the committee

01:34has all introduced themselves. We will

01:36move on to updates. Um the first update

01:39is updates to the warming shelter. So I

01:41don't know Bruce provide that.

01:44>> There we go. Um so we met just last

01:47week. Um the brick church um will be

01:51opening on the 15th and be open till

01:54April 15th uh from 400 p.m. to 7:00 a.m.

01:59and they'll be serving dinner at 4:00.

02:01Uh the mansion church will open on the

02:0415th also to March 31st, which is the

02:07one that didn't get funding. So, but

02:09they still will be opening. Um and I

02:12know that's kind of the questions we had

02:14last week. Um and then the together

02:17place, um we are working through funding

02:19and logistics to try to open that up for

02:22the coldest nights of the year and also

02:24uh snow or freezing rain.

02:29So, as it stands right now, how many

02:31beds do we anticipate having open?

02:34>> So, they are

02:35>> Yeah, the uh the mansion, excuse me, the

02:39brick church can take up to 70 people

02:42and then the mansion can take 25 and

02:45then Boyd will have an extra five mats

02:48also uh for the winter.

02:51>> So, how close does that get us to?

02:54So, the highest that we had last year

02:58was 125 that came into the shelters and

03:00that was on the really coldest nights.

03:03Um, but our average was around 85 to 90.

03:08>> We should be all right.

03:09>> Yep.

03:11>> Yeah.

03:12>> Can I ask a quick question? You said the

03:1315th. That's December.

03:16>> November 15th. Yeah.

03:20Any other questions regarding warming

03:22shelter?

03:24Is there a policy yet on or is the

03:27policy being created for the together

03:29place threshold?

03:32>> I just have to say that is not

03:33guaranteed. We are presenting this to

03:35city council tomorrow during workshop.

03:37So this is something that's still being

03:39presented needs to be discussed and

03:41agreed upon.

03:45>> Jason, do you have a question? Oh,

03:53>> any other questions regarding forming

03:54shelter?

03:55>> Um, I have one follow that we're going

03:59to create a policy for when they got a

04:01place should open its its

04:04>> Yes, we um have very sort of close

04:07friendships with people in Portland who

04:09did run as a weather operated um a lot

04:13of lessons learned from that. So we'll

04:15be taking their policy, making some

04:18adaptations so that it works for us. And

04:21you know, of course, one of the most

04:22important parts is that communication

04:24happens so that if the shelter is open,

04:27we have a good communication plan. If

04:28it's not open, we have a good

04:30communication plan. But again, the first

04:32step is to bring this in front of city

04:33council tomorrow.

04:39>> No other questions?

04:41>> I do.

04:42>> Go ahead, Pat. Well, I just I had just

04:44gotten here. I was just I was gonna ask

04:46real quick for a catch up like what what

04:48is

04:49>> So, we we've just talked through uh the

04:50warming shelter plans for this year and

04:53it sounds like we've got enough beds to

04:54cover the average night. Somebody

04:56correct me if I'm wrong.

04:57>> Um but there is uh

05:02>> people are coming, you know,

05:05>> you just I guess you can't really get a

05:06good number right now. I would say to be

05:08honest, people are couch surfing right

05:10now. people are squatting, you know,

05:13when it gets colder and those things

05:15aren't, they don't have the ability to

05:16do that. I was brought up a little bit

05:19>> based on last year

05:20>> last year's numbers, we Yes. And I mean

05:23that's that's that's well and good and

05:25that's that's great for everyone, but

05:26with with like two spaces and one

05:29overflow like with behaviors and like

05:32personalities and and stuff like that

05:35like and I I I get that

05:38the the proximity with the brick and the

05:40together place and stuff, but but for

05:42people to have different options not

05:44only for themselves, right, but for the

05:47staff on the other side, right? Um, I

05:51don't know if anyone can really quite

05:53grasp, you may be able to deal, um, how

05:57important it was to have the brick, the

05:59communication,

06:00and I'm obviously pretty biased. I, uh,

06:04work at the G place, right? Um, but it's

06:07a part-time job. I also work for

06:09Overdose Response. I mean, I'm out there

06:12and, um, there are people there's other

06:15people sitting at this table that like

06:16we're we're going to be the ones to find

06:18them.

06:20us right here. Me, right? Would be one

06:23of them. I had another person who runs

06:25one of these teams come up to me today,

06:28right? Not runs, but let me just another

06:31person that runs one of these teams

06:32begging me like, gosh, that may not be

06:35enough, right? Um, we can't get real

06:39accurate accurate counts. I mean, we're

06:41out there waiting in the woods sometimes

06:43up to our hips. Uh, and every time we

06:46come up on a quiet tent,

06:49you never know, right? Um,

06:52again, me very middle of the road,

06:56fiscally responsible, all that stuff,

06:57right? But this is human life, right?

07:00And I just want to make sure we're all

07:01checking everything and everything's all

07:02good. Cuz

07:05back a few years ago, it seemed like

07:07human life is worth a little bit more,

07:10right? um at least in conversation,

07:13at least around the dinner table or

07:15around the whatever.

07:17Um because that's at the end of it,

07:19right? Not only are these people that

07:21are out there, right? You got people

07:23like us

07:25that are fresh out of it trying to bring

07:28people back out sweeping the beach,

07:30baby. Sweeping the beach, right? Um but

07:32it's good. Um we need that. We need all

07:35we can get because once people are dead,

07:38they're dead and they don't get to come

07:39back at 41 years old in a different city

07:42to start over and bring life-saving

07:45medication to people, you know. And I'm

07:47not trying to like soap box anything.

07:49This is just coming out. This is what's

07:51going on out there. Um

07:55I was I just could I could go on. I just

07:58want to make sure our people are safe by

08:00in the best way. I saw the other week

08:03myself, my own two eyes, somebody being

08:05trespassed

08:07from life in Bangor. How is that helping

08:11anyone?

08:13Anyone like dude guys, we got to do

08:16better. We got to come together on some

08:18stuff, right? Because that's what's

08:20going on. We just lost a 26 year old. I

08:24mean, this is personally me. I'm telling

08:25you this, right? Um,

08:28this stuff's got to we we got to come

08:29together. We got to start making sense

08:31of some stuff. And I mean, and we got to

08:33you got to question where the money's

08:35going. Don't question if it should be

08:37being spent, right? And again, I'm

08:40sorry. I don't know where that all came

08:42from, but it's been a long month. It's

08:44been a bad month, guys. So, and anyone

08:47out there will tell you it's been a real

08:48rough rough year. This is the worst it's

08:50been in a bit, right? At least from my

08:53perspective, what I'm seeing out there,

08:55there's been a lot. Um, and that's the

08:58reality chair from the streets right

09:00there. And I sorry,

09:01>> as we were here, that's why you were

09:03appointed because you bring that

09:04perspective to this committee. And

09:06>> I think you articulated it very well.

09:10>> And I I think right now what we're

09:13trying to do is just make sure we have

09:15that that baseline, right? And that's

09:17where making sure that we have the beds

09:19to cover at least the minimums from we

09:21had last year and then let's try to to

09:24expand that, right? But let's make sure

09:25we've got something

09:27before we Sorry.

09:28>> What will be the capacity of the

09:30together place if it's able to open on

09:33cold nights?

09:34>> 35.

09:37>> So that puts total beds on the coldest

09:39night

09:40>> up around that 125 that we're talking.

09:42>> It's just barely. Before we move on from

09:45the warming shelters, I just have to

09:46say, I mean, I can only go from vibes

09:48because, you know, like we've all said,

09:52you know, it's hard to really get a

09:54final count on what our needs are until

09:56we've experienced them. But as probably

10:00the only person at this table that I

10:02would have to guess, um, you know, was

10:04really working the shelters intensively

10:07last year, I mean, I was pulling doubles

10:09or triples trying to hold it down. Um,

10:12and even though Together Place did an

10:14admirable job and all of the people from

10:16Sanctuary did an admirable job,

10:19it was very chaotic and it was fire and

10:22brimstone. And even though we had the

10:24communication with our partners, often

10:27what we would hear from them, you know,

10:28we get a call from them, it's fire and

10:29brimstone on their end. So the idea

10:32that, you know, we're just barely

10:36touching the average horrifies me

10:39because there were many nights where I

10:41turned people away. And personally, I

10:44don't feel like the city is doing enough

10:46to hold the hand of these people who are

10:48keeping our people alive. I mean, there

10:53were times where I was pounding on the

10:56chest of someone, giving them CPR, and

11:00I wasn't given, not because Together

11:03Place didn't have an interest, not

11:04because Sanctuary didn't have an

11:05interest, but the tools were handed to

11:06me to be ready for that situation, but

11:08I, you know, I did what I could. Um, and

11:12I know that a lot of other people,

11:13especially at these warming shelters,

11:15are going to be put in that position

11:16again. And if we could just enter into

11:20my

11:21dream world for a bit, you know, the

11:24city would have guidance um or tools for

11:26these people um running the shelters for

11:30deescalation so that we could reduce the

11:32acuity before it happens and we could

11:36reduce these um you know trespasses and

11:40select

11:45and that's what I spent half my time

11:47doing. I didn't even get to spend half

11:48my time serving the community. I spent

11:50half my time litigating CTE and

11:52trespasses and calling different places

11:55and saying, "Hey, what can we do to

11:56change this?" You know, I'm with this

11:58person right now. They're calm. I've

11:59worked with them all week. They're calm.

12:01And

12:03it seems like it wouldn't be that hard

12:05for or at least it's worth the

12:07undertaking for the city to create

12:09guidance or anyone to create guidance on

12:11deescalation, pay for that training. I

12:14mean, I know that we're trying to be

12:16fiscally responsible, but we're going to

12:17be fiscally responsible into the loss of

12:19life pretty soon. Um, and

12:24like I mean it was sort of the same

12:26conversation last year where we said

12:29there's enough beds on paper and it

12:32turns out there weren't. like I was

12:33turning away people every other day and

12:36I not only was I doing that but because

12:39I have the communication and sort of

12:40office skills and that was sort of one

12:43of my roles there it was my job to

12:45network between the other shelters and

12:47they didn't have a bed either or that

12:49person was banned or find other things

12:51you know not enough volunteers to accept

12:53anyone like they've reduced their

12:54capacity because there's not enough

12:55volunteers today there were not enough

12:57beds last year even though there were

12:58beds on paper and sometimes it wasn't

13:00that I was turning away one person it

13:02was that I was turning away six people

13:04at once.

13:05>> Wow.

13:05>> So,

13:07>> yeah. And I mean, I think that's kind of

13:08what you were getting there is that like

13:11we are patting ourselves on the back

13:13about the number, but the number was

13:15not.

13:15>> So, I do want to be clear. I don't think

13:17anyone's patting themselves on the back

13:19about the number. What we're trying to

13:21do is make sure that we have the

13:22information that's currently available.

13:24We understand the current status of the

13:26situation so that this committee can

13:28help make recommendations to improve

13:30that. Right? These are updates. These

13:33are for us to get the information from

13:34the city so we have that information,

13:36that baseline so that we can make those

13:39recommendations. How how do we get

13:40better? Right? We can't get better if we

13:42don't know the current situation. And

13:44that's what the updates are being

13:46provided right now. Give us so we have

13:48that information as a committee so that

13:50we can move forward and and improve the

13:52situation.

13:54Jason, I know you had something.

13:55>> I do. I have a couple of uh a couple of

13:58questions and some comments. I think

14:01mine are more about the system of

14:03warming center, the the warming center

14:05system of care that we have in

14:06Bangalore. Um um I'd like to start

14:10thinking about it in that way if we can.

14:12I have a document that I created to

14:14respond to the agenda for today and it's

14:16got a couple of different purposes. I'm

14:18going to pass it out right now um and

14:22ask you to to

14:24go to page [clears throat]

14:29five.

14:35The only one I'm going to talk about is

14:37only two pages out of the

14:38[clears throat] 15. So, it shouldn't

14:39take too long.

14:41There's stuff there's enough for

14:42everybody in the back as well, I

14:44believe.

14:54Developing a coordinated accountable

14:56warming systems. warming center system.

14:59The overall goal was to move Bango from

15:01a collection of seasonal warming center

15:03programs towards a coordinated system

15:05with defined capacity, common standards,

15:08consistent data, accountability,

15:10predictable funding, and a clear

15:12relationship to the city's broader

15:13homeless response.

15:15I've actually presented you with set

15:17with six goals. One of them is what

15:19we're doing right now. Establish the

15:21baseline. Talking about baseline right

15:24now as we as we're discussing. Um,

15:26number two is define the define Bangor's

15:28warming center needs. I think we're

15:30talking about that now, but I'll have to

15:31continue with that one. Um, here's where

15:34the alternative the goals get a little

15:36bit long. On the second page, page

15:38number six, I'm suggesting that we

15:41establish common warming center

15:43standards that we actually meet with the

15:45warming center providers to set up a set

15:47of standards, a universal set of

15:49standards. What would people what can

15:51people expect when they come into a

15:53warming center? Then I'm suggesting that

15:55we we connect those common data. We we

15:58establish common data and

15:59accountability. We talk about what our

16:01metrics are, what we want to continue to

16:03to to

16:06uh to measure um for the next following

16:09season. What are what are the data

16:11points that we want to measure along

16:13with what the COC and main seat housing

16:15is measuring. And the sec the fifth goal

16:18is connecting that city support to

16:20agreed upon standards. Once the

16:22providers have agreed and and the city

16:24have agreed, um connecting those

16:26standards to some type of an agreement

16:28so that when the city does decide to pay

16:31for warming centers outside of the main

16:33state housing funds that there's a set

16:36standard like a contract, they would

16:38have a contract to say you have of the

16:40staffing ratio, you have a training

16:42need, you have hours of operation, you'd

16:45be able to actually set that up into

16:46some type of contact. Um it's a contract

16:49that could also be used with all of the

16:50learning centers. They would um they

16:53would sign the contract and make the

16:54agreement to to receive the letter of

16:56support that they would get each year uh

16:59when they when they grant fund.

17:01>> So Jason, I don't want to catch up, but

17:03I I want to make sure that we maintain

17:05to the agenda. Um I know you spent a ton

17:08of time on this document. I'm not going

17:09to let this go.

17:10>> No,

17:11>> I don't want you to, but I also want to

17:13make sure that committee members have an

17:15opportunity to to really review it,

17:17right? An opportunity to absolutely

17:20>> uh digest the because you spent a lot of

17:22time here and it warrants that

17:23attention.

17:24>> I want to make sure that it's included

17:26in a future agenda item so that we can

17:28get in and you have some great points

17:30that I think will piggyback off of the

17:32things we have in today's agenda that we

17:34can kind of use this document in

17:36conjunction with the document that we're

17:38going to review in a minute. So thank

17:39you for that time but in le of time I do

17:43want to make sure that we get through

17:44the entire agenda counselor you had

17:46something as well. Yes. And I think this

17:48question uh for those of us that uh is

17:50ingrained um with the homeless outreach.

17:54Um I think even us on council or or some

17:57of the viewers, how um it was a little

18:00confusing when I saw that the mansion

18:02church uh didn't get any funding this

18:05year and they did last year and it

18:07seemed that the funding I saw for the

18:09brick church seemed pretty high. It was

18:11like $400,000 something right in that

18:15capacity. And I wondered why that was

18:17and maybe that falls along with Jason's

18:20recommendations that if we could work

18:21with some of those that have experienced

18:24um in the women's doctor

18:28or I don't I don't know a better

18:29application for better positioning

18:33housing comes out. I was just confused

18:36when I saw 400 and something in the

18:38>> church. Both me and Jen, we've been

18:41meeting all summer with the warming

18:43centers and we um came up with the same

18:46thing that you're asking. We told them

18:48that maybe with the city could apply for

18:50that and we could disperse it to all the

18:52warming centers um and try to work that

18:55way so that everyone would have a piece

18:56of uh financial, you know, part in it.

19:00And they all said they got it. They they

19:02all came back to us and said, "Nope,

19:04we're good. We're going to put our own

19:06applications in and we have and they did

19:10and that's how it came back

19:12>> and for clarity because the money is not

19:14being awarded from the city. The money

19:17is being awarded from

19:19>> and I would just add that the 400 and

19:21something thousand seems significant.

19:24It's the most that was received. If you

19:26look at the number of beds that the

19:28mansion is, I'm sorry, the brick church

19:31is offering, it gets down to about $44 a

19:34day a bed per night. And that does meet

19:38the average that the state has supported

19:41in the past. So that's how often that

19:45number is calculated by number by But as

19:48Bruce mentioned, we've been working Jen

19:50Lawler has brought the warming shelters

19:51together for since I think when the

19:54warming shelters closed last year. Yeah,

19:55we've been meeting every month. Yep.

19:57>> That represents close to 200 uh 1,200

19:59opportunities for someone to come in,

20:01someone to connect to services. That's

20:03what the brick church is looking at

20:04about 1,200 opportunities a year. So,

20:07that's what they look at.

20:09>> So, do we kind of have an idea as to why

20:12their applications failed?

20:14>> I think I I I don't know why they

20:17failed. Um besides the fact that they

20:20had a certain amount of money for this

20:22area and that's they decided to give

20:24that to the brick church.

20:25>> It was the if you look at the list brick

20:28church was the largest recipient in the

20:31state and if you look at how it was

20:33broken down by counties Ponopskot County

20:36was given

20:38>> state county had a higher amount. It may

20:40have had a higher

20:43>> it was it was not significantly less

20:45like in the previous year.

20:47>> Do we have a chance to give feedback to

20:48main state housing about this?

20:51>> No, I don't think so. And I don't know

20:52that I mean my perspective is I don't

20:55necessarily know that we would want to

20:57um that like it's really important that

21:00the largest warming shelter that we have

21:02in this area gets funded with the amount

21:04of money that we're talking about

21:06because like you said that would also

21:08allow for there to be some of those

21:10expectations that you know there that

21:13they are making sure they're open every

21:14night. They're making sure that they're

21:16able to have staff that they can retain,

21:18that they're, you know, are able to

21:20train people because it's like the

21:22minute we start taking, you know, to to

21:24spread it out only means that every one

21:27of those shelters is then just on

21:28underfunded.

21:29>> Yeah. And just to to bring the example

21:31home, what training do they receive?

21:34>> I'm not sure. I don't work for them, but

21:36>> Exactly. Nothing anywhere. In the grant

21:38process, I believe they were asked to um

21:42work with their staff on certain

21:44training. I don't have that in front of

21:46me, but I know that that part of the

21:47grant process was that they provide

21:50training for for their staff and also

21:53put everything into HMIS. So all that

21:56>> now two agencies that are outside of

21:58that funding and don't have those.

22:00You're right. Yep. So, how can the city

22:02set up something that mirrors those

22:03requirements for those agencies that

22:06we're all looking at apples to apples at

22:07the end of the season?

22:09>> Agencies grow like like the mansion and

22:13other can they combine their training,

22:16right? Like

22:17>> go over with the brick church and do

22:20CPR, you know, training so at least

22:22they're trained. I mean, it would be

22:23very scary to be in any of those

22:25situations not having any of that. That

22:27would I I totally hear both of you on

22:30that. that would

22:31>> I know that um Terry

22:34is planning on doing some training also

22:36even though he did not get the funding

22:38pro mostly around Narcan training and I

22:41think the options team has done that in

22:43the past for him right I believe Pat

22:46yeah

22:47>> so they you know

22:49>> you said before that like it's not

22:51necessarily in service of the community

22:54to have providers doing like bootleg

22:57case management every other day But it

23:01isn't necessarily great for the

23:04providers of warming shelters to be in

23:06the same boat either where they're doing

23:09bootleg warming shelters because they

23:11don't have the funding that they need. I

23:13mean obviously the brick church has

23:15great capacity and I don't want to beef

23:18with anybody in the community because I

23:20think we all want our community to live

23:22or at least I hope we do. Um, but I know

23:24that, you know, just to pick an example

23:26that I know of, uh, because I was inside

23:28the building, I know that Together Place

23:31did that more frugally than any other

23:33warming shelter last year. Um, and it

23:36doesn't seem like they got any brownie

23:37points for that. And I do I do worry

23:44>> you have to understand too that the

23:45larger the service population that we

23:47can serve in one building, the lower the

23:49staffing, the lower the overhead costs

23:51are. So the larger the program to an

23:54extent they can get too big and then the

23:55extents then it gets to be expensive but

23:58um

23:59>> to the extent that we have it we really

24:01need to support our largest our largest

24:03provider first so that we can get the

24:04bulk of people

24:05>> and we have been talking about you know

24:08those people that uh you know do get

24:11asked to leave one shelter and having

24:14that communication between Terry and

24:16Leon and making sure that those people

24:18get to a safe place and if they cannot

24:21take either place and getting a hold of

24:23me or someone else that might be able to

24:26to help them find another safe place. So

24:29that is being talked about and worked

24:32on.

24:33>> So I I do want to move on from this

24:35topic. Again, we have a lot of things

24:37here. However, um you'll see that item

24:40number four is to set the discussion for

24:41the next agenda. So I think it obviously

24:45we're getting to the colder months. This

24:46is a hot thing that we need to be

24:48discussing. So I I think once we circle

24:51back to that point, we probably will all

24:53agree that that needs to be a topic for

24:54the next discussion, but I do want to

24:56make sure we hit everything on this

24:57agenda today. So moving forward with

25:00updates, um an update on project hope.

25:03>> Great. Uh thank you. So the last time

25:05that you met, I provided an update on

25:07project hope. Project Hope was the

25:10program that was done in the city of

25:12Portland, supported 70% or so by this um

25:16by main housing. They presented the

25:18opportunity for the city of Bangor to

25:20participate in this program. It was

25:22brought in front of city council. City

25:25council recommended that it came to the

25:28advisory committee. We spoke about it

25:30last time. You provided a recommendation

25:32that it should pass and the matching

25:35should be a 50/50 split between

25:37community development block grant and

25:39opiate settlement funds. That was

25:41presented to city council during city

25:43council workshop. um city council

25:47uh when it went to vote during the

25:50regular city council meeting um the

25:52motion was made to delay the vote so

25:56there could be more discussion on how

25:58them where the sources of the matching

26:01should be. Um after public comment the

26:04city council decided not to pass project

26:07hope. So at this time that proposal is

26:10not in front of city council. Um the

26:13partners involved in that project. Main

26:16housing, Bangor area homeless shelter,

26:19Prebble Street and Community Care, Shaw

26:21House are meeting this week to discuss

26:24what other options would be on the

26:25table. This is an evidence-based program

26:28that has shown great results, and we

26:30want to make sure that we have turned

26:33over every stone before we say to Main

26:35Housing that we can't do it.

26:39What is the deadline for main housing?

26:40David,

26:41>> main housing is been great to work with.

26:43They said that, you know, let us let us

26:46go through the process um without a

26:49deadline.

26:52>> Um project hope case management, how

26:54does that differ from targeted case

26:57management which is already happening?

26:59>> Sure. So what's a little bit different

27:00about this program is that as you might

27:02be aware in order to be reimbursed for

27:05case management you only have certain

27:07reimburseable services. This type of

27:10case management allows for whatever

27:13support is needed whether it needs

27:15whether it's reimbursed or not. So say

27:17for example, one of the things that we

27:19have also we've been often experiencing

27:21in the community right now is like

27:22driving around and looking for someone

27:24and just having that constant engagement

27:26and relationship building which is

27:28foundational. That's not typically a

27:31billable service. And so it allows for

27:33that. The other thing is that it is it

27:36it's really focused on meeting people

27:38where they're at, building those

27:41relationships and then seeing them

27:42through the whole process. um and then

27:45when they're housed. So, it just has a

27:47little bit more flexibility and it also

27:49allows for a smaller case load. So, it

27:53really is that individualized intensive

27:56um time together.

28:00>> Any questions regarding project hope and

28:02the

28:06>> hearing? None. We'll move to the next

28:07agenda item. So, the third agenda item

28:09is committee appointments. So for all

28:12everybody here knows that our committee

28:14terms are finite. Um we have three

28:17committee members whose term expires at

28:20the end of 2026. So I just want to

28:23remind everybody that if you would like

28:24to remain on the committee you go

28:26through the same process as when you

28:28originally applied you must go to the

28:30website apply go through the same

28:32process. And for those that are

28:34listening or seeing from beyond if you

28:36are interested you may go to the website

28:38and apply as well. But I just wanted to

28:40make sure that that didn't fall through

28:41the cracks. Um I would hate for us to

28:44get to December and be short three

28:46people. [laughter] So wanted to make

28:48sure we brought that up. Any questions

28:50on that

28:53hearing? Moving on.

28:56So in the packet this week there was a

28:59homelessness response system roadmap. Um

29:02so I generated this document. Uh, I took

29:07the some of the documents from a

29:09previous agenda, specifically the

29:11document provided by Chen and Bruce that

29:13kind of laid out where we were as a as a

29:18as a community. um where things were

29:20situated and tried to build what I

29:23thought the committee was really looking

29:25for kind of a very um easy to digest

29:30kind of path right and different buckets

29:33that we can really focus on. The purpose

29:36of this document is not to be

29:38all-incclusive. The purpose of this

29:41document is to help us as a committee

29:44have guidance have kind of guide rails

29:47to ensure that we are having productive

29:50conversations during these meetings and

29:52not going all over the place. I think

29:54public comment at one of the recent

29:56probably most of the recent council

29:58meetings um has been that sometimes that

30:01the the committee is just not

30:02necessarily staying very focused. So, my

30:05hope is that by creating a document like

30:07this, being very deliberate in the

30:09conversations that we're having meeting

30:11to meeting will allow us to remain

30:13focused and to produce results and get

30:16to that strategic plan that we owe

30:18council in seven months, which is coming

30:23up very quickly. Um, so with that, I

30:27will kind of open it up. I'd love

30:29feedback. I'd love thoughts, um,

30:33questions.

30:40>> I was gonna say I I really do think it

30:41was a good starting point. I really

30:43really do. Um, and I think for the folks

30:47that are doing the work, there's like

30:48the color commentary that at some point

30:51as you work through it, I think can fill

30:52in the gaps of like on paper this looks

30:55very robust. Like what isn't working

30:57about it? Um, so as you find time to

31:02like work through the document, I think

31:04that will be really helpful. Um,

31:07and like any little

31:10contributing fact that I have my

31:14right now, but more

31:18>> which was the intent.

31:19>> Yeah.

31:20>> Right. like let's just get started on a

31:22very deliberate

31:24easy to digest plan and then Jason the

31:27document you submitted like that goes

31:28hand in hand

31:31>> we could we can sit down and say okay

31:32we're going to have a meeting about

31:34prevention and now we can refer back to

31:36your document other documents that have

31:38been submitted to the committee and say

31:39okay where are the pieces in prevention

31:42that we want to work on to to put

31:44forward right giving us structure for

31:47what the strategic plan needs to look

31:48like I thought was important

31:50And I mean, we've had some wonderful

31:52conversations, but we we've got to start

31:54getting focused and start moving the

31:56needle a little bit. And and again, my

31:57my hope is that this living document,

32:00breathing document help us do that.

32:03>> Thank you.

32:04>> Yeah.

32:05>> Any other feedback? [clears throat]

32:08>> Yeah.

32:08>> Um under shelters on page the second

32:11page in um what isn't listed is partners

32:15for peace.

32:17We have a domestic uh silence

32:20service that included shelter.

32:23Um I'm wondering um in under shelters

32:27again and shelters at capacity no family

32:30shelter that's something that I

32:32addressed in in my document limited low

32:34barrier day space is something I

32:36addressed in the document lack of

32:37organized communication and coordination

32:39in the system and I wonder where

32:43the region 3 and the COC committee

32:45meetings come into play when it comes to

32:47that particular part lack of

32:49organization communication and

32:51coordination in the system and How much

32:53of that we could look at in how much is

32:56the city giving region 3 and the COC? Do

32:58they are they getting what they need? Is

32:59the is the COC in region three meetings

33:01is giving us back what we need? Um and

33:04I'm wondering if that part in the

33:05shelter process is is something we could

33:08look at. Um in the document under

33:11stabilization

33:12um I return refer to it as

33:18refer to it as inappropriate discharge

33:20from institutions not just detox but

33:24from all institutions and I think that

33:26we could look at that whole situation.

33:28How are people coming out of an

33:29emergency room?

33:32What does it look like when someone

33:33comes out of detox and has to go back to

33:35their

33:36uh park our budgets? Um [clears throat]

33:42under housing, I have a simple very

33:44simple question um on this page is where

33:47is the housing committee at?

33:50I guess that would come to you.

33:53[clears throat]

33:54>> I'm not on the housing.

33:56after this.

33:58>> Um maybe I don't know maybe Robin could

34:04>> at the last council meeting

34:07>> at the last council meeting the city

34:09council voted to add a few members. I

34:12believe that there's just one vacancy

34:15left on that committee and then perhaps

34:17they could start meeting

34:21>> on page two or on page three under

34:23number two. Uh, you doubled pet barriers

34:26twice.

34:27>> Cancelled out pet barriers. Um,

34:34under number four committee action road

34:36map. I was wondering if we could

34:38separate under the three to nine month

34:40section identify in options for family

34:42shelter and then the and when and winter

34:46older loans could be separate on the

34:48list

34:50just depends.

34:53Thank you.

34:54Thank you.

34:56>> I will u ask you all to look at the

34:58document that I wrote. It does address

35:00most of the stuff that's in here. Um

35:03some of the sections are developed as

35:05formal goals with measurable steps while

35:07others are shorter statements of

35:09direction. It's just I think this is

35:10what we should do.

35:14Thank you.

35:17did it uh didn't know that I had a

35:19figure out a place it belongs under

35:21support as well as dat science and

35:23obstacity over response team you know

35:26what I do uh to be connected stampers

35:31uh otherwise like two real important

35:32peer driven services you know I get

35:36represented

35:38support's the way to go

35:41>> I um while we're on that page

35:45I I think we're on one here. Um

35:50I'm not seeing a lot of recovery. Like

35:54I'm seeing some detox and stuff, but it

35:56does seem to me that that will be

35:59um at least would behoove us to have

36:00that as

36:03more of a categorical, you know, or a

36:05header sort of thing. I think that's a

36:08major part of the diversion process here

36:10in Bangor. I mean, when people are um

36:13eliciting [clears throat]

36:15diversion services here in Bangor, it is

36:18often coming from recovery centers and

36:20the peer support professionals there are

36:22often the ones on the phones um getting

36:25that hard work done. So, I would think

36:28that like and I just generally think

36:30like in terms of the conversation

36:33um

36:35that it would probably behoove us to

36:38talk more about recovery um as

36:40[clears throat] part of this because

36:41it's it

36:44is probably, you know, one of the

36:45biggest contributors to the situation

36:47around us. I would I would think.

36:51So yeah, that's something just again I

36:53mean it's kind of like where Pat's

36:54coming from where it's like we're that's

36:56where we're that's hometown for us. So

36:59we we worry about it.

37:03>> I I uh I really appreciate hearing what

37:06everyone's saying. I've been trying to

37:08jot it down so that I don't lose my job

37:09as secretary. Right.

37:12There's no pay, but it's it's an honor.

37:14Um, so, uh, but, uh, so I'm thinking I

37:17I've heard three threads that I think

37:19can be pulled through the document

37:21without changing the color code. And I

37:23it's just like making sure these threads

37:25are present. And one was uh

37:27regionalizing. You were talking about

37:29the uh the region three homeless council

37:31and like what what's our connection to

37:32things outside of the boundaries of of

37:35the city? Another is transition as

37:37people move from one spot to another in

37:39the chart or in it like as they're

37:41moving from uh um

37:45being like addressing prevention uh with

37:48them to to to um maybe housing or

37:50stabilizing um uh transition is is

37:54important. And then another is recovery,

37:56right? Is like that's another threat

37:58that can come through. So I think that's

38:00really good if we just make sure that

38:01those get represented. I like the

38:04structure. Another one that I thought

38:06would be good to pull through

38:07[clears throat] is uh

38:10uh affected others. Um, I think we have

38:13a lot of like people who are watching uh

38:16the work of a committee and kind of none

38:19of this addresses what I'm feeling as a

38:21housed person that's seeing things

38:23happening, you know, and uh so I'm just

38:26I'm I'm mindful that that's a population

38:28that's watching us that's going to judge

38:30the outcome of things and and uh

38:33including all 12 of the the council

38:35candidates, right? Um so uh [laughter]

38:38um so uh so so the uh so that affected

38:42others group could include somebody

38:43who's uh someone who has a loved one

38:47who's um homeless and and using

38:49substances. It could be a person who

38:51just wants to use a park and sees a

38:53needle, you know, it's they're all

38:55affected others. Uh but it's people who

38:57are not experiencing homelessness uh but

39:00they're in some other category. I think

39:02it's good to include them. Uh and then

39:04the other thing is I just at a later

39:06meeting even maybe the next meeting I

39:08think it'd be good to have uh more

39:10specific than the the really good

39:12timeline that you have there. Uh

39:14something more specific that has like

39:16specific deliverables just so we can say

39:19well it our homework our final project

39:21is due July 31st or whatever. Um, and

39:26uh, that means we need to have a really

39:27final draft by July 1st, which means

39:29that we have to have a really uh, you

39:32know, good rough draft by June 1, you

39:34know, and so we work back and identify

39:36what our deliverables are for having

39:38something to counsel in time so they

39:40don't uh, fire me as secretary. the

39:43whole what is my competition?

39:45>> Well, you bring up some great points too

39:47and I I do want to point to the the very

39:49last bullet on the last page um was my

39:52recommended claiming of this whole

39:54thing. Um and I I will read it the

39:57online just Bangor should evaluate

39:59success not only by the number of

40:01programs available but by whether a

40:03person can move through the system

40:05without losing contact, waiting

40:07indefinitely in a bottleneck or

40:08returning to homelessness after

40:10treatment or housing placement. Right?

40:12So I think if we can in my opinion if we

40:16can operate with that mantra if you will

40:20that allow us to attack a lot of these

40:22things um and if we just keep that in

40:24mind I think it solves some of the

40:25things we've talked about right somebody

40:27who is in recovery making sure that they

40:29are getting the support all the way

40:31through it's it doesn't it shouldn't

40:32stop at any one point and it's one of

40:34the reasons why I liked the like the way

40:37this is laid out for me just the way I

40:39learn and the way I see things I can see

40:41the progression I see the path, right?

40:43Um, and so it for me anyway, it mentally

40:47allowed me to kind of process a little

40:49better, but the goal is to be able to

40:52create a plan, submit a plan that allows

40:56for a person to work their way through

40:58the system guided without any

41:00bottlenecks, without any issues. And if

41:03we can attack every one of the issues

41:05with that mindset, I think we can get to

41:08a really strong uh deliverable.

41:11There are 15 of them.

41:13>> Alton,

41:14>> hi. Can I just offer something?

41:16>> I think one of the things that overlays

41:19this whole thing is policy because as

41:22you develop your strategic plan, one of

41:24the things to consider is how to keep it

41:26sustainable.

41:28Um, and policy is often a way to do

41:30that. So maybe they're through this.

41:33It's also an identification of policies

41:34that are barriers, policies that are

41:37facilitators and then those gaps and

41:39policies that could really ensure

41:41sustainability of whatever is developed

41:43here.

41:44>> It's a great point. Thank you.

41:48>> It's a it's a very well composed

41:50document. Um and I think you've covered

41:53most of the pressure points um you know

41:56at least thematically. And I think that

41:58um in that sense it's a very good

42:00springboard. You know, be able to I mean

42:04the people at this table are well

42:05equipped to to know where the gaps are

42:07um because we've helped them. I've been

42:09frustrated by them.

42:11>> Thank you.

42:15>> Um I'd like to um just piggyback on

42:18Ben's comment. Um it made me think about

42:21just the past month of families that

42:24were in a tough situation on some of my

42:26listings. In fact, um, ironically, you

42:29know, a lot of the listings are from the

42:30older generation of Bangor and they're

42:32going into assisted living and they have

42:35adult or sometimes young family members

42:38who have either mental health or

42:40substance use addiction issues and they

42:43themselves are trying struggling with

42:44going into medical facilities

42:47themselves. And twice just in the past

42:49month, an individual sadly had the

42:53stabilization of a of a home

42:55environment. And then when he had to

42:57leave that environment, he really had

42:59nowhere to go. But his mother had had a

43:01stroke and she was no no longer able to

43:04help him. And um she had to go out of

43:06state with another family member and

43:09this poor individual ended up basically

43:11on the street. now has gotten involved

43:13into drugs and now unfortunately has had

43:16multiple incidences with the police

43:18broken into the home which I have listed

43:20which created another whole set of

43:22dynamics and the whole story is

43:25exceptionally sad because this person

43:27had been on his meds had been uh very

43:30proud of his achievement of where he was

43:32at that point in life but because of the

43:34changes in the elderly mother uh he's

43:37now spiraled in just a month and um and

43:40I don't even know where he is right now

43:42and his mother doesn't even know if he's

43:44alive or not. So I think it's very

43:47important what you said Ben about the

43:49outreach to the family members who

43:52either don't know or suddenly become

43:54capable of providing that support and

43:57things like this.

44:00I think that's a great example of how

44:01housing and healthare

44:04[clears throat]

44:04>> and how having stable health care

44:08improves your ability to obtain and

44:10sustain housing and losing housing

44:13directly impacts health care which then

44:16keeps you in the cycle of homelessness.

44:18So I mean you teed up I think perfectly

44:21in the document where those things

44:23intersect and that's the part that's

44:26near and dear to my heart right

44:29>> how they impact

44:34>> other thoughts

44:36concerns

44:38back on what Caroline said and I said it

44:40last week and exactly what you just said

44:42about the you know situation and now how

44:45this gentleman is on the street no

44:47different than What I was saying about

44:49group homes last week when mental health

44:51group homes started closing what you're

44:52seeing on the street is exactly that

44:55gentleman right that can't was his meds

44:58were gi the people that they were in

45:00these group homes for a long time their

45:02meds were given to him they were taken

45:04care of they were had the oversight they

45:05had a staffing you know that no longer

45:08qualified and closed and now we dropping

45:10them off at the shelters and they're

45:12taking you know oh here's a candy right

45:15it's really not it's a drug you know and

45:17now were in the addiction pattern. And

45:19so, you know, that just it just brings

45:23that up for me again because it's so it

45:26really is big. Um, and we have a lot of

45:28that on the street right now and people

45:30just don't understand and they're not

45:31getting the mental health services they

45:32need or you try and they don't

45:34understand them and they don't have the

45:35care or the staffing with them anymore.

45:38So, it makes it really difficult.

45:40But, as far as this goes, you know, I

45:42think it's great. I think both of your

45:43guys' documents are great. you know, I

45:46like the fact of re, you know, the

45:49ending private homeless treatment of

45:50housing warehousing placement. Um, and

45:54for me, like I'm really sad to hear

45:56about the whole project hope thing

45:57because this part I think would be it's

45:59it's part of it, right? This would help

46:02see this framing. Um, so I hope

46:04eventually we get there with project

46:06hope because that is really what we

46:08need.

46:12It's also interesting about the other

46:14projects that haven't been gaining the

46:16most amount of success in the, you know,

46:18in within city council or within the

46:21community is that like when we think

46:23about the home for good projects and the

46:25ways that people are receiving 24-hour

46:27supports in the home for good projects,

46:30um I think like this sentiment exactly

46:32is sort of what the what the like a the

46:36the nugget is for um for communities

46:40when We think about all the good that

46:43can come from the people who really like

46:46have tried, you know, Bruce has placed

46:48five times over again in different

46:50apartments that have been evicted or

46:52asked to leave because they've had too

46:54many guests or they've overdosed in

46:56their unit or um you know they don't

46:58have the skills to be able to keep their

47:00units clean. Um, and then all of the for

47:03all of those reasons, you know, a renter

47:06or a person who is owns a home and is

47:09renting it out says like, I can't

47:10tolerate this in my unit anymore. I know

47:12this is a huge cost burden to me. Um,

47:15you know, someone whose place you were

47:16like thinking about listing and um, and

47:19all of the support that goes along in

47:21those home forgood projects really are

47:24the whole goal of the staff working

47:26there is to make sure that the returns

47:28to homelessness are not actually, you

47:30know, happening. and that is

47:31evidence-based and best practice. And so

47:34some of the like hubbhub that comes

47:35along with what the projects could allow

47:37to have, you know, happening there are

47:39just not based in fact. And so both

47:42though, you know, it's interesting that

47:44we have, you know, you sort of come up

47:45with this element and then there's these

47:47two things that feel like they could be

47:49um really positively impactful to the

47:52community. Um, and there's a lot of

47:54people who don't quite understand all

47:56the nuance of the um, of the work and

47:59what goes into it and how those things

48:01can be successful and really be helpful

48:03to

48:05>> and I think all of that speaks to

48:07priority gap number eight, public

48:09communication and stigma,

48:11>> right? We should there's incredible

48:13immediate incredible compassion for this

48:15human in that example. But that is the

48:17tale of many of our folks that are have

48:19and a misunderstanding of how folks

48:21enter homelessness and how difficult it

48:23is to exit homelessness when there's no

48:26place to there's no offer.

48:30>> Yeah. And I do want to put, you know, I

48:31know in our I hope that we've all been

48:34reading these communications, but Boyd

48:36Kronholm, the executive director of

48:37Bangor Area Homeless Shelter, wrote a

48:40really beautiful email to all of us and

48:42the counselors about those two projects

48:44that I just didn't know when I read um

48:47should be read. We should, you know,

48:50think about how we're

48:52reading all of the email talking about

48:54those, incorporating them into

48:57>> the feedback. Yeah.

48:59>> Awesome. And I I think too um that

49:04you know there's um the city has a

49:06budget which comes from the taxpayers

49:09and um and that's why we brought this

49:12group together is we're not the experts.

49:14We can be a partner but we have to also

49:17maybe through this once we get a

49:18strategic plan sit down um you know with

49:21with the leaders and I management

49:24leaders and see what we do have for

49:26budget. But I think we come to realize

49:28that over the years maybe you know

49:30hindsight's 2020 maybe when we had um

49:33you know the ARPA money it was a big

49:35chunk of money maybe we could have done

49:37something bigger and had a much better

49:39result but um you know they did the best

49:42they could under the circumstances and

49:44try to do it fairly and uh and I think

49:47too we still have the same problem the

49:48city has to govern and and run this city

49:51like a business with a budget and uh so

49:54we don't have endless money to put

49:56toward homes And when we have so many

49:58people, businesses failing, people that

50:00can't afford their taxes, they can't

50:02afford their fuel. Um, and they think

50:04that all we talk about is homeless,

50:06homeless, homeless. So there's the

50:08perception, and they're not wrong, that

50:11we're not paying, um, you know, they

50:13have issues, too. So, um, that's why we

50:16brought this group of experts together

50:17to try to be better partners and get a

50:21better, more effective, um, response and

50:23effect in our community because we've

50:26been through. So, you know, I see what

50:28you're saying, but at the same time,

50:29it's not the city's responsibility to

50:31solve homelessness. It is our

50:34responsibility to be better and better

50:37effective partners. And uh so I see what

50:40you're saying, but I think that part of

50:42the reason uh the whole project got um

50:45declined was because you know there's

50:47only so much money and when we put a

50:50band-aid here and a band-aid there, I

50:52think we want to put the brakes on and

50:54see what we come out of this and see

50:56where we can best apply our monies,

50:58maybe get more monies to put into a

51:00bigger kettle and hopefully have a

51:02better

51:03>> I think that's a great point and I think

51:06that is a really great piggyback to what

51:09um Jen said earlier about policy, right?

51:12Um looking at policy and policies that

51:15can be updated um added, removed to

51:21facilitate more of this policies don't

51:24generally cost a ton of money, right?

51:27But it can facilitate somebody who has

51:29those resources or organization that has

51:31those resources to fill those gaps. And

51:34so I think that's where um Jen's point

51:36about really spending some time talking

51:39about and looking at policy may be one

51:42of those areas that really can have the

51:43the best impact in a very short order.

51:46Um counselor's point, money is finite.

51:50Um but there are resources out there. We

51:54just got to make sure that they can get

51:55here and we have the policies in place

51:57as a community that allows them to get

51:59here.

52:03just my thoughts.

52:07I um I wanted to touch on where we were

52:09on

52:14which is me whenever I take a

52:15standardized test. like it's got all the

52:16pages strewn out and I [laughter] I'm

52:18trying to answer question 79. I have the

52:20answer but I'm doing it nonsequentially

52:23and but I do think that the

52:26communication piece is I mean it is

52:29foundational but in a sense it's

52:30critical too because we can't gain

52:32purchase on some of these projects that

52:34are evidence-based. They're

52:36compassionbased. They're data based.

52:38they're they're just based um

52:40universally and we can't seem to get the

52:45purchase that we might think would be

52:47there um from our community. And I think

52:49you know in my experience that is

52:51largely attributable to this stigma

52:54component where people are coming to

52:58different conclusions that aren't

53:01necessarily supported by the evidence

53:02and aren't supported by the outreach

53:03workers and aren't supported by the

53:05people who know the community. um and

53:09the people who have studied it and I

53:11think that you know

53:14in terms of

53:16the city's role I mean when I think

53:19about it I do think it is the city's job

53:21to try and resolve homelessness but I

53:24think that one of the ways that they can

53:25do that and be a better partner and do x

53:27y and z is to come up with a way to

53:31because the affected others are are

53:34they're they're critical too um and

53:36without their support and without their

53:38trust

53:40um we're not going to be able to bring

53:43peace to to this community at the level

53:47that we're trying to bring. Um, and if

53:49we could reach them and show them,

53:52you know,

53:54in a in a better way and have and have

53:56partners in in

53:59the city who are not just bringing the

54:01resources and voting on the resources,

54:04but representing them and advocating for

54:06them and,

54:09you know, voicing them. I think that

54:11that would be

54:14that would that would make a big

54:16difference

54:18at least in my opinion.

54:22>> I'm wondering how you picture um

54:25[clears throat] or if you have a

54:27specific you know picture and maybe you

54:29want to leave this open to the committee

54:30but how you picture us um kind of

54:33dividing up the work um of this and like

54:36just kind of moving forward.

54:38I see six colorcoded boxes. Do you see

54:44six subs

54:46or do you see it more like identifying

54:49specific things like um recovery or or

54:54uh um regional response or things like

54:57that? That would be the subcommittees.

54:59Like how do you how do you see the word

55:01work dividing up?

55:02>> Yeah, I I think I would open that to the

55:05committee, right? like this is um this

55:08is a democracy, right? Like let's have a

55:10conversation and figure out what works

55:12best. The the way that I sort of

55:15envision this document is as we're um

55:18getting ready to build the strategic

55:20plan that we would look at specific

55:22factors within it and say, "Okay, we're

55:23going to focus on the next meeting on um

55:27you know prevention and how that relates

55:29to our zero zero to 90 day plan." I

55:31think you hit the nail on the head

55:32earlier, Ben. I think we kind of need to

55:34figure out like the road map to

55:37strategic plan. Um you know what are the

55:39components of the strategic plan and how

55:41do we get there and then this document

55:44giving us kind of the guidelines say

55:46okay we know we need to talk about

55:48shelters or we need to talk about

55:50recovery and where that plays in in

55:53so we're going to dedicate a meeting

55:55where we have one bullet item is

55:57recovery and then we think we'll have

55:59enough time to talk about a second item

56:00or whatever it might be. This document

56:03really is just to help us have some

56:05structure to the conversations, right?

56:07It's not meant to be the allbinding

56:11um Bible, if you will. Uh it is just a

56:14road map so that we can make sure that

56:16when we're having conversations, we're

56:18staying on topic and so that when we do

56:20start to navigate away from the topic at

56:23hand, we have something to kind of pull

56:25us back as well.

56:27So open to the committee what

56:29>> sorry can I offer a thought on this is I

56:31think one of the things that the

56:32committee may want to talk about at some

56:35point is the format of your strategic

56:37plan in terms of

56:40strategic plans can go in many different

56:42directions um but some of them start

56:44with like an objective and then talk

56:47about activities and you know you may

56:49want to at some point start to think

56:51about how that shakes out. Um, often in

56:54public health we do something called

56:56smart objectives where they're

56:58measurable and then there's activities

57:00that come down after that. So I think as

57:03you're having the conversations you can

57:04start to think about what do you want

57:07that format to look like.

57:15>> I think that makes sense. And I think

57:16that um you know you've kind of formed a

57:18pretty natural timeline here with the

57:20categories themselves. [clears throat] I

57:21mean it seems like they're great at an

57:23order of urgency to me. So I think you

57:26know a fairly natural way organic way

57:29would be to say you know we're going to

57:31circle prevent and then the prevention

57:33experts tag themselves in and have more

57:36of a presence in that and then we would

57:39move on to connect and the the

57:40connection experts have more of a

57:42presence there and just we

57:44[clears throat] could just go down the

57:45line. Um

57:47that was my thought.

57:50I'd like to see a section in the very

57:52beginning of of what we're doing that

57:54addresses some philos philosophical

57:57ideas and I think recovery is one of

57:59those. Recovery is a philosoph is a

58:01philosophy. Not everybody subscribes to

58:03recovery. Um but we could we could look

58:06at [clears throat] um what is the

58:07philosophy that our our strategic plan

58:11is taking. Is it recovery based? Is it

58:14person centered? Is it trauma informed?

58:17um those aren't necessarily headings so

58:20much as they are flavors through all the

58:22headings like this is trauma informed,

58:24this is person centered. Um I think that

58:27that that that if we were to look at

58:29some section within this plan that kind

58:32of identifies what the philosophy is

58:34that might that might help no matter

58:37what the what the topic is. These are

58:40the threads through it. We believe that

58:42people can recover. We believe people

58:44are person. We have believe in persons

58:45understanding that people have a voice

58:47in their care. Um trauma-informed

58:50services, not trying to hurt anybody

58:52while we're trying to help them.

58:54>> That could be something we could weave

58:55into the strategic plan itself where

58:57like as we make recommendations, we

59:00could say that this approach is rooted

59:02in our local recovery network. like our

59:04local recovery professionals have

59:06endorsed this approach or this is

59:08something that the evidence shows like

59:10we can sort of, you know, as we go down

59:14the action items, apply tags to them

59:16that are like, you know, this is, you

59:20know, the

59:22there's a word I'm shopping for, but I

59:24know it's wrong. um

59:28the we'll just say the origin story for

59:31now of of where that comes from and we

59:34can point to that philosophy, you know,

59:38>> speak to what Jen was saying around like

59:39what a typical strategic plan might look

59:41like and identifying the values and

59:43objectives and

59:44>> like almost like a mission statement.

59:48>> That's exactly what I was say. I think

59:50what we're describing is really kind of

59:52the mission statement for the strategic

59:55plan. Um, and then to to both you guys'

59:59point, then we pull from those threads

1:00:01throughout the documents

1:00:03rather than splitting it up amongst a

1:00:06bunch of different places. We have one

1:00:08kind of guiding principle, if you will,

1:00:10to get our way through the strategic

1:00:12plan. Um, that makes sense.

1:00:23I also just feel like the strategic plan

1:00:26needs to be

1:00:28it needs to be something that the

1:00:30council

1:00:32go back to I don't say this to be

1:00:35critical of council. I just you feel

1:00:38that it's

1:00:41I think everything does look like a

1:00:43band-aid when you don't have a a vision

1:00:46and they've asked us to develop that

1:00:48vision right and around this issue. I

1:00:50don't mean council doesn't have any

1:00:51vision. I mean around this issue like

1:00:54they want us to develop a vision. So we

1:00:56want a document that helps council have

1:00:59a vision to move towards. And so we also

1:01:01want something that they're going to be

1:01:02ready to adopt. And um and so I think

1:01:08we'll need to have some clarity from

1:01:11council about what they're looking for

1:01:13as as time goes on, you know. Um, I I

1:01:18I'm mindful that we did provide a

1:01:21recommendation on Project Hope. I'm

1:01:23mindful that it was almost like we

1:01:26weren't hurt. You know, I don't want

1:01:28that to happen with our strategic plan.

1:01:30That's a lot of work to put in to also

1:01:32have it in shel.

1:01:36Um, so we need to hear from council.

1:01:39They need to be responsible for telling

1:01:40us what they'll actually listen to. um

1:01:43so that we're not wasting our time

1:01:45anymore.

1:01:46>> And I think um counselor, you you have

1:01:50more knowledge than than most of us on

1:01:52the inner workings of council. Um but I

1:01:54think that's where Jen's comment about

1:01:56policy really comes in, right? I think

1:01:58if if as we're building our strategic

1:02:00plan, we focus on policy,

1:02:03[clears throat] not hey, the city needs

1:02:05to build this giant building or the city

1:02:07needs to do this or the city needs to do

1:02:09that. I think if we focus on policy,

1:02:13then it's harder for the city council to

1:02:15come back and say, "This sounds great,

1:02:18but but we can't do this. We're not

1:02:20going to support this." Right? I I think

1:02:22if we can, at least in phase

1:02:24[clears throat] one, right? I think it's

1:02:25important to keep in mind, too, that

1:02:27this committee is not ending December

1:02:3031st. It's not ending July 1st. It's not

1:02:33This is at least for now, there is no

1:02:35end date on this committee. So I in my

1:02:38opinion, I think that first strategic

1:02:41plan really needs to be centered around

1:02:44policy that makes sense in the community

1:02:47because that's the win, right? That

1:02:48that's the way the council can say,

1:02:50"Okay, we can pass this. We can do this.

1:02:52We they're not having to commit a ton of

1:02:55resources and then the next iteration,

1:02:58right? Because again, the committee is

1:02:59ongoing, right? And so when that

1:03:02strategic plan is delivered,

1:03:05money doesn't dispand. And so from that

1:03:08point now, it becomes more of those

1:03:10finite things. It becomes more of those

1:03:12tangible things, becomes more of those

1:03:14what are the other tweaks that we can do

1:03:16to make sure that that Boyd has the

1:03:18resources and and the the ordinances in

1:03:20place, that the together place has the

1:03:22policies in place at the city level to

1:03:24be able to operate effectively and

1:03:26efficiently. Um that that's my thought.

1:03:29I think to your point, I think that's

1:03:30the way to get in front of council and

1:03:33to deliver something that is actionable

1:03:35in a I'm not gonna say short period of

1:03:37time, but a relatively short period of

1:03:40time. Um that at that point if they ben

1:03:44like okay well what did you convene us

1:03:46for?

1:03:47>> And and I don't think it's a matter of

1:03:49will they accept it or not accept it. I

1:03:51think that we're very much uh are

1:03:54excited about this and and I know all

1:03:56the committee members are watching and

1:03:58that conversation and um they're very

1:04:01much looking forward to this and we know

1:04:02the strategic plan is going to be like a

1:04:04living document that as times change and

1:04:06also what we have to do is take that

1:04:08strategic plan and we have to go to our

1:04:10departments because um you know a lot of

1:04:13the people here are stakeholders and

1:04:14this is your day-to-day life but at the

1:04:16same time our department heads their

1:04:18day-to-day life is working with our

1:04:19budget and looking at you on fire and

1:04:22the police and public works and and and

1:04:25how um homelessness affects them and

1:04:27what our resources are and what they're

1:04:28not where we're overburdened where we

1:04:30could give a little more. So, we want to

1:04:32take this um plan and seriously look at

1:04:35it and then we have to go back to the

1:04:37departments or the the priority after

1:04:39I'm gone um and and get feedback from

1:04:41them too and we will be I'm sure they

1:04:43will be fine-tuning it and working with

1:04:46it and still coming back for advice. So

1:04:49um I wouldn't be discouraged because one

1:04:51part you know one topic came back and

1:04:54for multiple reasons didn't pass because

1:04:56the ultimate goal is to look at refugee

1:04:59claim and what you all have to say will

1:05:01be considered yes

1:05:05>> my my one concern is and I know that I

1:05:08am sort of a concern guru over here um

1:05:13and that's always my role Pat knows from

1:05:15working with me that I am very very good

1:05:17at bringing forth a concern. Um, but I I

1:05:21love policy as much as anyone else. Like

1:05:23truly deep down, like I love pouring

1:05:25over a white paper at 3:00 a.m. or

1:05:27looking over a knowledge base and just

1:05:30not understanding anything but wanting

1:05:32to do. But I would be wary that like one

1:05:36thing that committees are almost too

1:05:37good, in fact almost certainly too good

1:05:39at making is policy.

1:05:41>> Um, and policy is very actionable and it

1:05:43is very deliverable, but that is mostly

1:05:45because it is words. Um, so you know I

1:05:49can see that the I you know just ro

1:05:52playing it over in my head like yeah I

1:05:54can envision the council I can envision

1:05:56anybody just being thrilled to adopt

1:05:59policy because it's quite easy and it's

1:06:01quite cheap to adopt policy um because

1:06:04it's words. Um, and when I think about

1:06:09reducing deaths, um, and honoring the

1:06:11providers that we have on the streets

1:06:13and the people that we have on the

1:06:15streets, I do think, um, it kind of is

1:06:18like the city needs a building or the

1:06:21cities need more buildings or there

1:06:22needs to be more housing. Um, sort of

1:06:24get to thinking that that might be

1:06:27crucial. Um, especially given the fact

1:06:29that people are dying now and throwing

1:06:32themselves off of bridges now. It's not

1:06:34an abstract problem.

1:06:37It's a now problem. So that's kind of my

1:06:40my thinking is that I would I would like

1:06:42for us to have some sort of tangible

1:06:45monetary structural stuff in there too

1:06:47because

1:06:49you know I love policy but

1:06:52you know it's a lovehate sort of thing.

1:06:56So that's my thing.

1:07:10All right.

1:07:11>> Can I ask a question? We just went back

1:07:14to the order. Just listening to

1:07:16everyone's comments. I just went back to

1:07:17the original order of the committee and

1:07:20it says to construct strategic plan for

1:07:23the city's response and it's a capital

1:07:25C. So I just want to

1:07:29ground us in this is for city's response

1:07:35which is different than a strategic plan

1:07:38for the whole city's response.

1:07:42while it can include coordination

1:07:45but that correct me if I'm wrong this is

1:07:48about the capital C meaning the city as

1:07:50an institution not the city as like all

1:07:53the partners coming together although

1:07:55the strategic plan could include the

1:07:57city's role in bringing people together

1:07:59am I is

1:08:02we're

1:08:03>> I I think we're I think

1:08:04>> I understand the same way you do uh

1:08:08council

1:08:09>> I think

1:08:10>> okay

1:08:10>> city not everybody else.

1:08:13>> Correct.

1:08:13>> So, I just wanted to kind of like ground

1:08:15us in that because I think sometimes

1:08:16when we think of needing, we're all

1:08:18solvers. That's why everyone's at the

1:08:20table. And so, sometimes when we think

1:08:21of those problem, those solutions, we

1:08:23think really big. And so, knowing that

1:08:28lots of us here are representatives of

1:08:30the city and knowing the strategic plan

1:08:31will influence our work, I just want to

1:08:35make sure that we're all talking about

1:08:38the institution of the city. And I think

1:08:40it's helpful

1:08:43to clarify to folks that are listening

1:08:45at home or watching this and saying like

1:08:47this isn't going anywhere them to

1:08:50understand the role as well. Clearly

1:08:53we're all learning the role and how we

1:08:56can what can be actually delivered and

1:09:00actioned upon and the public as a whole

1:09:03to understand what the point of the

1:09:05committee is and what we're capable of

1:09:07providing for

1:09:12Um because I think if we're having that

1:09:15little bit of internal debate, I can

1:09:16imagine where there would be confusion

1:09:19from the

1:09:27>> other thoughts or questions,

1:09:29clarifications.

1:09:33So with all this conversation, I

1:09:35actually kind of have circled back to

1:09:36the the thing you talked about, Ben,

1:09:38earlier is should we have like

1:09:39subcommittees that are focused on very

1:09:42specific things and um

1:09:46[snorts] a and maybe reviewing what

1:09:50policies and I know lovehate

1:09:52relationship I I understand um but

1:09:55reviewing what policies are impacting

1:09:58and maybe trying to figure out what

1:10:00policies are in place that are creat

1:10:01creating the the barriers

1:10:05or what ones are working.

1:10:07>> I think that's valuable. I also would

1:10:09counter just again being one of the

1:10:12folks that's delivering the care in the

1:10:13dayto-day. We are having people actively

1:10:15dying. I saw three suicidal people today

1:10:18because they're very cold and ignored to

1:10:20go. Um so I think that there value to

1:10:23that and I'm curious if there

1:10:26we talked about like the emergency

1:10:27stabilization component. Um,

1:10:32and if we're just looking at the warming

1:10:33centers are open in a month, that's kind

1:10:35of the emergency stabilization component

1:10:37and like that's where we're going to

1:10:38focus our our energy on and that will

1:10:41kind of reduce the pressure valve for us

1:10:43to be able to tackle with the

1:10:45subcommittee's prevention stabilization

1:10:47connection so on. And I'm saying this

1:10:50more as like an ask to the committee. Is

1:10:52that are we looking at the warming

1:10:55centers as like that's the emergency

1:10:56stabilization and we just got to get

1:10:58people to hold on another four weeks

1:11:00till warming centers open or do we need

1:11:03to also address this while we're looking

1:11:05at policy and the impact of like kind of

1:11:08the buckets of work?

1:11:10Can you uh lay that out more? Like

1:11:15I'm sorry. What?

1:11:17Like I understand what you're saying,

1:11:18but I'm I mean I guess like what would

1:11:20your physical suggestion be for that or

1:11:23are you asking for us to discuss that as

1:11:25well?

1:11:25>> Just like briefly, do we think we need

1:11:27more than have people hold on to the

1:11:30warming centers open up in four weeks?

1:11:32Is there any other intervention that

1:11:34anyone feels like we need to try to

1:11:36present now? I don't think there is

1:11:38necessarily another option in the next

1:11:40four weeks that we can actually be

1:11:43actionable. I just I don't want to be

1:11:45remiss if somebody else is seeing a

1:11:47gaping

1:11:49>> band-aid. Not that we're trying to avoid

1:11:51bandaids, but the reality is we have

1:11:52four weeks of

1:11:54>> So, I mean, just

1:11:56I can't remember who said it and I'm

1:11:58sure that it was very recent and it does

1:12:01not mean that I don't think you're

1:12:02meaningful. It's just my brain is kind

1:12:04of like that. Um, but I think it was

1:12:07you, Alton, that said we're all solvers.

1:12:09Um,

1:12:10I think Jen just said it like

1:12:12>> Jen was the author of

1:12:13>> I'm so sorry.

1:12:16I I attribute it to a man. I don't know.

1:12:19I don't know.

1:12:21Um, but

1:12:26I

1:12:28I'm thinking I know that we're not

1:12:29supposed to think of the city astrally,

1:12:32but that's what I'm trying to think of

1:12:33when I'm thinking of like band-aids. I

1:12:34like band-aids. I would prefer to have a

1:12:36band-aid if it's going to keep someone

1:12:37here with us and it's going to stop

1:12:39someone from doing something rather

1:12:41dark. Um,

1:12:43>> I'm just talking about like a realistic

1:12:44bandaid theoretic band. I don't think

1:12:47there's a realistic band in the next

1:12:49four weeks. I just don't want to

1:12:51potentially stop. I just know that like

1:12:53in in times of crisis, you know,

1:12:56Together Place and other recovery

1:12:57centers and other shelters, we've pulled

1:12:59Hail Marys and we've called up like a

1:13:01community partner and we've said, "Hey,

1:13:02can you do given the current acute, can

1:13:06you open up your day space or can you

1:13:07get some volunteers to extend hours?" Do

1:13:09you think that that would make a

1:13:10difference at all?

1:13:11>> Be a bad idea. I don't know if you know

1:13:15a resource if like I said two day alone,

1:13:17I had three people, but like I can't do

1:13:19another night outside. I'm already

1:13:23>> You and I could talk about it, Bruce,

1:13:24and see what we can put our noggin to.

1:13:27>> So, why don't we do why don't we make

1:13:29sure this is an agenda item specifically

1:13:31for the next meeting that will give

1:13:33everyone time to kind of go back and

1:13:36think through because I think you make a

1:13:37great point like I don't know if there's

1:13:38a band-aid out there, but let's all put

1:13:40our heads together. We've met a lot of

1:13:41doers.

1:13:42>> Two weeks from now, it'll be only two

1:13:44weeks before it's open.

1:13:45>> Nice.

1:13:46But maybe someone will be able to be

1:13:47like, "Oh my god, your wonderful

1:13:49resource that Bruce called

1:13:51or something." Um, okay, cool. Sorry.

1:13:55Back to the

1:13:55>> Thank you. Thank you. I I totally

1:13:58appreciate that. The grounding us in the

1:14:00reality that's that is outdoors for art.

1:14:04>> The diversion programs that both help

1:14:06with that, right? They they work with

1:14:09people on trying to find places safe for

1:14:11them to go also, right? It's not just

1:14:12about giving them money for their rent,

1:14:15right? Correct.

1:14:17>> Yeah. But I mean

1:14:18>> it's not

1:14:19>> it's not it's not like hey we can spend

1:14:22one night in a hotel or something like

1:14:25that. But it's certainly like if there's

1:14:27something

1:14:27>> they're asking and talking about

1:14:30>> your belongings.

1:14:32>> Yeah. Do you have do you what are the

1:14:35types of things you're thinking of?

1:14:37>> Just like I mean back when we were doing

1:14:40diversion at the hope house before we'd

1:14:42always talk about family. Oh, for sure.

1:14:45>> Friends, like

1:14:47>> other places that people can go to be

1:14:49safe for the winter.

1:14:51>> Area of meaningful tie.

1:14:52>> Do you have an area where you have

1:14:54meaningful time?

1:14:55>> I know that's not for everyone. Not

1:14:56everyone has that. But if we can get

1:14:58those people that do have those

1:15:00connections to a safe place for the

1:15:02winter, then I think we're well, we're

1:15:05taking the numbers down.

1:15:07>> Absolutely.

1:15:08>> I imagine Maria does that.

1:15:11I'm sure every I feel like everyone is

1:15:13still actively doing that. I think um

1:15:16I'm seeing a lot of folks trying to use

1:15:18crisis as like a last minute hail Mary.

1:15:21I just need a place to be to not get

1:15:23frostbite tonight. But I mean the

1:15:26elephant in the room is in years past we

1:15:28were able to be like can you get a tent?

1:15:31>> Yeah.

1:15:31>> And we don't have that option anymore.

1:15:33So I have an actual fear for hypothermia

1:15:37and death

1:15:38>> in the next few weeks.

1:15:39>> I don't think I should be outside

1:15:40personally.

1:15:41>> I don't either, but there is no inside

1:15:43option at the moment. There isn't for

1:15:45another four weeks. And um

1:15:47>> do we have ways of pathway to shelter

1:15:50that would be

1:15:52don't know about like if we had an open

1:15:55bed and were able to get the one that

1:15:58was I just I'm just thinking outside the

1:16:01box a little bit. you know, having a

1:16:03direct path right into it.

1:16:04>> There's just no bed. That's the problem.

1:16:07>> Yeah. Because I mean, it's not like

1:16:08there's any beds sitting empty, you

1:16:10know, and like

1:16:11>> So,

1:16:12>> I mean, we're going into overflow almost

1:16:14every night. I was looking at the

1:16:15numbers the other day and I was like,

1:16:17we're like over 100% almost every night.

1:16:21>> So, 10 overflow,

1:16:24>> zero overflow right now. So if it's

1:16:26overflow, it's like

1:16:29>> in a chair.

1:16:30>> Well, we have mats, but

1:16:32>> yeah,

1:16:32>> we shouldn't be doing that based on all

1:16:34the other things, you know, capacity

1:16:36concerns and staffing concerns and

1:16:38stuff.

1:16:40>> And it's not I mean, it's like, you

1:16:42know, someone's in the hospital and then

1:16:44you we take someone in and then maybe

1:16:45they come back. So, it's like an

1:16:47additional person, which we can

1:16:48certainly do, but

1:16:50yeah.

1:16:53you have

1:16:54I mean probably have an extra bed to let

1:16:56all the instructions done.

1:16:59>> Not right now.

1:17:00>> Not right now.

1:17:02>> So if I were to wave my magic wand and

1:17:04say hey you know this community partner

1:17:08could open for six hours a night on

1:17:13I mean give me a break here like tell me

1:17:15what you like I my magic wand is very

1:17:17limited. What I have to say is going to

1:17:19be quite controversial, which is I think

1:17:21people should be able to have a tent for

1:17:23the next four weeks to be able to get

1:17:24warm and be out of the elements. But I

1:17:26know that is not an answer that anyone

1:17:29else is in agreement with city

1:17:30ordinance. But in reality, that is the

1:17:33way folks survived in the winters when

1:17:36there was zero bed available.

1:17:38>> City, right? Because we're capital C

1:17:40city

1:17:42temporary ordinance. We're releasing a

1:17:44fat wall. [laughter]

1:17:47That was kind of controversial, but

1:17:50>> I'm happy to undertake some controversy.

1:17:52That's my role here. So, I'm happy to

1:17:54just soak it up. Um,

1:17:57>> I don't have the authority to stay and I

1:18:00wouldn't even want to have that safety,

1:18:02right? That opens up such a huge negoti.

1:18:16And that's why everyone's here, right?

1:18:17And just thinking about the healthc care

1:18:20component of it, right? Which is like

1:18:23Pat said, I can do nothing to help

1:18:24anyone if if they're no longer with us.

1:18:28And even emergency openings

1:18:31require staffing and some kind of

1:18:33funding, which we know is unavailable.

1:18:37I bring it up not necessarily to be

1:18:40like, let's drop this bomb out of sheer

1:18:42curiosity. That's the only thing I can

1:18:45think of.

1:18:47is how are the pooling shelters down

1:18:49there? Are they full to capacity, too?

1:18:52>> Oh, yeah.

1:18:53>> Yeah. Yeah.

1:18:54>> I just didn't know if they

1:18:55>> Yeah. And they're the they're the

1:18:59warming shelter plan to be opening, too.

1:19:05>> Why couldn't the warming shelters

1:19:08>> staffing funding?

1:19:11>> Like, why couldn't the city give them

1:19:12money to do that?

1:19:13>> They don't have the money. Well, I

1:19:17think it like let's [clears throat] not

1:19:19be,

1:19:19>> you know, the budget's voted on and it's

1:19:21a legal process and totally I think it's

1:19:24staffing funding and preparation, right?

1:19:26It's it's wildly expensive. Clearly,

1:19:28$400,000 is for $45 a night per bed,

1:19:33right? So,

1:19:35what's that for an extra 30 days? And

1:19:37you have to have your staff and you have

1:19:39to have them trained and all the things.

1:19:41>> So, sorry. Sorry. Well, we say staff

1:19:46heavily, we mean volunteers. So, I'm

1:19:49>> I'd have to interject here on this one.

1:19:51I think that volunteers are amazing.

1:19:53We've seen saw great things happen when

1:19:56volunteers come together. I think it's

1:19:59very very hard to staff a warming

1:20:02shelter with volunteers. So, I want to

1:20:04make sure that we are not advocating for

1:20:06a completely unsustainable model.

1:20:09They're great for bringing food and

1:20:10blankets and wonderful tidings. It's not

1:20:15a core staff for for keeping a warming

1:20:17shelter going.

1:20:18>> 80 is paying $23 an hour for their

1:20:21staff. Um, Augustus the Augusta

1:20:25uh warming center just uh put out their

1:20:27advertisement for their staff. So, this

1:20:29is a regional discussion. People being

1:20:32paid to to to do this is a huge

1:20:34discussion in and of itself.

1:20:36people should be enumerated.

1:20:38>> Well, so there's the answer. That's why

1:20:40they can't open up a month early.

1:20:42>> I have a question for the uh folks who

1:20:45are participating in outreach on a

1:20:47regular basis. I'm just referring back

1:20:48to Bruce's previous point. Is that a

1:20:50standard question? Uh do you have a

1:20:52place until the shelter's open that you

1:20:55can stay for the next four weeks? Is

1:20:57there

1:20:57>> I ask that question all the time and the

1:20:59answer that I hear is I'm just going to

1:21:01risk it. And so

1:21:02>> it's really cold in my tent, but I'm

1:21:04gonna

1:21:05>> then a followup to that would be is

1:21:08there a way that the city could help if

1:21:10somebody says I have a relative in a

1:21:12neighboring community um you know the

1:21:15mechanism for us to help facilitate that

1:21:18at least over the next four weeks

1:21:19>> we do if someone can act

1:21:25>> I'm trying to redirect the away from the

1:21:28tent thing because I do not think tents

1:21:30in our parks is the

1:21:31Um, so I realize that's available. I

1:21:34think what I'm trying to do is just sort

1:21:35of redirect it back because Bruce

1:21:36brought the point up and I think it's a

1:21:38good point and I just I think that is

1:21:40the answer until the shelters can open

1:21:42up until the warming centers open up is

1:21:45to try to find uh those resources.

1:21:48>> Well, what hope they had a place to go?

1:21:50I' gone.

1:21:52>> People aren't people aren't dying

1:21:53because there was an option available to

1:21:54them and they didn't choose it. Well, I

1:21:56can tell you in the last two weeks,

1:21:58we've um

1:22:00had unhoused individuals left in Bangor

1:22:04and they've committed crime and ended up

1:22:06in jail. Um

1:22:09they were not from Bangor and um I know

1:22:11I've said this before, I'll say it

1:22:13again. I think Bangor is becoming the

1:22:16answer. Unfortunately, for people who

1:22:18don't have a place to stay, bring them

1:22:19to Bangor and park them somewhere or

1:22:21drop them off somewhere. Um

1:22:25and uh I think this is a wider problem

1:22:28than just Bangor and I just um

1:22:33that needs to be part of the discussion.

1:22:35Yes.

1:22:36>> Just for you to so that you know too and

1:22:37I don't know how it is at Bangor area

1:22:39but we're asking those things at intake

1:22:41even to shelter um to like make sure

1:22:43that there's beds that are sort of freed

1:22:46up like we're going to let someone stay

1:22:48sort of no matter what. that we're we're

1:22:50asking if people have other

1:22:52opportunities or places to go.

1:22:54>> So, um I I have something. Wasn't it St.

1:22:57John's Episcopal Church that allowed an

1:23:00encampment of four tents and the units

1:23:04or the the the campers there created

1:23:07their own tenants to live by basically a

1:23:09constitution. That's what the church

1:23:10asked them to do after there were

1:23:12complaints. They said, "Create a

1:23:13constitution, organize yourselves, lead

1:23:15this project so that it's something that

1:23:16you can be proud of." And they did that

1:23:19and then the city said,"Well, uhoh."

1:23:21Well, a school said next to them that

1:23:24shall not be named. No one knows what it

1:23:26is, but said, you know, uhoh, we don't

1:23:28like that. And then code enforcement,

1:23:30couldn't the city step in and say, you

1:23:32know, there's a moratorium on this or

1:23:33there's

1:23:34>> I'm sorry, that's an inaccurate story,

1:23:36but that's an inaccurate situation

1:23:38description of the story.

1:23:41>> Accept that.

1:23:44that was my church and there were a lot

1:23:47of errors. I think it was well

1:23:51>> and I truly didn't intend for that to

1:23:52spiral. I was just asked what do I think

1:23:55and that was an opinion and I apologize

1:23:57for spiraling.

1:23:59>> I think it spurred some good

1:24:00conversation. So

1:24:02>> here's my hot take, right? This is how I

1:24:06was through you guys. That's where I got

1:24:08my education. That's how I stopped. uh

1:24:12might not be the answer. People would

1:24:14think it were going to come out of my

1:24:15mouth, right? But I was the type of

1:24:18person who needed to be incarcerated.

1:24:20Bet your bottom dollar, ladies and

1:24:22gentlemen. I was that person, right? And

1:24:24that does work for for some people,

1:24:26right? Um

1:24:29I know, like I said, it's obviously not

1:24:32the answer, right? I know that we're

1:24:33kind of we're real um I know that we're

1:24:36seeing wounds and stuff like that that

1:24:38the jail can't even really take. Is that

1:24:40kind of almost accurate? sometimes now

1:24:42where that's wild to me, right guys?

1:24:45>> Are you suggesting that in the next four

1:24:46weeks people get arrested?

1:24:48>> No,

1:24:49that is not my

1:24:53[laughter]

1:24:56>> But is it better than having a whole

1:24:59bunch of people frozen out there in a

1:25:01tunnel? We're at that freaking point,

1:25:04ladies and gents. Right. We are at that

1:25:06point, Jason. Unfortunately, we are.

1:25:08That's not what I'm suggesting. That's

1:25:10not what I want you guys to advocate

1:25:11for. No, you're not. Right? Because now

1:25:13I get to talk to these guys on the other

1:25:14side. You leave it at that because all

1:25:17right. Um, seriously though, we're at

1:25:20that point. We are dead in the center of

1:25:23that point. We are making that choice

1:25:25right now, right? Council's making that

1:25:28choice.

1:25:30>> Well, I I think the question at hand is,

1:25:32is there a recommendation that is not

1:25:34financial, right? We know that. Is there

1:25:37a policy that is stopping a warming

1:25:41shelter from opening right now? Is there

1:25:43a policy that is keeping a warming

1:25:47shelter from being open? Because right

1:25:49now that's [clears throat] that that's

1:25:50what we can recommend. That's what we

1:25:52can do. I think that's the COC the main

1:25:54>> Can I just add there's there's another

1:25:56pathway here that we haven't talked

1:25:58about and that is linking people to

1:26:00supportive housing

1:26:03that also gets people inside.

1:26:07[sighs and gasps]

1:26:07>> It releases a bottleneck.

1:26:09>> It releases a bottleneck. And so I think

1:26:11there's this is maybe where we have the

1:26:14most ability to shift things.

1:26:18We have two projects that are in the

1:26:21pipeline that's not going to provide us

1:26:22with an answer today, but maybe what we

1:26:25need to be doing maybe with Jen Lawler's

1:26:27help is to really talk about how do we

1:26:31ramp up as best we can that movement

1:26:35into housing. We do have some

1:26:37bottlenecks policy-wise around shared

1:26:40housing, around what's the other one?

1:26:44Master leasing. Those are actually

1:26:46programs that have shown significant

1:26:48success in other areas of even keeping

1:26:50people in their communities and not

1:26:53coming to metropolitan areas where all

1:26:56their resources are. So I think maybe

1:26:58this is where we have the movement at

1:27:00the moment is people with vouchers,

1:27:03people with you know if they are

1:27:05eligible eligible for GA and have a

1:27:08place maybe this is where we can have a

1:27:10little bit more concentration for those

1:27:12people who are who don't have another

1:27:15option except for being outside. Just

1:27:17throwing that out there.

1:27:21to come.

1:27:23>> Well, I I was going to say the vouchers

1:27:25are kind of hard in and of themselves

1:27:27for a lot of the people, right? I mean,

1:27:30when somebody's walking in and

1:27:32it's Yeah. Yeah. You got to vouch,

1:27:35right? That's all cool and stuff, but

1:27:36you ain't got a landlord that's going to

1:27:38take the thing, especially if you, you

1:27:39know, we do have some people around. We

1:27:42have some great organizations that are

1:27:43calling people in the background and

1:27:45helping people and I mean everyone's

1:27:46running around like you know everyone's

1:27:49trying to figure it out and it's a good

1:27:50thing we're all getting together

1:27:52figuring out what we have right um I

1:27:56don't know um

1:27:59I I went off there so council council

1:28:03>> our legislative committee is I I know

1:28:06this wouldn't be on the short term but

1:28:07maybe somehow we could put it in our

1:28:09roadap for strategic

1:28:11for more long-term um we're looking at

1:28:14our legislative committee is going to

1:28:16try to start working and pressuring

1:28:19legislator for more regional and state

1:28:21um support and we've identified I mean

1:28:24this is a long shot I'm just sharing

1:28:26that u there we've identified some

1:28:28property that the state actually owns

1:28:30over by Dorothy

1:28:32and um there's been conversation there's

1:28:34nothing this is just kind of a

1:28:36conversation that we've had but we all

1:28:39kind of seem to levitate to the idea

1:28:42that uh we need some type of not maybe

1:28:46bale as it is but between drug court and

1:28:49maybe a transitional correctional center

1:28:52and I don't know if you know we even

1:28:54brought this up the other day I don't

1:28:55know what the correctional center has

1:28:57for vacancies or whatever and we're just

1:28:59thinking outside the box where somehow

1:29:01we can come up with a correctional

1:29:04center when individuals are breaking the

1:29:06law to try to and sometimes they have

1:29:08mental health so we have to somehow inor

1:29:10ate mental health and background

1:29:12services but also be a lockown

1:29:14correctional facility of some um so it's

1:29:17not jail it's kind of but that's all

1:29:21legislate

1:29:23right now our legislative committee and

1:29:27I don't know Jenny if you heard that

1:29:28conversation but um this would be ideal

1:29:32to add some ideas to that because we do

1:29:35um it's on our radar and something going

1:29:37to be to uh educating pursuit.

1:29:42>> Jason,

1:29:44>> pass.

1:29:46>> I was just going to say that's something

1:29:47I've been through myself and that is a

1:29:49step we find seem to be missing not only

1:29:51on the correctional side but on the

1:29:53recovery side

1:29:55>> on the end of that stuff too, right? Um

1:29:58if you are if you're getting out and

1:30:00you're on probation or something like

1:30:01that, it seems like you know there's

1:30:03there's there's no stop almost. you're

1:30:05expected to go to fresh starting the way

1:30:07>> and start living or or leading the way

1:30:10or some way, right? And start living

1:30:11again, right? I was living behind a gas

1:30:14station,

1:30:14>> right? I wasn't ready to go to like

1:30:16fresh start or something right away,

1:30:18right? So, they had stuff like and I'm

1:30:20not trying to compare where I was from

1:30:22to here obviously because I've heard

1:30:24people say that stuff, but like there

1:30:26was like TSS, CSS, crisis stabilization

1:30:29service. You go to detox, right? and

1:30:31you'd get billable through Mass Health

1:30:34Care or whatever like a 30 days in a

1:30:36building there wouldn't be so much as

1:30:38correctional, right? Or recovery, but it

1:30:41would be locked, right? And and you

1:30:43couldn't leave. You were court ordered

1:30:45and stuff like that. And you know, the

1:30:47section 35s and they they they went all

1:30:50the way from doing it at the state

1:30:52prison to actually easing it up years

1:30:54later. And it was still a large place,

1:30:56but it was like a CSS, TSS type thing.

1:30:59And

1:31:01if you don't know, you don't know. And

1:31:03if you're not getting taught, you're not

1:31:04getting taught right. And um I can yell

1:31:08my hat off to people on the streets all

1:31:09day, hey, this is how you do it. Please,

1:31:11hey, be safe. Do this and do that.

1:31:14Whether listen or not, it's a whole

1:31:15other story.

1:31:18You have something you

1:31:22>> um Sorry, I'm thinking. Um,

1:31:25I I I don't really have anything other

1:31:27than yammering on about what I was

1:31:28yammering on before about I mean I guess

1:31:32you know as a citizen of Bangor I'm kind

1:31:34of confused because it really felt like

1:31:36the messaging about the encampments on

1:31:38the train tracks was this is a liability

1:31:41and legal issue. The city doesn't own

1:31:43this property. So even if we could wave

1:31:45our magic wand to say we want them to

1:31:46stay here in the train tracks, we can't

1:31:48because the company is going to step in

1:31:49and remove these people if we don't. Um,

1:31:52and now the languaging I'm hearing is

1:31:54there's no encampments at all. And I'm

1:31:56not trying to hijack your thing and soap

1:31:58box it. I'm trying to do my own personal

1:31:59soap box and stand on my own business

1:32:01here. But I I very strongly and very

1:32:05voraciously believe that it should be

1:32:07legal to be homeless. And I don't think

1:32:09that the housing first model should be

1:32:12cannibalized by people who are saying

1:32:15the only option is housing. We can't get

1:32:18there tomorrow. In fact, we're not going

1:32:19to get there in the next four weeks

1:32:20where it's very, very cold. And in fact,

1:32:22we're not going to get there this cold

1:32:23season and maybe not the next one. So,

1:32:26people should be able to stay in a tent

1:32:27in a sleeping bag and not die. You said

1:32:30earlier, you know, and ultimately get

1:32:32the feeling, you know, you're going to

1:32:33try to immediate me. Um, and

1:32:37you said earlier, open a can of worms. I

1:32:39would much [clears throat and snorts]

1:32:40rather personally have a can of worms

1:32:42than a can of death here in Bangor.

1:32:44Like, I'll take a can of worms any day.

1:32:45I'll eat a worm right now,

1:32:47>> but a can of death I can of stomach. And

1:32:49that's that's my main concern. And I

1:32:52think that, you know, personally, just

1:32:54coming from me, if there could be a

1:32:55band-aid solution that could reduce

1:32:58death, it would be to put a moratorium

1:33:00on the on the encampments. I know that

1:33:02people aren't aren't thrilled about

1:33:03them, but like a lot of the public

1:33:07feedback that we're getting, a lot of

1:33:09the reason that our affected others are

1:33:12so impassioned and so hurt. And a lot of

1:33:14the reason that our community members

1:33:16who are unhoused are are hurt is because

1:33:20Bangor has an unhoused crisis.

1:33:23But our answer to it as a culture seems

1:33:27to be how do we beautify it? How do we

1:33:30make it pretty? Well, it's not pretty.

1:33:31It's not a respectable or civil issue.

1:33:33It's people living in the elements uh in

1:33:37survivalist situations in the middle of

1:33:39a city center. And so, I acknowledge

1:33:42that campsites aren't pretty, but I've

1:33:44had pretty conversations in them. I've

1:33:46gone to the parks and I've sat in a camp

1:33:48and I've I've had some of the best

1:33:50conversation in my life. And I would

1:33:52much rather have that can of worms and

1:33:54those good conversations than hear about

1:33:56a death of someone that I know and

1:33:58someone that I talked to and someone

1:33:59that walked down my street and that I

1:34:01was friends with. So I I do want to

1:34:05bring the conversation back. I want to

1:34:07make sure you got a chance to share your

1:34:09point. And I do also want to be clear

1:34:11that nobody I don't believe anybody at

1:34:13this table [clears throat] wants anybody

1:34:15to die, right? But we also don't have a

1:34:18magic wand as a as a committee to solve

1:34:21all of the problems overnight. And so we

1:34:23have to be realistic with our own

1:34:25expectations of what we're going to be

1:34:27able to facilitate as a committee. With

1:34:30that in mind, we are also coming close

1:34:32to time and I want to make sure that we

1:34:33have a a meaningful conversation about

1:34:36the topic for

1:34:39>> that question. it mostly Britney and or

1:34:43I mean is there a way that we can help

1:34:45with the bottleneck in the shelters to

1:34:47be able to free up more space is there

1:34:49something we can do more resources more

1:34:53>> anything that

1:34:55go

1:34:56>> if I can circle back to that that's all

1:34:59right

1:35:00>> um so I think the next no the next item

1:35:03on the agenda was to discuss the agenda

1:35:07for next week or next meeting and I

1:35:09Think certainly we need to make sure

1:35:11that the shelters is probably the topic

1:35:14like we have to have that conversation.

1:35:16We need to make sure that we um

1:35:18understand the situation as it stands

1:35:20today and the independent understand the

1:35:22situation as it could be potentially.

1:35:24Um, and so one of the things that I have

1:35:27added to the agenda is, you know, what

1:35:30information and what outside resources

1:35:33do we need to be able to have a

1:35:35meaningful conversation regarding the

1:35:38warming centers and the shelters for

1:35:39next meeting. And it sounds like maybe

1:35:41having Boyd, Boyd, if you are available

1:35:44at the next meeting to speak on that

1:35:45topic as a subject matter expert, but

1:35:49who do we as a committee want to have

1:35:52come in and be able to be a resource for

1:35:54that conversation? I've added that to

1:35:55the agenda to make sure that these

1:35:57conversations are moving forward. We're

1:35:59having meaningful conversations to get

1:36:02results. So I open to the committee what

1:36:05information do we need from city staff

1:36:06to have a meaningful conversation

1:36:08regarding the shelters and the warming

1:36:10centers and who if anyone do we need to

1:36:13bring in from the outside as a subject

1:36:15matter expert that can provide the

1:36:16insights and the knowledge that we need

1:36:18to facilitate that

1:36:20>> pastor L from the brick church

1:36:23>> I'm asking you guys like like I think

1:36:24that that's what this if if we think

1:36:26that that person can bring value for

1:36:29what

1:36:30>> yeah I guess where are we hoping to gain

1:36:32from because that's two pieces and

1:36:34they're going to be

1:36:38>> and also understanding that like the

1:36:39capital T city component it seems like

1:36:43we're gathering information from

1:36:45stakeholders but we're then we asking

1:36:48the city to do well

1:36:51in the sense of like yes we gather that

1:36:53information I'm not sure what what

1:36:55information we're looking to gather from

1:36:57some of the stakehold

1:36:59>> I would like an update from city council

1:37:01about whether or not the additional

1:37:04warming shelter can happen and then if

1:37:06so, what the timeline for making policy

1:37:09related to what the threshold is going

1:37:12to be um for how that's going to open,

1:37:15when that's going to open, how it's

1:37:16going to be staffed, like how it's all

1:37:19of those things.

1:37:21>> So, one thing that may help real quick,

1:37:23Jason,

1:37:23>> the third item is I want to make sure we

1:37:25set a measurable outcome for the next

1:37:28meeting. like how are we going to

1:37:30evaluate whether or not that meeting was

1:37:32successful. So Jason talk well everyone

1:37:34else think about what that could be

1:37:35regarding

1:37:36>> actually you brought up warming centers

1:37:38and something came to mind. I have a

1:37:39question. Will the warming center go out

1:37:42to competitive to competitive bid? Uh is

1:37:45it going to go to an RFP?

1:37:48>> No. Um what we're proposing to have a

1:37:51conversation with city council tomorrow

1:37:52at workshop is that together place with

1:37:56their experience

1:37:57um would would help with the overflow on

1:38:01the coldest days

1:38:03>> and is the ask to city council I should

1:38:05have asked this before but is the ask to

1:38:06city council that there's like a

1:38:07monetary piece that needs to go along

1:38:09with that in

1:38:09>> our in our memo we've provided an

1:38:11outline for what that would look like.

1:38:19So, do we I feel like I feel like we're

1:38:23we're not here to advise main housing.

1:38:25We're not here to advise

1:38:28>> any of the other entities that are out

1:38:29there. We're not here to advise the

1:38:31together. We are here to advise the

1:38:32city. So, I think we need to big C city.

1:38:36So, I think we need to get an update on

1:38:38what actually happened in that the

1:38:40council meeting tomorrow, I think. Um,

1:38:43and uh, I mean I really hope uh that the

1:38:48council doesn't refer it to us. Um, and

1:38:51like I think I think that's probably it

1:38:55uh for for there being a together place

1:38:58option. Uh, if it's referring it to us

1:39:01and then we talk about it on October

1:39:0327th. And I I do hope council can make

1:39:06progress without us having to weigh in.

1:39:09Um, but I think we need to have an

1:39:11update. Uh because if council does need

1:39:14to hear from us if they really need us

1:39:16to study the issue,

1:39:18boy, I I um I'm not sure that it'll be

1:39:22ready in time for those those days that

1:39:25it need the together place uh space is

1:39:29needed. Um I think what we need to get

1:39:33from um from camp shelter and warming

1:39:36pace is literally just what the city's

1:39:38response should be and it sounds like

1:39:40that is going to be fairly small. Most

1:39:42of the funding is going to be from main

1:39:44housing and from private donations. Um

1:39:47and there may be some city response as

1:39:50well. And so we would just be we just

1:39:53need to hear about guiding that. Like in

1:39:56in that vein, I don't necessarily need

1:39:58to hear from Leon. Um because Pastor

1:40:02Leon has funding from main housing this

1:40:04year. If we're all here again and Pastor

1:40:08Leon got zero dollars from main housing

1:40:10next year and uh Mansion got funding, uh

1:40:14then we would need to talk with Pastor

1:40:16Leon. That that's the sense that I have

1:40:18like we need to really hyperfocus on

1:40:20what relates to city government and not

1:40:22focus so much on the the broader um I

1:40:25think we got a good broad overview

1:40:27today. Next meeting needs to be more

1:40:29focused on specifically on city response

1:40:32and honestly I think it's responding to

1:40:35whatever happened in council um tomorrow

1:40:38and making sure that we understand that

1:40:39and that if there's any recommendation

1:40:41we need to make that we make that

1:40:43recommendation.

1:40:46I do believe that I do hope that the

1:40:49city does refer it back to us. Um, I

1:40:52think that we have an opportunity to

1:40:53look at a systemic in a systemic way so

1:40:56that we have a we can a response for

1:40:59this situation next time it happens so

1:41:01that the city can have a contract in

1:41:03place, can have what they need in place,

1:41:05can have an understanding of what what

1:41:07all of the um contractual or or

1:41:11agreements that need to happen because

1:41:13like main state housing has a list of

1:41:15you will do these things for the money.

1:41:16Um, so if we could come up with a list

1:41:19of these are the things we expect for

1:41:20the money when the city does when the

1:41:22city does give money to warming centers,

1:41:25they would already be an expected list.

1:41:28>> Could I would argue that could be part

1:41:31of the conversation next week, right?

1:41:32That would be a policy that we could

1:41:35recommend to to the city as part of the

1:41:37the broader warming center shelter

1:41:40conversation of, hey,

1:41:41>> going to recommend you read it all, but

1:41:43go back to page five and read two pages.

1:41:45Could I also just add to the

1:41:47conversation that last year we did

1:41:49provide money to two warming shelters.

1:41:51We had a contract with them that had

1:41:53requirements in it and what they needed

1:41:55to offer and it also had reporting

1:41:56requirements that we tracked on a

1:41:59monthly to every other month basis. So

1:42:01we do have something that we can build

1:42:03upon. Um this wouldn't be something that

1:42:05would be starting from scratch. I think

1:42:07that one of the other piece of the

1:42:08policy that could be helpful is based

1:42:12upon what Portland did, how to create

1:42:14the weather policy because that's really

1:42:16where there was a lot of trick to it. So

1:42:18if there was a recommendation from city

1:42:20council to proceed, I just want to tell

1:42:22you about timing. So we meet again in

1:42:25two weeks

1:42:28and it's cold. So I just wanted to say

1:42:31like in terms of timing, I just want to

1:42:33make everyone aware.

1:42:34>> Yeah. I I want to just counter to your

1:42:36like point Jason like I hope that they

1:42:38don't push it back to like I think like

1:42:41that we don't want to be the thing that

1:42:42delays like we want it to happen and

1:42:44then if there's additional policy that

1:42:46we can come up with to help move the

1:42:48rest of the conversation along. I

1:42:50wouldn't want this like yeah because

1:42:52then we're at four weeks and we haven't

1:42:55done any you know and then there's no

1:42:57ability to say okay here's everything

1:42:59because then the work has to happen

1:43:00afterwards. So that's just my opinion.

1:43:03is already in preliminary nearation

1:43:05about the together place and and

1:43:07council's very aware of the urgency of

1:43:09this. So u I think that they will be in

1:43:12a mood tomorrow to make a proactive

1:43:15decision and not kick it back. But again

1:43:18along the same line I think that moving

1:43:21forward any creative policies so that

1:43:23we're not always in you know reactive

1:43:26emergency every year depending upon how

1:43:29many state housing funds. if we had plan

1:43:31B and plan C to re uh you know refer

1:43:35back to as a policy um that would be

1:43:38very helpful.

1:43:41>> I I had a question of I think it might

1:43:43be a Robin question but I'm not sure. Um

1:43:46I can be a bit forgetful. Um is do we do

1:43:50we have some data on this weather

1:43:54project and policy from Fort available

1:43:56to us? tonight.

1:43:58>> We don't have it available today at this

1:44:01meeting, but I've spoken with colleagues

1:44:03over in Portland and they have a policy

1:44:05that's public that we would base some of

1:44:08the conversation on. It's very

1:44:10interesting how they had to talk with

1:44:12the weather station and how they made

1:44:14the call in 24 or 48 hours. There's a

1:44:16lot of things to think through when to

1:44:18open and when not to open and lessons

1:44:20[clears throat] that they learned on how

1:44:22they would have done something

1:44:22differently.

1:44:29EDC has uh climate and health

1:44:32documentation. Um it's about how to set

1:44:34up a warming center. It's a guide book

1:44:36that they publish. And then mass care

1:44:39services main uh MIMA has a guide and a

1:44:44pamphlet and an actual full guide on how

1:44:46to set up a warming center and they both

1:44:48have different uh approaches to weather.

1:44:51So if we do have some information about

1:44:54this,

1:44:55>> I would just also say this

1:44:58having the ability to draft a mission

1:45:01statement that also really clarifies

1:45:03scope in the sense of like there's Amy

1:45:06as a person and how I think homelessness

1:45:09should be responded to and then there's

1:45:11Amy as a member of this committee and

1:45:13what advice I'm giving within

1:45:16the work that's being put in front of

1:45:18us. And I think for us to be able to

1:45:19have a mission statement that delineates

1:45:21the difference between me as a human and

1:45:23like me as a committee member because

1:45:25there is a little there is a difference.

1:45:27Um and a mission statement I think would

1:45:29help us focus our energies and look

1:45:33through it through the lens of like

1:45:36what what's being asked which is city

1:45:38capital. I think that was really helpful

1:45:41for me Jen. So thank you city capital

1:45:44yet.

1:45:48So is could some of that data be made

1:45:50available to us? I mean if it's public

1:45:52in South?

1:45:54>> Yes, absolutely. I can gather all those

1:45:56documents. I think tomorrow's

1:45:57conversation with city council will

1:45:59really help us to understand and I'm

1:46:01more than happy to get those policies

1:46:03together.

1:46:05>> You're welcome.

1:46:06>> Could you also gather the the um

1:46:09information on what is what are the

1:46:11requirements when when the city's paying

1:46:13for a warming center? Uh you said that

1:46:15there was some things could you gather

1:46:17those in?

1:46:18>> Absolutely. What I can do is I can

1:46:19provide the RFP that we had last year

1:46:22which sets that up which is basically we

1:46:24mirrored the main housing funding so we

1:46:26were all in alignment and I can provide

1:46:28the RFP from last year.

1:46:33>> So what actionable items do we want to

1:46:36walk away from the next meeting?

1:46:40Are there additional pieces of

1:46:42information we need from Robin, from

1:46:44Jen, from Bruce,

1:46:48Chief Bushy,

1:46:54>> review the contract and policy as it

1:46:56stands, provide feedback if there's

1:46:58anything that we would like to show or

1:47:00add based on what the committee thinks

1:47:02should be included um in expectations if

1:47:06the city's providing things to the

1:47:07warming center. Those feel like two

1:47:09small actionable items but could

1:47:11generate a lot of conversation. But I

1:47:13think with the warming centers coming

1:47:15and opening soon and this having a sense

1:47:18of urgency that should be the focus and

1:47:21do it and do it well and be done with

1:47:22it.

1:47:24To that end, I wonder if a small

1:47:27subcommittee of us could meet with the

1:47:29appropriate person and and city staff to

1:47:33develop something that we could

1:47:36amend slightly so that we have a thing

1:47:38to vote on and say yes to as a policy

1:47:41document. Um I'm hoping that this is a

1:47:44policy document

1:47:48be in place before the city can make a

1:47:51plan for

1:47:53unleashing together place as as the

1:47:55weather uh the weather solution, the the

1:47:58bad weather solution. Um um but

1:48:03[clears throat] whichever way that goes,

1:48:04I'd really like it for us to to have a

1:48:08at least a draft document that we start

1:48:10to say we're okay with, if not a draft

1:48:13document that we approve in the meeting,

1:48:15because that's measurable. like it's

1:48:17that we actually

1:48:20does that does that fit with what folks

1:48:22think is a good approach like having a

1:48:24small subgroup having suggested it I

1:48:26guess I'm stuck being one of the people

1:48:28>> you sure are bad

1:48:29>> yes but but I'm I I think a small

1:48:34subgroup obviously not for uh it would

1:48:36uh would uh be able to get that to the

1:48:41rest of the committee um I mean I think

1:48:45that makes complete sense and allows us

1:48:47to to work a little more efficiently.

1:48:49>> Um so I mean if you would like to take

1:48:52charge then

1:48:54>> as secretary and

1:48:55>> secretary ad

1:48:57hoc care

1:48:59>> uh warming centers

1:49:02>> regarding warming center policy

1:49:06>> a living document for the future

1:49:08>> I'm happy to work with

1:49:11>> yeah if that

1:49:15more than that.

1:49:18>> You can't have more than that

1:49:19essentially. I'm sorry.

1:49:21>> Well, can you have a staff any staff?

1:49:30>> I'm told,

1:49:31>> right?

1:49:32>> And so the goal is to have something

1:49:34that describes um not the weather

1:49:37policy, but the standards and reporting.

1:49:40And it basically is going to draw

1:49:46Then you guys will then present at the

1:49:48next meeting,

1:49:48>> right,

1:49:49>> for full committee review. Anything else

1:49:52that hopefully we can be at a point

1:49:54where we can vote on that and move it

1:49:57forward.

1:49:59>> Could I just add one more thing? when we

1:50:00think about the policy is and Bruce has

1:50:03been doing a lot of work over this last

1:50:05winter and this winter about sort of the

1:50:08non-monetary pieces like outreach

1:50:13um coordination among the so I think the

1:50:16policy could also dabble in these other

1:50:19coordination and communication efforts

1:50:22that are also happening peripherally by

1:50:26capital C city in coordination with the

1:50:28other agencies

1:50:36I think um I think we have to be careful

1:50:39about that because I think there's

1:50:40there's state laws about municipalities

1:50:43have to be careful how they create

1:50:46policies where we can't um um set policy

1:50:51for other nonprofits.

1:50:53>> Oh, sorry. Right. No, I'm saying policy

1:50:56in terms of like the homeless response

1:50:57coordinator's role in warming shelters,

1:51:00not necessarily the other nonprofits.

1:51:02Yeah,

1:51:04>> but like the public health department

1:51:06has a role in this way.

1:51:08>> And again, not setting policy for the

1:51:10together place or whoever, but uh

1:51:14setting a standard for when we when we

1:51:17this big C city fund something, this is

1:51:21what you have to do. Let's take a let's

1:51:24take a solid example.

1:51:27Excuse me. If the city were to say that

1:51:29for every awake every 10 15 people that

1:51:32are awake in a walking center, they need

1:51:34to have a a staff person.

1:51:35>> I think that's a great conversation for

1:51:37the subcommitt

1:51:39but but is that a is that a city policy

1:51:42>> or is that directing

1:51:44the agency?

1:51:45>> I'm really conscious that we have other

1:51:47things to accomplish and we're at time.

1:51:48>> Yep. So I agree. So I think that is a

1:51:51great question. I think it comes up at

1:51:52subcommittee. So, it sounds like we've

1:51:54got a plan for a subcommittee if you

1:51:56guys want to connect and meet, not a

1:51:58forum, so you can do that. Um, and then,

1:52:01um, any other last minute things that

1:52:04need to be discussed?

1:52:05>> I just have two quick things.

1:52:07>> Yes.

1:52:08>> Um, I am curious on where we went with

1:52:11when we emailed Ben about who we wanted

1:52:13at tables, where that is going and where

1:52:16that went. And then um if we're still

1:52:19looking at doing that eventually or

1:52:20adding that to the agenda and I also

1:52:22eventually like best we are we get a ton

1:52:25of emails. We're all reviewing them but

1:52:28we're not discussing them. And I feel

1:52:29like to get back to the public and get

1:52:32them to so yes we're looking at them but

1:52:35they're not getting anything back. So

1:52:37eventually I would just like to kind of

1:52:40circle back to these emails that we did

1:52:42put an email address out there and I

1:52:44feel like they do need

1:52:47>> standing agenda. Yeah, I emailed I

1:52:50actually emailed about this today

1:52:51because I was like worried when I saw

1:52:54all of the responses and it sounds like

1:52:55there's like an autoresponder, but um

1:52:58>> yeah, I mean we're reviewing them and

1:53:00reading them and there's some really

1:53:02>> good stuff in there that we could also

1:53:04utilize that that the public is, you

1:53:07know, putting out there for us. So, I

1:53:08feel like we need to give them some

1:53:10attention.

1:53:11>> And in response to your first question,

1:53:13we I know Ben has been collecting them.

1:53:15He's shared some of those names. I think

1:53:17it would behoove us to to tie that to

1:53:19when they're pertinent to the specific

1:53:21conversation. So, it's helpful to have

1:53:22that database of people like if we know

1:53:24we're talking about XYZ, we can

1:53:29>> Great question. And yeah, good point on

1:53:31the

1:53:32>> I've uh shared all of them with you. I

1:53:34didn't I didn't hear from most folks and

1:53:36and so if folks have other people they

1:53:39want to bring forward is I think I think

1:53:42you only heard from three.

1:53:43>> Yeah, three.

1:53:45>> Yeah. All right, Jason, do you have one

1:53:47last thing before?

1:53:48>> Can on the next agenda, can we talk

1:53:50about the homeless response manager?

1:53:52That's going to be gone. That position

1:53:54is up in December. Um, so the city has

1:53:56got to look be looking at that.

1:53:58>> No. So, what happened is in the last

1:54:01budget cycle, we changed the homeless

1:54:03response manager to a coordinator, which

1:54:06is Bruce, and that position is now a a

1:54:09regular part of our staff. So that

1:54:12position's changed to a coordinator from

1:54:14a manager and was approved in our

1:54:16budget.

1:54:17>> Thank you.

1:54:19>> And with that I will last chance

1:54:23nothing. All right. Meeting adjourned.

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