Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2024-04-15 Study Session MINASHLAND CITY COUNCIL STUDY SESSION AGENDA Monday, April 15, 2024 Mayor Graham called the meeting to order at 5:30 p.m. Mayor Graham and Councilors Hyatt, Dahle, Bloom, Hansen, and Kaplan were present. Councilor DuQuenne was absent. 1. Public Input (15 minutes -Public input or comment on City business not included on the agenda) None 2. Recology Update & Rate Increase Interim/Deputy City Manager Sabrina Cotta provided a brief overview of the planned rate increase. Recology Regional Vice President Steve Brum and Waste Zero Manager Eric Ahnmark provided a more in-depth look at the proposed changes and rate increase. Brum also explained why Recology General Manager Gary Blake was not present for the meeting, as he had retired. Brum introduced Interim General Manager Chris Kerry, who will be overseeing operations alongside Brum within the area until a permanent replacement can be secured. Ahnmark provided a presentation about Recology. (see attached). Topics discussed were: • About Recology • Artist in Residence Program • Mattress Recycling • Bicycle Upcycling • Commitment to Recovery • Renewable Diesel (R99) • Staffed Recycle Center • Commitment to our Community • Comparative Analysis Hyatt asked about Recology's partnership with Dry Creek Landfill and what potential increase price pressures coming from them would look like. Brum responded that their price increase will be close to the Consumer Price Index adjustments. Hansen was proud of the partnership between the City and Recology as well as all of the work they were doing. He asked if the organization was going to participate in SOU's Earth Day, which Ahnmark confirmed they would. Kaplan appreciated the mattress program and efficiency of their operations. He asked if the food waste program included local farmers. Ahnmark responded that there was a potential, however all food waste must go to a certified place first. He added that Recology was open to working with local farmers once the certification process was complete. Brum added that the food waste program was still in its exploratory phase, with additional options being possible. He also noted that few facilities existed within the area to certify food waste. Page 1 of 4 Graham spoke about the City's climate commitment and wants to support local food production. She also noted that Recology has a standing seat on the Climate and Energy Policy Advisory Committee. Grahm asked Cotta if the rate adjustments were automatic or if Council had decision -making authority. Cotta said that it was a courtesy vote and in accordance with the City's code, the Council needs to approve the resolution on the agenda for the April 16, 2024 meeting. Bloom praised Recology for their customer service abilities. Dahle offered his thanks to Recology and praised their customer service. 3. Severe Weather Shelter 2023-24 Season Summary Cotta and Emergency Management Coordinator Kelly Burns provided a presentation about the shelter (see attached). Topics discussed were: • Severe Weather Shelter Winter Operations 2023-2024 • Location of Shelter • How was it managed? • How much did it cost? • What else can the Severe Weather Shelter Do? • Future Vision Bloom asked about the RFP process. It seems to him to make more sense to not do an RFP. Burns responded that it would take time to get a staff person and that now would be a good time to find a partner to work with as opposed to finding one during the summer months. Cotta added that the City had previously relied on volunteers and that they needed a more formal option to be able to assist people in need. Cotta hoped that finding a formal partner would allow for both the dusk -to -dawn shelter and the severe weather shelter to be managed and maintained. Bloom clarified that he thought the RPF process would take the same amount of time as finding a new qualified coordinator. Doing this in-house would provide a level of accountability to the people of Ashland, as well as a level of flexibility that an outside organization may not have. He would like to hold off on the RFP. Cotta responded that if the City were to hire in-house, the position may be filled by more than one person. Bloom responded that the City would have to take that into consideration. Kaplan said that he is very supportive of having a Houseless Services Coordinator on City staff. He was concerned about having staff manage the shelter. He asked what the RFP would look like and if potential bidders would have to take on both the dusk to dawn shelter and the severe weather shelter. Cotta responded that the City could either leave it open; respond to one or the other or both. She added that the City did not know the best way to proceed at the moment and was following what many other cities were doing. Hansen spoke about his experience learning about the intricacies of the unhoused population as well as the ongoing issues with the Night Lawn. He asked what was on the radar for upcoming meetings, how much money was appropriated and what can Jackson County contribute. Cotta responded that in the budget $100,000 was appropriated each year for the severe weather shelter. The City was looking for funding opportunities as appropriate, but the general fund dollars were designed for this use. She was not aware of any County funds available. Hansen asked when Council would have information about the future of the 2200 Ashland St. site. Cotta Page 2 of 4 responded that information would be available within the next few months as a response to the Houseless Sub Committee Master Plan. Graham added that the draft for the Houseless Sub Committee Master Plan would be presented to Council for review in June. Hyatt asked how many organizations could come forward and respond to the RFP. Burns responded he would not know until the RFP was published. Hyatt asked if the City could rely on organizations responding or should the City actively reach out? Cotta responded that the City was going to reach out to other organizations. Hyatt then asked about the proposed role of the Homeless Service Coordinator. She wanted to make sure the role would fit in within the City's services. Cotta responded that they would need a subject matter specialist to help define the role. She was interested in whether the Council wanted to move forward with a new position and to examine how to fund it. Bloom raised concerns about how best to budget the potential position while also balancing the desire for quality services. He drew attention to the lack of a contract for cleaning services for the shelter despite it being included within the original agreement and the budget. He also suggested moving the laundry and shower trailer back to OHRA. Hyatt would like to research if laundry and shower services was part of the agreement with OHRA to 2200 Ashland St before taking action. Graham agreed with Hyatt's comments. Staff are directed to investigate returning the laundry and shower trailer to OHRA. Graham asked about the Dusk to Dawn site and being fully staffed and what does that mean. Cotta responded that the staffing would be 12 hours a day seven days a week. Graham asked about having a camp host, such as someone who is already using the site. She was also interested in creating a job description that would allow the City to manage both sites while also being able to move people towards services. Cotta added that there would be insurance considerations regarding who could oversee the site. Dahle asked about the timing and the structure of the RFP and how it tackles the lingering questions from the various subcommittees. Cotta noted that the requirements and needs of the severe weather shelter are already formalized. However, the night lawn still had uncertainty around it, especially regarding future location. Regardless, Cotta felt that the RFP reflected the current state of both areas while also leaving flexibility to address future concerns raised by the subcommittees. Hansen asked the rest of Council if they could recall from their tour of Eugene, OR who oversaw the shelter spaces. Kaplan responded they the City of Eugene relied on their own staff and as well as staff from St. Vincent DePaul. Bloom added that Eugene's equivalent to the Dusk to Dawn site was maintained by City Staff but was run and organized by someone within the camp itself. Kaplan noted that there was also a third organization involved with their stie. Graham expressed the importance of having the City involved with special services, but to also have the balance of work be shared between an outside organization and the City. Bloom asked about moving the shelter to a different part of the building and about the mats and totes. Burns responded that the mats and totes will remain at the site and that OHRA hired a cleaning service. As far as moving to the other side of the building, Burns felt that the Fire Marshall could provide a better answer regarding occupancy. Graham asked if the shelter had ever discussed protocol if occupancy is exceeded. Shelter Coordinator Avrham Sacks responded that a protocol had been discussed and one person may have been turned away at one point. Graham suggested looking into using the rest of the building for overflow space. Avrham noted that the 2023-2024 winter was milder than Page 3 of 4 previous winters. He felt that using the full building would allow for more accommodations to make special rooms for specific demographics such as families or vulnerable women. He also suggested work be done to enhance bathroom facilities in the space. Graham mentioned compatible uses for space. Avraham felt that a homeless coordinator was a good idea, and that OHRA had their own training program available. However, he also highlighted the large workload that the coordinator would have to deal with. Graham reiterated her desire for the position to work with multiple groups to ensure services are maintained. Graham asked about the temperature changes and if it could be possible to use the shelter as a sleeping space if temperatures do not decrease at night during periods of extreme heat. Burns wasn't sure of the exact number but agreed that it was something that must be considered for future operations of the shelter. Graham asked if the shelter's HVAC and air filtration systems were set up for the year and if there were any investments needed. Burns noted that PURPLE air monitors had been installed to best evaluate the effectiveness of the air filtration system. He also added that air scrubbers were available if need be. Kaplan asked if Staff needed clarification on direction around the homeless services coordinator. Cotta responded that staff would work with HR to create a set of job requirements for the role as well as salary range and financing. She also noted that current staff could not absorb any more expenses regarding the future position and that Council needed to discuss how best to absorb the expenses moving forward. Graham wanted the full nature of the position to be open so Council could see how it was used. Cotta responded that the City needed to move forward with both the RFP and hiring for the homeless services coordinator position immediately because of the looming risks of fire season. Graham wanted both the service provider and the job description for the coordinator position to be available at the same time for Council to look over once the City received a response to the RFP. Hansen added that Council was not planning on moving forward with anything at 2200 Ashland St and that the discussion was about alleviating the burden on staff. Hyatt restated that Council wanted both the RFP and for HR to create the job description, with the job description ready by the time the RFP receives a response and that the contract will be a one-year contract but may change based on factors such as the coordinator and the changing needs. Graham acknowledged the good work of both staff and community members who have helped set up the night lawn and shelter. She also expressed thanks to Cotta, Burns and their team for their work on the issue. 4. Adjournment of Study Session The meeting was adjourned at 7:05 p.m. A, City Reco der Alissa Kolodzinski A test: Mayor Tonya Graham Page 4 of 4 ,w.....,ten North %tin+• •idti.nd .McMinmi4 .Aum,riw �Add.M • Cr.a<.nt City • ionNn. . a..:w YuO. GitY. • M.•Y+•J4 AJwm. •VMall.nd hUlwu daen� Darn Sant. Lo+a\ •Wc.ra4 Ner.te• •V.11.p M.ripov S.n irlMiKo• •V.riuli, So C.dei � •�n��+• MounMln Vrw /•Gil.q $.n Mplin ZTN O GMKO.L..OMLIL.L UU cor uwm Saw"D ,26 n* COLLLCTNNV COWAMILt rLANsiLL L*A�wNL U LM NOMAL LLCOVLLY FMILIYI.S _ f •U-1 OLOANICS /LOCL$$IN* FACILIYILL ■ 100% employee -owned ■ Operates in CA, OR, and WA ■ Leader in Resource Recovery Recology ■ SOU Partnership ■ Spring '23 inaugural cohort ■ Recology's 5th AIR chapter ■ Rethink waste and consumption 1z;. Recology ■ Klamath Works partnership ■ Region's first program; piloted Spring '22 ■ -3,000 mattresses recycled in 2023 ■ Preparations for statewide mattress recycling program (2025) Recology ■ RVTD Partnership; Pedals for Patriots ■ Launched Spring '23 ■ —40 bikes and 200+ components diverted from landfill or scrap ■ Leftover bikes sent to metal recycling FZI Recology Recology \ r w1 Ml:edPaper Metal Plastic ■ Expansive recycling list 6 Cardboard Aluminum 6 Tin Bottles, Jups & Tubs 11, 1Z R5 GLASS COLLECTED SEPARATELY IN SMALL OPEN SIN ■ Curbside glass collection ■ National Sword `18 ■ Curbside food waste (exploration) Vk P' Recology ■ First in the region to adopt R99 (2021) ■ 75% reduction in GHGs ■ 100% adoption across all collection and off -road machinery ■ Neste product from Carson Oil ■ Bottles and cans donated to FOTAS ■ Preparations for RMA compliance ■ Tours and presentations available ■ Lend Me A Plate - SOMRA Recology wfiwRe ■ Dedicated education and outreach FTE ■ Special material drop-off events ■ Community support and sponsorship Recology Ashland / Talent Other Communities Expanded Recycling V Curbside Glass Collection X Renewable Diesel (R-99) X Staffed Recycling Center V Artist in Residence Program O V Supporting an employee -owned O v company that prioritizes recoveryIZ;I IO Recology h-ClCage�f'i�:2•i •4 C 4L1 Va Mr ,:.j....♦� Severe Weat er Shelter - 04/15/2024 winter season 2023-24 summary Severe Weather Shelter Where? 2200 Ashland St West -end of the building is separate occupancy, whic can be occupied by 28 pea Severe Weather Shelter How? Shelter is low -barrier, no -frills. A safe dry space to get out of the cold, wet weather temporarily. Managed by OHRA for 2023-24. �U' Severe Weather Shelter How much? Total to date invoices/costs submitted by OHRA for SWS services: $25,575.43 (March 2024 invoice not received as of date of this presentation submission) a Severe Weather Shelter - What can our Severe Weather Shelter Do? Cooling Center -12-7PM during hottest times of day. Temp > 95F. Overnight Warming During winter weather. Temp <32. Cleaner Air Center/Shelter AQI >150, Severe Weather S! Fier Future vision Need guidance from Council. RFP: Need 3rd party service provider. Need site plan for 2200 Ashland St. Need Homeless Services Coordinator. Improved Smoke modeling for activating during smoke days/nights. n THOUGHTS & QUESTIONS? j c v . '_�.