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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning, everyone. Welcome to the regular meeting of the Board of Commissioners.

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Commissioner Meieran is joining virtually. Audience members, I want to start by asking you to please

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silence your electronic devices. I would also like remind people that in addition to the people in this room, we also have

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people watching and listening online. Please consider your language in comments and testimony today.

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Today's meeting is a hybrid board meeting. Some presenters and guests will appear in person and some will appear virtually.

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For those presenting virtually, please mute your mic when not speaking. When presenting, make sure to

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unmute your mic and turn on your camera. For all presenters, please state your name for the record before

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speaking or responding to questions. May I have a motion? Approval of the consent

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calendar. [ Roll call vote ]. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: The consent calendar is approved.

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Opportunity for public comment on non-agenda matters. This is a time for the board to hear public testimony not for

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board deliberation. When it is your turn to speak, I will call your name and unmute you or call you to the

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presenters' table. I'll set a timer for two minutes when you begin speaking and announce when your time is up.

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We received 14 verbal testimony and 3 written testimony, which was shared with board members and staff.

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We're going to do virtual testimony first. Which is going to be Chenoa Landry.

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Chenoa, you can go ahead and unmute yourself and begin. I guess I'll request to unmute you.

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Chenoa, I've sent an unmute request, but I don't see that you've responded. So, I'm going to move to the

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next person and we can circle back around. Bri Condon. Bri Condon, you can unmute

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yourself and begin. >> Can everybody hear me? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes, we can hear you.

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>> Okay, thank you. My name is Bri Condon. I currently serve as the executive director at Bradley

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Angle. The public testimony I would like to offer the board today is this.

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Voter approved tax measures such as the supportive housing measure were designed to allow agencies to address root cause

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issues of homelessness. It uncovered that 53% of women on our streets experiencing houselessness have experienced

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domestic violence. The best solutions embedded in this budget amendment being deliberated today will be

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crafted when we're all viewing the problem as clearly as possible. Not viewing the issues through

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mud. For example, Bradley Angle has been accountable to numerous audits that occur every 12

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months, and our data has been consistently collected and reported. The issue of whether or not

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community-based service providers should be made to report further outcomes before we receive additional wage

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allocations isn't an uninformed narrative. Speaking for my agency, we do submit numerous outcome

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measurements, progress report, and data sets to all of our funders throughout the year. To make things even clearer on

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this point, I request to receive just contracts that pay a living wage. We do report plenty of data

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consistently and on time to the Joint Office of Homeless Services. We have a workforce problem

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stemming from too much work for too little pay. It is evident in courthouses, public service arenas.

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The most recent increase for staff, approved by the chair, resulted in 19,446 more dollars to our contract spread across

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direct service teams. Did we receive a full 3% increase? No, we did not.

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Was this enough to offer a living wage to direct service staff? No, it was not.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Time. >> Referred to as FTE, and now we're referring to them as essential.

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I urge a yes vote to further extend funds in this budget amendment so we can, as providers, retain and hire

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experienced staff as soon as possible. Thank you for your time. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Next, we

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have Danae Shakuma. Danae, you can unmute yourself and begin. >> Hi there.

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Can you hear me? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes, I can. >> Hi, my name is Danae Shakuma.

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I'm an architect that has had the privilege of working with the FTC in Barbie's Village. Just to give a little bit of

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context for the process of how I've been involved, back in 2019, I reached out to FTC because I heard a rumor there

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was a big project in mind. My firm has an annual community service scholarship that I wanted to use to benefit the

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native community in Portland in some way. After hearing her speak, it was obvious she had this huge vision

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already worked out, but it was all up here. What I was able to help with through this scholarship is to

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start visualizing that dream and put it on paper. We asked members of the native community to participate in a

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workshop, both those who have experienced houselessness. We laid out on the hypothetical sites since we didn't have land

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yet. The design concept for this village, which you've heard a bit about, is based around a

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cedar tree, which is an important Indigenous symbol in the Pacific Northwest with the idea that each layer has a

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different role that it plays. So, this village is doing more than just housing people. It's creating stability with

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spiritual and community gathering places. It has layers dedicated to growth through the wellness

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services for mental nourishment and the communal garden and kitchens for physical nourishment.

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Finally on this outer layer, it's creating a safe shelter that protects that growth and stability of the future

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inhabitants of the village. That's the overall design concept. With that information that we

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took and gathered from the community, we put in a report. We got an initial cost assessment.

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From there, it's taken on a life of its own. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Time. >> Next up, is just creating

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design and construction documents for the homes. We have a team all set to go on that.

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That's been our process thus far. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Next, we have Natalyn Begay.

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Natalyn, you may unmute yourself and begin. >> Hi. Can you hear me?

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes. >> Okay, great. Good morning. It's great to be here.

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Thank you for bringing me in this space. My name is Natalyn Begay. I use she/her pronouns.

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I'm a citizen of the Danae Nation. Currently, I serve as the policy mode lead with the Future

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Generations Collaborative. I come to you this morning to talk to you about some of the budget needs of the future

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generations project, which you all know is Barbie's Village. In our request, in our budget request, we did request some

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renovations that are very much needed in the building where Barbie's Village is going to be housed.

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One of those needs -- a lot of those needs actually are critical to early childhood programming, to the tiny home

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village. Some of those needs include our furnaces and air-conditioning for the building.

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Currently, they are out, and we can't actually inhabit the building when it gets cold in the wintertime, so those are

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some critical needs that are in the budget for Barbie's Village. We also have some challenges around -- we recently lost our

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refrigerator that is in our kitchen. Many of the appliances that are in the kitchen right now are

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from the 1970s, so those definitely need to be replaced. In addition to some of the renovations are flooring needs.

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Those also need to be renovated as most of the flooring is from the original building in the 70s.

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Many of these -- like I said, many of these renovations are critical to early childhood programming.

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The services will be part of the wraparound services to the families who are living at Barbie's Village, but also

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essential to those programs that are using that space, such as the early childhood -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Your

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time is up. >> Okay. I just urge you all to consider the full budget for Barbie's

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Village. Thank you so much for your time. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: All right.

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That's all we have virtually. So, we'll move to in person. We have Richard Perkinds, Ann Pernik, Ann Turner, and Deon

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Salazar. Good morning. You can begin. >> Morning.

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I'm Dick Perkinds. Commissioners, when voters approved the supportive housing tax, they gave the county ten

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years to end homelessness. We have seven left, but those high income households and high revenue businesses are leaving

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the county, as you know, Chair. Voters approved measure 110 to fund treatment for substance use disorder.

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Now we have a fentanyl and Meth crisis on our streets. You, chair, are responsible for the county's behavioral health

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and housing plans. Things are getting worse. There is no behavioral health plan, and we have no person data

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system so we can accurately scale resources to address the need. Because of these failures, the

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governor has convened a task force to save the city's largest city. Chair, you sit on that task

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force. Yesterday, Portland unanimously passed an ordinance banning public use of hard drugs in

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anticipation of the February special session, which will amend measure 110 to create an involuntary path to treatment

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for those with substance use disorder. That will save many lives, but only if we have the treatment

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resources. It appears that everyone but the county board of commissioners understands the urgency of the

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moment. You have an opportunity today with Ground Plaza and Bybee Lakes to take a step forward.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning.

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Hello, Chair, commissioners and staff. My name is Ann Pernik. I'm here with advocates from

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Oregon's physicians for social responsibility and 350PDX. We're the Anns. We're here to give you this

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climate emergency kit. We've got clear signs of the climate emergency all around. We have extreme heat.

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We have intensifying wildfires. The problem is clear. Fossil fuels, which are a clear threat to our climate and local

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health and safety, the solutions are in this kit. There's a report from the county department on the dangers of gas

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stoves and a safe cities policy binder to phase out fossil fuels at the local level, including building electrifying.

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Dr. Ann Turner will add more materials into the kit in a minute. After she speaks, we hope you'll

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accept the kit. Thank you for the opportunity to speak today. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

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you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Dr. Ann Turner.

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First, I want to thank you for bringing a suit against the oil industry for their responsibility in our current

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climate catastrophe. All fossil fuel industries, including the gas industry, are responsible for the mess we're

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currently in. As a physician and a member of Oregon's Physicians for Social Responsibility, I want to focus

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on the problem of the health harms of indoor air pollution caused by gas stoves and ovens and add a few items to the tool

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kit in this bucket. The first is a letter that Oregon PSR has written urging you to take the next step, after

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your excellent report, to address this critical health issue. A few facts from this document.

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Gas stoves emit the same pollutants as vehicle carbon exhaust. Gas stoves leak methane, even

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when they're off. That's contaminated with Benzene, a known cause of blood cancers.

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I'm adding several prescriptions from health professionals to you urging you to act. Gas stoves are a health hazard.

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It's time to phase them out. I urge you to take action to reduce the risk in our county. Gas stoves in the home are a

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danger to child health and the children most at risk due to poor ventilation and poorly maintained appliances.

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Gas stoves are a driver of the plague of childhood asthma. This is an issue of climate justice.

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Please explore Multnomah County's authority under the state and federal laws to regulate gas appliances based on

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an emissions-based approach. Oregon PSR supports you as the county health authority in taking the next step to address

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this important health and environmental issue. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

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you. >> And we hope you'll accept this bucket. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: You can

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provide it to the board clerk. Next, we're going to go back to Chenoa Landry. You can unmute yourself and

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begin. >> Good afternoon, everyone. My name is Chenoa Landry. I'm she/her.

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I'm also a community health worker with Native Wellness Institute. We're part of the Future

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Generations Collaborative. I just wanted to share today a little bit about our role as community health workers.

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I'm really honored to be able to speak on behalf of the community health worker team here today. We are part of a

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collaborative -- I'm including a lot of native nonprofit and organizations in the Portland area.

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Community health work has been around since time immemorial. We serve as a liaison between the health professionals and

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community members. We represent our community, so we're also members of the community.

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And this work has also grown over the past decade or so with the Future Generations Collaborative.

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We had elders and natural helpers do community health worker training about ten years ago.

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Since the pandemic has gone, our work has only grown. Having a space to be able to have cross-program work has been

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really, really beneficial for our community. It's given our community a lot of hope.

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We provided lifesaving services, such as providing masks, tests, testing, and hand sanitizer, basic needs such as food,

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clothing, and shelter. A home is also a basic need, but a lot of our community experiences high rates of

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houselessness. We don't say homeless because these are our homelands. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Time.

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>> Thank you. Thank you for the space. Appreciate the opportunity. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

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you. Okay. Next, we have in person Suzy Kershner and others.

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>> Good morning. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Whoever is ready, you can begin. >> Okay.

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My name is Aaliyah. I reside in old town Chinatown. Here's where we're at. Trimet cleared a couple of yards

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of the large camp that is underneath the steel bridge, which is considered, what, the pit?

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That's what you guys are all calling it. We have a problem because they just moved across to the bigger

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portion, the people that were in that couple of yards. They just moved to the bigger portion, and now we have another

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problem with a camp that's being built now directly across the street from us on a public property that is vacant and has

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a fence around it. Right now, there's about 15 tents. You guys have got to figure out

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another way to do what you're doing because the reporting and waiting until these camps get to an enormous amount of people is

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an absolute failure. We need to nip it in the bud before it gets to that point to where it's unmanageable.

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That's exactly what happened in a lot of our neighborhoods, and I have to say that I am concerned about -- I know that

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there are developers that are very interested in the McCormick pier area of the property. And I'm concerned that this is

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being intentionally done. The failures to tear these camps down and allowing them to grow and thrive in our

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neighborhood -- and then I'm watching echelon security guards because they guard the yards and the projects over across the

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street. We hired them also. People are parking in our parking lot to go buy drugs

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across the street. I am familiar with these kinds of things. I grew up in northeast-north

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Portland during the crack epidemic. I'm not unfamiliar. I need people around me to

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recognize what they're seeing and do something about it before we're pushed out of our neighborhood.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Good morning. >> Good morning.

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I'm the CEO of Living Room Theaters. 120 seconds here is tough to communicate a widespread of

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issues that address what the county is facing. Downtime and overall Multnomah County's public safety

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conditions are worse today than they were on January 1st, 2023. Our service no longer has 9:00 p.m. movies because there's no

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one who wants to come downtown who feels safe to come out after dark. These are interconnected complex

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problems. It's not just a housing problem. It's not just a substance use disorder problem.

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It's not just a mental health problem, but you have a collection of services that you all oversee.

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And I want to specifically come to this thing we've talked about. We've talked about plans and

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ideas, but we need a vision, a vision for how to tackle these problems. Many people have sat here and

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criticized about the Chair's plan to fine AMR for their performance. I would argue again that is a

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complex set of problems. There was a gentleman from Portland fire and rescue from the downtown old town station.

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He communicated just a recent past weekend they experienced 70 Narcan overdose recoveries in a single weekend.

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300 on average every month. Those public safety officials are growing tired of going back to the same problem day after

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day that doesn't get better. So, you're losing public safety officials from that one problem, and it's the same problem for

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AMR. They're not responding to a heart attack victim or someone else throughout the county.

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We need to address these problems systematically and as one. I urge you all to please put

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politics aside and work together. You're all very smart, and I think you can do the right

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thing. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

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Good morning. >> It's my privilege, my pleasure. I'm grateful for this

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opportunity to speak on behalf of this issue. I am extremely grateful to you as a board for the focus --

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Would you mind stating your name for the record? >> I had no manners whatsoever.

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Thank you. My name is Suzy Kershner. I'm the lead for the Future Generations Collaborative.

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It's been my privilege to be a part of this cooperative since its inception, but what I'm really here to do is express

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gratitude for the lands of the traditional peoples where we are and, in so speaking, focusing our attention on the Indigenous

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community of the Portland Metro area and responding with a reinforcement and support for the development of Barbie's

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Village within the context of the FTC project that you heard both last week and this week. When I mention the traditional

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lands of the peoples here, I also mention the fact that Multnomah is one of the peoples. This is a traditional site of

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gathering and for resolution, so I think it's timely. I think it's appropriate. I think it's interesting to find

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myself, you know, looking at the solution from the perspective that might look like political differences, but I really think

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that we have in common the outcome of healthy families and healthy children. And so, I think -- and this is

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what you are charged with as the commissioners. This is what you are dedicating your time and your spirit to,

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and I am grateful. Yes, you have a pot of money. There are many deserving people for this.

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So, I want to encourage -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. >> I want to encourage you to

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look at the child developmental center that is at the core of this. Thank you so much for today.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning. >> Good morning. It's good to be here as a

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cross-pollination and dialogue continues. Yesterday at city council, there was testimony from Commissioner

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Sharon Meieran. Today here in the county chambers, we have city commissioners.

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Renee Gonzalez is with us. Unfortunately, we have to wait until we get to R1 to find out how we get 40 minutes of

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information about $17.66 million. When we try to prepare, when we go on the web, there's two pages

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of nothingness that's a landscape spreadsheet. Even in the little summary here, we find out that Metro, which

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skims off 5% of the SHS money, has given us a Corrective Action Plan. The short title doesn't tell us

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whether that $17 or $16 million goes to backfill or if it is part of the unanticipated revenue.

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We seem to be getting more confusion than progress, but I'm sure you'll have some sharp questions that will hopefully

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clarify for all your constituents, including the 6,000 people that are unhoused. As Ms. Condon noted, a

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long-running nonprofit that replies to audits and does their best to inform you, as they seek to serve the 53% of women

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experiencing homelessness who have encountered domestic violence, they really need some money to retain staff and grow

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the programs to meet the needs, so it'll be interesting to see what we do for 40 minutes on R1. Thanks, y'all.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Next, we have Gerard, Dan Salazar, and Lightning.

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>> Good morning. My name is Gerry. I volunteer with the revitalize Portland coalition, which is a

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group of real estate organizations in town. I'd like to speak to the homeless issue, and I continue

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to think the county needs to maintain a list of the homeless individuals living on our streets so they can provide more

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individualized care. You, as the county commissioners, are the health authority for the Portland

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Gresham area. Like any doctor, you ought to keep notes on your patients, and so I think that by-name list

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needs to include name, Social Security number, next-of-kin, former work history. I think these folks have the

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potential for rehabilitation, but also any kind of notes you have about drug use, alcohol abuse, and mental illness due to

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the extent that's diagnosed. Towards that end, I think the issues that are on the table today are funding the Bybee

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Lakes recovery center and the crown plaza hotel as a place to rehabilitate the homeless. I think that would fit in with

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collecting that kind of data and asking the organizations that are contracted with you to collect that kind of data in

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some kind of privileged and confidential way, but in a way so the providers know what the background is of the individual

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that they're meeting with. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Good morning.

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>> Good morning. My name is Dean Salazar. I'm a resident of Portland. I have seen information

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regarding the large amount of people who are likely part of the homeless population. Not only is that a major

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problem, but we are also aware of not getting the proper mental health supports they need before they go houseless and, of

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course, during as well. I've also lived here for 12 years. When I first moved here, when I

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was 11 years old, I saw a good degree of houselessness and homelessness, which depressed me.

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12 years later, no matter who was in charge, we're seeing this problem worsen. In these times, we keep hearing

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about the disorder in the joint Office of homeless services and more. That's not good leadership.

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We need good leadership and we need good government. We need to be able to hold the county officials accountable so

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that we can have a more timely reporting as well as more accessibility and transparency so that we can move forward

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better as part of a county, so we can all work together. We've seen the Corrective Action Plan, Metro, squabbling.

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Enough is an enough. We need to get on this all together as a coalition. We need more transparency and

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less centralization, in my opinion. We need to make sure we solve this problem within five years.

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This is a crisis, the crisis of our time in Portland. Our future is better than this, and I stand by that

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wholeheartedly. That's why I ask you to seriously consider performing the Joint Office of Homeless

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Services. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

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>> Yes. My name is Lightning. I represent Lightning Super Humanity X.

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The death list, which we saw in the Willamette Week on all the empty and unwanted buildings, the iconic buildings, as you

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know, 15 have been handed back to the banks, gone into foreclosure, been auctioned off. We have another 20 to 30 in

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line. If you start calculating the losses of these investors and this money, you're talking some

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big numbers here, and this will shake the municipalities and shake the city of Portland and shake the state of Oregon.

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And why that is, is that all these social services that you rely upon are the property tax base, and it's being ripped

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apart and gutted out in this city. I look at Paula and say, hey, you wanted to use the developers

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and investors as scapegoats and blame them for everything. At a certain point, people begin to believe that.

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You have dropped the commercial real estate industry by your comments. By the way you speak about them

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and what they're trying to do in the cities. What you see out there right now is the result of what you have

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done, what you have done, the politicians. Again, we have Jordon out there saying, I'm going to revitalize

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Portland by art. Let me say this to you my good friend, Jordon. I refer to you as the thinking

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man, but we are in the gates of Hell. The gates of Hell. We're going to have to make some

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moves to save this city. I'm asking for more property taxes to save this city. Thank you.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. That's it for public testimony, so I'll move on to R-1.

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>> BOARD CLERK: R-1 budget modification -- BUDGET MODIFICATION #JOHS-001-24: Increasing the

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Joint Office Supportive Housing fund by $17.69 million for the Corrective Action Plan. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Approval

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of R-1. In a few minutes, I'm going to turn it over to Dan Field to present on the budget

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modification as well as the joint office leadership team. They're going to be able to provide us and walk us through

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final details for the investments, and then we will have time for the Board to discuss this, but I wanted to

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start off by just thanking everyone for the engagement into this process. The way that we've had the work

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sessions, the way that we have been able to really do this in a more transparent, open way is different than how the Board has

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done things in the past. I just appreciate the engagement people have, the respectful way they have participated in these

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conversations. I think they've been productive. I think they've been in service total communities who need and

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deserve these investments that we're going to be making. I also appreciate the fact that we are going to continue to have

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this type of conversation as we move forward and work on other Joint Office Supportive Housing dollars we're going to consider

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in the next couple of weeks. It's a process. Any time you learn something new you learn where the bumps are

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and where you can refine things. I think that's true of this. We're all learning in this. But I'm glad we continue to take

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the time to question, engage, to think through the different proposals we have as a Board and colleagues.

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I look forward to the rest of the upcoming discussions as we help set our priorities for moving forward together on one

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of the most critical issues in our community, which is the crisis of homelessness. I also want to say that our

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discussions over the last few weeks and our vote today is really the legislative action that we take to move these

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priorities forward with urgency, with accountability, with transparency so we can continue to improve our response to this

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crisis. The work that comes after this, which is really the implementation of the Corrective

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Action Plan, that's the administrative work that's going to be led by the joint office, but what I commit to doing is

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making sure that this Board has the information that we have to share with Metro in terms of how things are going with the work,

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how things are going with the investments, how the spending is looking, and making sure this Board is aware of that before

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shared with Metro or more publicly. I am, you know, looking forward to this conversation.

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I also want to make sure we have plenty of time for questions and discussion, so I now invite Dan and others to dais to go through

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the final details and answer questions that we have. Thank you. Good morning.

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>> Good morning, Chair. My name is Dan Field, director of the Joint Office of Homeless Services joined this morning by

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Kenoi and Antoinette. I would like to echo a couple of the things the Chair said in introducing our slide

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presentation. One, we appreciate the direction as well. The joint office staff and

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leadership team serves at your direction, and you've provided a lot of that over the past few weeks with regard to the

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Corrective Action Plan. That's been a helpful process for us as well, so as you vote today and set the direction for

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us, we'll continue to seek your input and guidance as we implement the strategies and the funding requests that you've

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set. I also want to mention that in the course of the conversations over the last few weeks, in

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listening to the work session, we've heard you loud and clear about wanting to see metrics and very specific desired outcomes

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in each of the projects. If you have additional suggestions around metrics and outcomes, we absolutely are open

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to that input as we begin the implementation process. With that, what we're going to do is ask my colleagues to run

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through the four major spending proposals that the Chair has put in front of you this morning. And I'll kick it off to Kenoi to

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start us. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning. >> Good morning.

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Next slide, please. This actually might be Antoinette's. >> Good morning.

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For the record, my name is Antoinette Payne. I use she/her pronounces, and I'm the finance manager for the

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Joint Office of Homeless Services. Thank you for the opportunity to present today.

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As mentioned in the previous presentation, I won't spend as much time. This slide outlines the CAP we

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have with Metro around the unspent SHS funding. In column 2, the CAP items initially negotiated with Metro,

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due to the increase in expenditures, the revised CAP has decreased. The last column has 43.7 million

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program and 14.4 million in contingencies and reserves, totaling 58.1 million. 40.5 million is in the adopted

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budget. And the focus of today's presentation is the 17.6 million in column 14.

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Next slide, please. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Next slide. We got it?

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Okay, good. >> This slide is a summary of the budget modification appropriating 17.6 million from

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the SHS underspent for the Metro CAP. Here is an overview of the CAP investments that encompasses the

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17.6 million. 4.7 million for the capital investment, the TASS. 10 million for the

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capacity-building grants. 1.4 million for immediate response client and rent assistance and 1.5 million for

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CAP investments. >> Good morning. My pronouns are she/her. I'm the director of programs

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here at the joint office. I'll briefly review each of the proposed CAP investments for board action today.

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The first proposed investment is focused on the expansion of shelter bed capacity through the development of two additional

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temporary alternative shelter sites that will be developed and operated in partnership with the city of Portland.

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This provides a capital investment towards the purchase of 140 sleeping pods and the outbuildings required to provide

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hygiene and support services on site at both locations. One site will provide 140 sleeping pods, and the second

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site will be an RV safe parking site. The sites will be open this fiscal year and increase shelter

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expansion across our homeless services system by 200 additional shelter bed options. Next slide, please.

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Oh, and here are the key metrics and proposed outcomes that I just spoke about. Next slide, please.

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The second proposed investment is focused to increase the organizational health capacity and resilience of our currently

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funded joint office providers to recruit employees, retain their workforce, and deliver on the services they are contracted to

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provide. Some core components of this investment include grant distribution where the

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administration and reporting will be managed through philanthropic organization or directly the county.

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Awards will be allocated on an equitable formula. Grants must meet SHS funding criteria, must explain how funds

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will increase employee recruitment and retention, and must report on how funds were spent.

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I'm going to move us on to the next slide so you all can read along with me. We'll focus our metrics on

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employee vacancy and retention rates. Our provider organizations will report their baseline of vacancy

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and retentions, and we'll receive attained outcomes on the decrease of vacancy rates and increase in retention rates.

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This gives our partners the opportunity to determine the most effective way for them to become stronger and more

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resilient organizations. They have the tools in place in their organizations to be able to expand and retain the

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workforce needed to really deliver those high-quality and much-needed services in our community.

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The healthier an organization is, the more immediate and effective the implementation of our investments truly can be.

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Next slide, please. This is our third proposed investment that will make readily available client and

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rent assistance to joint office providers with the goal to reduce barriers in housing, retain households facing

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eviction and homelessness and increases in housing placements. Increase the distribution of short-term and medium-term

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placements to be able to readily support households with those barriers and get application ready.

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Some key metrics include over 221 people enrolled into permanent housing -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Next

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slide. >> Shucks. Thank you so much, Chair. I'm so excited that I keep going

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before the slides. This investment will be 8 million in total, and it will serve 221 people enrolled into

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permanent housing programs through prevention or placement with the proposed outcome of 80% individuals retained in

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permanent housing. Next slide, please. And our final proposed investment focuses on the

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expansion of employment opportunities for people with lived experience of homelessness, providing them

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with a path to future work while supporting the reduction of trash and waste in our public spaces.

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Some core components include four mobile teams across the county. These teams conduct routine

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cleaning routes to pick up and dispose of trash. On these cleaning routes, the mobile teams safely remove all

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garbage, debris, and abandoned materials from the area. The team is made up of one lead and three crew members, so four

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total within a team. We'll have four teams total. The lead really focuses on supporting the cleaning route,

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supporting and mentoring the trainees as they learn job training skills, and the trainees are part of this work

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readiness program. Participants will learn job-readiness skills and attain that employment history.

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The key metrics will include at least 25 individuals are lived experience of homelessness, engaging in employment services

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and supports with proposed outcomes to include 60% of those individuals leaving the training program with employment

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placement. At least 250,000 pounds of waste will be removed. I want to thank you all this

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morning for giving me some space to talk about those four proposed investments, and I'll turn it back over to Dan.

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>> Just a final comment on Clean Start. Commissioners, it was really clear we didn't just want an

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expansion of the existing downtown Portland focus program. If you have a chance to dig into the details around that last

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investment, it really is a county-focused program. It's different from what you see downtown.

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It's mobile teams. They're assigned to all regions of the county. That's an example, I think, of

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where your feedback and the partnership of a lead organization has been very helpful in designing a program

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that's going to serve the entire county. With that, I'll turn it over for questions.

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>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Great. Thank you so much for this great information today and all the work in putting together this

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package. I really appreciate the work of the joint office in doing that. We'll go to the board for

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questions, for comments. Commissioner Meieran, you're virtual, so we can start with you.

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And we'll bring you up on screen so everybody can see your face. There we go. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Let me see.

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I actually -- can you hear me? I'm having some technical difficulties. If you're able to circle back to

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me, that would be really great. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Of course, yeah. Definitely.

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>> COMM. MEIERAN: Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We'll go to Commissioner Jayapal. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you,

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Chair. Thank you, everyone, for this presentation. I really appreciate it and all

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the work that's gone into bringing us to this point. I want to appreciate the Chair and her team for answering all

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of our questions, for the work sessions that we've had. That's been a different practice for us, and I do think it's been

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productive. Dan, thank you for giving us an example of how the conversations that we had actually influenced

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what you're bringing forward. I'll start by saying that I will support the package, and I'm going to reiterate some of the

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comments I've made before because I think they're important and I think they're important to make as we make the

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decision. I'm keeping in mind and reiterating that one of the main reasons we have underspent

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funds -- and that's what we're here to decide how to allocate. One of the main reasons we have those underspent funds is our

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nonprofit providers have not been able to hire and retain the staff they need to provide the services that we need them to

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provide. So, the community capacity-building grants for me are a clear priority.

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We've heard this not only from providers themselves, including this morning, but from advocates like Here Together, the Portland

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Metro Chamber, and the Welcome Home Coalition. The oversight committee is made up from the people from the

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business, health care, housing services, and nonprofit sectors. The issue was referenced in an email I received yesterday

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around Bybee Lakes. The email was from an individual who has worked to place homeless folks in their neighborhood into

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shelters and found that shelters didn't have capacity. They had the beds, but they didn't have the staff to service

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the beds. All this advocacy confirms what nonprofit providers have been telling us for a very long time,

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that their workers are significantly underpaid. We also now have two studies that confirm this.

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One for providers of the sun system and one for joint office providers. For members of the public, I

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00:49:40,436 --> 00:49:47,776
want to read out the median salary for the three positions in shelter systems with the largest numbers of workers.

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00:49:47,776 --> 00:49:53,176
Shelter support staff: $39,250 a year. Case manager 1, $42,848 per year.

368
00:50:16,222 --> 00:50:24,220
That's an annual rent of $17,988. I'm going to do the percentages. $43,680 a year.

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00:50:43,400 --> 00:50:53,400
Case manager 1, their rent takes up 42% of their income. For shelter support staff, a vital position, the rent takes

370
00:50:54,385 --> 00:51:02,434
up 46% of their income per year. Let's all in this room think about where we would be if those were the incomes and the

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00:51:02,434 --> 00:51:12,434
percentages of our income going to rent that we have to manage. It's not sustainable. So, I've call this wage issue

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00:51:13,700 --> 00:51:20,911
out almost every year I've been on the dais. It's a fundamental problem for the county, and it's a

373
00:51:20,911 --> 00:51:30,911
fundamental problem for our community at large. It's a problem because underpaid workers add to our homeless

374
00:51:31,130 --> 00:51:36,468
crisis. It's a problem because none of us want to live in a community where people are not paid to do

375
00:51:36,468 --> 00:51:46,468
the work that they do. last year, I fought for and was able to get an extra 1% on top of the cola, which only

376
00:51:48,147 --> 00:51:56,614
addresses inflation. It doesn't do with the wage gap. We need comprehensive long-term solutions to address wages and

377
00:51:56,614 --> 00:52:03,662
other issues around maintaining a strong resilient nonprofit sector. We need other funders, like the

378
00:52:03,662 --> 00:52:11,253
city and the state and philanthropy, to participate in developing the solutions. We've kicked the can down the

379
00:52:11,253 --> 00:52:19,530
road for decades. I'm excited about the possibility of enlisting a philanthropic partner.

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00:52:23,182 --> 00:52:31,398
There's also other work underway to address these issues. The Oregon solutions project is doing a convening.

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00:52:31,398 --> 00:52:39,990
There's a modernization act that passed the legislature, but we have organizations that can't do the work we need them to do

382
00:52:39,990 --> 00:52:49,590
because they don't have the staff, because we don't adequately fund them to pay their staff.

383
00:52:50,751 --> 00:52:58,133
This is a great question, and one I've asked every executive director I've spoken to. Part of the answer is

384
00:52:58,133 --> 00:53:06,350
situational to this particular moment in time in an incredibly tight market. They are mission driven and want

385
00:53:06,350 --> 00:53:13,399
to do the work. A contractor that has run shelters for us for a decade, whose wages haven't kept up

386
00:53:13,399 --> 00:53:19,738
because they were already low, is really loath to walk away from the contract and close shelter beds.

387
00:53:19,738 --> 00:53:26,578
It's the same reason many workers sign on to do these low-paying jobs. We could ask the same question

388
00:53:26,578 --> 00:53:33,752
about why people agree to do jobs at these wages. Because they're mission driven and sometimes because there

389
00:53:33,752 --> 00:53:39,299
aren't other jobs available. The fact that providers or workers agree to something that they shouldn't have agreed to

390
00:53:39,299 --> 00:53:49,299
doesn't mean that it is right or sustainable. I do believe that I've told Cruz and director field we need to

391
00:53:50,394 --> 00:53:58,736
review the contracts to do two things. Make sure what we're paying reflects the true costs of

392
00:53:58,736 --> 00:54:05,951
services and we're clear about expected outcomes. Along with pressing for wage increases, I have repeatedly

393
00:54:05,951 --> 00:54:13,333
pressed for more accountability in metrics outcomes, but that's a two-way street. We can't old organizations

394
00:54:13,333 --> 00:54:19,470
accountable if we don't pay them enough to pay their employees. I think these capacity-building grants are really important.

395
00:54:19,470 --> 00:54:24,970
They don't solve the problem by a long shot, but as long as we have these one-time funds, they're a good and necessary use

396
00:54:24,970 --> 00:54:31,894
of those funds. And I completely agree there should be metrics attached to the grants.

397
00:54:31,894 --> 00:54:39,777
The clearest ones are the ones Kenoi identified for us, and I think we can come up with others as well.

398
00:54:39,777 --> 00:54:45,407
The goals will be different for each provider, but they should each be required to tell us what they're going to accomplish with

399
00:54:45,407 --> 00:54:54,410
the funding and we should evaluate whether they've achieved those goals. Those are my comments on the

400
00:54:54,410 --> 00:55:04,410
capacity-building grants. I didn't say anything on Tuesday about the TASS investments, so I will make a few comments about

401
00:55:04,718 --> 00:55:10,307
that. I was not supportive of the city's original plan to have 500-person mass camping sites

402
00:55:10,307 --> 00:55:20,108
because I didn't believe those could be managed well. I'm still concerned that 140 people in a managed campsite is

403
00:55:20,108 --> 00:55:25,989
a lot to manage well. I think these sites are very expensive related to other options, but we do have to try

404
00:55:25,989 --> 00:55:35,989
other models. I did not see expected outcomes with respect to those sites, so I would like follow-up on that.

405
00:55:36,708 --> 00:55:43,423
I think with respect to these sites and all of our shelter sites we need to develop outcomes that reflect not only

406
00:55:43,423 --> 00:55:52,349
the number of people shelters, but also the rate of housing placement and retention. With that, I will wrap up, and

407
00:55:52,349 --> 00:56:00,566
I'll be voting yes on this proposal. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you, commissioner Jayapal.

408
00:56:00,566 --> 00:56:05,988
There was a question about when we're going to do public comment. We are definitely going to have

409
00:56:05,988 --> 00:56:13,287
public comment on this. I wanted to give the Board the chance to ask any questions. If people want to ask questions,

410
00:56:13,287 --> 00:56:21,545
we can have public testimony and then people can make public comments. Commissioner Jayapal, you made

411
00:56:21,545 --> 00:56:26,592
very good comments. I appreciate that, but I know that we have many people signed up here to testify.

412
00:56:26,592 --> 00:56:33,599
We normally do Board questions first and then we go to public comment. If you have questions you'd like

413
00:56:33,599 --> 00:56:42,566
to ask, we can do that and then bring up public comment. Go ahead. >> I'm sorry.

414
00:56:42,566 --> 00:56:49,310
It's a general question versus wanting to change the process. I think I'm going to do my comments in a little bit

415
00:56:49,310 --> 00:56:56,913
different -- I'm going to have some questions, some comments about the presentation, and then I'll have some final comments.

416
00:56:56,913 --> 00:57:04,113
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: After the public testimony? >> Yeah. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Fine.

417
00:57:04,463 --> 00:57:11,595
That's great. >> First of all, I have two comments that I want to -- just thank the Chair as a follow-up

418
00:57:11,595 --> 00:57:21,595
to the questions that we had at the last meeting about the board and the commission getting the information on our monthly

419
00:57:24,240 --> 00:57:32,366
imports and our quarterly reports that we provide to Metro. We get those first as a good

420
00:57:32,366 --> 00:57:39,498
governance practice, and I appreciate the commitment to do that. I want to thank you for adding

421
00:57:39,498 --> 00:57:49,498
into both presentations some metrics we all can look at. I think it's going to be super important to our community

422
00:57:50,717 --> 00:58:00,717
because they have their own set of metrics, and we need to be demonstrating value and that the approaches in the investments

423
00:58:01,269 --> 00:58:07,317
we're making are moving us towards our goals. I really want to thank you for adding those in.

424
00:58:07,317 --> 00:58:17,317
I think they're a very important addition. A couple of questions and just want to confirm that -- the

425
00:58:20,539 --> 00:58:30,539
first one is just an overarching question. I think an earlier presentation we had at the last slide had

426
00:58:31,466 --> 00:58:40,350
this is the totality of the -- here's the impact of the totality of the $60 million investment.

427
00:58:40,350 --> 00:58:48,400
This morning, we're just focusing on the 17 million because 40 million of it was approved for last year's budget

428
00:58:48,400 --> 00:58:56,742
cycle. The totality of, if we make all these investments and they have the effect that we hope they

429
00:58:56,742 --> 00:59:06,742
have, the impact on, say, number of people moved off the streets or that are housed or -- I'm noticing this last presentation

430
00:59:07,794 --> 00:59:12,841
just doesn't have that slide anymore. I'm wondering if you could speak to that.

431
00:59:12,841 --> 00:59:22,841
At the end of the day, the $60 million of investment results in X number of more people off the streets or more people housed.

432
00:59:23,977 --> 00:59:33,977
That would be the rent assistance, the shelter -- I want to say the numbers were like 350 and 800.

433
00:59:35,781 --> 00:59:42,412
>> Okay. I can take that one. Yes, you're correct. The outcomes associated today

434
00:59:42,412 --> 00:59:47,959
were specific to the 17.6. What I hear you asking for is the totality including the 40 million.

435
00:59:47,959 --> 00:59:54,174
To be able to give you that, we'll have to circle back to be able to provide number of people served off the streets and then

436
00:59:54,174 --> 01:00:01,181
how many people placed, because I want to make sure we isolate all the 40 million. I apologize that wasn't included

437
01:00:01,181 --> 01:00:08,897
in this presentation today. >> That's okay. That's an important metric. We made a very significant set

438
01:00:08,897 --> 01:00:16,112
of investments. Granted some of it was in last year's budget, but the collective -- what is the

439
01:00:16,112 --> 01:00:22,494
underspend going to actually accomplish. >> I appreciate you asking us to keep our eye on that larger

440
01:00:22,494 --> 01:00:30,669
ball, if you will. One of the challenges has been funding occurs in increments. We're not even done yet.

441
01:00:30,669 --> 01:00:36,132
Reminding us to roll back up to those high-level metrics is helpful. >> It's a lot of money that's

442
01:00:36,132 --> 01:00:44,349
going out the door, and so we can look at those -- we'll be able to look at the individual pieces, but then also the larger

443
01:00:44,349 --> 01:00:53,949
side. I appreciate that. And then a question on slide 7, which is the -- it's the

444
01:00:55,819 --> 01:01:02,419
providers, the $10 million for providers. Currently, the metric is a percentage.

445
01:01:06,163 --> 01:01:16,163
You said you would be open to a recommendation that we have a percentage but also a number. For example, if somebody has 20

446
01:01:19,426 --> 01:01:29,426
vacancies and they fill 10 of them, they've made 50% progress. It gives us a more concrete sense of what that is.

447
01:01:35,108 --> 01:01:45,108
We're going to have the data anyway. If we can just add that, I think it will provide us with more --

448
01:01:46,244 --> 01:01:56,244
with more deeper information. On slides 8 and 9 on the rent assistance, this is a question and maybe a question for when we

449
01:02:00,910 --> 01:02:07,724
talk about rent assistance. In terms of transparency for the community, we need to be really clear on where we're moving

450
01:02:07,724 --> 01:02:17,724
individuals from the streets to using rent assistance into housing versus those that we're catching before they fall into

451
01:02:24,908 --> 01:02:30,914
homelessness. I think this is a point that we're going to continue to have to differentiate, even though it

452
01:02:30,914 --> 01:02:40,914
has the same results, because I don't think the broader community views it the same way or understands it.

453
01:02:42,884 --> 01:02:52,884
We can say we use rent assistance to keep a thousand people housed, and yet if there are still 1,000 people on the

454
01:02:58,274 --> 01:03:06,674
street that haven't been, there's a question of not understanding. They said 1,000 people received

455
01:03:09,995 --> 01:03:19,595
rent assistance and then there's this different piece. Just make that differentiation. They're two different things.

456
01:03:21,464 --> 01:03:30,807
That would be a sort of going forward question. My last comment, I appreciate both the presentation but also

457
01:03:30,807 --> 01:03:38,398
the briefing about the focus on all the different quadrants in the city by the Clean Start teams.

458
01:03:38,398 --> 01:03:44,998
Pardon? I'm sorry, the county. Sorry. The four quadrants of the

459
01:03:45,238 --> 01:03:54,748
county. I know that we all are hearing from our business districts and the surrounding neighborhoods

460
01:03:54,748 --> 01:04:04,132
and our other places in our community gathering spots that we can all benefit from that and the employment opportunities.

461
01:04:04,132 --> 01:04:12,682
Those are my questions and comments. I do want to share that I had shared with my fellow

462
01:04:12,682 --> 01:04:22,567
commissioners that I was going to offer an amendment this morning on day shelters, a day shelter fund, which is something

463
01:04:22,567 --> 01:04:30,366
I put in my original proposal. It would have been about $3 million to support the city's new daytime camping

464
01:04:30,366 --> 01:04:37,290
restrictions. I planned to offer that amendment for several reasons. One, unlike everybody else, I

465
01:04:37,290 --> 01:04:46,841
didn't participate in last year's budget process, so I'm a little bit catching up. And then second, because of the

466
01:04:46,841 --> 01:04:56,841
nature of how the CAP, Corrective Action Plan, was formed -- frankly, we were informed by the media that the

467
01:04:58,610 --> 01:05:07,404
Corrective Action Plan had been signed, and as an individual commissioner, I wasn't consulted about the individual components.

468
01:05:07,404 --> 01:05:15,578
When we had the package coming forward this morning -- again, I feel a real sense of urgency, and I feel the sense of urgency

469
01:05:15,578 --> 01:05:22,919
from the community about doing something. And we received an email that we could offer amendments this

470
01:05:22,919 --> 01:05:31,970
morning, whether it was on the CAP or with other SHS funds. Having said that, I want to say that I had a really good

471
01:05:31,970 --> 01:05:41,970
conversation this morning with the Chair. I feel comfortable that we have a shared concern and commitment

472
01:05:42,772 --> 01:05:52,772
to providing daytime supports for individuals who are going to be impacted by the upcoming implementation of the city's

473
01:05:59,497 --> 01:06:08,173
time, place, and manner camping restrictions. But not just the individuals who will be impacted by it with no

474
01:06:08,173 --> 01:06:18,173
daytime camping, but also the surrounding communities. In addition, as part of that conversation, we talked about

475
01:06:18,224 --> 01:06:26,316
the fact that next week the impact study that the county has done on time, place, and manner and the camping restrictions

476
01:06:26,316 --> 01:06:35,909
will be available to us. Originally, I had structured my discussion for the amendment to create this fund.

477
01:06:35,909 --> 01:06:42,810
It had sort of two components. One was the establishment of the fund. The second was, when we got the

478
01:06:42,810 --> 01:06:51,799
results of the impact study, a placeholder for funding for that as well. They're really designed to be

479
01:06:51,799 --> 01:07:00,580
complementary to not just provide supports to the individuals who will impacted by the camping restrictions, but

480
01:07:00,580 --> 01:07:07,607
the neighborhoods and communities that surround places where individuals are camping. Because they're interconnected,

481
01:07:07,607 --> 01:07:15,323
I'm going to defer to next week with that discussion because we'll have both pieces of the information and the

482
01:07:15,323 --> 01:07:25,323
complementary pieces. I will be waiting for that. That will come next week, and I appreciate the conversation this

483
01:07:27,502 --> 01:07:33,758
morning and the shared commitment to provide supports but also work in partnership with the city.

484
01:07:33,758 --> 01:07:40,980
I'll save the rest of my comments for after public comment and the final action. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes.

485
01:07:40,980 --> 01:07:48,498
Thank you so much, Commissioner Brim-Edwards. Commissioner Meieran, have you figured out your technical

486
01:07:51,670 --> 01:08:00,670
difficulties? >> COMM. MEIERAN: I think so. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We can hear you just fine.

487
01:08:00,702 --> 01:08:09,961
We can hear and see you just fine. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Okay, great. Are we doing questions now or

488
01:08:09,961 --> 01:08:14,465
board comments? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Well, we'll do questions now. Then we'll take public

489
01:08:14,465 --> 01:08:21,222
testimony. If anyone has any final comments, they can make them after the public comment.

490
01:08:21,222 --> 01:08:31,222
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Well, I don't have any specific questions. I do have a proposed amendment. I'm not sure if that would go

491
01:08:40,825 --> 01:08:49,959
here or if that should go after we finish talking about a bud mod amendment or amendment to the CAP.

492
01:08:49,959 --> 01:08:57,842
I'm not sure about the process or procedure. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Sure. Hold on, Commissioner.

493
01:08:57,842 --> 01:09:03,181
I'll ask our legal experts in the room. Does it matter when it is considered?

494
01:09:03,181 --> 01:09:08,190
>> COUNTY ATTORNEY: I think we need to wait until amendment is proposed. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Does it

495
01:09:08,190 --> 01:09:13,608
matter when the amendment is proposed, before or after public comment? >> COUNTY ATTORNEY: No.

496
01:09:13,608 --> 01:09:18,363
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: It's up to you, Commissioner Meieran, of when you want to bring the amendment forward.

497
01:09:18,363 --> 01:09:28,363
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Okay. Will that mean we have to stop and vote on it? Now I would want -- I would like

498
01:09:32,335 --> 01:09:42,335
to propose an amendment. Let's just say that. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Okay. >> COMM. MEIERAN: It is slightly

499
01:09:45,681 --> 01:09:55,681
different from what I shared with Board members just because initially it was going to add funds from the unanticipated FY

500
01:10:01,447 --> 01:10:11,447
'23 funds, but I understand that that could cause some challenges in notice or something, so I'm going to propose bringing --

501
01:10:23,761 --> 01:10:33,361
adding the money from a different source. Essentially, it is around the capacity-building portion of the

502
01:10:36,733 --> 01:10:46,733
CAP. I filled in some introduction to this when I shared with the board, but I know it got to you

503
01:10:49,996 --> 01:10:57,670
later. It got to you this morning, but I've talked to you all about it. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON:

504
01:10:57,670 --> 01:11:06,471
Commissioner Meieran, I will definitely give you a chance to talk a bit. Commissioner Meieran moves to

505
01:11:06,471 --> 01:11:14,271
consider an amendment. Commissioner brim-Edwards seconds. Do we have to vote on it?

506
01:11:17,690 --> 01:11:23,690
No. Just go ahead. Now you can provide the explanation.

507
01:11:23,780 --> 01:11:32,997
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Okay. Sorry about this, and I'm sorry I can't be there in person today.

508
01:11:32,997 --> 01:11:42,997
But basically, since the shift to go to a bifurcated system where Multnomah County with community organizations to

509
01:11:48,638 --> 01:11:56,854
provide our human health and organization services, these services have struggled. They've struggled to do more

510
01:11:56,854 --> 01:12:02,318
with less. In particular, frontline employees have been paid less and less while taking on some of

511
01:12:02,318 --> 01:12:10,660
the hardest jobs in the county that have become even more difficult, stressful, and even physically dangerous than ever

512
01:12:10,660 --> 01:12:19,669
before. All of this we've known for years, as highlighted in the joint Office workforce wage

513
01:12:19,669 --> 01:12:26,717
study. We know the system, as a whole, needs to be overhauled and difficult decisions made around

514
01:12:26,717 --> 01:12:33,349
the support of workers and quality of services being provided. The term capacity-building has

515
01:12:33,349 --> 01:12:41,440
been a difficult one for me. It's been increasingly used in county budgets to describe somewhat vague investments in

516
01:12:41,440 --> 01:12:51,440
community-based organizations, but without a clear indication of goals being sought or outcomes to be achieved or what

517
01:12:53,786 --> 01:13:01,502
that means in terms of the individuals who we are charged with actually serving, who are recipients of the services.

518
01:13:01,502 --> 01:13:11,502
So, it's been used as a catchall sometimes. The recent joint office audit called out the county's approach

519
01:13:11,929 --> 01:13:21,929
to contracting with CBOs. There's lack of performance evaluation, outcomes, analytics. Those are serious gaps in how we

520
01:13:28,321 --> 01:13:38,321
engage with community-based organizations and managing the contracts with them, et cetera. And so, I have said for a long

521
01:13:40,583 --> 01:13:50,583
time we need to do an overhaul of our contracting system with CBOs, but -- that's going to be a challenge that I hope we can

522
01:13:53,638 --> 01:14:03,638
meet, but I feel we shouldn't be investing without doing what we can now to address some of those stark realities and address that

523
01:14:10,488 --> 01:14:18,871
for what has been allocated for capacity building in this CAP. This amendment seeks to recognize the intent of

524
01:14:18,871 --> 01:14:26,671
supporting CBOs in doing their difficult work while helping to inform their operations and achieve their optimal outcomes

525
01:14:26,671 --> 01:14:33,344
for the future with the ultimate goal of demonstrating a measurable positive impact on reducing chronic homelessness

526
01:14:33,344 --> 01:14:43,344
and getting services to the real people living in our community. I propose that we amend the CAP by adding $1 million -- or by

527
01:14:50,270 --> 01:14:58,427
using $1 million of the 10 million for purposes of completing independent evaluations that will guide

528
01:14:58,661 --> 01:15:05,861
future capacity-building investments through the joint office. It will be used before

529
01:15:06,460 --> 01:15:13,884
constructive independent evaluation by a third-party of the practices, policies, and procedures for at least a

530
01:15:13,884 --> 01:15:23,884
selection, say, ten -- five largest and five smallest -- community organizations receiving SHS funds from the

531
01:15:24,145 --> 01:15:29,660
county. The purpose will be to specifically identify improvements that can optimize

532
01:15:29,660 --> 01:15:38,576
the organizations' abilities to meet contract requirements and achieve the results outlined in their contracts with the county.

533
01:15:38,576 --> 01:15:45,791
Information obtained can be put to use by the organization in the short term and also provide information that can optimize

534
01:15:45,791 --> 01:15:55,791
the work of CBOs in the longer term, inform future county investments so we're investing wisely, so that we are

535
01:15:59,889 --> 01:16:09,889
meeting -- we're addressing some of the gaps right now that have been called out in the audit. That's the amendment.

536
01:16:11,984 --> 01:16:20,340
The amendment is to -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you, Commissioner Meieran. Can you just state succinctly,

537
01:16:20,340 --> 01:16:30,340
just for the board clerk and for the records, what is being proposed and what the funding source is?

538
01:16:31,253 --> 01:16:39,653
Just a couple of -- >> COMM. MEIERAN: Proposing $1 million from the capacity-building -- the $10

539
01:16:42,139 --> 01:16:52,139
million of capacity building currently in the CAP to devote to the services, the independent evaluation services.

540
01:16:56,612 --> 01:17:04,286
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Okay. >> I have a question for the proposer. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: It's

541
01:17:04,286 --> 01:17:13,170
about the form of her amendment because it looks different. The paper we have in front of us is different from what she's

542
01:17:13,170 --> 01:17:20,261
actually proposing. Just to clarify, you're proposing to take $1 million from the $10 million that is

543
01:17:20,261 --> 01:17:28,894
currently being proposed in the CAP to dedicate to capacity building for organizations and using that $1 million for the

544
01:17:28,894 --> 01:17:35,494
independent evaluation of some of the organizations. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Correct. Correct.

545
01:17:35,651 --> 01:17:45,251
The $1 million divided by 39 organizations would have minimal impact, but a real evaluation best practices audit.

546
01:17:49,415 --> 01:17:55,796
It can have tremendous impact and return on investment. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Okay. Thank you so much for bringing

547
01:17:55,796 --> 01:18:01,510
that amendment forward. We have a motion and a second. We'll now move to discussion on the amendment.

548
01:18:01,510 --> 01:18:06,307
We'll start with Commissioner Jayapal. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you, Chair.

549
01:18:06,307 --> 01:18:13,772
Thank you, Commissioner Meieran. I just want to understand better the specific issues that you want to address with this

550
01:18:13,772 --> 01:18:20,696
assessment. The issues that we are clear on, I think, are wages and contracting practices.

551
01:18:20,696 --> 01:18:30,696
Those have been called out by the audit, by providers themselves, and are being addressed -- the CAP amendment

552
01:18:33,626 --> 01:18:39,798
is the capacity building is intended to at least go some distance toward employee hiring and retention.

553
01:18:39,798 --> 01:18:49,224
We've got management health associates that's doing an evaluation of contracting practices, but I might turn this

554
01:18:49,224 --> 01:18:57,149
question to the joint office to make sure that's true. I just want to be clearer on the problem that you are trying to

555
01:18:57,149 --> 01:19:06,330
solve with this assessment. Is it about those issues or is it about concerns that you have around other policies,

556
01:19:06,330 --> 01:19:15,633
practices, performance of our NGO partners? >> COMM. MEIERAN: It includes those issues, but it is broader.

557
01:19:19,213 --> 01:19:29,213
It's seeking to -- the thing is we'll get a report on the HMA findings. In talking to some folks, I say,

558
01:19:31,141 --> 01:19:35,813
okay, yes, this is going to be a big thing for next year's budget. That will take time to

559
01:19:35,813 --> 01:19:44,947
implement. I feel that we lose time each time we put -- each time we have a bucket of funds in front of us

560
01:19:44,947 --> 01:19:54,947
and we put off using it for the things we know need to be done to increase accountability and transparency and all these

561
01:19:56,709 --> 01:20:06,709
things we talk about, knowing that needs to happen, I'm proposing $1 million be used so that we can get started.

562
01:20:13,309 --> 01:20:23,309
An example would be an organization saying we need a data analyst because we don't have the capacity to do what's

563
01:20:25,863 --> 01:20:34,496
needed to get the data together for you, as the county, which I hear frequently. I know it's a deep need.

564
01:20:34,496 --> 01:20:44,496
What this could do is if a third-party organization goes in to help the CBO, hears from them what they need, looks at their

565
01:20:46,910 --> 01:20:53,223
systems, they can say, oh, yeah, you do need a data analytic sort of system. That would include the software

566
01:20:53,223 --> 01:20:59,980
for the system. That would include 1.5 FTE to help do it. It would inform what's needed to

567
01:20:59,980 --> 01:21:09,980
make our investment effective rather than what I see this as, as a one-time only, okay -- the CBOs know what they need, but

568
01:21:16,622 --> 01:21:23,379
how to most effectively deploy that, I think we can be helpful there. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you.

569
01:21:23,379 --> 01:21:29,510
I appreciate that. I have a follow-up question for the joint office. We have other funding for

570
01:21:29,510 --> 01:21:36,266
general capacity building, I believe, in the joint office budget. My question is, are providers

571
01:21:36,266 --> 01:21:43,565
able to use that other capacity-building funding to conduct the kind of assessment that Commissioner Meieran is

572
01:21:43,565 --> 01:21:50,114
describing? If they felt they're not sure what they need and think they need a data analyst, is there

573
01:21:50,114 --> 01:21:55,119
funding available in other buckets for them to do that? >> There is other funding available.

574
01:21:55,119 --> 01:22:05,119
It's also my understanding they could use their allocation of this funding, of the $10 million, to impart to their

575
01:22:06,713 --> 01:22:12,761
staff. That would frame the way they spent the balance of their allocation.

576
01:22:12,761 --> 01:22:22,761
>> COMM. MEIERAN: So, the thing is I don't want to, A, put that burden onto the organizations themselves or say, okay, you're

577
01:22:23,522 --> 01:22:30,700
going to have to spend your small allotment of funding on doing this extra work and figuring it out.

578
01:22:30,700 --> 01:22:39,370
I believe it's our responsibility as a Board, as the County, overseeing these organizations, when we've been

579
01:22:39,370 --> 01:22:48,637
informed that the contracting practices are dysfunctional. We've seen huge disinvestments in organizations with maybe not

580
01:22:52,134 --> 01:22:59,975
the results -- definitely not the results that seem like they correlate to the additional level of investment.

581
01:22:59,975 --> 01:23:09,975
I believe it's our responsibility as the County to engage in a coordinated process so we can ensure accountability

582
01:23:13,363 --> 01:23:21,763
and coordination of efforts and coherence across all of the organizations. Not just one-offs.

583
01:23:27,850 --> 01:23:34,885
>> COMM. JAYAPAL: I don't have any further questions. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Commissioner Brim-Edwards.

584
01:23:35,930 --> 01:23:42,476
>> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: This is more a question about the actual amendment because I'm interested to know, Commissioner Meieran,

585
01:23:42,476 --> 01:23:51,109
whether you would be open to a friendly amendment. I would like to counsel on how to offer this because I would be

586
01:23:51,109 --> 01:23:58,325
supportive of this, but I'm supportive of the proposal that came forward. My understanding, from

587
01:23:58,325 --> 01:24:08,325
discussions yesterday, is -- and the invitation from the chair of joint office -- we can offer other funds that would be

588
01:24:13,507 --> 01:24:19,638
allowed. The friendly amendment, Commissioner Meieran, that you would like to offer -- again,

589
01:24:19,638 --> 01:24:29,638
I'll defer on what the correct parliamentary procedure is, but it reverts to what actually was presented in the written

590
01:24:33,151 --> 01:24:42,703
document, which is the additional 1 million -- instead of coming out of the $10 million for providers, we keep that

591
01:24:42,703 --> 01:24:52,703
intact, but it comes from the FY '23 unanticipated SHS revenue. >> BOARD CLERK: Procedurally, we need to do one amendment at the

592
01:24:56,508 --> 01:25:03,560
time. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: If there's any changes to the amendment, we have to consider

593
01:25:03,560 --> 01:25:09,688
this amendment as it was originally proposed in its entirety, do the vote on that. If we were to consider a change

594
01:25:09,688 --> 01:25:19,288
to the amendment, that would be a separate amendment process itself. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Am I allowed

595
01:25:22,117 --> 01:25:32,117
to suggest that my own amendment -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: The amendment as it's been moved and

596
01:25:35,380 --> 01:25:41,261
seconded is using $1 million from the currently proposed $10 million for the capacity-building grants.

597
01:25:41,261 --> 01:25:47,601
That's what's under discussion for the Board. We have to consider that in its entirety as it was moved and

598
01:25:47,601 --> 01:25:54,801
seconded. Again, you can always have a second amendment subsequently around changes.

599
01:25:59,710 --> 01:26:06,787
If that were to be brought forward, there's another question around -- what was publicly noticed is the fact

600
01:26:06,787 --> 01:26:16,213
that we would be considering the CAP amendment and the underspending of the supportive housing service measure dollars.

601
01:26:16,213 --> 01:26:23,387
That's a different service that hasn't been noticed. How we would do that consideration, I think we need

602
01:26:23,387 --> 01:26:32,987
to have better explanation around what that would look like. >> Can I speak just a moment?

603
01:26:33,397 --> 01:26:42,781
The commissioner hadn't got her whole amendment out. When there was a request for a second, she hadn't presented it

604
01:26:42,781 --> 01:26:47,327
yet. I was basing it on this. That's why I was trying to get a clarification.

605
01:26:47,327 --> 01:26:54,251
After I seconded it, it was a different amendment. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Can I offer a clarification here?

606
01:26:54,251 --> 01:27:03,851
My intention was to offer the amendment that you've all received that is what Commissioner Brim-Edwards

607
01:27:04,594 --> 01:27:14,594
intended to second -- and literally, right before my doing this, I got an email from Jenny suggesting for some notice

608
01:27:19,250 --> 01:27:28,243
reasons that it wouldn't be -- I do not understand what the challenge is, but the only reason that I actually changed

609
01:27:28,243 --> 01:27:38,243
the amendment was because I was told with a notice issue I could not make the amendment around unanticipated revenue.

610
01:27:41,882 --> 01:27:51,882
So, I would intend for the unanticipated revenue, that that can be used to do additional capacity building to fill the

611
01:27:56,396 --> 01:28:03,778
gap. I do not intend to take funds, in the big picture, away from community-based organizations.

612
01:28:03,778 --> 01:28:13,778
My intent was not to do that. It was procedurally very murky. I thought we could bring forth amendments that would allow us

613
01:28:14,414 --> 01:28:24,341
to take the unanticipated -- to consider the unanticipated funds as part of this. That's where my confusion

614
01:28:24,341 --> 01:28:34,341
stemmed from, and so -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Why don't we go to our lawyer to provide some guidance on the

615
01:28:39,272 --> 01:28:46,112
issues surrounding which funding is being used for the proposed amendment. >> COUNTY ATTORNEY: I've got the

616
01:28:46,112 --> 01:28:52,327
APR up, and that's what I'm relying on. Though I don't necessarily know what funding sources everyone is

617
01:28:52,327 --> 01:28:59,420
relying on. What we've noticed the public is what's listed in number 7 on the APR, which says what revenue is

618
01:28:59,420 --> 01:29:05,674
being changed and why. It talks about unspent SHS revenue from fiscal year 2023. It specifies that funding

619
01:29:05,674 --> 01:29:12,347
source. I don't know exactly if Commissioner Meieran is proposing a different funding

620
01:29:12,347 --> 01:29:17,435
source. If so, that's where the noticing issue would come in. If we've noticed the public a

621
01:29:17,435 --> 01:29:24,776
specific funding source and we're changing that, for the amendment, that would be the notice problem.

622
01:29:24,776 --> 01:29:31,976
That would be the issue I've seen. >> Just a point of clarification.

623
01:29:32,242 --> 01:29:39,124
I had two long discussions yesterday about a different amendment but about the same concept.

624
01:29:39,124 --> 01:29:47,632
Trying to be respectful of the Chair putting forward a CAP proposal and the guidance we received from the Chair's staff

625
01:29:47,632 --> 01:29:57,632
is that it was SHS funding. It's all going to the joint office, and whether it's underspent or under anticipated,

626
01:30:00,770 --> 01:30:07,193
it's funding this SHS funding that's going through the joint office. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: I

627
01:30:07,193 --> 01:30:12,449
appreciate that. It's the same funding. Because of the way it was noticed, talking about unspent

628
01:30:12,449 --> 01:30:18,622
revenue, that is the funding source. I would say what would the process look like if people

629
01:30:18,622 --> 01:30:24,544
wanted to consider a different funding source than what was noticed. >> COUNTY ATTORNEY: One option

630
01:30:24,544 --> 01:30:28,256
would be a unanimous consent item. I think you're familiar with that.

631
01:30:28,256 --> 01:30:34,429
This could be proposed today. A unanimous consent item, you know the process for that, because that can come on the

632
01:30:34,429 --> 01:30:40,435
calendar without notice. Another option would be to bring it up next week, at next week's meeting.

633
01:30:40,435 --> 01:30:45,941
Those are the two options on the table. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Let me make it easier.

634
01:30:45,941 --> 01:30:55,941
I apologize for any -- for the time that this has taken, although I think these are really important issues that

635
01:30:59,704 --> 01:31:09,631
bear discussing because it bears on accountability. I will bring this forward in a different form next week.

636
01:31:09,631 --> 01:31:19,631
We'll clarify and just avoid the confusion here, move along, and withdraw my proposed amendment. Is that allowable?

637
01:31:22,477 --> 01:31:31,778
There's some very confusing -- there's a lot of confusion here about what we were allowed and not allowed to do.

638
01:31:31,778 --> 01:31:38,410
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you, Commissioner Meieran. I'll check with our attorney. Can a person who has brought

639
01:31:38,410 --> 01:31:46,418
forward an amendment withdraw it before there's a vote? >> COUNTY ATTORNEY: I believe so.

640
01:31:46,418 --> 01:31:54,217
Yes, she can withdraw it. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We will allow it as long as the person who seconded it agrees to the

641
01:31:54,217 --> 01:32:04,217
withdrawal of the amendment. >> Before I agree to the withdrawal, I'll just state that I'm supportive of the concept.

642
01:32:05,895 --> 01:32:11,526
I wouldn't support taking a million dollars out of the providers. I'm sorry you got put in that

643
01:32:11,526 --> 01:32:19,868
position because I think it's very important work that needs to happen. I also think when we have agenda

644
01:32:19,868 --> 01:32:26,666
items that are coming we need to be clear with everybody about what exactly the rules are. If we're told we can offer

645
01:32:26,666 --> 01:32:36,666
amendments, then that's something we rely on. From a governance standpoint, it will make us more effective and

646
01:32:38,762 --> 01:32:45,590
also have everybody have the same set of rules and understandings of what can be offered.

647
01:32:45,590 --> 01:32:48,688
With that, yes, I agree as a seconder. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Okay. That's wonderful.

648
01:32:48,688 --> 01:32:56,488
We will consider the amendment withdrawn. We'll continue the discussion on the R-1.

649
01:32:57,947 --> 01:33:04,579
For everyone on the Board who may be considering coming to amendment, I would just check in with our legal department as

650
01:33:04,579 --> 01:33:11,795
you're considering making proposed amendments. We don't traditionally do a lot of amendment making individually

651
01:33:11,795 --> 01:33:18,551
as a Board, but there seems to be appetite for that, which is fine. I will say, harkening back to my

652
01:33:18,551 --> 01:33:25,183
experience as a state representative, any time we had an amendment that we were proposing on a bill, it was not

653
01:33:25,183 --> 01:33:32,774
just consulted, but legislative counsel wrote the amendment. I would say that as a point of order.

654
01:33:32,774 --> 01:33:40,323
I think it would be really helpful for our attorneys to provide guidance to the Board on the process and procedure for

655
01:33:40,323 --> 01:33:47,372
bringing forth amendments so we can be on the same page so people do feel they have the right information that they

656
01:33:47,372 --> 01:33:56,372
need. I appreciate the -- and I want to encourage, Commissioner Meieran, for bringing this

657
01:33:58,299 --> 01:34:06,990
forward. With that, we're going to return to consideration around the underlying proposal.

658
01:34:10,603 --> 01:34:15,316
Commissioner Meieran, I believe you said you didn't have any questions on this. >> COMM. MEIERAN: I don't have

659
01:34:15,316 --> 01:34:23,449
questions. I will have comments, but I would like to make those after the public comment period.

660
01:34:23,449 --> 01:34:28,162
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We'll move on to Commissioner Stegmann. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Thank you.

661
01:34:28,162 --> 01:34:34,919
I would just like to address the Board, and I appreciate the Chair's office giving us the opportunity to have these work

662
01:34:34,919 --> 01:34:38,756
sessions and have full transparency. I think that's been really beneficial.

663
01:34:38,756 --> 01:34:45,805
I would also ask for that same courtesy from my fellow board members. When amendments are dropped

664
01:34:45,805 --> 01:34:55,405
literally at even 24 hours before, it does not give me enough time to research, to understand.

665
01:34:56,240 --> 01:35:05,909
I would just ask that we have more notice of these amendments so they can be properly scrutinized and vetted.

666
01:35:05,909 --> 01:35:12,509
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Yeah, I apologize. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Commissioner Meieran, I'm speaking.

667
01:35:13,583 --> 01:35:17,462
Thank you. It is my turn. >> COMM. MEIERAN: It is. Okay.

668
01:35:17,462 --> 01:35:25,110
>> COMM. STEGMANN: As a courtesy, if we're going to be transparent, let's be transparent.

669
01:35:25,110 --> 01:35:35,110
I would ask and expect that my fellow commissioners, as I will make every effort, if I have an amendment -- we just wasted an

670
01:35:35,271 --> 01:35:41,778
hour of time when I think all of this could have been avoided. We have these poor people who want to bring a proclamation

671
01:35:41,778 --> 01:35:49,202
ahead, and we're nowhere near being done. I'll get back to where our conversation was because I do

672
01:35:49,202 --> 01:35:59,202
have some questions. Okay. Back to the TASS sites, one of the concerns I have around the

673
01:35:59,629 --> 01:36:09,629
villages, when we work with the city of Portland, is I'm told the safe rest village is made by the city of Portland.

674
01:36:14,560 --> 01:36:23,152
There are many houseless individuals living near that site, but those folks living there don't have access to the

675
01:36:23,152 --> 01:36:33,152
safe rest village. I would like to see some type of caveat, something that says that there is a better system that

676
01:36:34,122 --> 01:36:44,122
addresses who and how people get referred into those TASS sites. I don't know if any of you can answer that, so I'll give you

677
01:36:46,217 --> 01:36:54,580
that opportunity. >> Let me make just a quick statement, and then I don't know if Kenoi has a response to that

678
01:36:54,580 --> 01:37:03,580
or not. You're not incorrect. The SRVs have grown up over time under city leadership.

679
01:37:05,361 --> 01:37:13,494
We are moving quickly to close gaps. The Chair staff and I are meeting regularly to understand

680
01:37:13,494 --> 01:37:19,917
and strengthen the connections between the joint office work and the SRVs, including the intake and the referral process,

681
01:37:19,917 --> 01:37:27,500
so I don't believe we have a uniform process right now for intake and referrals across all SRVs, but we're working in that

682
01:37:27,500 --> 01:37:31,554
direction. >> Yeah. I'm going to make a little point of clarification.

683
01:37:31,554 --> 01:37:38,728
It's our first responders as well as our navigation workers that can refer in, and so we have one provider as an example

684
01:37:38,728 --> 01:37:46,690
that not only does it -- they have a certain percentage that they can refer into their operated SRV, and then another

685
01:37:46,690 --> 01:37:53,340
portion that's taken from our first responders. That includes navigation workers from our three provider agencies

686
01:37:53,340 --> 01:37:58,790
at this moment. We actually hold the function of referring within the joint office.

687
01:37:58,790 --> 01:38:05,797
We have folks and we are contracting out to do that. We work alongside the city of Portland and those first

688
01:38:05,797 --> 01:38:15,598
responders as well as our outreach providers. It's actually a clarification point that we do have contract

689
01:38:15,598 --> 01:38:24,649
providers that are able to refer in as well. It's a select group of those navigation workers.

690
01:38:24,649 --> 01:38:29,612
Maybe I can get clarity and work on those folks that you're mentioning. >> COMM. STEGMANN: This is a

691
01:38:29,612 --> 01:38:34,784
different conversation, but I would like to have a larger conversation to understand how the referrals work because this

692
01:38:34,784 --> 01:38:44,252
has ramifications when we look at acquiring other properties and geographic equity. We have to decide are we going

693
01:38:44,252 --> 01:38:52,552
to have services in one part of the city or the county, and yet the people that are living in that neighborhood don't have

694
01:38:52,552 --> 01:39:00,560
access to those resources. That's what I'm getting at. >> We can follow up on the referral process and outline it

695
01:39:00,560 --> 01:39:04,397
for you. >> COMM. STEGMANN: I appreciate that. Do we know the locations of the

696
01:39:04,397 --> 01:39:09,193
TASS sites? Have those been determined? They have not? >> I don't think they've been

697
01:39:09,193 --> 01:39:16,330
finalized or publicized, but we're looking at some other folks. I have not been notified about

698
01:39:16,330 --> 01:39:23,833
the final selection. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay. Obviously, I'm really concerned about the timeline.

699
01:39:24,292 --> 01:39:32,758
We've heard that it's taking a long time to get these sites up, so I would like to know when those sites plan on being up.

700
01:39:32,758 --> 01:39:42,226
I'd also like to know who the service provider is and have they been selected. Do we know?

701
01:39:42,226 --> 01:39:48,191
>> Not to my understanding. >> No. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay. I'm supportive of the CAP.

702
01:39:48,191 --> 01:39:58,340
These are the things this Board needs to be updated on that I would like to know. Then going to the capacity

703
01:39:58,340 --> 01:40:04,340
building. I think Commissioner Brim-Edwards brought up a good point.

704
01:40:13,758 --> 01:40:20,139
When we talk about rental assistance, that's such a broad -- we need to be specific. Is it emergency rental

705
01:40:20,139 --> 01:40:27,188
assistance? My understanding is when you've received an eviction notice. Is it preventive rental

706
01:40:27,188 --> 01:40:34,237
assistance where maybe you're just behind two or three months, but you haven't received an eviction notice?

707
01:40:34,237 --> 01:40:42,286
Whatever that terminology is, could we adopt that and use it and be more clear rather than just a large bucket?

708
01:40:42,286 --> 01:40:46,400
>> Yes. If I can mention, I know the last time you asked that question.

709
01:40:46,400 --> 01:40:54,382
We focused primarily on those housing placements, and we refined that proposal to be able to address the eviction

710
01:40:54,382 --> 01:40:59,595
prevention as well as new placements. I hear you. We use short term, long term,

711
01:40:59,595 --> 01:41:03,516
and emergency. When we come with proposals, we'll ensure those are identified.

712
01:41:03,516 --> 01:41:12,483
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Then I saw -- I've heard of short term and long term, but then I heard medium.

713
01:41:12,483 --> 01:41:20,408
>> That was my error. >> COMM. STEGMANN: What's the definition of short and medium? >> Up to 24 months.

714
01:41:20,408 --> 01:41:28,124
When we think about long term, it's permanent supportive housing structures. I misspoke earlier.

715
01:41:28,124 --> 01:41:35,131
>> COMM. STEGMANN: You do this work every day, so you're grounded in it and we're not. When we hear these

716
01:41:35,131 --> 01:41:41,950
interchangeable terms, we get confused. At least I do. No worries, Kenoi.

717
01:41:41,950 --> 01:41:46,642
Thank you. The other thing, I wanted to thank you for putting in all the metrics.

718
01:41:46,642 --> 01:41:52,607
Yes, that's absolutely what we want when we're talking about the capacity building, is knowing how many people did you

719
01:41:52,607 --> 01:41:59,300
retain, how many people did you hire. I did have a question about when -- maybe it was in the

720
01:41:59,300 --> 01:42:03,326
slides. I forgot. I don't know. When are these reports going to

721
01:42:03,326 --> 01:42:11,125
be required back to the county? >> The reports from the providers on how they use the capacity-building grants?

722
01:42:11,125 --> 01:42:15,921
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Yes. >> I don't know that we have that specified yet. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay.

723
01:42:15,921 --> 01:42:22,219
If we can get that timeline so we have a clear expectation, that would be great. And then going to the

724
01:42:22,219 --> 01:42:30,190
employment. Dan, you said this money would be spread out throughout Multnomah County.

725
01:42:31,270 --> 01:42:37,193
Can you maybe talk to me about east Multnomah County around the employment portion? >> I'm glad to share with you

726
01:42:37,193 --> 01:42:42,198
the proposal. It's not final, but we have a proposal. We shared that with Commissioner

727
01:42:42,198 --> 01:42:51,798
Brim-Edwards for the coverage within the county. It includes specific geographic divided up among four different

728
01:42:53,292 --> 01:43:01,967
teams, including east county. These are a little bit different than what you see downtown. These are mobile units.

729
01:43:01,967 --> 01:43:11,967
They'll have a designated patrol throughout the week, different sites each day. Those four teams have been

730
01:43:12,770 --> 01:43:15,981
divided equally across the county. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay. That's great.

731
01:43:15,981 --> 01:43:23,823
I would ask -- because I think sometimes different commissioners get different information -- could there be

732
01:43:23,823 --> 01:43:31,997
some kind of standard that if I ask a question or Commissioner Brim-Edwards asks a question that could be shared with the

733
01:43:31,997 --> 01:43:39,296
entire Board? >> We can do that. We didn't share the central city proposal that outlines the four

734
01:43:39,296 --> 01:43:46,137
quadrants with anybody. We're glad to do that all at once. I think it would save us a lot

735
01:43:46,137 --> 01:43:51,267
of questions and heartache and backtracking. Okay. That was all my questions for

736
01:43:51,267 --> 01:43:58,149
now. Thank you all so much. I just want to appreciate -- I know you're working hard, and

737
01:43:58,149 --> 01:44:05,865
you've been up before us many times and you'll continue to be, but I do want to recognize the important work that you've taken

738
01:44:05,865 --> 01:44:10,619
on and I do appreciate it. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We're going to move on to public testimony.

739
01:44:10,619 --> 01:44:18,544
Before you leave, I did want to clarify about the TASS sites. What we're doing with the CAP is obviously the capital

740
01:44:18,544 --> 01:44:24,675
investments for the pods, for some of the buildings and facilities for the SRV. We've had commitment from the

741
01:44:24,675 --> 01:44:31,640
city, as we were having the conversations about what these investments could be, working with Metro to make sure we were

742
01:44:31,640 --> 01:44:37,521
being able to make investments that we would be able to get into implementation within the next year.

743
01:44:37,521 --> 01:44:47,521
The commitment is to do this in the next fiscal year, and I think that was part of the presentation that Kenoi gave as

744
01:44:49,700 --> 01:44:55,706
well. We have a proposal from one board member with our unanticipated revenue.

745
01:44:55,706 --> 01:45:03,464
I think we can follow up with the questions you had, Commissioner Stegmann, around the unanticipated revenue and

746
01:45:03,464 --> 01:45:12,139
what operations may look like. Commissioner Jayapal, did you have a follow-up? >> COMM. JAYAPAL: I was going to

747
01:45:12,139 --> 01:45:17,937
follow up on timing. There is a finite time frame. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes, exactly.

748
01:45:17,937 --> 01:45:24,902
Thank you so much. We'll now move to public testimony. How many folks do we have signed

749
01:45:24,902 --> 01:45:31,116
up? >> BOARD CLERK: We have nine people signed up. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Everyone

750
01:45:31,116 --> 01:45:36,800
can have two minutes for public testimony. And we do an elected official in the room who would like to

751
01:45:36,800 --> 01:45:43,462
testify, so why don't we start with Commissioner Gonzalez, who is here? >> BOARD CLERK: We'll start with

752
01:45:43,462 --> 01:45:52,346
Commissioner Renee Gonzalez. >> Good morning. Sorry for the informality. You caught me on a bike ride

753
01:45:52,346 --> 01:46:00,229
into the city today. We're going to do a PSR ride-along. Can you hear me okay?

754
01:46:00,229 --> 01:46:07,862
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes. Thank you for being here. >> So, I am here to speak on behalf of Julia's proposed

755
01:46:07,862 --> 01:46:14,869
amendment, in particular for support of Bybee Lakes and the city's TASS sites. I've had an opportunity to spend

756
01:46:14,869 --> 01:46:24,869
a good amount of time with the folks out at Bybee. Trauma-informed, holistic support, behavioral health, as

757
01:46:28,883 --> 01:46:37,558
well as high expectations. I think it's a really positive path forward for our community as we confront these complex

758
01:46:37,558 --> 01:46:42,688
issues associated with homelessness. We appreciate increased support from the county on TASS sites

759
01:46:42,688 --> 01:46:51,300
and look forward to future support there. Very happy with how things overall have progressed.

760
01:46:51,300 --> 01:46:59,371
We are spending close to 20 million on TASS sites directly. This is a part of the city's $500 million investment annually

761
01:46:59,371 --> 01:47:05,920
on the homeless challenge. This is an exploding part of you are city budget. It includes everything from

762
01:47:05,920 --> 01:47:15,512
direct response, including shelter, as well as certain indirect costs associated with cleanups and other supports.

763
01:47:15,512 --> 01:47:25,512
It does not include the cost to our 911 system, to public safety, and indirect costs on our BOAC and Portland fire.

764
01:47:27,441 --> 01:47:33,697
We're investing substantial dollars in this area to do our part. Any support we can receive from

765
01:47:33,697 --> 01:47:42,122
the County is much, much appreciated. One last plug here. The city stood up a program

766
01:47:42,122 --> 01:47:50,172
called Portland Street Response largely funded with ARPA and one-time dollars. We would encourage you to

767
01:47:50,172 --> 01:47:58,389
consider in the future fiscal year the additional program to support with the joint office of homelessness.

768
01:47:58,389 --> 01:48:05,104
With that, I'll keep it short and sweet. I'd love to hear any questions. I can't answer all the technical

769
01:48:05,104 --> 01:48:12,778
questions, but I was asked to speak on behalf of the city. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We really appreciate you being

770
01:48:12,778 --> 01:48:21,996
here, Commissioner Gonzales, and appreciate your testimony today. >> Thank you all. >> BOARD CLERK: Next, we have

771
01:48:21,996 --> 01:48:29,196
Cole Merkel and Andrew Hoan. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning. >> Good morning.

772
01:48:35,300 --> 01:48:45,300
Chair, for the record, my name is Cole Merkel. I'm here to testify in support of several of the priorities in

773
01:48:45,811 --> 01:48:53,193
the Corrective Action Plan that are outlined in the 2023 Here Together road map. Thank you for including both

774
01:48:53,193 --> 01:49:00,576
client rent assistance and the employment programs in the CAP. We can prevent people's homelessness much faster if

775
01:49:00,576 --> 01:49:06,623
they're not becoming homeless in the first place. The employment services will help keep our city clean.

776
01:49:06,623 --> 01:49:12,713
But I do want to talk about the key priority in the road map, which is to grow and retain our workforce.

777
01:49:12,713 --> 01:49:19,678
That's why I'm urging you to immediately pass the $10 million in capacity-building grants. While working on the front lines

778
01:49:19,678 --> 01:49:28,200
of homelessness can be rewarding, it involves long demanding hours to support people in crisis, making do on

779
01:49:28,200 --> 01:49:35,270
shoestring budgets, and learning low to modest wages. This is personal for me too. These factors are contributing

780
01:49:35,270 --> 01:49:43,494
to a major labor shortage that's adding pressure on an already exhausted workforce. The clearest and most recent

781
01:49:43,494 --> 01:49:52,169
example can be found in the joint office classification compensation and benefits study. 78% of employees surveyed said

782
01:49:52,169 --> 01:50:01,769
they would leave their current organization to an increased salary elsewhere. There are dozens of anecdotes

783
01:50:03,430 --> 01:50:09,728
that illustrate the challenges we hear every day. For example, the worker who shared how their pay is not

784
01:50:09,728 --> 01:50:17,611
commiserate with their time and skill they put in. Quote, with the cost of living having take -- many have taken

785
01:50:17,611 --> 01:50:27,611
on a third job because their current pay at this job isn't enough to keep things afloat. Nobody doing this lifesaving

786
01:50:28,580 --> 01:50:36,129
work should have to make the gut-wrenching decision between buying groceries and making rent.

787
01:50:36,129 --> 01:50:42,970
You have the opportunity to make tangible changes for our frontline workers. Please vote yes on that $10

788
01:50:42,970 --> 01:50:47,516
million package and get the funds out into the hands of our nonprofits. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

789
01:50:47,516 --> 01:50:53,188
you. Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Andrew Hoan.

790
01:50:53,188 --> 01:51:02,573
We're part of the affiliate families of the chamber. I'm here to urge you to support several of the proposed

791
01:51:02,573 --> 01:51:08,996
allocations within the budget modification. Just to reiterate, absolute clear support for making sure

792
01:51:08,996 --> 01:51:16,545
that our frontline workers are appropriately compensated. In the spirit of the amendments offered, we think the pairing of

793
01:51:16,545 --> 01:51:22,467
significant reform to the contracting services of the county and the joint office is critical.

794
01:51:22,467 --> 01:51:30,580
It will make possible for our frontline providers to have access to the resources to have clear and transparent contracts.

795
01:51:30,580 --> 01:51:37,816
I would urge you to support the proposed $4.7 million to support the purchase of 140 pods and RV vehicles parking program for two

796
01:51:37,816 --> 01:51:45,908
sites as part of the city of Portland's temporary safe shelter sites. This is the first step to become

797
01:51:45,908 --> 01:51:55,508
a full partner in the TASS program. I call on you to approve the additional funds.

798
01:52:03,842 --> 01:52:13,842
We simply cannot offer to lose shelter services and see those go offline. I want to make sure that you

799
01:52:14,311 --> 01:52:24,311
finalize payment the SHS funds for the city's most current priority for the reestablishment of the dropoff sobering center.

800
01:52:32,496 --> 01:52:38,377
The loss of the center can be seen on our streets every single day. The fentanyl crisis on our

801
01:52:38,377 --> 01:52:45,509
streets is the single biggest threat to the vibrancy of downtown Portland and the city as a whole.

802
01:52:45,509 --> 01:52:51,807
Last week, there was a panel on measure 110 looking for common ground. One of the key areas of

803
01:52:51,807 --> 01:53:01,807
agreement is that under state law public intoxication is still an arrestable offense. They cannot arrest these

804
01:53:07,406 --> 01:53:12,286
individuals if they don't have a place to take them to sober up. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

805
01:53:12,286 --> 01:53:18,625
>> BOARD CLERK: Next, we have Andy Miller joining virtually. You can unmute yourself and begin.

806
01:53:18,625 --> 01:53:25,173
>> Good morning. I'm Andy Miller. I'm the executive director of our Just Future.

807
01:53:25,173 --> 01:53:30,637
We provide a continuum of responses to homelessness, including shelters, supportive housing, and employment

808
01:53:30,637 --> 01:53:36,101
programming centered in east Portland and Gresham. I'm here this morning to support the CAP and especially the

809
01:53:36,101 --> 01:53:44,693
capacity grants. As you know from the recent audit, comp study, and from testimony this morning -- thank

810
01:53:44,693 --> 01:53:53,693
you, Commissioner Jayapal, for your poignant testimony -- providers are struggling to operate because contract

811
01:53:54,494 --> 01:54:02,461
revenues have historically run below what's needed to fund livable wages. This underfunding puts our whole

812
01:54:02,461 --> 01:54:09,920
homeless system and the people it supports at risk. We struggle to meet the minimum thresholds for staffing each of

813
01:54:09,920 --> 01:54:16,641
our three shelters, and we've gone too many months with major vacancies. The effect of this is it burns

814
01:54:16,641 --> 01:54:23,190
out staff and it leaves people waiting longer than they should to receive the help they need and deserve.

815
01:54:23,190 --> 01:54:32,366
Over half of our employees tell us they can't meet their family's basic needs on the salaries they earn, and our

816
01:54:32,366 --> 01:54:42,366
employee emergency fund that we had to create gets drawn down prematurely every fiscal year. These are untenable conditions

817
01:54:43,100 --> 01:54:50,884
for our organizations and our community to solve our most critical public policy issue. We're grateful for the 8% cola

818
01:54:50,884 --> 01:54:57,265
of this commission awarded in the current budget year, but it's important to note that percentage was not awarded to

819
01:54:57,265 --> 01:55:06,265
all funding sources administered in our county contracts. Our overhead pays for essential contract functions.

820
01:55:09,236 --> 01:55:18,578
We support an allocation formula that makes whole all those sources that were not awarded the full county cola.

821
01:55:18,578 --> 01:55:22,916
We know you all understand this issue well. We've spoken to each of you. Our shared goal of a

822
01:55:22,916 --> 01:55:31,716
high-performing system relies on the great people who do the critical work every day and night, and we encourage you to

823
01:55:31,716 --> 01:55:34,803
invest the full 10 million in front of you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

824
01:55:34,803 --> 01:55:44,403
>> BOARD CLERK: Next, we have Laura de Lovato, who is joining virtually. You may begin, Laura.

825
01:55:45,730 --> 01:55:52,330
>> Great. Thank you. Hello, Chair and commissioners. My name is Laura.

826
01:55:52,946 --> 01:56:02,380
I'm the executive director of Northwest Pilot Project. We work in Multnomah County to help extremely low-income and

827
01:56:02,380 --> 01:56:11,638
vulnerable older adults to find housing and navigate the often complex system of accessing rental housing.

828
01:56:12,757 --> 01:56:20,265
We don't own or operate housing, so it's important to us that we build networks throughout the community with housing providers

829
01:56:20,265 --> 01:56:29,265
and with other service providers. I'm testifying today in support of the Corrective Action Plan

830
01:56:29,357 --> 01:56:38,957
and especially in support of the $10 million allocation for capacity-building grants. As my colleague Andy Miller

831
01:56:39,159 --> 01:56:49,159
said, the sector has been struggling to meet the wage needs of our employees to be able to attract and retain the

832
01:56:51,213 --> 01:56:59,971
best staff that we can. The work that we do at Northwest Pilot Project really is social work.

833
01:56:59,971 --> 01:57:09,571
That word "social" is really key. We build relationships with our clients and depend on those

834
01:57:09,940 --> 01:57:18,340
relationships for successful outcomes, ie, long-term stable housing for our clients. The capacity-building dollars

835
01:57:22,577 --> 01:57:32,577
through these grants would allow us to increase wages, to have better retention mechanisms, and potentially increase our

836
01:57:33,505 --> 01:57:43,505
capacity to be a stronger partner in the community and ultimately serve more seniors. We are in support of a

837
01:57:44,990 --> 01:57:50,605
transparent and clear allocation process and are looking forward to learning more about the details.

838
01:57:50,605 --> 01:57:58,405
And we're also supportive of metrics. Thank you. >> BOARD CLERK: Next, we have

839
01:58:01,157 --> 01:58:07,757
Charles Johnson, Scott Moore, and Aaliyah. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning.

840
01:58:18,800 --> 01:58:24,431
>> Good morning, Commissioners. You've probably heard of a death by 1,000 cuts. It's just a phrase.

841
01:58:24,431 --> 01:58:31,310
In Multnomah, we have death by 39 community-based organizations. Oops, it's 40 community-based

842
01:58:37,680 --> 01:58:46,668
organizations because we're going to make Bybee Lakes part of the pool. Is transition projects a

843
01:58:47,871 --> 01:58:56,871
community-based organization? Nobody knows. We get some teeny, weird numbers about people who've gone into

844
01:58:57,130 --> 01:59:07,130
housing, and then we were at slide 10, we had a planned failure rate of 20%. We have retention of 80%.

845
01:59:13,897 --> 01:59:20,362
Maybe there's a system of guesstimating how many people we house can retain their housing, but it's not encouraging to come

846
01:59:20,362 --> 01:59:30,362
in here and see that the plan is a 20% failure rate. I think so the community taxpayers and constituents are

847
01:59:40,465 --> 01:59:48,306
very skeptical that giving those community organizations $10 million to improve their HR services and their wages are

848
01:59:48,306 --> 01:59:57,190
going to move the needle. That's what we, as citizens, want to see. We want to see consistent,

849
01:59:57,190 --> 02:00:07,190
reliable moving of the needle and a plan that says that that's going to work. And if you're going to have --

850
02:00:07,242 --> 02:00:12,622
hey, community. We're just going to fund 39 community-based organizations. Please make it easy for us to

851
02:00:12,622 --> 02:00:21,256
know their names, whether they have 95 employees, which is what I think the joint office has -- I have no idea how many

852
02:00:21,256 --> 02:00:28,138
employees transition projects has. How do they scale their HR? It's not working, and it's not

853
02:00:28,138 --> 02:00:33,893
just because those frontline workers are underpaid. Give it more thought. Find the million dollars to fund

854
02:00:33,893 --> 02:00:36,200
the study. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

855
02:00:36,200 --> 02:00:43,361
Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Aaliyah. I live in old town Chinatown.

856
02:00:43,361 --> 02:00:51,995
I'm definitely in favor of you increasing people's pay because I know it's the people on the ground that are seeing the worst

857
02:00:51,995 --> 02:01:01,754
of things. It's not Carmen Rubio who has seen people destroyed by drugs. These people that are doing this

858
02:01:01,754 --> 02:01:10,130
work, they deserve every dollar they get. I do want to say that I do think it is very important to keep

859
02:01:10,130 --> 02:01:20,130
track of what the stats are on who is actually housing people and where the money is going. I have concerns about where some

860
02:01:20,273 --> 02:01:30,273
of these places are going, in places in my neighborhood. Some of these tiny villages are low barrier, which brings more

861
02:01:30,992 --> 02:01:37,207
drug addicts that are actively using in our neighborhoods. I think we need to be mindful of that.

862
02:01:37,207 --> 02:01:47,207
I still don't understand we have not erected large utility tents with around the clock narcotics anonymous meetings as a form of

863
02:01:47,634 --> 02:01:56,392
emergency detox so these people have someplace to go and get drug treatment in, what is it, three years they've been waiting

864
02:01:56,392 --> 02:02:04,192
for detox centers to be built? If military personnel can be in these tents for years at a time, I don't think it's unreasonable

865
02:02:04,192 --> 02:02:11,991
to think that taking people off of the street and moving them there, until we can get a more brick and mortar place for them

866
02:02:11,991 --> 02:02:21,991
to be -- I just think we could be doing better with the things that we're doing. And we need to really focus on

867
02:02:22,293 --> 02:02:31,219
not just getting people the wages they need, but also increasing the wages of people who manage these places.

868
02:02:31,219 --> 02:02:40,219
Not increasing their income, but I don't know. Somebody said something about we're all sketchy.

869
02:02:41,354 --> 02:02:47,902
We're very sketchy about anything y'all say at this point and I think y'all know why. Thank you.

870
02:02:47,902 --> 02:02:52,824
>> BOARD CLERK: Last, we have Lightning. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We have one more.

871
02:02:52,824 --> 02:02:55,618
>> BOARD CLERK: Just kidding. Sorry. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Go ahead.

872
02:02:55,618 --> 02:03:04,618
>> Hi. My name is Scott Moore. In regards to the capacity building, the conversation has

873
02:03:05,461 --> 02:03:10,550
been going since Tuesday, which I listened to with great interest. I have to say there was no

874
02:03:10,550 --> 02:03:18,766
discussion on wages and behavioral health or social services or in health care -- it's not complete without the

875
02:03:18,766 --> 02:03:25,189
conversation around rates. Rates, rates, rates. I don't hear anybody talk about the word rates.

876
02:03:25,189 --> 02:03:35,189
I wanted to jump up like Norma Rae and scream rates. Providers and private insurance companies, and Multnomah County

877
02:03:40,538 --> 02:03:48,588
general funds -- higher rates equal higher wages. The nonprofit sector in Multnomah County has been tasked

878
02:03:48,588 --> 02:03:54,302
with caring for both the physical and behavioral health of the most vulnerable and marginalized people living in

879
02:03:54,302 --> 02:04:02,352
the county. The Board should prioritize all funding policy and decisions to building capacity for

880
02:04:02,352 --> 02:04:11,352
community-based organizations to bill wherever possible for their services. To be able to receive services

881
02:04:23,206 --> 02:04:29,212
through long-term supportive housing services, such as long-term rental assistance, not the short term.

882
02:04:29,212 --> 02:04:34,717
Those are important. Those would be the secondary important things to fund and help build policies through.

883
02:04:34,717 --> 02:04:41,808
Specifically, through continued and long-term support of measure 110, behavioral health resources networks.

884
02:04:41,808 --> 02:04:47,480
Do not allow that to be taken away because people are upset about the streets. That is a huge problem.

885
02:04:47,480 --> 02:04:53,695
What this man had to say from the chamber, it's true. Let's all work together as community-based organizations

886
02:04:53,695 --> 02:05:01,495
and business to really control that problem. Yes, build tents. Get things ready.

887
02:05:03,246 --> 02:05:13,246
Help people have immediate services to have NA meetings right away, but let's get these things done.

888
02:05:13,423 --> 02:05:21,823
There are things that can get done. >> BOARD CLERK: Last up, we have Lightning.

889
02:05:25,560 --> 02:05:29,355
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning. >> Good morning. My name is Lightning.

890
02:05:29,355 --> 02:05:38,448
I represent lightning super humanity X. Actually, on the SHS measure, I've been very pleased so far up

891
02:05:38,448 --> 02:05:46,372
to this point. Again, I approve of what you're trying to do on the capacity-building grants.

892
02:05:46,372 --> 02:05:51,669
I think Commissioner Jayapal brought up some really good points today. Otherwise, I was kind of on the

893
02:05:51,669 --> 02:06:00,669
fence for this. After listening to her points, I'm absolutely for this. Again, Commissioner Gonzales

894
02:06:02,555 --> 02:06:10,210
came in on the Portland street response. I really hope that you're going to end up funding that.

895
02:06:10,210 --> 02:06:19,621
Again, I've asked for 5 million one-time only and then 5 million ongoing for the Portland street response.

896
02:06:19,864 --> 02:06:29,582
When we mention Bybee Lakes, all I think about that and the jail is when Jordon ended up buying that property.

897
02:06:29,582 --> 02:06:36,756
Now we're having discussions on continuing. In my opinion, he's followed through with everything he's

898
02:06:36,756 --> 02:06:44,970
stated. I've met with Jordon on what was a property in the past called Linden Farms.

899
02:06:44,970 --> 02:06:53,220
I tried to sell that property to him. The reality is that when Jordon says something, it gets done.

900
02:06:53,220 --> 02:07:03,220
If Jordon is involved in a project, his word is all he would need to say to me to know it's going to be done right.

901
02:07:06,494 --> 02:07:14,752
That is who he is. Again, when you're talking Bybee Lakes and him following through on what he said he would do with

902
02:07:14,752 --> 02:07:22,718
that property -- although, Marty bought it first and transferred it to Jordon. The reality is he's followed

903
02:07:22,718 --> 02:07:31,894
through with everything he stated he would do. As far as funding an organization like that, you

904
02:07:31,894 --> 02:07:37,984
don't even need a third party to analyze that if Jordon is involved. It gets done right.

905
02:07:37,984 --> 02:07:41,487
Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. All right.

906
02:07:41,487 --> 02:07:49,787
Thank you for the public testimony today on this measure. We'll go to the Board for final comments, and we will start with

907
02:07:49,787 --> 02:07:58,170
Commissioner Brim-Edwards. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Great. Thank you very much. Just before I give my final

908
02:07:58,170 --> 02:08:06,137
comments, I just want to say to my fellow colleagues I apologize that I got here a few minutes late.

909
02:08:06,137 --> 02:08:16,137
Two things happening. I'm learning how the system works, but also -- I think you'll find I'll be offering

910
02:08:16,898 --> 02:08:23,362
amendments in the future and not because I disagree, but sometimes I have something additional that I might want to

911
02:08:23,362 --> 02:08:33,362
add or amend. It also requires then us getting underlying documents so we know what it is we're voting on and

912
02:08:35,166 --> 02:08:41,880
whether it actually addresses the issues we thought it was addressing. I apologize to the Commissioners

913
02:08:41,880 --> 02:08:48,346
for getting that late. Again, I appreciate the conversation I had this morning. I would ask in the future we

914
02:08:48,346 --> 02:08:56,395
have a process that we get the documents early so we can have those conversations and they don't all get compressed.

915
02:08:56,395 --> 02:09:02,568
With that, I want to say I am going to be supporting these investments this morning because it makes important moves and

916
02:09:02,568 --> 02:09:09,408
takes action on three areas I think are critically important as we decide how we're going to make meaningful impact across

917
02:09:09,408 --> 02:09:17,416
our community relative to the very generous amount of SHS funds that this county has to disperse.

918
02:09:17,416 --> 02:09:27,416
So, first, as I've said many times, I'm very supportive of the county funding for the shelter beds and sites that the

919
02:09:32,140 --> 02:09:40,220
city is standing up. It's important. I look at district 3. It's important that those sites

920
02:09:40,220 --> 02:09:49,220
get set up. There's unsanctioned camping and people without basic services throughout district 3 and a

921
02:09:49,991 --> 02:09:59,410
heavy concentration in a lot of the natural areas in the eastern portion of district 3. I'm supportive of moving ahead

922
02:09:59,410 --> 02:10:07,425
as quickly as possible with standing up the shelter sites and providing support. I think those sites are going to

923
02:10:07,425 --> 02:10:13,806
immediately help people transition from the streets to having basic services, stability, safety, and getting

924
02:10:13,806 --> 02:10:19,437
them on their way. I really appreciate the partnership with the city. I think it's a good model for

925
02:10:19,437 --> 02:10:29,370
us. We both have an interest in changing what's happening on the streets, and I appreciate

926
02:10:29,697 --> 02:10:37,580
Commissioner Gonzales coming here this morning and speaking to that partnership and hope it's ongoing.

927
02:10:37,580 --> 02:10:47,580
Secondly, I also want to speak to my appreciation for the geographic parity and their approach to the Clean Start

928
02:10:48,841 --> 02:10:57,241
Program. District 3 would benefit from the trash cleanup, graffiti removal, and other services that

929
02:10:58,517 --> 02:11:03,856
would be provided through that investment. Also, the workforce development connection is a really important

930
02:11:03,856 --> 02:11:13,856
component to it as well so that individuals who don't have a work history or who have been stabilized through housing or

931
02:11:19,622 --> 02:11:26,712
temporary shelter can start work and employment and get back into the workforce and meaningful employment.

932
02:11:26,712 --> 02:11:34,970
In addition, the third reason I'm going to be supporting today's package is this action incorporates better transparency

933
02:11:34,970 --> 02:11:44,970
both with the Board and our community with the metrics that have been established. It's going to allow us to take

934
02:11:48,250 --> 02:11:55,320
necessary steps to evaluate whether our investments are doing what we intended them to do and whether we should be

935
02:11:55,320 --> 02:12:03,916
doubling doing or modifying or doing something differently. I think it's an important milestone to be adding those

936
02:12:03,916 --> 02:12:13,916
investments at the front end that we all have seen and agreed to, to get regular reporting. For those three reasons, I'm

937
02:12:15,511 --> 02:12:21,350
going to be supporting this morning's investments package that's been brought forward. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

938
02:12:21,350 --> 02:12:26,939
you, Commissioner Brim-Edwards. Commissioner Stegmann. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Thank you, Chair.

939
02:12:26,939 --> 02:12:32,194
Thank you for the discussion about the amendments. I know the Board will be having a retreat later in October.

940
02:12:32,194 --> 02:12:41,360
I'm hoping we can talk about what an appropriate timeline to receive those amendments in advance at that meeting.

941
02:12:41,360 --> 02:12:50,463
If I don't receive an amendment within 24 hours at least before the Board meeting, I'm not going to have enough time to entertain

942
02:12:50,463 --> 02:12:58,220
it. At a minimum, as a courtesy, I would ask for at least 24 hours and look forward to having a

943
02:12:58,220 --> 02:13:05,811
deeper discussion at our Board retreat. You know, we've been really in the weeds and it's a good thing,

944
02:13:05,811 --> 02:13:15,811
but what's really exciting is, really, we have never been so united as jurisdictions, as a community, as the business

945
02:13:16,655 --> 02:13:24,371
community, nonprofits, providers, so this is really, I think, an important moment in time for us to recognize.

946
02:13:24,371 --> 02:13:31,212
You know, we always talk about, quote, the pathway out of poverty. Sometimes it doesn't ring --

947
02:13:31,212 --> 02:13:39,762
it's a little bit hollow, but I think the investments that are on the table today actually do provide a pathway out of

948
02:13:39,762 --> 02:13:48,762
poverty. Rental assistance and the workforce opportunity is so vital, and I'm really pleased to

949
02:13:48,812 --> 02:13:57,655
hear there's going to be geographic equity in east Multnomah County. And the TASS, we've heard the

950
02:13:57,655 --> 02:14:05,246
community complain about the disharmony between the city of Portland and Multnomah County. Please.

951
02:14:05,246 --> 02:14:13,754
We are working side by side with the city of Portland. We have listened to our community, and we will continue

952
02:14:13,754 --> 02:14:22,304
to do that and work in partnership with anybody who wants to move forward and have significant solutions as we

953
02:14:22,304 --> 02:14:31,904
address homelessness. And finally, the capacity for the organizations, I'm really, really excited, although, I do

954
02:14:32,106 --> 02:14:40,864
want to remind folks this is simply a down payment. There is and should be and will be more to come.

955
02:14:40,864 --> 02:14:48,747
To me, it is just a show of good faith that we say to our providers, look, we recognize the challenges with workforce

956
02:14:48,747 --> 02:14:56,130
that you all have, and we are committed and you are the foundation of how we're going to reduce homelessness in our

957
02:14:56,130 --> 02:15:05,970
community. So, I am very pleased to support the CAP spending, and I want to thank everyone who has worked so

958
02:15:05,970 --> 02:15:14,970
hard. Chair, again, I want to really appreciate your leadership and your transparency through this

959
02:15:14,732 --> 02:15:19,320
entire process. It's been really refreshing and appreciated. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

960
02:15:19,320 --> 02:15:24,120
you. Commissioner Meieran. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Hi. Thank you.

961
02:15:29,997 --> 02:15:39,997
Just briefly, I appreciated Commissioner Brim-Edwards points that she made earlier in requesting clarity about some of

962
02:15:42,468 --> 02:15:50,268
the procedures. I apologize similarly and particularly to Commissioner Stegmann, recognizing you need

963
02:15:55,189 --> 02:16:05,189
that additional time. I have made the proposal for quite some time and have been speaking with you all about it,

964
02:16:05,824 --> 02:16:15,824
and so -- and we were informed by the Chair's office we could make amendments, and so I put all of that together in coming

965
02:16:16,919 --> 02:16:24,426
this morning with that amendment, but I think it will be a good opportunity to have the Board retreat and to have

966
02:16:24,426 --> 02:16:34,260
some clarity and standardization for processes and procedures, which has been missing for far too long.

967
02:16:35,604 --> 02:16:45,604
I will be voting no on the CAP today, and it is for reasons of both process and substance. I feel that despite lofty goals

968
02:16:53,247 --> 02:17:02,131
that I absolutely support, the language used, the way of reaching some of those are pulled from really what I

969
02:17:02,131 --> 02:17:08,387
consider the playbook of the status quo. And it's about urgently spending money versus meaningfully acting

970
02:17:08,387 --> 02:17:17,987
and showing -- requiring measurable outcomes. And I think about the big categories of dysfunction the

971
02:17:20,399 --> 02:17:29,999
joint office highlighted around accountability, data analytics, and transparency. And the CAP, for me, had them

972
02:17:31,785 --> 02:17:41,385
all. And I recognize -- this sounds like a very different experience from Commissioner Stegmann, but

973
02:17:42,504 --> 02:17:51,346
for me, from the beginning, I didn't learn of the CAP until I read about it. When I did learn about it, it

974
02:17:51,346 --> 02:18:01,346
was presented as a done deal with negotiation performed behind closed doors and finalized even before the Board

975
02:18:01,815 --> 02:18:11,815
approved the spending, which seemed backwards to me. Although, we were informed -- initially, I was told it was a

976
02:18:12,326 --> 02:18:22,440
done deal and the spending plan was the spending plan. Then we were told we could theoretically change the CAP,

977
02:18:22,440 --> 02:18:32,440
but it would be difficult and it would be best if we didn't. Here we are and we're voting on exactly what was proposed.

978
02:18:33,680 --> 02:18:42,940
And it's not perfect or it has these really great goals, and it's only a small amount of money compared to the

979
02:18:42,940 --> 02:18:52,449
unanticipated revenue, which we can deal with in a couple of weeks. But, for me, $17 million is not

980
02:18:52,449 --> 02:19:02,449
a small sum, and the vast majority of that substantial sum will be spent on capacity building.

981
02:19:03,168 --> 02:19:11,568
Commissioner Brim-Edwards alluded to being new to the board. I can understand, not having

982
02:19:17,307 --> 02:19:27,307
been on the board for six years, hearing similar words being used in similar context in the past. This was borne out in the

983
02:19:31,363 --> 02:19:39,371
audience. I sincerely hope I will be proven wrong and that I will see robust outcomes and

984
02:19:39,371 --> 02:19:48,547
demonstrations of how effective this $17 million will be, particularly the $10 million for capacity building, but I've

985
02:19:48,547 --> 02:19:58,547
gotten to the point where I can trust but verify. I will await that verification. I spoke to process, but the

986
02:20:04,521 --> 02:20:14,521
areas that provided a challenge were, number one, capacity building, and again the audit alluded to the investments in

987
02:20:16,825 --> 02:20:24,625
our community-based organizations. And I truly support the organizations, and we need to

988
02:20:26,835 --> 02:20:36,835
create the systems in which they function most effectively and where they can be supported and where they can get the money

989
02:20:37,804 --> 02:20:47,804
that they need to invest most effectively in their people and organizations, but I do not see that in this CAP.

990
02:20:51,680 --> 02:21:00,202
Again, hopefully something will prove me wrong here, and I hope the organizations do get what they need.

991
02:21:00,202 --> 02:21:09,202
Shelter capacity. I've been arguing for a robust shelter ecosystem with alternative system for ages,

992
02:21:12,422 --> 02:21:22,422
including larger camping sites, like thinking outside the box. And I absolutely support the TASS, but the process around

993
02:21:24,351 --> 02:21:34,351
making the decision of how much and how to spend that on the pods was not in a way that I felt it was giving me the

994
02:21:38,615 --> 02:21:48,615
specific information needed to say, oh, this is the best use of the CAP underspent funds. I hope -- I support the Tass.

995
02:21:52,870 --> 02:22:02,870
Again, I hope this will lead to significantly increased shelter capacity, but recognizing it's still -- even the TASS is a drop

996
02:22:02,222 --> 02:22:12,222
in the bucket. And so, for all of these, rent assistance, I've raised major audit concerns about how we even

997
02:22:14,693 --> 02:22:24,693
understand where that money is going, who is getting that money, where the retention is, how we even think about doing

998
02:22:25,328 --> 02:22:31,543
retention since this is one time only. We don't have the systems in place, and we have the proven

999
02:22:31,543 --> 02:22:41,543
track record of failing to use this money effectively, and so the rent assistance I have similar concerns.

1000
02:22:50,620 --> 02:23:00,620
In a world where too often we're governed by the press release rather than the depth and analysis that needs to go into

1001
02:23:02,320 --> 02:23:08,800
all these decisions, I do want to be clear I support CBOs hugely. I support the TASS.

1002
02:23:08,800 --> 02:23:18,800
I support Clean Start. I know rental assistance is a fundamental component of an effective solution to a

1003
02:23:19,925 --> 02:23:27,125
homelessness continuum. But I believe the CAP, as written, is fundamentally flawed.

1004
02:23:31,478 --> 02:23:39,152
It's about spending funds as quickly as possible, which is the way it's always been, rather than a plan for responsibly

1005
02:23:39,152 --> 02:23:49,152
using taxpayer dollars. And so, with respect to my colleagues, in appreciation to the Chair and all the people and

1006
02:23:49,913 --> 02:23:54,376
teams and all the advocates, one way or another, I will be voting no. Thank you.

1007
02:23:54,376 --> 02:23:59,470
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Commissioner Jayapal, I know you already had comments.

1008
02:23:59,470 --> 02:24:05,762
>> COMM. JAYAPAL: I do have a couple more comments, Chair. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Briefly. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: I made

1009
02:24:05,762 --> 02:24:11,560
comments out of order. I apologize. If you didn't hear them, please rewind.

1010
02:24:11,560 --> 02:24:16,356
Listen to them. I do want to say a couple of things about process. I, too, am looking forward to

1011
02:24:16,356 --> 02:24:24,865
the retreat because I think there are some issues we need to iron out so that this Board functions at its highest and

1012
02:24:24,865 --> 02:24:31,413
best capacity. In terms of the process with the CAP, I just want to say for my part it's been clear from the

1013
02:24:31,413 --> 02:24:41,413
beginning that although the CAP was negotiated between Metro and the Chair's office, as is required and set out by the IGA,

1014
02:24:42,480 --> 02:24:50,807
this Board has always had the power and today has the power to vote not to approve it. That was a point that I actually

1015
02:24:50,807 --> 02:24:59,190
called out for the supportive housing services oversight committee so that they were clear also on the fact that

1016
02:24:59,190 --> 02:25:07,574
something that's negotiated by the Chair and by Metro doesn't deprive the Board of its power to approve a budget modification

1017
02:25:07,574 --> 02:25:12,996
and to approve the spending of the funds. That's it on the process. Then on the substance, I do want

1018
02:25:12,996 --> 02:25:20,754
to say there are without a doubt any number of systems' issues that need to be improved. There is without a doubt

1019
02:25:20,754 --> 02:25:30,754
additional investigation, data analysis, outcome measurement that needs to be done, and it is an emergency, so we are in a

1020
02:25:34,351 --> 02:25:42,692
position where we have to take action. We can't stop in order to wait to put the ideal systems into

1021
02:25:42,692 --> 02:25:52,692
place. I appreciate the Chair and the Chair's office to get us here. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Really

1022
02:25:59,918 --> 02:26:07,175
briefly, because we are so far behind time and we've had people waiting for a couple of important items still on our

1023
02:26:07,175 --> 02:26:14,933
agenda -- I think people should plan on we're going to be here until 1:00. I will say that we have -- for

1024
02:26:14,933 --> 02:26:23,275
me, there were a couple of key points in putting together this CAP proposal, the use of the underspending.

1025
02:26:23,275 --> 02:26:30,365
One was in the conversations. This was a negotiation between the County and Metro according to the IGA.

1026
02:26:30,365 --> 02:26:34,995
Their concern as well as mine was making sure that these dollars that were supposed to be used in our community in the

1027
02:26:34,995 --> 02:26:43,837
last fiscal year were able to be put out into the community in a very timely manner while also having the impact on the crisis

1028
02:26:43,837 --> 02:26:51,553
that we need to see. In considering what these investments should be, it was listening to our partners,

1029
02:26:51,553 --> 02:27:01,553
listening to stakeholders, listening to other jurisdictions about the most critical needs right now in our community.

1030
02:27:11,364 --> 02:27:18,580
That is why we are investing in capacity building for our providers because they have been saying we want to do the work

1031
02:27:18,580 --> 02:27:23,752
that you have given us. We are in a crisis right now with our workforce. We are in a crisis right now

1032
02:27:23,752 --> 02:27:28,965
with retention. We are in a crisis with being able to function and the way to do that.

1033
02:27:28,965 --> 02:27:36,348
That capacity-building grant was directly related to the calls that we have heard from them and other community members around

1034
02:27:36,348 --> 02:27:40,977
that need. In a similar way, we know we want to make this county, this city, a place that is beautiful

1035
02:27:40,977 --> 02:27:48,735
and livable and we are all are proud to be a part of. We also know we want to give people that next step in their

1036
02:27:48,735 --> 02:27:58,335
path to stability, and employment is an incredible way to do that. Bringing together those concepts

1037
02:27:58,369 --> 02:28:07,128
with the investment implementation programs was a really wonderful way to do that. Again, I'm really glad this is

1038
02:28:07,128 --> 02:28:17,128
being matched by a $1 million grant from the state. Finally, rental assistance. We know so many people are

1039
02:28:17,430 --> 02:28:27,430
continuing to live on the edge when it comes to eviction risk and comes to being able to have the resources to move into

1040
02:28:27,899 --> 02:28:35,657
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you, Commissioner. So, I just really briefly, because we are so far behind

1041
02:28:35,657 --> 02:28:40,370
time and we have people who have been waiting for a couple of really important items still on our agenda -- I think people

1042
02:28:40,370 --> 02:28:50,370
should just plan we're going to be here until 1:00. I will say that we have -- for me, there were a couple of key

1043
02:28:50,880 --> 02:28:59,139
points in putting together this CAP proposal. The use of the underspending, one, was in the conversations.

1044
02:28:59,139 --> 02:29:09,139
This was a negotiation between the county and Metro according to the IGA, and their concern, as well as mine, was making sure

1045
02:29:11,250 --> 02:29:14,737
these dollars that were supposed to be used in our community in the last fiscal year were able to be put out into the community

1046
02:29:14,737 --> 02:29:20,760
in a very timely manner while also having the impact on the crisis that we need to see. So, in considering what these

1047
02:29:20,760 --> 02:29:28,626
investments should be, it was listening to our partners, listening to stakeholders, listening to other jurisdictions

1048
02:29:28,626 --> 02:29:35,258
about the most critical needs right now in our community. That is why we are investing in partnership with the city for

1049
02:29:35,258 --> 02:29:40,180
capital for the next two TASS sites, which we know makes a Significant difference in providing part-time who are

1050
02:29:40,180 --> 02:29:47,200
currently unsheltered on the streets safety and stability. That is why we are investing in capacity building for our

1051
02:29:47,200 --> 02:29:52,483
providers, because they have been saying, we want to do the work that you have given us. We are in a crisis right now

1052
02:29:52,483 --> 02:29:59,574
with our workforce. We are in a crisis right now with retention. We are in a crisis with being

1053
02:29:59,574 --> 02:30:05,330
able to function and the way to do that. So, that capacity-building grant was directly related to the

1054
02:30:05,330 --> 02:30:10,168
calls we have heard from them and other community members around that need. In a similar way, we know we

1055
02:30:10,168 --> 02:30:20,168
want to make this county, this city, a place that is beautiful and livable and we all are proud to be a part of, and we also

1056
02:30:20,845 --> 02:30:27,852
want to give people the next step in their path to stability and recovery and housing, and employment is an incredible way

1057
02:30:27,852 --> 02:30:35,680
to do that. Bringing together those concepts with the investment employment programs was a really wonderful

1058
02:30:35,680 --> 02:30:41,616
way to do that. Again, I'm really glad this is being matched by a $1 million investment in the state to

1059
02:30:41,616 --> 02:30:46,579
increase the power of the investment that this Board is going to be making. Finally, rental assistance.

1060
02:30:46,579 --> 02:30:55,421
We know so many people are continuing to live on the edge when it comes to eviction risk, comes to being able to have the

1061
02:30:55,421 --> 02:31:02,512
resources to be able to move into permit housing. That's why getting ready for housing and being successful in

1062
02:31:02,512 --> 02:31:11,604
your applications, providing the short and medium-term assistance is very critical now, especially as the AARP dollars are moving

1063
02:31:11,604 --> 02:31:14,941
away. I was really proud to put this forth. I appreciate the dialogue and

1064
02:31:14,941 --> 02:31:23,574
the communication that we've had on the Board. The conversations we've had have had a very real impact in how

1065
02:31:23,574 --> 02:31:31,791
these investments are moving forward and what they're going to look like and how we measure them.

1066
02:31:31,791 --> 02:31:40,216
With this investment that we're making, with the $40 million we did in the budget, we have to be looking at all of these things

1067
02:31:40,216 --> 02:31:48,474
holistically and making sure the impacts we want from the investments we're making today, the investments that we've

1068
02:31:48,474 --> 02:31:53,438
previously made and in the next few weeks are really having that impact. I think that is the desire on

1069
02:31:53,438 --> 02:31:58,234
the Board. It is incumbent on the board to be watchful of that, ask that is the expectation we have for the

1070
02:31:58,234 --> 02:32:05,908
joint office for providing us with that information. With that, can we have a roll call vote.

1071
02:32:05,908 --> 02:32:13,108
[ Roll call ] >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Commissioner Meieran, are you able to unmute?

1072
02:32:30,975 --> 02:32:35,355
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Aye. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: The supplemental budget modification is approved.

1073
02:32:35,355 --> 02:32:42,700
All right. So, we are going to -- we are at lunchtime. We have two more things to

1074
02:32:42,700 --> 02:32:46,491
consider today. One is a proclamation that is regularly scheduled. We also have something that

1075
02:32:46,491 --> 02:32:52,288
we're going to consider by emergency because people for the proclamation who have been waiting for a long time, we're

1076
02:32:52,288 --> 02:32:55,917
going to move to the proclamation. Then we'll consider something by emergency.

1077
02:32:55,917 --> 02:33:04,917
With that, can we move on to R-2? >> BOARD CLERK: R-2, Infant Mortality Awareness Month

1078
02:33:06,886 --> 02:33:11,686
proclamation. >> So moved. >> Second. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Approval

1079
02:33:15,812 --> 02:33:21,943
of R-2. All right. So, thank you so much for being here today.

1080
02:33:21,943 --> 02:33:31,543
I really appreciate the chance to have this proclamation in recognition of Infant Mortality Awareness Month.

1081
02:33:33,162 --> 02:33:39,419
I appreciate all the presenters for being here today and for being incredible advocates for the community around this topic,

1082
02:33:39,419 --> 02:33:47,760
so thank you for all of that. I think whether you're a parent or not infant mortality touches and impacts all of us.

1083
02:33:47,760 --> 02:33:57,760
It is disproportionately higher among Black and Native American and Indigenous populations in Multnomah County, which means we

1084
02:33:59,272 --> 02:34:07,530
have to do better on this. The health disparities reflect per 'tis tent and systemic as well as individual social

1085
02:34:07,530 --> 02:34:13,953
disparities, including within our health care system and delivery of medical care. Notably, for Black and

1086
02:34:13,953 --> 02:34:21,377
African-American infants parental education and income do not serve as protective factors against infant mortality.

1087
02:34:21,377 --> 02:34:30,977
This underscores the need for more comprehensive health care for postpartum people, including dismantling systems that

1088
02:34:31,387 --> 02:34:39,479
perpetrate medical racism and discrimination. Investing in the health and well-being of pregnant people

1089
02:34:39,479 --> 02:34:48,446
leads to increased birthweight, which is why our health department and partners are focused on expanding what

1090
02:34:48,446 --> 02:34:56,329
pregnancy and postpartum care includes to ensure all people have affordable easy access to doula and lactation care.

1091
02:34:56,329 --> 02:35:03,377
We invest in these programs because they are our best chance to impact what's possible for people creating families in

1092
02:35:03,377 --> 02:35:08,299
Multnomah County. Because we know investing in this care is an investment in healthy, thriving future for all

1093
02:35:08,299 --> 02:35:16,766
of our children. I'm pleased to turn this presentation over to Desha Reed-Holden from our Healthy

1094
02:35:16,766 --> 02:35:22,355
Birth Initiatives program. Thank you for your help. >> Thank you. Good morning.

1095
02:35:22,355 --> 02:35:26,108
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning. >> Or good afternoon. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good

1096
02:35:26,108 --> 02:35:32,108
afternoon. >> Do we have our slides? Thank you. Thank you.

1097
02:35:52,426 --> 02:36:02,426
You can go to the next slide. September is Infant Mortality Awareness Month. Health birth initiatives was

1098
02:36:03,104 --> 02:36:09,735
established to reduce infant mortality here in Multnomah County. You can go to next slide,

1099
02:36:09,735 --> 02:36:18,327
please. So, five of the leading causes of infant death are birth defect, preterm birth and low

1100
02:36:18,327 --> 02:36:26,586
birthweight, sudden infant death syndrome, injuries, and maternal pregnancy complications. 2 through 5 are things we can

1101
02:36:26,586 --> 02:36:33,175
actually address within our community by putting the right supports in place for our families.

1102
02:36:33,175 --> 02:36:42,175
Next slide, please. >> Adverse birth outcomes by race in Multnomah County. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Would

1103
02:36:49,250 --> 02:36:57,575
you mind stating your name for the record? >> My name is Chantell Reed. I use she/her pronouns.

1104
02:36:57,575 --> 02:37:04,582
I apologize. I've been here and paying attention and am readily excited.

1105
02:37:04,582 --> 02:37:10,254
I'm so happy to be here today to talk about this very important issue. Adverse outcomes, specifically

1106
02:37:10,254 --> 02:37:20,254
by race and ethnicity, severely impact those individuals and persons in the African-American, Black, and Native American

1107
02:37:25,394 --> 02:37:31,394
communities. Low birthweight and preterm birthweight. Preterm birth specifically in

1108
02:37:34,612 --> 02:37:43,120
African-American women, 12.4 times amongst women over a short-range of time. Infant death in African-American

1109
02:37:49,850 --> 02:37:57,485
women and Native American women also are exacerbated in those areas. >> Next slide, please.

1110
02:38:01,847 --> 02:38:10,606
When we talk about education and income not being enough, education and income are usually indicators of whether or not

1111
02:38:10,606 --> 02:38:20,606
someone has Medicaid or a private insurance, and so, with that, we can see that a Black mother with a master's or a

1112
02:38:21,534 --> 02:38:30,100
doctorate is likely to have a birth outcome in regards to preterm or low birthweight that is close to a white high school

1113
02:38:30,100 --> 02:38:37,967
graduate. This is data that was just shared this year at a national level.

1114
02:38:37,967 --> 02:38:47,518
Next slide, please. And so, what we know that reduces or -- reduces or eliminates risk for our families

1115
02:38:47,518 --> 02:38:55,735
are having birth and postpartum doulas and lactation support. On this particular slide, we have information about some of

1116
02:38:55,735 --> 02:39:03,659
our families have shared what their experience were with having doulas that provided support for them around their

1117
02:39:03,659 --> 02:39:13,659
pregnancy and postpartum time, including education about breastfeeding, safe sleep, which reduces the risk of SIDS, and we

1118
02:39:16,839 --> 02:39:26,140
won't talk too much about breastfeeding because you did the world proclamation for breastfeeding two weeks ago.

1119
02:39:26,140 --> 02:39:33,564
In creating birth plans and things like that that we know statistically improve outcomes, doulas are instrumental in being

1120
02:39:33,564 --> 02:39:43,730
able to provide support there. It reduces the need for interventions during birth that can impact the well-being of the

1121
02:39:43,730 --> 02:39:53,730
infant and mother after birth. You can go to the next slide. And so, around lactation, we have quotes here from families

1122
02:39:53,626 --> 02:39:59,298
who shared about getting lactation support. One of the big things that came out of these conversations was

1123
02:39:59,298 --> 02:40:04,804
the ability to have someone who could come to their home. That's what community-based lactation counselors do.

1124
02:40:04,804 --> 02:40:11,852
It's the resource that they give similar to that of a doula. While we know having a doula alone, even if they're not

1125
02:40:11,852 --> 02:40:18,234
trained to provide lactation support, is something that statistically has been proven to increase the rate of

1126
02:40:18,234 --> 02:40:24,657
breastfeeding initiation in families, we know it's important for families to have the support that they need to continue for

1127
02:40:24,657 --> 02:40:30,955
as long as they want to or as long as they can with breastfeeding. It's beneficial for mom and

1128
02:40:30,955 --> 02:40:37,711
beneficial for baby. Research is still coming up to show how long the benefits last in regards to breastfeeding.

1129
02:40:37,711 --> 02:40:47,711
And so, when we look at what the benefits of having lactation counselor are they include having help meeting your goals

1130
02:40:48,973 --> 02:40:55,688
based on where you are, providing education and creating a breastfeeding plan similarly to the way that you would create

1131
02:40:55,688 --> 02:41:04,905
a birth plan, and advance to make sure you have all the pieces in place that you need to have the experience that you're

1132
02:41:04,905 --> 02:41:11,662
striving for. Next slide, please. Normally, when we come and do our proclamation each year, we

1133
02:41:11,662 --> 02:41:20,504
share about the work HBI is doing to reduce infant mortality in our community, but this year we really wanted to emphasize

1134
02:41:20,504 --> 02:41:29,805
what we know to be the gaps. Those gaps include not having adequate access to doula and lactation support.

1135
02:41:29,805 --> 02:41:37,354
We are, indeed, Multnomah County employees, so we get off a certain time, but we know our families need that support

1136
02:41:37,354 --> 02:41:43,527
around the clock in a way we cannot provide. And so, through our program and building partnerships with other

1137
02:41:43,527 --> 02:41:50,993
community organizations, we have been able to partner more of our parents with doulas. It's been great for our Medicaid

1138
02:41:50,993 --> 02:41:57,917
population. However, because Black moms and babies don't have the protective factor of education and income

1139
02:41:57,917 --> 02:42:07,917
and we do serve all people regardless of their income in Healthy Birth Initiatives. We know access to doulas and in

1140
02:42:09,136 --> 02:42:19,136
our privacy insurance communities are still a barrier. Even when they have advanced degrees, we know it's not enough

1141
02:42:21,482 --> 02:42:26,862
for just our Medicaid population to be able to have access to doula support. Most pregnancies around the

1142
02:42:26,862 --> 02:42:36,497
world are still unplanned, so people are, indeed, figuring out -- moving things around to accommodate a new life coming

1143
02:42:36,497 --> 02:42:45,381
into their families in a lot of cases. With that, the cost barrier of needing to pay $1500, $2,000,

1144
02:42:45,381 --> 02:42:51,720
$3,000 for a doula can be a huge barrier, but everyone deserves to have that support. Not just Black moms.

1145
02:42:51,720 --> 02:42:58,811
Everyone deserves to have the support in order to be able to have a healthy birth experience and a healthy postpartum

1146
02:42:58,811 --> 02:43:04,650
experience and breastfeeding experience that will empower them to feed their babies as long as they can or as long as

1147
02:43:04,650 --> 02:43:13,784
they desire to do so. And so, we do a lot of systems advocacy work and outreach within healthy birth initiates

1148
02:43:13,784 --> 02:43:21,292
through our case managers, through our program coordinators and our program specialists. With that, we do encourage our

1149
02:43:21,292 --> 02:43:29,675
families to get doulas. We do partner them with doulas. We're constantly working to find new ways to be able to fill that

1150
02:43:29,675 --> 02:43:38,976
gap for our private pay, but we need help with that. We need help with that. And we know with the Medicaid

1151
02:43:38,976 --> 02:43:47,670
insurance being in place now we see there's room for us to expand to be able to sure that all families have access to this

1152
02:43:47,670 --> 02:43:55,701
without cost being such a huge barrier as it is today. And so, some of what we have been doing through Healthy Birth

1153
02:43:55,701 --> 02:44:04,710
Initiatives is working to figure out what we can do and what we can support that will allow us to improve outcomes for all

1154
02:44:04,710 --> 02:44:12,900
families. Because if Black families have the widest disparities, we know anything that benefits our

1155
02:44:12,900 --> 02:44:16,680
community is going to benefit every community across the board. That's what we're striving for.

1156
02:44:16,680 --> 02:44:26,280
Next slide, please. >> Hello and good afternoon, Chair and Commissioners. Thank you for the opportunity to

1157
02:44:27,107 --> 02:44:35,783
speak about the recognition of infant mortality awareness. My name is Ashley coon. I'm Danae from New Mexico.

1158
02:44:35,783 --> 02:44:43,999
I'm with Future Generations Collaborative program. I'm here to talk about native culturally specific programming.

1159
02:44:43,999 --> 02:44:51,965
Next slide, please. As most of you already know, the FGC is a collective impact partnership between native and

1160
02:44:51,965 --> 02:44:57,540
native-serving organizations, tribes, community members, education institutions and systems.

1161
02:44:57,540 --> 02:45:05,813
Together, we address public health issues impacting the native community with a culturally congruent trauma and

1162
02:45:05,813 --> 02:45:10,651
healing approach. We seek to promote family well-being through traditional means.

1163
02:45:10,651 --> 02:45:18,242
Families are offered workshops and gatherings. It is the combination of collaboration and care that

1164
02:45:18,242 --> 02:45:24,390
strengthen the health of our Indigenous families. We are so grateful to Multnomah County and the health department

1165
02:45:24,390 --> 02:45:29,753
for making investments into the community like this. Oh, sorry. Next slide, please.

1166
02:45:29,753 --> 02:45:36,510
We're recognizing the need for culture programming. Because of partnerships like this, we were able to receive

1167
02:45:36,510 --> 02:45:43,517
funding for this center and its expansion. We hope with continued funding we're able to carry on with the

1168
02:45:43,517 --> 02:45:51,317
important work. It is a future generation collaboratives own trauma and heeling-informed implementation

1169
02:45:51,984 --> 02:45:58,532
of the national help me grow program which is geared to our native culture needs and traditional practices.

1170
02:45:58,532 --> 02:46:06,248
Our structure continues to adjust to the meet the needs of the community. As native people, we are proud,

1171
02:46:06,248 --> 02:46:10,127
respectful, resilient, and strong. We draw strength from our traditional practices and value

1172
02:46:10,127 --> 02:46:18,802
those in our community as relatives. To support these values and cherished ties, we offer a

1173
02:46:18,802 --> 02:46:23,974
holistic approach where we prioritize family well-being through the relationship of connection and collaboration.

1174
02:46:23,974 --> 02:46:31,940
Our direct family support nourishes and uplifts families through two means. Weekly connected play circles

1175
02:46:31,940 --> 02:46:38,238
and through one-on-one support. These two modes contribute to supportive factors, such as community engagement, peer

1176
02:46:38,238 --> 02:46:44,238
connections, early detection, and developmental screening, concrete support, social-emotional competence,

1177
02:46:46,663 --> 02:46:56,663
protecting and honoring culture, a safer environment, respect, and nurturing health. We want to ensure providers are

1178
02:46:59,900 --> 02:47:07,590
aware of the importance of cultural congruent practices. Our model also allows us to build in and upon programs'

1179
02:47:07,590 --> 02:47:13,440
cultural awareness, which better supports access and breaks down barriers that prevent families from receiving the care they

1180
02:47:13,440 --> 02:47:23,440
need and want. Our team currently partners with providers such as WIC, FGC, Multnomah County Library, and

1181
02:47:23,742 --> 02:47:30,749
other community partners. We meet with our partners through two modes. First providers join us and play

1182
02:47:30,749 --> 02:47:39,716
at our connect and play circles. When present, providers are building direct relationship with families.

1183
02:47:39,716 --> 02:47:47,849
Secondly, we meet monthly for the latest news. This type of connection and collaborative relationship shows

1184
02:47:47,849 --> 02:47:55,857
our families that we care. We hear their wants and needs. We uplift their voices. We want everyone we collaborate,

1185
02:47:55,857 --> 02:48:04,408
families, community members, and providers to feel invested in ensuring families are receiving equitable health care to help

1186
02:48:04,408 --> 02:48:12,165
with preventive measures. Cultural programming is a must. Again, thank you for your recognition and continued

1187
02:48:12,165 --> 02:48:16,628
support. It's greatly appreciated. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

1188
02:48:16,628 --> 02:48:26,628
you. >> So, I want to say we know that a healthy baby starts with a healthy family.

1189
02:48:27,431 --> 02:48:35,564
If we give families held The starts and all the support that they need, we know this will build healthy communities.

1190
02:48:35,564 --> 02:48:45,564
The importance of raising awareness for infant mortality really builds on us being able to support where we go on the

1191
02:48:46,491 --> 02:48:53,624
foundation support of who we are as a community. When Desha first came to me and said, listen, we want to be able

1192
02:48:53,624 --> 02:48:59,546
to do this because we want to build pillars and be able to provide longer sustained support in our community, I said

1193
02:48:59,546 --> 02:49:08,680
absolutely I support it. As a doula myself, when she raised awareness that doulas in our community are supported by

1194
02:49:08,680 --> 02:49:16,813
OHP, but they're not supported by private insurance, this is something we wanted to elevate and we wanted to make sure we

1195
02:49:16,813 --> 02:49:22,361
raise to attention. Staff members of the county would not have those services accessible to them.

1196
02:49:22,361 --> 02:49:28,659
So, this was something that we wanted to say. Like listen, we need to shout it from the rooftops.

1197
02:49:28,659 --> 02:49:34,664
We need people to understand that being able to have that support and being able to have those services available to them

1198
02:49:34,664 --> 02:49:41,880
will limit the issues that we have and the concerns that we have with infant mortality and reduce those rates in our

1199
02:49:41,880 --> 02:49:46,343
communities. We are committed. We are going to continue to move these initiatives forward, but

1200
02:49:46,343 --> 02:49:56,343
we want to make sure that we continue to make reductions and we make strides and continue to support families in making sure

1201
02:49:56,603 --> 02:50:02,859
that the numbers that we see now don't continue to plague us in the future. So, I have been charged with

1202
02:50:02,859 --> 02:50:10,826
reading our proclamation, and I want to make sure that we have that opportunity to do that today.

1203
02:50:10,826 --> 02:50:20,826
I have it here before me, and it reads as such. Before the Board of county Commissioners for Multnomah

1204
02:50:21,211 --> 02:50:30,178
County, our proclamation, September 23rd as Infant Mortality Awareness Month. The Board of commissioners finds

1205
02:50:30,178 --> 02:50:36,393
that Multnomah County is committed to reducing infant mortality and improving the health outcomes of Black and

1206
02:50:36,393 --> 02:50:44,793
Indigenous parents and babies through respective clinical practices and interventions. September is Infant Mortality

1207
02:50:48,290 --> 02:50:53,452
Awareness Month, an initiative that supports and inspires people from around the nation to take action in support of the

1208
02:50:53,452 --> 02:51:01,877
goal to improve the health and well-being of women capable of birth, infants, children, and families.

1209
02:51:01,877 --> 02:51:07,466
Infant Mortality Awareness Month is an initiative intended to celebrate infants living beyond their first year of life.

1210
02:51:07,466 --> 02:51:15,515
Racial inequities rates persist among Black, African-American, and native Indigenous communities in Multnomah County

1211
02:51:15,515 --> 02:51:23,940
and are the result of barriers in health care, support, employment, and community settings as well as racial

1212
02:51:23,940 --> 02:51:30,447
ethnic discrimination within health care systems. Statistically, Black African-Americans are the only

1213
02:51:30,447 --> 02:51:39,447
group where prenatal care and education do not serve as protective factors against infant mortality.

1214
02:51:45,295 --> 02:51:53,512
Significantly reducing the likelihood of preterm birth and low birthweight all while combatting the effects of racism

1215
02:51:53,512 --> 02:52:03,112
on health during the pare natal period, and increasing breastfeeding initiation and longevity by providing support

1216
02:52:04,314 --> 02:52:14,314
during pregnancy, postpartum, and to all birthing people. We are exploring how to provide lactation support for all

1217
02:52:16,451 --> 02:52:21,373
residents regardless of insurance by building on the strengths and wisdom of our communities.

1218
02:52:21,373 --> 02:52:29,890
Raising up needed changes to support health for bays, birthing people, and caregivers of babies and the importance of

1219
02:52:29,890 --> 02:52:36,471
reducing racial disparities and birth outcomes for babies. National Infant Mortality Awareness Month provides

1220
02:52:36,471 --> 02:52:44,104
opportunities for our community to get involved and support Multnomah County health department, parent child family

1221
02:52:44,104 --> 02:52:53,104
health, healthy babies initiatives, and the opportunity to encourage government agency, health care systems, and

1222
02:52:55,365 --> 02:53:00,996
academic institutions to work together to engage in equity efforts in our communities to eliminate disparities and

1223
02:53:00,996 --> 02:53:09,396
overall reduce infant mortality in our county. The Multnomah County Board of commissioners proclaims

1224
02:53:09,421 --> 02:53:16,177
September 23rd as Infant Mortality Awareness Month in Multnomah County, Oregon, in recognition of the celebration

1225
02:53:16,177 --> 02:53:22,893
of the importance of each child born in our community celebrating their first birthday and living healthy and rewarding

1226
02:53:22,893 --> 02:53:29,493
lives. Adopted this day of September 7th, 2023. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes,

1227
02:53:30,817 --> 02:53:36,781
it's still the 7th. Thank you so much, Chantell. We'll go to the board for any quick comments.

1228
02:53:36,781 --> 02:53:40,911
We'll start with Commissioner Stegmann. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Thank you all so much for being here.

1229
02:53:40,911 --> 02:53:49,544
I did have -- before I make comments, I had some questions. I think it's on slide 4 where it shows the percentage of

1230
02:53:49,544 --> 02:53:59,544
birthweights, preterm birth. This is from 2019 to 2020. Which way are the numbers going? Are they going in the wrong

1231
02:54:00,513 --> 02:54:06,895
direction? Are we making any strides? We have begun to start making strides.

1232
02:54:06,895 --> 02:54:13,443
Some of the interventions that the team has been putting into place -- we're starting to see some improvements, but we're

1233
02:54:13,443 --> 02:54:22,410
looking for some continued support, some continued access. I see someone sitting in the audience who has expanded what

1234
02:54:22,410 --> 02:54:29,834
that looks like on the criteria for entering the programs, but it is, of course, the community partnerships and expanded

1235
02:54:29,834 --> 02:54:35,480
criteria that's allowed us to be able to make some strides. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Well, I appreciate that, but I'm

1236
02:54:35,480 --> 02:54:43,473
saddened that we're not making better progress as a community. Clearly, we need to do that. And it's really unfortunate that

1237
02:54:43,473 --> 02:54:53,730
education and income do not provide the protective factors that other races can take advantage of.

1238
02:54:53,274 --> 02:54:58,154
Some of the things I really liked about your program, the focus on fathers. That's awesome.

1239
02:54:58,154 --> 02:55:07,288
That's really great. And then also just having culturally-specific programming for the FGC and our Black

1240
02:55:07,288 --> 02:55:13,253
communities. That's amazing. And, you know, I think this just further supports what this Board

1241
02:55:13,253 --> 02:55:23,253
has done by declaring racism as a public health crisis, and clearly the outcomes that you're showing is showing us support

1242
02:55:23,304 --> 02:55:30,270
that this is a public health crisis, but I'm really excited that you're here and would look forward to seeing how we can

1243
02:55:30,270 --> 02:55:40,270
make bigger leaps in giving folks the services that they need to make sure that all of our youth can live past

1244
02:55:40,530 --> 02:55:46,745
1-year-old -- being a 1-year-old. Thank you all so much for coming, and I apologize that you

1245
02:55:46,745 --> 02:55:52,709
had to wait so long, but I'm really glad that you're here. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

1246
02:55:52,709 --> 02:55:57,509
you. Commissioner Meieran. >> COMM. MEIERAN: Thank you. Wow.

1247
02:56:00,759 --> 02:56:10,759
I thank you as well for just this profound and crucially important presentation and all the work that you do every day.

1248
02:56:13,813 --> 02:56:23,813
As a mom and a health care provider, I am very passionate about this issue and have been aware of and just horrified by

1249
02:56:30,246 --> 02:56:40,246
the deep disparities for Black and Indigenous mothers, and recognizing that these statistics just starkly -- those

1250
02:56:42,675 --> 02:56:51,750
represent people and infants. It's unacceptable. The systemic inequities in health care quality is

1251
02:57:01,611 --> 02:57:07,367
prevalent. I want to express my deep gratitude to you and your colleagues for your work, for

1252
02:57:07,367 --> 02:57:15,625
providing these Rays of hope with the kinds of services that you provide and the way you provide them and your effort to

1253
02:57:15,625 --> 02:57:25,625
bring this to us so we can recognize the severity and depth of the problem and the opportunities and hope that you

1254
02:57:26,520 --> 02:57:31,224
bring. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you, Commissioner Jayapal.

1255
02:57:31,224 --> 02:57:35,103
>> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you, Chair. Thank you all so much for the presentation and the work.

1256
02:57:35,103 --> 02:57:41,734
A couple of things strike me. The numbers obviously strike me. I was going to say shocking, but they're not shocking because I

1257
02:57:41,734 --> 02:57:48,575
think we know the impacts of racial disparities on health outcomes. I did a quick google search to

1258
02:57:48,575 --> 02:57:58,376
look at what the low birthweight rates worldwide are, and it's 1 in 10. It's a random website, so I'm

1259
02:57:58,376 --> 02:58:05,967
assuming it's accurate. [ Laughter ] >> COMM. JAYAPAL: The fact that the wealthiest country in the

1260
02:58:05,967 --> 02:58:13,308
world has low birthrates -- and I just picked one of the stats -- that are on par with the whole rest of the world, I

1261
02:58:13,308 --> 02:58:19,772
think, is an indicator of how poorly we're doing as a country. The other thing that strikes me is the importance and the

1262
02:58:19,772 --> 02:58:24,110
effectiveness of traditional practices. I think in both of your testimony and the work that

1263
02:58:24,110 --> 02:58:31,826
we're doing with Future Generations Collaborative, the doulas, that's really, really important and wonderful.

1264
02:58:31,826 --> 02:58:37,790
I hope you know that this Board is really supportive of those practices. I did want to follow up on the

1265
02:58:37,790 --> 02:58:46,900
Medicaid issue or rather insurance issue. People on privates insurance have to pay a co-pay or --

1266
02:58:46,900 --> 02:58:52,847
sorry, it's been a long morning. They have to pay for service, for doula service. What are the strategies for

1267
02:58:52,847 --> 02:59:01,606
changing that? Is it that we would fund people who are on privacy insurance? Is it a legislative change?

1268
02:59:01,606 --> 02:59:10,114
Is it a Medicaid waiver change? >> Right now, there is no co-pay. There is no co-pay.

1269
02:59:10,114 --> 02:59:15,870
There's no coverage at all. We're hoping it's a legislative change. That's Desha's work.

1270
02:59:15,870 --> 02:59:23,544
>> Yes, a legislative change because right now it's not covered at all. Outside of getting lactation

1271
02:59:23,544 --> 02:59:29,550
support outside of a hospital, there's no private insurance coverage for that as well, so a person would have to pay that

1272
02:59:29,550 --> 02:59:37,850
out of pocket. As a doula myself, someone came to me and wanted my services. You pay it one time per

1273
02:59:37,850 --> 02:59:45,608
pregnancy, but it's 1500. That rate is contingent upon what that person charges. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Which is

1274
02:59:45,608 --> 02:59:50,154
prohibitive. >> Exactly. It's cost prohibitive. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Anything we

1275
02:59:50,154 --> 02:59:54,450
can do to support that legislative change, please let us know. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

1276
02:59:54,450 --> 03:00:00,581
you. Commissioner Brim-Edwards. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: This presentation -- sorry it had to

1277
03:00:00,581 --> 03:00:10,581
wait -- really spoke to me as a mom of three and as somebody who would reside -- and if I look at this chart -- because of my race

1278
03:00:15,221 --> 03:00:22,895
and income and education level would be one of the most privileged, the least likely to experience an infant death or

1279
03:00:22,895 --> 03:00:32,895
low birthweight child. So, when I think about that, I think about, just as a mom, the heartache that comes with not

1280
03:00:35,158 --> 03:00:45,158
being able to celebrate your child's first birthday, which, as a mom, would be the ultimate heartache and heartbreak.

1281
03:00:46,711 --> 03:00:55,386
I loved the presentation. There's some really proactive tangible things that we can do to change that.

1282
03:00:55,386 --> 03:01:03,978
The doulas and the lactation consultants. I think it's interesting that the private insurance market

1283
03:01:03,978 --> 03:01:12,862
doesn't cover that because it just reminds me of many of the other things women have had to fight for from commercial

1284
03:01:12,862 --> 03:01:22,862
insurers that are not covered. In some cases because they might be viewed as primarily things that women would need.

1285
03:01:24,957 --> 03:01:34,384
Like Commissioner Jayapal, sign me up to help advocate for those changes. It used to be -- my mom just the

1286
03:01:34,384 --> 03:01:41,682
other day took me on her memory lane of the day I was born. In those days, a mom sometimes stayed in the hospital for a

1287
03:01:41,682 --> 03:01:46,979
week or two. Much longer. Now my experience with my kids is you were there for 24 hours

1288
03:01:46,979 --> 03:01:56,979
and then you're home. Having a lactation consultant and a postpartum doula, I think, would make a world of

1289
03:01:59,242 --> 03:02:05,915
difference. It's not necessarily intuitive knowing what to do and being able to provide support for your

1290
03:02:05,915 --> 03:02:15,915
infant child and help them reach that critical first milestone. I really applaud the work that you're doing and hopefully

1291
03:02:16,926 --> 03:02:26,102
changes we can make so more individuals have access to that and the financial barrier is not something considered extra or a

1292
03:02:26,102 --> 03:02:34,610
side benefit that you might need but really an integral part of a woman's overall health care that she receives.

1293
03:02:34,610 --> 03:02:37,989
Thank you. >> Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

1294
03:02:37,989 --> 03:02:47,989
Thank you, Chantell and Ashley and Desha for all the work and bringing the proclamation forward today and for setting up

1295
03:02:51,294 --> 03:02:57,490
the problem statement. We have work to do. We have really work to do on a systemic basic level to fix

1296
03:02:57,490 --> 03:03:03,264
this, and it's also wonderful to hear about all the work that is happening to change that and I thank you for that.

1297
03:03:03,264 --> 03:03:10,620
It's good to hear for the data we have it seems we're going in the right direction. We need to continue to reinforce

1298
03:03:10,620 --> 03:03:20,310
and support and fund the efforts that are making those changes. And again, I'll join my colleagues in lifting up this

1299
03:03:20,310 --> 03:03:28,390
issue about the disparities. The starkest thing for me was education and income isn't a protective factor for Black and

1300
03:03:28,390 --> 03:03:35,713
Native American population. I think it speaks clearly to the systemic racism we have in our medical care and how we need to

1301
03:03:35,713 --> 03:03:41,469
all be working to change that. So, just appreciate all the work so much on this. Thank you for your patience in

1302
03:03:41,469 --> 03:03:46,980
being here today. I really appreciate the chance this Board had to really still consider and lift up this issue,

1303
03:03:46,980 --> 03:03:56,670
so thank you for that. >> Thank you, Chair. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Can we have a roll call vote, please?

1304
03:03:56,670 --> 03:04:02,670
[ Roll call ] >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: The proclamation is approved. Yea.

1305
03:04:09,705 --> 03:04:16,305
[ Applause ] >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you all very much. >> Thank you.

1306
03:04:17,171 --> 03:04:23,803
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: So, for our last item, I want to bring forward an item. This Board may act on an item

1307
03:04:23,803 --> 03:04:32,687
that is not on the agenda notice if at least three commissioners vote in favor of a motion to immediately consider the matter.

1308
03:04:32,687 --> 03:04:42,687
For the matter to be adopted, all commissioners present must vote in favor of the item. May I have a motion?

1309
03:04:45,574 --> 03:04:54,830
Consideration of a unanimous consent item. The board clerk will now take -- do we need to take a roll call

1310
03:04:54,830 --> 03:05:01,507
vote at this time? The board clerk will now take a roll call vote for consideration of the matter.

1311
03:05:01,507 --> 03:05:08,107
[ Roll call ] >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Consideration of the matter is approved.

1312
03:05:12,184 --> 03:05:21,184
>> BOARD CLERK: You see one budget modification appropriating 1.5 million for Bybee Lakes for an emergency

1313
03:05:24,113 --> 03:05:31,913
contingency request. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Approval of UC-1. Board, this is the consideration

1314
03:05:34,457 --> 03:05:43,424
of appropriating $1.5 million for Bybee Lakes for an energy contingency request. The proposal before you today is

1315
03:05:43,424 --> 03:05:47,636
the same as the APR that was shared with the board yesterday afternoon. No changes have been made to

1316
03:05:47,636 --> 03:05:55,186
that document. We consider today's emergency action to provide funding for Bybee Lakes Hope Center,

1317
03:05:55,186 --> 03:06:03,486
providing $1.5 million from county contingency funds in support for 175 shelter beds through the end of the year.

1318
03:06:03,486 --> 03:06:10,340
Because we don't have time to wait and cannot risk the loss of a single bed in our shelter system right now.

1319
03:06:10,340 --> 03:06:18,417
We cannot and should not continue to argue over the past. Not doing so and putting that kind of method behind us has

1320
03:06:18,417 --> 03:06:24,423
been one of the hallmarks of me coming into this position and as chair. Instead, I want us to look

1321
03:06:24,423 --> 03:06:30,388
forward to the future together in partnership. That's why my door has always been open, because I've always

1322
03:06:30,388 --> 03:06:39,188
believed there's a place for diversity of shelter resources as we think about how we have to respond to the homeless crisis

1323
03:06:39,188 --> 03:06:44,735
on our street. I know we have to be good stewards of taxpayer dollars, which is why the budget

1324
03:06:44,735 --> 03:06:51,409
modification in front of you requires Helping Hands to meet with our CFO monthly and to provide access to their

1325
03:06:51,409 --> 03:06:56,330
financial records for fiscal monitoring. It also requires Helping Hands to put together a financial

1326
03:06:56,330 --> 03:07:04,630
recovery plan by October 20th and engage consultants to lead independent assessments of the current financial and

1327
03:07:04,630 --> 03:07:10,970
operational situation and develop recommendations for the long-term sustainability of Bybee Lakes center.

1328
03:07:10,970 --> 03:07:15,433
We have all, I think, toured Bybee Lakes. I think we have all seen the good work that we do, but the

1329
03:07:15,433 --> 03:07:25,433
fact is that running a shelter inside of a half vacant former jail is just expensive. It's an expensive building to

1330
03:07:27,778 --> 03:07:34,994
operate. But again, we cannot use the shelter bed. I want to move forward in

1331
03:07:34,994 --> 03:07:44,994
partnership with Bybee Lakes to find what is the best path moving forward successfully. Multnomah County needs to move

1332
03:07:45,171 --> 03:07:51,719
people inside with urgency, to potentially help expand the capacity at Bybee Lakes Hope Center.

1333
03:07:51,719 --> 03:07:59,180
Today's motion her questions us to do this. We are united in making sure this happens.

1334
03:07:59,180 --> 03:08:08,444
Our contract will stipulate that by bee increases its occupation rates in the coming months opinion their goal is to get

1335
03:08:08,444 --> 03:08:18,444
back to within 80% occupation in two months and 09% occupancy in three months. They will meet those benchmarks

1336
03:08:19,788 --> 03:08:26,450
and likely exceed them. From here, I look forward to continuing to work with the Bybee Lakes Hope Center

1337
03:08:26,450 --> 03:08:30,216
leadership to assess the organization's financial and operational situation with the hope that together we can

1338
03:08:30,216 --> 03:08:36,847
continue supporting those living unsheltered in our community. I want to thank all of the many, many community advocates who

1339
03:08:36,847 --> 03:08:45,231
reached out over the past weeks to express your thoughts, concerns, and support, and to every member of this board for

1340
03:08:45,231 --> 03:08:50,444
your partnership in consideration and moving forward to consensus to maintain shelter capacity.

1341
03:08:50,444 --> 03:08:57,952
Now I would like to welcome Mike Davis, CEO of Helping Hands, to testify first on this issue and answer any questions in board.

1342
03:08:57,952 --> 03:09:03,374
Good afternoon, Mike. Thank you for being here. >> Thank you. Do I have just two minutes or

1343
03:09:03,374 --> 03:09:09,588
more? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Let's aim for three and see how we go. >> Okay, perfect.

1344
03:09:09,588 --> 03:09:17,221
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: But you'll be able to answer the boards questions, so it's a little bit different.

1345
03:09:17,221 --> 03:09:26,313
>> My name is Mike Davis. We operate ten other facilities in Oregon, but today I'm here representing the participants

1346
03:09:26,313 --> 03:09:33,445
that call Bybee Lakes Hope Center their home and the 30 employees that are there to support them.

1347
03:09:33,445 --> 03:09:40,578
I want to first thank the Chair and the Commissioners for taking the time to learn about us, to come out and take tours, to

1348
03:09:40,578 --> 03:09:48,850
understand our program and how we do things. I think it's very important, and I also want to thank you all for

1349
03:09:48,850 --> 03:09:56,176
taking the time for working with us, working together to come up with a solution to help us in this near term.

1350
03:09:56,176 --> 03:10:02,558
I do want to clear up some misconceptions while I'm here. We have always offered emergency shelter.

1351
03:10:02,558 --> 03:10:09,640
That's the entryway into our long-term program. It is 30 days. In that emergency shelter, we

1352
03:10:09,640 --> 03:10:15,529
offer navigation services for people. Navigation services are designed to help figure out a way to

1353
03:10:15,529 --> 03:10:23,780
divert people from going back to the street. We at Bybee Lakes, since January of this year through August of

1354
03:10:23,780 --> 03:10:28,918
this year, have diverted 75% of the people that have come through our doors from going back to the streets.

1355
03:10:28,918 --> 03:10:38,518
In that same time frame, we've helped 2,007 people in our building. Also, to address the comment

1356
03:10:38,844 --> 03:10:48,354
that you had about "it's too expensive to operate in that facility," we've been taking efforts to decrease the cost.

1357
03:10:48,354 --> 03:10:55,569
It's expensive to power the building, so we've worked to apply for Portland clean energy fund grants to be able to help

1358
03:10:55,569 --> 03:11:04,912
mitigate those costs by putting solar panels across 155,400 square foot. We've also worked to replace our

1359
03:11:04,912 --> 03:11:14,880
chiller system, which is outdated and inefficient. We'll see reduced costs based off those things as well.

1360
03:11:14,880 --> 03:11:20,219
We're taking steps to reduce those costs, but we need time because the system out there of applying for grants and being

1361
03:11:20,219 --> 03:11:26,266
able to work to get the funds that we need to do those capital projects takes time. I thank you for considering

1362
03:11:26,266 --> 03:11:36,235
giving us some more time. Once we reopen to intakes, our wait list right now has 96 people on it.

1363
03:11:36,235 --> 03:11:44,368
We have 19 mothers. We have one father. We have 45 children on that list that we'll work to get into that

1364
03:11:44,368 --> 03:11:47,663
building as quickly as we possibly can. It will take us a little bit of time because there's a process

1365
03:11:47,663 --> 03:11:54,294
to bring people in, but we'll work through that process as quickly as we can and get these people off the street that have

1366
03:11:54,294 --> 03:12:00,634
been waiting. I do want to share a little bit about the people that we do serve there because I know, as

1367
03:12:00,634 --> 03:12:07,641
we have conversations and we talk about beds and we talk about buildings, the investment in the people gets lost

1368
03:12:07,641 --> 03:12:17,401
sometimes. And so, let me share a couple of the people that we're helping at bay -- buy bee lakes.

1369
03:12:17,401 --> 03:12:24,533
A veteran nurse has always been housed, has not had a problem but was scammed. Didn't learn about it until they

1370
03:12:24,533 --> 03:12:32,458
received a letter from their landlord evicting them and asking for $30,000. That's the kind of people we're

1371
03:12:32,458 --> 03:12:38,172
helping at Bybee Lakes. A mother with two young daughters. She's young herself.

1372
03:12:38,172 --> 03:12:45,429
She looked me in the face and said, I am here because I want to break this cycle for my daughters.

1373
03:12:45,429 --> 03:12:53,620
Those are the people that we're trying to help. You know, when folks come into our building, one of the first

1374
03:12:53,620 --> 03:12:57,733
questions we ask is do you have health insurance. If the answer is no, we get them on OHP.

1375
03:12:57,733 --> 03:13:06,283
We work really hard to do this, and we work really hard to get initial medical evaluations done.

1376
03:13:06,283 --> 03:13:11,705
They have opportunities to be able to work on those chronic health concerns that they have that they've never been able to

1377
03:13:11,705 --> 03:13:20,130
address on the street. One of the people came in and had hep C. Went through all the treatment

1378
03:13:20,130 --> 03:13:24,593
of going through that, and it was found out they had cancer as well. They got to spend the entire

1379
03:13:24,593 --> 03:13:34,593
time going through all the treatments at Bybee Lakes Hope Center to ensure when they do leave our building, they'll be

1380
03:13:34,978 --> 03:13:39,566
successful in sustainable housing. Part of our program is ensuring people have the basic life

1381
03:13:39,566 --> 03:13:44,738
skills that may have lost or have never been taught so they can be successful when they're leaving our facility and going

1382
03:13:44,738 --> 03:13:53,747
into sustainable housing. So, I do want to thank the community that has reached out on our behalf.

1383
03:13:53,747 --> 03:13:59,860
I've heard thousands of people have written in, called, testified, and we appreciate that support.

1384
03:13:59,860 --> 03:14:06,760
And I'd like to thank the Chair once again and the Commissioners for recognizing the vital services that Bybee Lakes Hope

1385
03:14:06,760 --> 03:14:13,725
Center provides here in Multnomah County and working with us to start creating a partnership because that's what

1386
03:14:13,725 --> 03:14:19,565
we'd like to see, a partnership between us where we can work together. Thank you again very much.

1387
03:14:19,565 --> 03:14:22,401
I'm happy to take any questions that you have. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you so much.

1388
03:14:22,401 --> 03:14:32,401
We'll go to the Board to see if any folks have questions. We'll start with Commissioner Meieran.

1389
03:14:35,664 --> 03:14:45,664
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Thank you. First of all, I want to commend Helping Hands and your board for coming to our community's aid

1390
03:14:46,383 --> 03:14:53,515
years ago by hoping the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. It's a data-driven transitional housing facility with shelter

1391
03:14:53,515 --> 03:15:01,915
that has served thousands of people experiencing homelessness to date. Despite never receiving county

1392
03:15:02,524 --> 03:15:12,524
funding and despite the many naysayers and skeptics who were in the county itself, we, on this Board, myself, the

1393
03:15:14,578 --> 03:15:23,337
community owe you a tremendous amount of gratitude, so thank you. Bybee Lakes -- my understanding

1394
03:15:23,337 --> 03:15:31,887
is you asked for two sort of tiers of funding months ago. More emergent funding would be needed to keep your doors open

1395
03:15:31,887 --> 03:15:41,730
and ongoing funding. I look forward to a third tier. You've also mentioned some serious innovation that I think

1396
03:15:41,730 --> 03:15:51,730
could be accomplished in our partnership, so that will be exciting to consider. I do want to speak to the

1397
03:15:56,370 --> 03:16:04,200
process of how this came about that we're sort of voting on this at literally the last minute to get this funding for

1398
03:16:04,200 --> 03:16:14,200
you, and I know the Chair in her introduction said we don't have time to wait. I believe the Chair's office has

1399
03:16:14,540 --> 03:16:24,540
known about this need for months and has had plenty of time to get information, negotiate, and invest in advance proactively at

1400
03:16:26,441 --> 03:16:34,320
the very least in the emergent needs of the facility. So you wouldn't have to, for months, face this potential

1401
03:16:34,320 --> 03:16:42,791
cliff and the potential of closure. Rather than respond for the first time to do things so we

1402
03:16:42,791 --> 03:16:52,791
could avoid that stress, including on over 1,000 constituents who did write in to us, which I so appreciated.

1403
03:16:53,802 --> 03:17:03,312
It was a meeting that was a week or a week and a couple of days ago that the Chair proposed an investment for the emergency

1404
03:17:03,312 --> 03:17:13,312
funding that I think had already been rejected by Bybee Lakes and only then, when I imagine that was maybe brought to the

1405
03:17:14,656 --> 03:17:23,165
office's attention sounded like there were some real negotiations. It sounds like the process has

1406
03:17:23,165 --> 03:17:31,173
been unnecessarily protracted and only at the literal last minute today are we at a place where this could Board could

1407
03:17:31,173 --> 03:17:39,560
actually vote to support, which I have been planning to do all along, something that could have been done months ago.

1408
03:17:39,560 --> 03:17:49,560
I apologize for the stress and frustration that I imagine has been felt by so many, but the bottom line moving forward is

1409
03:17:52,986 --> 03:18:01,161
are we going to be able to do this in time. I certainly hope so today. I fully support allocating this

1410
03:18:01,161 --> 03:18:09,860
$1.5 million to maintain services at Bybee Lakes in the short term, and we shouldn't stop there.

1411
03:18:09,860 --> 03:18:16,676
I will continue to advocate for additional funding for Bybee Lakes over the coming weeks as we decide how to spend tens of

1412
03:18:16,676 --> 03:18:24,476
millions of dollars of unanticipated SHS measure revenue. I support having a potential

1413
03:18:24,643 --> 03:18:34,643
third-party organizational assessment of Bybee Lakes. As I mentioned in my remarks for the CAP earlier, I actually

1414
03:18:35,612 --> 03:18:42,661
think this should be done with all our providers that contract with the Joint Office of Homeless Services.

1415
03:18:42,661 --> 03:18:52,661
Hopefully, we'll get to a place where we have that kind of due diligence with all our partners. Most departments don't have the

1416
03:18:55,173 --> 03:19:03,140
resources to hire a consultant to do that organizational assessment, which could help identify efficiencies,

1417
03:19:03,140 --> 03:19:11,857
strategies to retain workforce, et cetera. The county can, and I believe should, pay for these

1418
03:19:11,857 --> 03:19:21,740
assessments as this can guide us in making strategic investments. I look so forward to our partnership, and as noted, I

1419
03:19:21,740 --> 03:19:27,581
will be voting yes. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Commissioner Jayapal.

1420
03:19:27,581 --> 03:19:32,200
>> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you, Chair. Since I got the order wrong last time, let me just clarify.

1421
03:19:32,200 --> 03:19:36,631
Are we doing questions and comments right now or just questions? Because I have both.

1422
03:19:36,631 --> 03:19:40,969
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Do we have any people signed up for public testimony? >> Yeah.

1423
03:19:40,969 --> 03:19:47,434
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Let's just do questions for right now. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: First of all, thank you, Mike, for being here.

1424
03:19:47,434 --> 03:19:52,772
I know you spent time with my team answering some of my questions. I really appreciate it.

1425
03:19:52,772 --> 03:19:58,904
I do have a couple of additional questions. One is for you and one is for our staff.

1426
03:19:58,904 --> 03:20:07,746
I'll start with the one for you. In the original or the August 7th request that we received from Helping Hands, it

1427
03:20:07,746 --> 03:20:16,870
specified -- there was a $3 million ask probably for capital, but there was one -- sorry, let me put my glasses

1428
03:20:16,870 --> 03:20:25,687
back on. There was an ask for 500,000 per quarter for operating funds, was what I understood.

1429
03:20:26,970 --> 03:20:36,970
The Chair's proposal today is 1.5 million over four months, which is 375,000 a month versus the 167 that the 500 would have

1430
03:20:38,610 --> 03:20:42,364
translated to. Can someone explain the difference? Because it seems what we're

1431
03:20:42,364 --> 03:20:51,164
voting on today is roughly double what the ask was. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We had put a proposal before to Bybee

1432
03:20:51,164 --> 03:20:59,631
Lakes estimating about what 75% of their operating funds would be with the hope that they would be able to find other funding

1433
03:20:59,631 --> 03:21:09,631
sources for the last 20%, 25%. I think in further discussions that we had with Bybee Lakes about this they needed the 1.5

1434
03:21:09,641 --> 03:21:16,940
million to be able to continue operations through December. During that time, we would be doing the additional work on

1435
03:21:16,940 --> 03:21:24,300
looking at the financial and management operations and long-term sustainability of the organization, but it was really

1436
03:21:24,300 --> 03:21:34,300
just kind of like -- we were trying to do the best guess of what it could potentially look like for us to support them.

1437
03:21:35,000 --> 03:21:42,966
For future conversations, we just had a better picture of what they needed. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Maybe now I'll

1438
03:21:42,966 --> 03:21:52,966
throw it back to you, Mike. Was there something that changed between the time of that letter and today that the ask is now

1439
03:21:53,180 --> 03:22:03,180
for 1.5 million per four months? >> The change came about because there were concerns that we've heard at different county

1440
03:22:03,695 --> 03:22:13,695
meetings that there has not been time to talk it out with the larger proposal. While we didn't have the luxury

1441
03:22:16,249 --> 03:22:24,591
of being able to wait for multiple workshops for that happen, we had to look at, okay, what can we do to ensure we can

1442
03:22:24,591 --> 03:22:29,220
keep our doors open through the end of this year. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Right. When you sent us the request in

1443
03:22:29,220 --> 03:22:39,220
August, that was $500,000 per quarter, and this is now 1.5 million for four months. On a monthly basis, what we're

1444
03:22:41,232 --> 03:22:45,904
funding today is double what you asked for in August. >> There's also $3 million up front.

1445
03:22:45,904 --> 03:22:55,622
That was a one-time fee, and then the 500,000 a quarter. There was the money up front so we could get hold of our bills

1446
03:22:55,622 --> 03:23:02,300
as well as have the ability to pay for operations as we continued on. There are things that happen at

1447
03:23:02,300 --> 03:23:12,300
an organization when you get into this emergent situation where hiring freezes. We are short staffed with people

1448
03:23:13,765 --> 03:23:19,688
in development. That would help us build out the ability and capacity to be able to do this fund-raising.

1449
03:23:19,688 --> 03:23:28,988
As part of this investment the county is making a lot of the major donors that are paying the tax that have told us we're not

1450
03:23:28,988 --> 03:23:33,284
donating to you because we pay this tax will work with us once again. We'll be able to bring in

1451
03:23:33,284 --> 03:23:40,875
additional donations as well from that, and so we do see that we need this kick-start to get going, but long-term

1452
03:23:40,875 --> 03:23:45,338
sustainability is our ultimate end goal. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: I really appreciate that.

1453
03:23:45,338 --> 03:23:51,594
Again, I appreciate the fact that you've had a drop in those private donations. I'm not really asking about

1454
03:23:51,594 --> 03:23:56,641
that. I'm asking about the cost of operation. Maybe what I heard you say is

1455
03:23:56,641 --> 03:24:06,192
this 1.5 million isn't just for the ongoing cost of operating the facility, which is -- that would be the $500,000 per

1456
03:24:06,192 --> 03:24:12,240
quarter that you identified in August, but the 1.5 million is maybe covering liabilities that exist on top of the ongoing

1457
03:24:12,240 --> 03:24:19,914
operating costs? >> Yes, we do have some liabilities that we do have to take care of, so that we can get

1458
03:24:19,914 --> 03:24:25,503
whole as an organization, so that way we can continue to move forward. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: The 1.5

1459
03:24:25,503 --> 03:24:31,968
million is existing liabilities and ongoing operating costs for the four months left until the end of year.

1460
03:24:31,968 --> 03:24:37,474
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: It was basically everything needed to keep their doors open through December 31st.

1461
03:24:37,474 --> 03:24:41,686
>> And keep the power on and keep the water going. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you. I think I understand that.

1462
03:24:41,686 --> 03:24:47,984
A question for Christian. I think the proposal is that we take this funding from contingency.

1463
03:24:47,984 --> 03:24:56,618
Just want to circle back to understand -- the proposal is we take it from contingency and then we backfill with

1464
03:24:56,618 --> 03:25:02,165
unanticipated revenue, although we'll still have to vote on that. I want to understand what's left

1465
03:25:02,165 --> 03:25:11,765
in contingency. >> I'm the budget director. I use she/her pronouns. What that would lead in

1466
03:25:15,553 --> 03:25:23,353
contingency is roughly $350,000. In the contingency for uncertainty, we started with above 2.2 million.

1467
03:25:26,272 --> 03:25:36,272
After the actions that we took last week and then this proposal today, it would leave about roughly $350,000 in that

1468
03:25:41,412 --> 03:25:50,171
allocation, and then we have our routine contingency that we keep for routine emergencies. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON:

1469
03:25:50,171 --> 03:25:56,427
Commissioner Brim-Edwards. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: I've got three questions. I've got comments, but I'll do

1470
03:25:56,427 --> 03:26:06,427
those later. I have two questions for you and one for the Chair. First, with the stabilization --

1471
03:26:09,566 --> 03:26:17,240
you all have the funding to stabilize your operations. These are a bit more forward-looking questions.

1472
03:26:17,240 --> 03:26:21,828
You have funding to stabilize your operations. You actually have capacity, based on our previous discussion

1473
03:26:21,828 --> 03:26:28,960
that we've had, to actually expand what you could do beyond what you currently are doing. That's correct?

1474
03:26:28,960 --> 03:26:35,592
>> Yes. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Yeah. This is about in some ways not only what we currently have but

1475
03:26:35,592 --> 03:26:43,992
also on the future, the future potential. And then your lease ends on April 2025.

1476
03:26:47,145 --> 03:26:55,653
In terms of a longer-term investment moving forward, could you speak to what the planning is?

1477
03:26:55,653 --> 03:27:05,330
When I think about -- matching investments, especially if they're capital investments with the term of the life of the

1478
03:27:05,330 --> 03:27:15,330
capital investments if the county were to make other investments at Bybee Lakes, how are you approaching and thinking

1479
03:27:15,340 --> 03:27:25,340
about potentially matching investments that are made with the current termination of the lease at April of 2025?

1480
03:27:27,477 --> 03:27:36,270
>> So, if I could first go back to your capacity question. The Chair mentioned we have 175 beds, and that's the target

1481
03:27:36,270 --> 03:27:41,574
we're utilizing for these dollars we're talking about today. We actually have over 300 beds

1482
03:27:41,574 --> 03:27:48,206
up and built and available at Bybee Lakes, but there's additional cost for us to be able to run those additional

1483
03:27:48,206 --> 03:27:56,547
beds, so that's our target of growth as we're going forward. We also sit on 17 acres. Commissioner Brim-Edwards has

1484
03:27:56,547 --> 03:28:03,554
talked before about putting some of these tiny homes out there. Once we shore up what we're doing at Bybee Lakes, we

1485
03:28:03,554 --> 03:28:10,770
definitely want to have conversations about how we can expand those capacity at Bybee Lakes itself.

1486
03:28:10,770 --> 03:28:18,987
That's a conversation that would be in partnership with the property leaseholder. They would be a part of that

1487
03:28:18,987 --> 03:28:26,536
because any change we make to the building we have to talk to Schnitzer properties first. As far as your second

1488
03:28:26,536 --> 03:28:33,136
question -- I'm sorry. Can you remind me? >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: [ Inaudible ].

1489
03:28:37,380 --> 03:28:44,679
The life of the investment extends beyond what your current lease is. >> We're in constant

1490
03:28:44,679 --> 03:28:49,809
communication with Schnitzer properties and with Jordon himself about the property itself.

1491
03:28:49,809 --> 03:28:59,809
I have no doubt about that lease renewal. If Jordon has other ideas of what he wants to do, I can't

1492
03:29:00,690 --> 03:29:05,241
share those publicly. That would be for him to share. We expect to be in this building for a very long time.

1493
03:29:05,241 --> 03:29:12,331
Our organization has been in operations for over 20 years. We've been providing these services across multiple

1494
03:29:12,331 --> 03:29:20,506
counties, and we're working it out here. It takes a little bit of time to go through the growing pains

1495
03:29:20,506 --> 03:29:27,180
we're going through. When people are going through the program and having access to day care so they can get

1496
03:29:27,180 --> 03:29:33,686
employment, getting mental health help and substance use disorder treatments on site, getting classes for basic life

1497
03:29:33,686 --> 03:29:41,486
skills, like financial literacy, all of those things happen right there on site. And so, it's a vital resource.

1498
03:29:41,486 --> 03:29:51,486
We need to keep that going. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Just to clarify. In addition to the 175, you have

1499
03:29:51,871 --> 03:29:57,877
capacity for another 300 inside the structure. >> No, there's a total of 318 beds there.

1500
03:29:57,877 --> 03:30:06,277
They're built out. The linens, everything. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Another 125 and then the possibility of

1501
03:30:06,594 --> 03:30:13,194
something else [ Inaudible ] a larger property. >> Correct. >> BOARD CLERK: Excuse me,

1502
03:30:17,438 --> 03:30:24,380
sorry. Commissioner Edwards, is your mic on? >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: No, it's

1503
03:30:26,656 --> 03:30:30,243
not. Do I need to repeat the question? Thank you for the information.

1504
03:30:30,243 --> 03:30:37,166
We have the potential of another 125 plus another additional potential outside if that's negotiated.

1505
03:30:37,166 --> 03:30:47,166
The last question I have -- and this is more of a timing issue because I know organizations, when you start contracting,

1506
03:30:48,886 --> 03:30:58,886
there is a cost to starting a shutdown or a slowdown and then to restart again. I'm optimistic we're going to be

1507
03:30:59,355 --> 03:31:08,906
moving with speed this fall, but I'm curious about the December date, how the four months got picked.

1508
03:31:08,906 --> 03:31:16,706
Previously, there has been a whole host of other conversations with longer timelines.

1509
03:31:17,390 --> 03:31:24,797
With the four months of what I consider bridge funding ending in the middle of December and the middle of winter, I'm

1510
03:31:24,797 --> 03:31:31,804
curious -- we'll have an opportunity with unanticipated revenue potentially to talk about the longer term and that

1511
03:31:31,804 --> 03:31:38,600
would be the point in time if we were going to do something beyond December 31st? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: I think

1512
03:31:38,600 --> 03:31:46,736
it's, one, to have time to do the financial management third-party evaluation on the functions of Bybee Lakes to

1513
03:31:46,736 --> 03:31:56,736
further the conversations that are happening right now about the use of the site, what's capable but there, what the

1514
03:31:57,330 --> 03:32:05,838
capacity is, and to give Bybee Lakes the opportunity to apply for some of the RFPs and contract availability with the

1515
03:32:05,838 --> 03:32:15,838
joint office to become a funded partner, a funded organization through the Joint Office of Homeless Services, to get the

1516
03:32:16,182 --> 03:32:22,271
funding stream through the more traditional mechanisms of how we fund organizations. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Are we

1517
03:32:22,271 --> 03:32:28,736
confident that whole process can happen -- I'm completely supportive of the financial evaluation, but that whole

1518
03:32:28,736 --> 03:32:38,736
process could happen within that -- again, heading off a cliff at the end of December in the winter -- I want to be

1519
03:32:38,996 --> 03:32:45,503
assured that we have adequate time to do that process. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yeah. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Not

1520
03:32:45,503 --> 03:32:51,592
saying what the outcome is, but the timing would not be the barrier. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes.

1521
03:32:51,592 --> 03:32:59,600
That's been part of the conversations we've been having about engaging with the departments and specifically the

1522
03:32:59,600 --> 03:33:05,564
Joint Office of Homeless Services about what the possibilities are in the next couple of months.

1523
03:33:05,564 --> 03:33:09,151
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Thank you, Chair. Thank you, Mike, for being here, and thank you for forwarding the

1524
03:33:09,151 --> 03:33:16,867
lease. I appreciate that. I just wanted to clarify. This money would continue to

1525
03:33:16,867 --> 03:33:21,539
fund 175 beds. Not the full 318. Is that correct? >> Correct.

1526
03:33:21,539 --> 03:33:28,587
The Chair mentioned the ramp up to that, and we expect we'll meet that with no problem. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Would that

1527
03:33:28,587 --> 03:33:38,587
ramp-up occur within this year? >> The ramp-up to the 175 beds? >> COMM. STEGMANN: To the 175. >> There are 30-day, 60-day,

1528
03:33:40,891 --> 03:33:48,149
90-day benchmarks we have to meet. That's going to more than meet --

1529
03:33:48,149 --> 03:33:52,194
>> COMM. STEGMANN: You have capacity for 318 is what you're saying. >> Yes.

1530
03:33:52,194 --> 03:34:00,411
>> COMM. STEGMANN: We can have further conversation about that. And I'm also curious -- just to put it on your radar.

1531
03:34:00,411 --> 03:34:08,336
As we look at this unanticipated funding and looking at your lease -- I appreciate Jordon Schnitzer and the commitment

1532
03:34:08,336 --> 03:34:18,304
he's made, but I don't know what that looks like. To have some kind of assurance if we make larger, longer-term

1533
03:34:18,304 --> 03:34:24,727
investments, how can we be assured that your lease will continue? I don't know if you can answer

1534
03:34:24,727 --> 03:34:30,858
that now or later, but that's something I would want to know. >> I definitely understand your concern with that, and I'll

1535
03:34:30,858 --> 03:34:39,700
carry that forward as I meet with them on a regular basis and talk through that and decide how we respond to you.

1536
03:34:39,700 --> 03:34:45,122
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Thank you. October 20th, is that when you're supposed to be reporting back to us on the financial

1537
03:34:45,122 --> 03:34:50,860
recovery plan? Is that correct? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Sorry. Can you repeat that?

1538
03:34:50,860 --> 03:34:58,761
>> COMM. STEGMANN: I thoughts I saw somewhere October 20th is when a financial recovery plan is due.

1539
03:34:58,761 --> 03:35:04,433
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes. That's exactly right. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Bybee Lakes you'll be reporting back to us

1540
03:35:04,433 --> 03:35:14,433
on what your financial recovery plan is on October 20th? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: We are supposed to receive that.

1541
03:35:16,821 --> 03:35:22,340
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay. Great. Great. I know you have shut down your

1542
03:35:22,340 --> 03:35:31,419
intakes. Hopefully, you can restart. Is it just a flip of a button? How long does it take for you to

1543
03:35:31,419 --> 03:35:40,594
start opening the intake again? >> We did open our intakes in the rural communities when the governor and someone else

1544
03:35:40,594 --> 03:35:46,308
stepped up with funding for us. I'll have to meet with the staff there. I haven't had opportunity to

1545
03:35:46,308 --> 03:35:54,108
talk with our facility director at that location about that because I needed to see what the outcome of this meeting was.

1546
03:35:54,108 --> 03:36:01,866
Because I cannot provide false hope to those people that work there and are participants in our building.

1547
03:36:01,866 --> 03:36:06,871
>> COMM. STEGMANN: We would hope within weeks? >> Yes. >> COMM. STEGMANN: Okay.

1548
03:36:06,871 --> 03:36:16,871
That's great. Maybe if you speak overall -- once we have the financial recovery plan, can you speak to

1549
03:36:18,716 --> 03:36:27,808
how you are in this financial position, how you got to this place of having to shut down? I just kind of wanted an overall

1550
03:36:27,808 --> 03:36:34,899
understanding of how we got to this point. >> Sure. Since Bybee Lakes opened in

1551
03:36:34,899 --> 03:36:42,823
2021, we were awarded navigation center status. We were one of eight in the state, so we received funding

1552
03:36:42,823 --> 03:36:52,823
from the state in the form of $2 million and in 2022 we received $1.4 million for our services provided as a navigation center

1553
03:36:53,792 --> 03:37:03,344
in the city of Portland. With the change in the Governor's directive on homelessness in the state of

1554
03:37:03,344 --> 03:37:11,894
Oregon, that pot of money has been expanded to a lot more organizations. We expect we'll receive about 2,

1555
03:37:11,894 --> 03:37:20,903
maybe $300,000 out of that pot of money. We've not been told what we'll receive at this time.

1556
03:37:20,903 --> 03:37:26,617
Last year, we received one-time ARPA funding from the city of Portland. We did make a request there, but

1557
03:37:26,617 --> 03:37:34,830
we have not received any funds in that manner as well. And then also with the opening of Bybee Lakes in October of

1558
03:37:34,830 --> 03:37:44,830
2020, we had major funders that were buzzing to be a part of opening with six-figure donations towards capital,

1559
03:37:44,426 --> 03:37:54,426
towards operations once we were opened up, but we hear from them that this SHS tax is really hitting them and that's where

1560
03:37:55,396 --> 03:38:02,778
their investment is going for homelessness is through that tax. It's kind of a triple whammy

1561
03:38:02,778 --> 03:38:08,659
that we're getting hit with the state of emergency, with one-time funding, and then with the SHS tax.

1562
03:38:08,659 --> 03:38:12,246
>> COMM. STEGMANN: Great. Thank you for that. I appreciate that. That gives us a larger view of

1563
03:38:12,246 --> 03:38:18,168
what's happening. I have toured your facility and think that you all are doing really great work.

1564
03:38:18,168 --> 03:38:28,168
I'm very pleased that this Board can hopefully step in and preserve those 175 beds and even expand to the 318 as soon as

1565
03:38:29,305 --> 03:38:33,475
possible, so thank you for being here. >> Thank you, and we do have a tour coming up soon, be so I'll

1566
03:38:33,475 --> 03:38:39,898
see you soon. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you so much. We'll go ahead and open it up

1567
03:38:39,898 --> 03:38:43,152
for public testimony at this time. >> BOARD CLERK: We have three people signed up for public

1568
03:38:43,152 --> 03:38:49,752
testimony. America Vicente, Eric Cole, and Suzy. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Let's

1569
03:38:54,538 --> 03:39:00,538
have two minutes for public testimony. Thank you. Good morning.

1570
03:39:02,870 --> 03:39:06,634
>> Hi. Good afternoon. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Oh, good afternoon.

1571
03:39:06,634 --> 03:39:14,266
>> Can you hear me? >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes, we can. >> Should I go ahead?

1572
03:39:14,266 --> 03:39:21,398
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Yes, please. >> I'm an economist. My work with a multilateral

1573
03:39:21,398 --> 03:39:27,196
institution allows me to be exposed to multiple countries and situations, especially in developing countries and with

1574
03:39:27,196 --> 03:39:36,196
colleagues in conflict settings. As discussed today, we are facing a humanitarian crisis in Portland.

1575
03:39:38,499 --> 03:39:46,298
Unfortunately, many people cannot function on their own without supervision and many are living outside on the street.

1576
03:39:46,298 --> 03:39:54,560
Additionally, many of them are falling into addictions, providing a great business opportunity for drug traders

1577
03:39:54,560 --> 03:40:01,563
that are operating in the elicit economy and are not taxed or regulated. I am really grateful that you

1578
03:40:01,563 --> 03:40:09,530
are supporting Bybee Lakes by providing them funding and support to ensure the financial processes align with public

1579
03:40:09,530 --> 03:40:19,530
sector guidelines. I believe that you should also look at ways to replicate models that can reach economies of

1580
03:40:20,666 --> 03:40:29,700
scale for shelters in a similar set up as Bybee Lakes. Based on my observations, very few organizations are able to

1581
03:40:29,700 --> 03:40:37,224
take people out from the streets more sustainably. Based on my experience, operations across all providers

1582
03:40:37,224 --> 03:40:46,224
need to be data driven, goals need to be quantified, and results-based financing methodologies implemented.

1583
03:40:47,484 --> 03:40:53,699
It didn't look like the plan you presented for Multnomah County takes these factors into account.

1584
03:40:53,699 --> 03:41:01,248
Lastly, I learned that members of Multnomah County are going to be visiting Portugal as part of measure 110.

1585
03:41:01,248 --> 03:41:09,506
I'm Spanish, and Portugal is our neighborhood. As it happens, both Portugal and Spanish went through deep prison

1586
03:41:09,506 --> 03:41:16,138
and mental health reforms -- you should learn more about the them. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

1587
03:41:16,138 --> 03:41:19,433
you. Thank you very much. Good morning. >> Good morning.

1588
03:41:19,433 --> 03:41:25,147
Thank you, Madame Chair. Thank you, members of the Commission. I'm Eric Cole.

1589
03:41:25,147 --> 03:41:32,905
I'm with the Revitalize Portland Commission. As an industry and as Portlanders, I think we all

1590
03:41:32,905 --> 03:41:40,412
share the same goals, which is to see our region thrive again. I am here in support of this emergency resolution.

1591
03:41:40,412 --> 03:41:49,460
We have supported Bybee Lakes from the very beginning and are very supportive of their efforts going forward.

1592
03:41:49,460 --> 03:41:54,927
Commissioner Jayapal called this an emergency. We agree with all of you that it's time to treat it as an

1593
03:41:54,927 --> 03:41:59,932
emergency. I wanted to make a couple of points. You've heard a lot of context

1594
03:41:59,932 --> 03:42:06,355
this morning, but two things that didn't get brought up earlier. As we heard yesterday at the

1595
03:42:06,355 --> 03:42:14,780
city council in Portland, we've seen a major uptick in violent property crimes in recent weeks. You can hear and see the

1596
03:42:14,780 --> 03:42:22,454
patience wearing thin on the business owners, the residents, and the neighbors downtown. It's been quite palpable in the

1597
03:42:22,454 --> 03:42:29,461
last two weeks, so it is an urgent situation. We've also been hearing from some of our top employers in the

1598
03:42:29,461 --> 03:42:37,940
area who are expressing their employees do really want to return to the office more days a week.

1599
03:42:37,940 --> 03:42:46,436
What's preventing that, however, is their employees are not able to walk, commute, bike commute to the office the way they used

1600
03:42:46,436 --> 03:42:51,483
to. They're not able to go out to lunch the way they used to. I give you that context because

1601
03:42:51,483 --> 03:43:01,483
it's important that these issues are all connected, and with the amount of taxpayer dollars that Multnomah County is accountable

1602
03:43:03,745 --> 03:43:09,167
to, we think you hold a great bit of responsibility along with other jurisdictions in turning the crisis around.

1603
03:43:09,167 --> 03:43:15,299
These funds, this opportunity with Bybee Lakes, is an opportunity for the board to change some of that dynamic and

1604
03:43:15,299 --> 03:43:25,299
address this crisis head-on. By bee checks so many boxes of what we need the community. Just encourage you to support

1605
03:43:26,226 --> 03:43:30,272
it. Thank you. >> BOARD CLERK: Suzy, are you still here?

1606
03:43:30,272 --> 03:43:38,672
There she is. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Good morning or good afternoon. >> Good afternoon, yes.

1607
03:43:44,286 --> 03:43:51,168
Thank you, Chair, and Commissioners for the opportunity to tag on to which I didn't complete.

1608
03:43:51,168 --> 03:44:01,168
I wanted to sit through this because I appreciate, I truly do, the time that you are dedicating.

1609
03:44:01,303 --> 03:44:07,893
Where there is a multilayered solution, what I have heard today are so many of the solutions that are people

1610
03:44:07,893 --> 03:44:15,943
carrying with a good heart and good anecdotal stories. I would like to sort of summarize by mapping the

1611
03:44:15,943 --> 03:44:24,534
positive. When we shift to a more positive focus and shift away from houselessness and hopelessness

1612
03:44:24,534 --> 03:44:34,134
to considering homing and creating that nurturing nest, all of these holistic comprehensive programs can do

1613
03:44:35,379 --> 03:44:43,845
this. I think language is important as we move forward in mapping the positive of this story.

1614
03:44:43,845 --> 03:44:53,845
We shift our thoughts to consider those things that we understand about addiction is that which happens to us and we

1615
03:44:56,566 --> 03:45:03,766
self-medication. The lessons to learn from Portugal, there were some powerful lessons.

1616
03:45:06,118 --> 03:45:14,292
One of the things I've been disconcerted to here is it doesn't work. Well, that's because funding was

1617
03:45:14,292 --> 03:45:19,600
withdrawn. We need to build this out over time. We look at that continuum of

1618
03:45:19,600 --> 03:45:25,512
care, that sustainability. At the heart of that is the understanding of why do we self-medicate and also

1619
03:45:25,512 --> 03:45:34,512
understanding the neurodiversity behind challenges to behavioral health and mental health, who are our people.

1620
03:45:34,521 --> 03:45:41,653
I would like to lift up our hands right now. I'm looking at you right now, Sharon, to say thank you to you

1621
03:45:41,653 --> 03:45:50,746
and the Board has given to our previous proclamation. That's where we are right now. Again, just thank you, but

1622
03:45:50,746 --> 03:45:56,710
center it on the children and the families for the future generations because you, Commissioner -- as a

1623
03:45:56,710 --> 03:46:04,676
Commissioner, you champion the rights of our children around colocation. I'm hoping at your board retreat

1624
03:46:04,676 --> 03:46:08,638
you bring this all together and bring it to our families. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you.

1625
03:46:08,638 --> 03:46:14,561
Thank you very much. >> Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Is that all the public comment?

1626
03:46:14,561 --> 03:46:19,608
Wonderful. We'll go to the Board for final comments. Commissioner Meieran, I think

1627
03:46:19,608 --> 03:46:26,615
you made your comments at the beginning. >> COMM. MEIERAN: I did. I have just a couple more.

1628
03:46:26,615 --> 03:46:34,956
I just really appreciate -- >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: All right. We're going to have --

1629
03:46:34,956 --> 03:46:44,633
>> COMM. MEIERAN: Those last three speakers really just all had something so important and powerful to add to the

1630
03:46:44,633 --> 03:46:53,475
conversation, so I just wanted to say thank you. Thank you to everyone who has been advocating and weighing in.

1631
03:46:53,475 --> 03:47:02,317
It has really made a difference and goes to really the heart and soul of this work. Thank you.

1632
03:47:02,317 --> 03:47:08,917
>> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank you. Commissioner Jayapal. >> COMM. JAYAPAL: Thank you,

1633
03:47:09,866 --> 03:47:13,995
Chair. I want to start with my thanks to everybody who has testified today and also to the many,

1634
03:47:13,995 --> 03:47:20,210
many, many people who have written in about this funding. I want to let you know the degree of support you have

1635
03:47:20,210 --> 03:47:27,259
expressed has had an impact, so thank you. I do support the proposed approach of providing bridge

1636
03:47:27,259 --> 03:47:36,859
funding while we do our due diligence into management operations and the sustainability of helping hand

1637
03:47:37,394 --> 03:47:47,394
and is Bybee Lakes. I support it because it fills a really important gap into our shelter-to-housing continuum,

1638
03:47:48,321 --> 03:47:53,785
which is a need for our emergency shelter but also transitional or stabilization shelter and housing.

1639
03:47:53,785 --> 03:47:59,666
That gap is one of the priorities that I specifically identified in my list of proposed investments for

1640
03:47:59,666 --> 03:48:06,256
unanticipated SHS revenue. I support this approach, and I support additional investment in the kind of programming that I

1641
03:48:06,256 --> 03:48:13,555
understand Bybee Lakes to provide, but I think there are questions about the financial model operations and we need to

1642
03:48:13,555 --> 03:48:19,811
do our due diligence. A couple of things that rise to the top for me, first, as the chair alluded to, whether the

1643
03:48:19,811 --> 03:48:26,568
cost of running shelter at that facility is simply too high and whether that's part of the reason we're in the situation

1644
03:48:26,568 --> 03:48:36,453
that it's in. We need to compare cost to other facilities, but that cost number does jump out.

1645
03:48:36,453 --> 03:48:42,876
Second, I think we need to better understand whether Helping Hands can develop other revenue streams, as most of our

1646
03:48:42,876 --> 03:48:50,216
providers have to do, and how long that will take and what it will take, or whether we're really talking about the county

1647
03:48:50,216 --> 03:48:54,638
taking on fully funding the organization on an ongoing basis. That is a very significant lift

1648
03:48:54,638 --> 03:49:01,227
and very significant ask. And we would, I think, come back to the question of whether the overall cost structure in this

1649
03:49:01,227 --> 03:49:06,107
particular facility makes sense. So, we need to do our due diligence on those and other issues.

1650
03:49:06,107 --> 03:49:14,324
I'm confident that some of the columnists who are urging us to fund the program would also really call us out if we did not

1651
03:49:14,324 --> 03:49:20,538
do our due diligence and problems emerged. I appreciate Bybee Lakes and the information you've provided.

1652
03:49:20,538 --> 03:49:27,870
I think do an external review in this case does make sense, even though we usually do internal reviews of this kind of all the

1653
03:49:27,870 --> 03:49:34,219
time and regularly for other providers. And I think with that I am done. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank

1654
03:49:34,219 --> 03:49:38,419
you. Commissioner Brim-Edwards. >> COMM. BRIM-EDWARDS: Thank you.

1655
03:49:39,849 --> 03:49:49,849
I'm excited we're voting on this this morning, even if I feel like it's at the very last moment.

1656
03:49:49,943 --> 03:49:56,908
I'm excited to vote for it because I've visited Bybee Lakes and talked to the people who have received support from

1657
03:49:56,908 --> 03:50:03,623
there. When I think about all the different shelter options and housing options and transitional

1658
03:50:03,623 --> 03:50:10,255
housing and the housing models, there's different models for different people. And I think it's important that

1659
03:50:10,255 --> 03:50:18,130
we recognize that, that there's not one size fits all. There used to be a heavy reliance on just a particular

1660
03:50:18,130 --> 03:50:24,936
shelter model, and I think we are recognizing that there's different needs for different communities and different types

1661
03:50:24,936 --> 03:50:33,945
of supports people need on their journey from the streets to permanent housing. And I think today's action

1662
03:50:33,945 --> 03:50:42,996
speaks to that. Also, I want to just note that I've had an opportunity to talk to staff at Fabian K-8, which is

1663
03:50:42,996 --> 03:50:52,255
the nearest elementary school to Bybee Lakes. The fact that families with children, with elementary school

1664
03:50:52,255 --> 03:51:02,255
children, can have their children even in a state of what would be considered a somewhat unstable situation, that they

1665
03:51:02,849 --> 03:51:12,849
have the stability of being able to go to the same elementary school every day and be school kids like everybody else is, I

1666
03:51:13,777 --> 03:51:23,777
think, another really unique feature of Bybee Lakes. So, I'm going to be supportive. When we put our proposals

1667
03:51:24,537 --> 03:51:33,505
forward for the unanticipated revenue, taking more action on shelter space to ensure individuals have shelter with

1668
03:51:33,505 --> 03:51:42,639
basic services, like bathrooms, showers, and safety, was at the top of my list. As I think about it today, we've

1669
03:51:42,639 --> 03:51:48,645
already taken action on the city's shelter sites or a portion of that. We're going to have an

1670
03:51:48,645 --> 03:51:58,645
opportunity, I think, to discuss micro villages and our other long time shelter providers. Today, we're looking at the

1671
03:52:00,907 --> 03:52:07,747
potential for bridge funding for Bybee Lakes. I propose funds for 500 additional shelter beds and to

1672
03:52:07,747 --> 03:52:16,464
retain currently shelter beds and specifically called out the 175 shelter beds at Bybee Lakes and funding a potential

1673
03:52:16,464 --> 03:52:22,929
expansion there. Again, this is on the current state but also a potential opportunity in the future.

1674
03:52:22,929 --> 03:52:32,929
This investment provides a shorter-term bridge than I would have hoped for, but I think it's a very important bridge because

1675
03:52:34,149 --> 03:52:42,282
I do think it allows us -- we can't afford to lose any shelter beds, so I really appreciate we have an opportunity to retain

1676
03:52:42,282 --> 03:52:52,282
those 175 and that it also gives us, as a commission, a bridge to the future to have that future discussion as we move to the

1677
03:52:54,127 --> 03:53:00,258
next batch of investments, which we're going to be doing the next couple of weeks. I will be advancing more funding

1678
03:53:00,258 --> 03:53:08,474
for Bybee Lakes because I do believe we need to continue to make investments in a whole variety of different shelter and

1679
03:53:08,474 --> 03:53:14,981
housing options. Bybee Lakes should be in the mix. And, as other commissioners also

1680
03:53:14,981 --> 03:53:23,781
explained and shared, understanding the financials, doing our due diligence, will be an important component of that,

1681
03:53:23,781 --> 03:53:33,781
and we're going to need an answer from, at least my perspective, the lease aspect and the terms of the lease.

1682
03:53:38,421 --> 03:53:48,421
If we're going to be making a longer-term investment, whether it's through the RFP process or through some other way, that we

1683
03:53:49,349 --> 03:53:57,649
really understand what the return on investment would be because April 25th is going to roll around before we know it.

1684
03:53:57,649 --> 03:54:06,199
Understanding that and what the terms are will give us a much better understanding of Bybee Lakes' financial future and

1685
03:54:06,199 --> 03:54:13,706
whether they can accommodate an actual expansion or if this is just a retention of current beds.

1686
03:54:13,706 --> 03:54:23,706
I'm an enthusiastic yes because coupled with the early action on the TASS sites on retention of shelter beds and future shelter

1687
03:54:30,974 --> 03:54:39,190
beds. >> Thank you, chair. I am very pleased to support this $1.5 million to Bybee Lakes

1688
03:54:39,190 --> 03:54:45,947
because quite simply it's the right thing to do. It will give us the opportunity to preserve and potentially

1689
03:54:45,947 --> 03:54:54,706
expand additional beds, and it will give us the needed time that we need to determine our long-term investments and

1690
03:54:54,706 --> 03:54:59,919
complete our due diligence. I am very supportive of this. Thank you. >> CHAIR VEGA PEDERSON: Thank