HomeMy WebLinkAbout07.03.24 Minutes - 2200 Ashland Street Ad Hoc Committee 2200 Ashland St. Ad Hoc Committee Meeting
July 3, 2024 Minutes
Name Role Attended 7/ l 4
Matthew McMillan Member
Ruth Coulthard Member
Maverick McCoy Member
4 Bob Kaplan Non-voting Member
Allison Wildman Member
Janson Houck Member
7 F achel Jones Member
Tona Graham Non-voting Member
Debbie f elsewander Member
10 Wendy Tanner Member
11 Avram Sacks Member
12 Gina; [ uuenne Non-voting r::] x
13 Trina Sanford Member
Jan Calvin Facilitator
V. CALL TO ORDER
I. Membership Update— Mayor Tonya Graham announced that Rhonda Lee and Bob
Altaras regrettably submitted resignations, due to the fact that their schedules no longer
alloyed for their participation. NOTE: There are now 10 voting members, so no more
than can communicate outside the meeting.
. Agenda Review—The agenda was reviewed.
. A n no u nceme nt — Debbie sh a red info rmation about new 1 bd rm. lofts renti n g for
, 00+/mo. Discussion noted the City's limited ability to add affordable housing;
essentially annexation and land banking. She also shared photos of Pullet shelters,,
not!ng that the city owns 13 s uch units. Some h istory of the!r use was hared. Avram
noted the upcoming heat wave and announced the need for voI u ntee rs for the cooling
center(call h!m at 541- 0-730 7).
V1. BUSINESS
1. Decision-making —Mayor Graham reviewed the decision-making process, saying that
typically ono plus one is enough to decide an issue. The desire is for g1pater
agreement. Sometimes a motion is made that you don't wholeheartedly agree with, but
you don't want to oppose, so a 9:neutral ap vote can be east. For example, 6 people vote
yes, 3 vote neutral and 1 votes no. This is different than if 6 vote yes and 4 vote no. The
former might be a final decision. For our purposes, the latter would be an example of
the need for more discussion, rather than simply saying the decision is made. The goal
is full agreement, and the `ayes/neutral/no process may also be used as a "straw poll
vote to dete rm!ne the leve I of ag reement.
. Minutes of June 19, 2024 - Reviewed.ed Approved; all thumbs up!
. Follow-up Items Announcements
Jan mentioned the two follow-up emai l s sent with i n�forr ation about weed abatement
(since completed at 2200 Ashland t.) and the reasoning for closing pathways around
the p ro pe rty.
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Jan reported that City staff have completed the compilation of code information about
potential uses of the property, which will be on the August 7 agenda.
The group reviewed the discussion and comments of the June 19 meeting, including a
follow-up conversation about the charge/purpose of the committee. The conversation
reinforced the fact that committee recommendations will need to be acted on by
Council, followed by the identification of funding to implement selected
recommendations. Such a process takes time and may not align with everyone's
priorities for the use of their time and talents.
People were asked about their "take aways" from the last meeting. Debbie offered
some thoughts about ways to mitigate some of the concerns that had been
expressed; she noted that the municipal court still operates by Zoom and schedules
appearances months out. People experiencing homelessness often have difficulty
tracking such a calendar. If municipal court could schedule timelier in person
sessions, perhaps there would be fewer arrests for warrants. This demonstrated an
example of a system change, wh i le other exam Ales were for pro ra m s/se rvices.
System Improvement Ideas
• Municipal Court held in person, more timely scheduling
• Community Service restitution that benefits the community
• Better service coordination and system for referrals
• A cohesive strategic plan
Service Improvement Ideas
• Community meal locations in South Ashland (for community building)
• More safe spaces to sleep
• Greater access to behavioral health services
Other Ideas for Improvements
• Engagement of peopie experiencing homelessness in solutions
• More opportunities for empowerment and belonging
• More attention to community relations and efforts to be a good neighbor by
service providers
• Engagement and alignment of service providers with the community
4. Exploring the Possibilities
The group revisited the Council-approved goals and identified what we need to know.
Goals:
• Provide immediate safety during severe weather for Ashland residents who are
experiencing homelessness
• Support economic development and public art efforts that build, energize, and
beautify south Ashland, which welcomes visitors as a gateway to the city
• Provide a pathway to long-term housing for Ashland residents who are
experiencing homelessness, possibly including immediate shelter
• Support wider community goals, such as emergency management, social
equity and racial justice, and climate action
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The group did a quick debrief to offer highlights from the small group work:
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5. Next Steps
The next meeting will include information from the preliminary Homeless Services
Masterplan, after which the committee will begin refining the ideas to present for
public input.
VII. PUBLIC FORUM
Helga suggested that the portable classrooms that were used at the Science Works may be
useable for temporary housing. Committee members thanked her for the idea but noted that
existing plans for units make them unavailable.
Meeting Adjourned at 5:05 p.m.
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