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2020, 06-16 Study Session MINUTES City of Spokane Valley City Council Regular Meeting Study Session Format Tuesday, June 16, 2020 Mayor Wick called the meeting to order at 6 pm. The meeting was held in City Hall with Council and staff participating via ZOOM. Ben Wick,Mayor Mark Calhoun, City Manager Brandi Peetz,Deputy Mayor John Holtman, Deputy City Manager Pam Haley, Councilmember Cary Driskell, City Attorney Tim Hattenburg, Councilmember Mike Stone, Parks&Rec Director Rod Higgins, Councilmember Chelsie Taylor, Finance Director Linda Thompson, Councilmember Morgan Koudelka, Sr. Admin.Analyst Arne Woodard, Councilmember John Pietro,Administrative Analyst Tina Gregerson, Recreation Coordinator Others in Attendance Christine Bainbridge, City Clerk Spokane Co. Commissioner Mary Kuney Spokane City Mayor Nadine Woodward Spokane Housing Authority Exe.Director Pamela Tietz; also serving as Chair, Continuum of Care Board Spokane City Community,Housing&Human Services Program Director Tija Danzig Spokane City, Regional Project Manager Ariane Schmidt ROLL CALL: City Clerk Bainbridge called the roll;all Councilmembers were present. APPROVAL OF AGENDA: It was moved by Deputy Mayor Peetz, seconded and unanimously agreed to approve the agenda. 1. Regional Bridge Housing Proposal—Mayor Wick, Mayor Woodward, Commissioner Kuney Mayor Wick welcomed everyone to the meeting and explained that tonight is an opportunity to hear an update on the topic of homelessness. Ms. Tietz explained that the Continuum of Care Strategic Plan was developed last year with anticipated effective dates of 2020 to 2025; said this is a regional approach to the work and that the Plan is based on the Department of Commerce's outlined objectives in association with HUD and the Spokane City/County Continuum of Care Board and sub-committees; said they are required to put together a five-year plan to address those objectives, and that they used the Continuum of Care sub- committees to address what work needed to be done; said those sub-committees were formed based on specific populations such as homeless youth, homeless veterans, and homeless singles and they include many factors;said having people on those sub-committees who have`lived experience' assists in effectively catering to the unique needs of each population, along with those population group's different set of priorities; she also mentioned the focus on other key groups such as LGBTQ, couples, seniors, and victims/survivors of domestic violence. Ms. Tietz mentioned the importance of stakeholder engagement from local businesses, and said they have had outreach to other Spokane County partners as well; said draft versions of the Plan were posted for public comment and feedback; said they also want to make sure there is regional support and they met with the Board of County Commissioners in November to share the plan and get feedback, and have shared this with the City of Spokane for their feedback as well; said the plan was approved in November by the Board of Commissioners, and was submitted to the Department of Commerce in December. There was some general discussion about the Plan and the process and Councilmember Haley said it would be great for someone from the Continuum of Care to give our Council an annual report. Council Meeting Minutes:06-16-2020 Page 1 of 5 Approved by Council:07-14-2020 Deputy Mayor Peetz asked about the difference of the three types of facilities, the resource center, stabilization center, and this possible facility as there appears to be duplications of resources. Ms. Danzig replied that the distinguishers between the Spokane Resource Center and the Bridge Housing Center is really the connection to shelter; said that the idea of the Spokane Resource Center is homeless prevention for people who are under-resourced or under employed,to connect with them before they become homeless; the Bridge Housing model is a `wrap-around' service that has some of the same interactions, but also is targeted to people who are experiencing homelessness and give them a shelter where they can wake up every day and spend their day at a 24/7 base; she said that all helps people to continue to move forward toward ending the cycle of homelessness. Mayor Woodward spoke about the Bridge Housing project, which she said aligns with the Continuum of Care's vision on addressing homelessness; said the current system which is a no-barrier facility and serves as a warming center,is more for emergencies; said they want to offer a life readiness facility that is a Bridge housing center, which would be a regional, continuous stay with targeted capacity with intensive support services for single adults to help them move to living independently; said there is currently a gap in our community for this type of center; said the Bridge project would include a thirty,sixty, or ninety day option with individuals being referred by caseworkers, or stressed it would not be a drop-in facility. Mayor Woodward mentioned that the Salvation Army was selected last year as the operator of the facility; that currently staff from the County,the City of Spokane, City of Spokane Valley, and the Salvation Army are touring potential facilities for this Bridging Housing Project; said some locations are in Spokane,and some in Spokane Valley; she said the region has secured operational dollars for five years through a three-way funding partnership with the City of Spokane,the County,and Avista Utilities,with each party contributing $500,000 annually; said they are still seeking capital investment from the County in the form of a Memorandum of Understanding or to match with the City's allocation of their CDBG (Community Development Block Grant) funds; she emphasized that this facility will not be an emergency shelter but rather a short-term housing opportunity to help people move out of homelessness and get the life skills training necessary for independent living. Ms. Danzig mentioned that the needed facility size would be between 10,000 and 30,000 square feet. Councilmember Woodard asked about the Havana property which had been a previous possibility,and Ms. Danzig explained that the Bridge housing component was imbedded in there, but there were also discussions about having the drop-in space to meet some of the emergency shelter needs; but this proposal now is the second phase of what that property had intended to be. Councilmember Woodard added that apparently since some of the services weren't able to be met, so the idea for that property was abandoned; and Commissioner Kuney reminded everyone that for this Bridge project, it would not be an overnight stay and people would have to be referred in order to stay. Mayor Woodward stated that the City of Spokane would continue to operate the Cannon Shelter, but the proposed Bridge facility is the next step to move people out of homelessness. There was some discussion about the RFP (request for proposal) process for selecting an operator of the facility. Ms.Danzig explained that the review team consisted of Councilmember Woodard,a representative from Spokane County, from Spokane City, and others; that they realized they needed the City of Spokane Valley involved in this process including choosing the site for the facility; she also noted there is a small committee including a representative from the City of Spokane Valley, City of Spokane, Spokane County, code enforcement and a Salvation Army representative to review the list of sites which were provided by a realtor; and that half of those sites are in Spokane and half in Spokane Valley, with some of the Spokane Valley sites near or on the borders, and some in the industrial area. In response to a question about who would own the facility, Commissioner Kuney said it would be purchased with funds from the City and County, and depending on where the property is will make a difference on the owner; adding that those Council Meeting Minutes:06-16-2020 Page 2 of 5 Approved by Council:07-14-2020 details need to be determined and included in an MOU(Memorandum of Understanding); but that they are working on those details among all jurisdictions. Further discussion included timelines and dealing with COVID-19; needed additional capacity; targeted timeframes of 30, 60 or 90 days based on other working models in the United States; and that the City of Spokane Valley does not need to make a decision now or even within the next few days as some had thought; there was more emphasis on this model not being a drop-in facility; and further discussion about capital construction funding. Council expressed appreciation in receiving this information and in being brought up-to-date. It was also mentioned that many unknown factors remain, including the appropriate zone this type of facility. City Attorney Driskell said the discussion on zoning will be included in this topic's next discussion. City Manager Calhoun added that Council is interested in more details in order to better contemplate the project and the level of involvement of this City,in particular the location;and stated that he feels it would also be necessary to get a great deal of public input. 2. Aging&Long Term Care of Eastern Washington Update—Lynn Kimball Aging & Long Term Care of Eastern Washington's Executive Director Ms. Lynn Kimball explained the functions of her agency; what services they provide and to what counties; she mentioned that the COVED- 19 pandemic has increased their demand for services, and that while all services continue to operate, they are adding new services and expanding existing services to meet community need; she also mentioned the many partners of the agency, including SNAP, Frontier Behavior Health, and Greater Spokane County Meals on Wheels. Council thanked Ms. Kimball for her presentation. 3. COVED-19 Impact on Parks &Recreation Summer Programs—Mike Stone,Tina Gregerson After Parks & Recreation Director Stone introduced Recreation Coordinator Ms. Tina Gregerson, Ms. Gregerson explained some of the challenges facing the summer recreation programs, including the aquatic program, as we continue through the COVID-l9 pandemic. Ms. Gregerson discussed some of the proposed scenarios for opening the public pools and of the restrictions due to COVID-19; mentioned that swim lessons have been canceled and some of the features of the pools such as the Lazy River will not open; she also mentioned that to open the pools, we must have dedicated staff for screening swimmers as they enter, for monitoring physical distancing, and to sanitize high contact areas such as locker rooms; and that the open swims will only be done by registration so staff will know how many swimmers to expect based on how many can be in the pool at any one time. Council expressed consensus with moving forward with the revised aquatic and recreation programs. City Manager Calhoun said a four, six or eight week program would depend on when we go to phase 3, as well as moving to phase 4. Mayor Wick called for a recess at 7:40 p.m.; he reconvened the meeting at 7:45 p.m. 4. Spokane Valley Police Department Behavior Health Unit Undersheriff Dave Ellis, Morgan Koudelka Senior Administrative Analyst Koudelka introduced Undersheriff Dave Ellis,who he said will be the City's new Police Chief effective July 1. Mr. Koudelka explained that Spokane Regional Project Manager Ms. Ariane Schmidt gave a presentation several weeks ago, which prompted Council to ask for additional information. He explained that this Behavioral Health team consists of a specially trained deputy and a mental health professional as a unit; and the purpose of the team is to increase safety, divert individuals from the criminal justice system and emergency resources,and connect individuals to community resources to support the vulnerable in our community; he said the unit responds to crisis calls, stabilizes individuals, creates a safety plan, and provides follow-up visits to help individuals maintain stability. Undersheriff Ellis went through the PowerPoint presentation explaining the mission of the unit, grant funding overview,and how the unit or team's response differs from a response from a regular patrol officer; he mentioned training; and that the program is data driven and response proven; and ended with a sample success story.Deputy Sheriff Ellis mentioned the team data, including that 88%of contacts had an outcome Council Meeting Minutes:06-16-2020 Page 3 of 5 Approved by Council:07-14-2020 other than jail or hospital; with 1.7% arrested, 7.7% emergently detained, 0% force beyond handcuffmg; 12% diverted from an arrestable offense and diverted from hospital; and that there were 299 total calls relieved from the regular patrol. Mr. Koudelka stated that this is a more active approach in managing homelessness; he said they have created their own huddle team consisting of law enforcement, fire, code enforcement,and Outreach,and stated that these behavior health teams are valuable as they help individuals struggling with various issues; said this team is especially trained and the goal is to move people off the streets and into housing,which he said is not always easy as individuals are not always trusting of the team's efforts. Mr. Koudelka added that Council had set aside the funding for this year of$100,000 and at that time, didn't know if the grant funding would be renewed; said the renewal period is July to June and we were notified that the grant was renewed. 5. Spokane Valley Municipal Code 3.65 Cable Code—Cary Driskell,Morgan Koudelka, John Pietro After City Attorney Driskell went over the background and basic philosophy of our approach on franchise ordinances, he explained that staff has been negotiating recently with TDC Metrocom, a cable television provider that recently entered the Spokane market as a competitor to Comcast; that in reviewing the proposed draft franchise, he looked closely at chapter 3.65 Spokane Valley Municipal Code; and after analyzing several of those sections in the Code, determined that clarification was needed in several areas; and he went over the list of proposed revisions as shown on page 2 of his Request for Council Action. Mr. Pietro then went over the pros and cons and the rationale of some of the more significant changes for consideration. Mr. Koudelka added that since we are listed as the franchise authority on the Comcast bills, we get a Iot of calls about things we don't regulate; adding that we also do not regulate rates. There was discussion about build out and FCC regulations; what it means to have liquidated damages, and that staff is proposing to eliminate that section. Councilmember Higgins stated that as we are a business friendly city, he thinks the elimination of the maximum of regulations is best. Mr. Driskell also commented that Comcast doesn't have a monopoly, it's just that no other company had come into the market. There were no objections from Council to leave out the section about the build out. Discussion moved to the PEG(Public, Educational and Governmental) channels,and whether to keep it in or eliminate or clarify that section. City Manager Calhoun expressed concern about giving up any revenue, said we have not heard anything from the educational providers about them needing PEG funding, but he does realize that CMTV (the channel broadcasting our Council meetings) would like to continue as they have. Mr. Koudelka said staff could also explore other avenues to broadcast council meetings. There was discussion about reducing to one PEG channel with an option for a second; and Mr. Driskell said the verbiage is already drafted in to give us the ability to `opt out' of PEG. Mr. Driskell said he will let TDS Metrocom know this will be coming to Council for further discussion, and get TDS a copy of the draft provisions for feedback. Mayor Wick said he would like to reduce the PEG channels but not eliminate them; and Councilmember Woodard mentioned he likes the flexibility and the way Mr. Driskell suggested getting feedback from the suppliers. Mr. Driskell said he will provide a draft to TDS for their comments. 6. Advance Agenda Mayor Wick Although Councilmember Woodard asked about having staff gather information on landscaping codes and permit fees and compare those to the County and City of Spokane and that he thinks it is time to examine that and is hearing that our fees are too high, there was no consensus to add this to the Advance Agenda. Councilmember Thompson asked how our ZOOM system can be better as many times the sound is garbled; said as a member of the NLC (National League of Cities) Safety and Crime Prevention committee, they have discussed use of force policies from police departments and said she would like information on our policy regarding use of force, as well as training opportunities. There was no consensus to add that to the Advance Agenda. Councilmember Higgins asked to have a resolution expressing support for our Police Department, and there was unanimous consensus to place that on the advance agenda. Council Meeting Minutes:06-16-2020 Page 4 of 5 Approved by Council:07-14-2020 At 9:00 p.m.,it was moved by Deputy Mayor Peetz,seconded and unanimously agreed to extend the meeting an additional five minutes. Mayor Wick said for next week's agenda, he would like to invite service providers of food, housing, etc., to give us an update on where they see there are needs in the community. There were no objections, 7. Council Check-in—Mayor Wick Councilmember Haley stated that STA(Spokane Transit Authority)will start charging fares again July 15t; and that patrons will continue boarding and unboarding from the back of the bus. Mayor Wick said that the Central Valley School District is trying to figure out summer meal programs and they approached the County for CARES funding to help in their promotion; said he has asked City Manager Calhoun to contact the Central Valley School District to ask if they need some assistance in keeping their meals going. Mr. Calhoun said we also have an agreement with Spokane Valley Partners for an initial $25,000 to help with food security, and that he anticipates distributing a second $25,000; and that we have an agreement with Meals on Wheels for$8,000 to help them in their influx of participants;said he will contact Superintendent Small to see if their meal funding is COVID-19 related, and that he will report those findings back to Council. 8. City Manager Comments—Mark Calhoun City Manager Calhoun had no additional comments. It was moved by Deputy Mayor Peetz, seconded and unanimously agreed to adjourn. The meeting adjourned at 9:02 p.m. /J AT Sigr f Ben Wick,Mayor Christine Bainbridge, City Clerk Council Meeting Minutes:06-16-2020 Page 5 of 5 Approved by Council:07-14-2020