HomeMy WebLinkAbout11-07-2012 ss1 setting a study session reg homelesnesscounci l
aqcnOa Report
Meeting Dat e
11/7/12
C I T Y O F S A N L U I S O B I S P O
FROM :
Katie Lichtig, City Manage r
SUBJECT :CONSIDERATION OF PURPOSE, FEATURES AND TIMING OF A WORKSHO P
REGARDING WAYS TO ADDRESS HOMELESSNESS IN THE CIT Y
RECOMMENDATIO N
Provide direction about the purpose, features and timing of a City Council workshop on ways t o
address issues surrounding homelessness in the City of San Luis Obispo .
DISCUSSIO N
At the October 16, 2012 City Council meeting Vice Mayor Carpenter raised the idea of the Cit y
Council conducting a workshop during which the Council could share ideas (referred to by Vic e
Mayor Carpenter as "solutions") to address the issues surrounding homelessness within the City .
The Council seemed interested in participating in a workshop that would include an opportunity fo r
community members to share with the Council their ideas for solutions followed by an informa l
• discussion among Council members about the information they have gathered, their perspective s
and ideas . In preparing for this workshop the following questions or issues were raised that migh t
help the City Council create a common vision for this workshop .
1)What is the anticipated purpose, goal or outcome for this meeting?Options include th e
following :
a)engaging in a candid conversation among Council members about defining the proble m
in San Luis Obispo and discussing a common vision for addressing these issues in th e
short and/or long term ;
b)having an opportunity to have a free flowing discussion of ideas to solve the problem o f
homelessness which will help inform Council members as we enter the upcoming Goa l
Setting process ; or
c)providing direction to staff for implementing action ; or
d)starting a community engagement or a problem solving process that leads to th e
development of a strategic plan that defines problems and goals, roles an d
responsibilities, and ultimately prioritizes and aligns resources with need .
1 .What type of discussion do Council members want to foster? Options include :
a)an informal roundtable discussion involving the Council members (retreat model);
b)a conversation among the Council members based on input from community members a t
this meeting but also input from the community provided outside the meeting (budge t
community forum and goal setting model in one workshop); o r
c)a two-way community dialogue with members of the community at this meeting (tow n•
hall meeting model);
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•2 .What venue should be used for this meeting?The Council previously expressed a desire
to have the meeting in a less formal venue than the Council Chambers . Options outlined at
the October 16 City Council meeting included the Community Room at the County/Cit y
Library, the Ludwick Community Center and the David Romero Corporation Yards . Othe r
options for a venue include the Senior Center, the Community Room at Meadow Park, th e
Monday Club, the Vets Hall or a meeting room at a local hotel . Issues to consider regardin g
this question is how many people you anticipate attending, the need for parking ,
accessibility via public transportation, the costs associated with the venue, the convenienc e
for those who will attend and ultimately availability of the venue .
3 .Who do you want to facilitate the meeting?There have been different points of vie w
expressed about who should facilitate this workshop . Options include the following :
a)The Mayor ;
b)another Councilmember (Vice Mayor Carpenter has volunteered to take on this role);
c)a rotating role at the workshop among the Mayor and Council members ; or
d)a trained neutral facilitator .
It has been expressed that an advantage of having the Mayor or a Council member(s )
facilitate the meeting is that it would give the Council the greatest amount of interactio n
with each other and enables a frank conversation with firsthand information . An alternativ e
perspective is that having the Council facilitate will take their focus away from th e
substance of the discussion . When issues are complex and engender strong opinions, a s
evidenced at recent public meetings, having a skilled neutral facilitator may help the Counci l
achieve the purpose of this meeting in a constructive way .
4 .How does this workshop interrelate to the Community Forum and the Goal Settin g
session scheduled for January 2013? The Council and community have embarked on th e
financial planning process which includes establishing Major City Goals and other wor k
objectives for the coming two years . During the current cycle "Affordabl e
Housing/Homeless Services" is a Council priority (identified as one of four "Othe r
Important Objectives"). The Council may wish to decide if this workshop is intended t o
inform the community and Council's thinking about this issue as you hear from the publi c
on your next set of priorities . Or, would this be a better forum to inform the development o f
the work plan if this issue is selected as a priority for the coming two-year financial plan ?
5 .When do you want to host this workshop?The answer to this question may be informe d
by the answer to the previous question . Additional considerations include the other Counci l
and advisory body meetings taking place around the time you prefer to host this workshop a s
well as the availability of the venue .
6 .Will there be any ground rules for participation in the workshop?Procedures for th e
Council to consider include time limits for speakers (public and/or Council members),
requirement for civility, and any other guidelines that you believe will help achieve th e
purpose of the meeting.
7 .What type of staff support or resources would you like to be available at th e
workshop?Options include providing professional advice, being a scribe for ideas, or bein g
in attendance as observers . Staff would need to know if you want the meeting video
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recorded for the public record . In any case it is anticipated that staff will produce minutes o f
the special meeting .
FISCAL IMPAC T
There may be some expenses associated with having this meeting in a different venue and for vide o
recording the meeting . Without knowing the Council's preference for a venue and how long th e
meeting might be it is difficult to estimate these added costs . Video services would cost $300 for th e
first two hours and $156 for every additional hour . Even though there will likely be additional cost s
and the costs are unknown at this time, staff believes there are sufficient resources available i n
Administration's budget to conduct this workshop .
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