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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020.04.24 Agenda Packet - Special Meeting City Council Agenda Special Meeting Friday, April 24, 2020 10:00 AM PUBLIC ADVISORY: Consistent with the latest Governor’s Executive Order to Stay at Home, avoid gatherings and maintain social distancing, this meeting will be conducted telephonically and Members of the City Council and staff will be participating via Teleconference. There will be no physical meeting location. How to Observe the Meeting: To maximize public safety while still maintaining transparency and public access, members of the public can observe the meeting by calling +1 (408) 650-3123, Access Code 962-194-045 or by visiting https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/962194045. How to Submit Public Comment: Members of the public may provide public comment by sending written comments to the City Clerk by email at cityclerk@DiamondBarCA.gov by 9:00 a.m. on the day of the meeting. Please indicate in the Subject Line “FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.” Written comments will be distributed to the Council Members and noted for the record at the meeting. Alternatively, public comment may be submitted by calling +1 (408) 650-3123, Access Code 962-194-045 and/or by visiting https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/962194045. Members of the public will be called upon one at a time during the Public Comment portion of the agenda, and will be asked to state their name and agenda item they wish to comment on. Speakers are limited to five minutes per agenda item, unless the Mayor determines otherwise. American Disability Act Accommodations: Pursuant to the Executive Order, and in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act, if you need special assistance to participate in the Council Meeting, please contact the City Clerk’s Office (909) 839-7010 within 72 hours of the meeting. The City of Diamond Bar thanks you in advance for taking all precautions to prevent spreading the COVID-19 virus. STEVE TYE Mayor NANCY A. LYONS Mayor Pro Tem ANDREW CHOU Council Member RUTH M. LOW Council Member JENNIFER "FRED" MAHLKE Council Member City Manager Dan Fox • City Attorney David DeBerry • City Clerk Kristina Santana DIAMOND BAR CITY COUNCIL MEETING RULES Welcome to the meeting of the Diamond Bar City Council. Meetings are open to the public and are broadcast on Spectrum Cable Channel 3 and Frontier FiOS television Channel 47. You are invited to attend and participate. Copies of staff reports or other written documentation relating to agenda items are on file and available for public inspection by contacting the Office of the City Clerk. If requested, the agenda will be made available in an alternative format to a person with disability as required by Section 202 of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. If you have questions regarding an agenda item, please contact the City Clerk at (909) 839-7010 during regular business hours. PUBLIC INPUT Members of the public may address the Council only on items listed on the Special agenda. Any material to be submitted to the City Council at the meeting should be submitted through the City Clerk. Speakers are limited to five minutes per agenda item, unless the Mayor determines otherwise. The Mayor may adjust this time limit depending on the number of people wishing to speak, the complexity of the matter, the length of the agenda, the hour and any other relevant consideration. Speakers may address the Council only once on an agenda item, except during public hearings, when the applicant/appellant may be afforded a rebuttal. Public comments must be directed to the City Council. Behavior that disrupts the orderly conduct of the meeting may result in the speaker being removed from the meeting. INFORMATION RELATING TO AGENDAS AND ACTIONS OF THE COUNCIL Agendas for regular City Council meetings are available 72 hours prior to the meeting and are posted in the City’s regular posting locations, on DBTV Channel 3, Spectrum Cable Channel 3, Frontier FiOS television Channel 47 and on the City’s website at www.diamondbarca.gov. The City Council may take action on any item listed on the agenda. HELPFUL PHONE NUMBERS Copies of agendas, rules of the Council, Video of meetings: (909) 839-7010 Computer access to agendas: www.diamondbarca.gov General information: (909) 839-7000 Written materials distributed to the City Council within 72 hours of the City Council meeting are available for public inspection immediately upon distribution in the City Clerk’s Office at 21810 Copley Dr., Diamond Bar, California, during normal business hours. THIS MEETING IS BEING VIDEO RECORDED AND BY PARTICIPATING VIA TELECONFERENCE, YOU ARE GIVING YOUR PERMISSION TO BE TELEVISED. THIS MEETING WILL BE RE-BROADCAST EVERY SATURDAY AND SUNDAY AT 9:00 A.M. AND ALTERNATE TUESDAYS AT 8:00 P.M. AND IS ALSO AVAILABLE FOR LIVE VIEWING AT HTTPS://GLOBAL.GOTOMEETING.COM/JOIN/962194045 and ARCHIVED VIEWING ON THE CITY’S WEB SITE AT WWW.DIAMONDBARCA.GOV. CITY OF DIAMOND BAR CITY COUNCIL AGENDA SPECIAL MEETING April 24, 2020 CALL TO ORDER: 10:00 a.m. PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE: Mayor ROLL CALL: Chou, Low, Mahlke, Mayor Pro Tem Lyons, Mayor Tye APPROVAL OF AGENDA: Mayor 1. CITY MANAGER REPORTS AND RECOMMENDATIONS: 2. PUBLIC COMMENTS: This public comment period is for items listed on the Special Meeting Agenda ONLY. Although the City Council values your comments, pursuant to the Brown Act, members of the City Council or Staff may briefly respond to public comments if necessary, but no extended discussion and no action on such matters may take place. There is a five-minute maximum time limit when addressing the City Council. At this time, the teleconference moderator will as k callers one at a time to give their name before providing their comment. 3. COUNCIL CONSIDERATION: 3.1 PROJECT ROOMKEY Recommended Action: Discuss and provide direction as deemed appropriate. Requested by: City Manager APRIL 24, 2020 PAGE 2 4. COUNCIL SUB-COMMITTEE REPORTS AND MEETING ATTENDANCE REPORTS/COUNCIL MEMBER COMMENTS: 5. ADJOURNMENT: Agenda #: 3.1 Meeting Date: April 24, 2020 TO: Honorable Mayor and Members of the City Council FROM: Daniel Fox, City Manager TITLE: PROJECT ROOMKEY STRATEGIC GOAL: Safe, Sustainable & Healthy Community RECOMMENDATION: Discuss and provide direction as deemed appropriate. FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. BACKGROUND/DISCUSSION: At the April 21, 2020 City Council meeting, the Council provided direction to schedule a Special Council meeting on Friday, April 24 2020 to discuss Project Roomkey. On April 4, 2020, Governor Newsom announced Project Roomkey (Attachment 1), a new initiative to secure 15,000 hotel/motel rooms across the State to move the most COVID-19 vulnerable homeless individuals off the street and into isolation to help prevent the spread of the virus and save lives. State and local governments receive up to a 75% cost-share reimbursement from FEMA for hotel rooms, including wraparound support services, meals, security and custodial services. Essential behavioral health and health care services are also provided as needed. The Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) has rapidly implemented this Program throughout the County securing hotel and motel rooms that will operate as temporary shelters as a prevention measure for highly vulnerable seniors and those suffering from chronic illness. This includes people experiencing homelessness who are over 65 years old, or who have an underlying health condition, and who do not currently have symptoms but are at high -risk for hospitalization if they contract the virus. The City has learned that the County entered into a contract with the Quality Inn in the 3.1 Packet Pg. 5 unincorporated area of Rowland Heights (Fairway Drive/SR 60) as part of this Program. A list of Frequently Asked Questions prepared by LA County regarding the Program is included in Attachment 2. The following is a list of questions that San Gabriel Valley Cities , including Diamond Bar, are seeking answers to and are being raise d through the San Gabriel Valley Council of Governments (SGVCOG). Mayor Pro Tem Nancy Lyons is the City’s Delegate, and Council Member Ruth Low is the City’s Alternate Delegate, to the SGVCOG. 1. How are people experiencing homelessness selected to be placed into participating hotels? How does this process relate to the Coordinated Entry System (CES)? 2. How are the hotel occupants assigned to hotels? Are people being sent from one community to another if rooms are not available in their original community? 3. Why were cities excluded from the site selection and contract negotiation process? Will cities be notified prior to hotel opening going forward? 4. What plans are in place or are being developed to address community concerns and impacts? 5. Is the Transient Occupancy Tax (TOT) still being paid to cities if these rooms are in use by Project Roomkey? 6. How are the hotel occupants tracked during the time they are in Project Roomkey? If they are absent, is there a plan to find the person who is missing? 7. Given that there may be an increase in calls made to local police departments, will those costs be covered for those expenses related to Project Roomkey? 8. What is the status of the effort to address the possible residency implications for individuals placed 30 days or longer? 9. When the crisis ends, how quickly will the hotel be restored to normal operations? 10. When the crisis ends, will there be advanced/early notice to cities so they can prepare? 11. When the crisis ends, are these plans to convert some or all of the participating hotels into long-term housing for the homeless? If so, how will cities be engaged? 12. When the crisis ends, what happens to those participants who are not placed into housing? 13. LASHA is looking to place 15,000 Tier 1 homeless people in Project Roomkey motels. Tier 1 people have met 2 conditions: 1.) 65 years old and older and 2.) have underlying health condition(s). Please verify that this is correct and still the current practice. 14. Are the residents screened for criminal records? If the resident has a misdemeanor, is she/he still placed in a Project Roomkey motel? What if he/she has a felony? 15. Will there be any kind of reporting to the city or the region on how this is working? Will there be a monthly report or ? 16. Are the residents allowed to bring illegal drugs or weapons into the Project 3.1 Packet Pg. 6 Roomkey motels? LEGAL REVIEW: City Attorney has reviewed and approved this item. PREPARED BY: REVIEWED BY: Attachments: 1. 3.1.a Governor Newsom Project Roomkey Press Release 4-3-2020 2. 3.1.b LA County Project Roomkey FAQ 04-05-2020 3.1 Packet Pg. 7 At Newly Converted Motel, Governor Newsom Launches Project Roomkey: A First-in-the-Nation Initiative to Secure Hotel & Motel Rooms to Protect Homeless Individuals from COVID-19 Published: Apr 03, 2020 State is securing thousands of isolation rooms in hotels and motels for extremely vulnerable individuals experiencing homelessness to help flatten the curve & preserve hospital capacity California is the first in the nation to secure FEMA approval for 75 percent federal cost-share for this life-saving mission & create a model for other states National Alliance to End Homelessness: “Project Roomkey sets a strong example” Chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen to provide meals to individuals experiencing homelessness living in some hotels SACRAMENTO – Today, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California has become the first state in the nation to secure FEMA approval to provide safe isolation capacity for tens of thousands of people experiencing homelessness in California in order to protect them and the state from COVID-19. The state’s effort, Project Roomkey, has set an initial goal of securing up to 15,000 rooms for this purpose and county partners have moved 869 homeless individuals most vulnerable to COVID-19 off the street, out of shelters, and into isolation. Today’s announcement means state and local governments will receive up to 75 percent cost-share reimbursement from FEMA for hotel and motel rooms, including wraparound supports such as meals, security, and custodial services. Essential behavioral health and health care services will also be provided by the local governments and community partners, as needed. These emergency protective measures will protect public health by isolating the medically vulnerable, thinning out the shelter population for social distancing, slowing the rate of spread of COVID-19 and, in turn, flattening the curve. “Homeless Californians are incredibly vulnerable to COVID-19 and often have no option to self-isolate or social distance,” said Governor Newsom. “By helping the most vulnerable homeless individuals off the street and into isolation, California can slow the spread of COVID-19 through homeless populations, lower the number of people infected and protect critical health care resources. We’re working hard with our county partners to get these hotels up and running as rapidly as possible.” The National Alliance to End Homelessness praised the project. “Through Project Roomkey, California has taken the lead in protecting homeless residents from COVID-19,” said Alliance president Nan Roman. “This initiative sets a strong national example of how state leaders can leverage their dollars with FEMA, HUD and other federal funds to address the needs of the most vulnerable homeless populations in this crisis and protect public health. The National Alliance to End Homelessness applauds Governor Newsom and the State of California on this innovative commitment.” California is pioneering a different approach to this emergency by working collaboratively with the hospitality sector with a goal to bring more than 15,000 hotel units online as quickly as possible. Through this effort, the state will provide dedicated support teams to counties, including assistance in identifying hotels, negotiating and executing operating agreements, and providing the local providers technical assistance in keeping the records necessary to receive federal reimbursement. Local governments are able to utilize the $150 million in emergency homeless aid that Governor Newsom and the Legislature made available to combat COVID-19. Project Roomkey will target hotels in counties with significant homeless populations that are also experiencing high concentrations of COVID-19 transmission. Local governments to date have secured 6,867 hotel and motel rooms for this purpose. Every hotel/motel within Project Roomkey will include essential wraparound services, such as custodial, laundry, security and support staff. The Governor also announced a partnership with Chef José Andrés’s World Central Kitchen, which will provide three meals a day to select Project Roomkey hotels through a statewide contract to support local efforts as needed. To provide safer options during the COVID-19 pandemic, Project Roomkey isolation units serve three critical public health purposes: • Prioritize individuals experiencing homelessness who are asymptomatic, but are at high risk, such as people over 65 or who have certain underlying health conditions, and move them into motel or hotel units where they can more safely self-isolate. Page 1 of 2At Newly Converted Motel, Governor Newsom Launches Project Roomkey: A First-in-th... 4/22/2020https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/04/03/at-newly-converted-motel-governor-newsom-launches... 3.1.a Packet Pg. 8 • Provide isolation capacity for individuals experiencing homelessness who have been exposed to COVID-19 (as documented by a state or local public health official, or medical health professional) that do not require hospitalization, but need isolation or quarantine; and • Provide isolation capacity for individuals experiencing homelessness who are COVID-19 positive, but who don’t need hospitalization. Without these isolation units, their only choice is to return to a congregate shelter setting or back to an encampment – both of which would lead to further spread of COVID-19. The local governments are responsible for identifying which shelter clients or encampment residents are selected for these hotel isolation placements and transporting them to the hotels for intake. The Governor’s ongoing efforts to deploy 1,305 trailers to local governments continues to progress. Trailers, purchased by the state and operated by the local governments, serve the same function as the hotels and complement the efforts of Project Roomkey. The state has purchase orders in place, and executes them and delivers the trailers as local governments provide deployment locations. To date, the state has purchased and deployed 584 trailers. The Governor also announced today the state will receive an additional 28 trailers through philanthropic support in partnership with Homeful, a California-based nonprofit focused on eradicating homelessness. ### Page 2 of 2At Newly Converted Motel, Governor Newsom Launches Project Roomkey: A First-in-th... 4/22/2020https://www.gov.ca.gov/2020/04/03/at-newly-converted-motel-governor-newsom-launches... 3.1.a Packet Pg. 9 LOS ANGELES COUNTY PROJECT ROOMKEY FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS Who will be occupying the rooms? People who are experiencing homelessness who have shown no symptoms of illness but are deemed “High-Risk” based on​ ​CDC Guidelines How long will the hotel be used for this purpose? The State of California and the County of Los Angeles are negotiating agreements with hotels across the county for three (3) months beginning from each site’s opening date. Will there be security? Contracted firms will provide onsite security 24 hours-a-day. The Los Angeles Police Department (or the local law enforcement agency) is fully aware of these hotels and will be on standby should they need to respond. ​How will the hotel be secured during its use? Site administrators are ensuring that only pre-screened and selected clients are allowed on site. Each occupant receives an identifier at check-in that will notify security that they are a registered occupant of the hotel. Only those clients who possess the identifier are allowed to enter the site. How does someone get referred to this site? Clients will ​NOT​ ​be allowed to walk-up and access this site. Individuals must be pre-screened and selected by a homeless services provider or referred by an outreach team before they can be transported to the location. What are the qualifications to secure a room? Homeless service providers have been asked to prioritize placing into hotels/motels the most vulnerable to COVID-19 – those aged 65 or older; and people who are at higher risk for severe illness – chronic lung disease or moderate to severe asthma, serious heart conditions, conditions that can cause a person to be immunocompromised, severe obesity, diabetes, chronic kidney disease and who are undergoing dialysis, and liver disease. Are there other hotels that I can go to? / Do you have any other shelter that can help me tonight? Contact 211 to find your nearest shelter location or service provider for assistance finding an emergency shelter location. A list of Winter Shelter sites is also available on www.lahsa.org​, 3.1.b Packet Pg. 10 How many hotels/rooms are you aiming to convert to shelter? The County of Los Angeles and Los Angeles Homeless Services Authority (LAHSA) are targeting 15,000 motel/hotel rooms county-wide. How is this project being funded? In mid-May, Governor Newson took emergency action and authorized $150 million in funding to protect homeless Californians from COVID-19. $50 million was set aside to purchase travel trailers and lease rooms in motels, hotels, and other facilities for immediate shelter for homeless families and individuals. Additionally, the County and LAHSA are using their direct allocations from the Governor’s COVID response Emergency Funding. How are you ensuring that no one who enters will have COVID-19? Prior to entrance, clients will be screened for symptoms pursuant to guidance issued by the Department of Public Health. Additionally, on-site staff and clients will be checked daily for symptoms. Will there be medical staff onsite to monitor the occupant’s health? Each site will have, on premise, a Registered Nurse and a Certified Nurse’s Assistant to provide medically administered health checks. What happens if someone contracts the virus? Do they go to a medical bed or shelter-in-place? Each site will follow the detailed protocols issued by Department of Public Health, should a client begin exhibiting any signs of illness Are these sites going to be used to create space for existing shelters? The goal is to get as many of our homeless neighbors who are the most at-risk – over the age of 65 and people of any age who have serious underlying medical conditions – into a shelter and out of danger. Before the pandemic, our shelters were near 100% utilization and we have to abide by the CDC-recommended 6-foot distancing rule. We are using these hotels, extended LAHSA Winter Shelter sites and the City congregate shelters to help alleviate capacity issues at our current shelter sites and to get as many people inside as possible. What was the process for securing the hotels? 2 3.1.b Packet Pg. 11 The State of California, in close coordination with the County of Los Angeles, has led the outreach efforts to hotels and motels interested in negotiating a temporary lease agreement for these purposes. Who is staffing the site? What services are being provided? Sites will be staffed by a local homeless services provider with professional expertise in administering interim housing sites. Clients will receive 3 meals a day along with case management services to assist these individuals find stable housing. Will guests be able to come and go from the hotel as they please? Guests are expected to abide by the same “Safer at Home” and social distancing guidance as everyone else in Los Angeles, but they are permitted to leave their rooms between the hours of 7:00am and 7:00pm as needed ​(note that every site will have its unique set of operation hours)​. 3 3.1.b Packet Pg. 12