To: Board of Supervisors
From: Planning and Building Department
Agenda Section: Public Hearing
Vote Requirement: Majority
SUBJECT:
title
Public Hearing on the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Inland Ordinance Amendment Allowing an Extension for an Additional 24 Months (Record # LRP-2023-18813)
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RECOMMENDATION(S):
Recommendation
That the Board of Supervisors:
1. Receive and consider the staff report, open the public hearing, and accept public comment; and
2. Close the public hearing; and
3. Deliberate on the proposed ordinance extension; and
4. Adopt an ordinance amending Title III, Division 1, Chapter 4 of the Humboldt County Code to Extend the Inland Safe Parking-Safe Shelter Pilot Program (Attachment 1) (LRP-2023-18813).
Body
SOURCE OF FUNDING:
The salary funding for preparing this staff report is included in the General Fund contribution to the Long-Range Planning unit (1100-282).
DISCUSSION:
This request is to extend the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Ordinance for a period of 24 months to allow staff to make the community aware the ordinance is available and to determine whether the ordinance can be effective in providing a source of safety for those who are without permanent shelter.
On June 7, 2022, the Board held a public hearing on the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Inland Ordinance, and unanimously approved the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Inland Ordinance (5-0). This ordinance allows a government agency, religious institution, non-profit charitable organization, or private non-profit organization to provide homeless individuals and families living in a vehicle or outside a safe place to park or sleep at no cost while accessing services. The pilot program ordinance was set to expire 18 months from the effective date (expires January 2024), unless extended. The purpose of structuring this as a pilot program is to determine the effectiveness of the ordinance before extending or adopting it as a permanent ordinance.
At the end of November of 2023, the provisions in the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Ordinance were not being utilized by any entity. During the 16 months from the ordinance’s effective date, nobody had initiated such a facility. In order to determine if there were provisions within the ordinance discouraging establishing a safe parking facility, Planning and Building staff contacted the Department of Health and Human Services along with several homeless advocacy groups to research potential reasons as to why the program was not being utilized. The primary reason is these groups and potential participants were not aware of the available pilot program.
Rather than letting the pilot program expire without it being tested, staff recommends the Board of Supervisors extend the ordinance to allow the Planning and Building Department to conduct a public information effort to advertise this pilot program and to work with interested agencies to encourage development of safe parking facilities. It is recommended that the extension be for a period of 2 years, with the understanding that the experience will either show this is not currently a viable program, or to use the experience from those who participate in the pilot program to develop a permanent ordinance.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
Staff costs and other expenses related to research of the existing ordinance, and preparation and review of this staff report total approximately $4,500. This comes from the General Fund contribution to the Long-Range Planning budget unit.
STAFFING IMPACT:
Staff time related to research and modifying the existing ordinance can be accomplished with current staff resources.
STRATEGIC FRAMEWORK:
This action supports your Board’s Strategic Framework priority of protecting vulnerable populations.
OTHER AGENCY INVOLVEMENT:
N/A.
ALTERNATIVES TO STAFF RECOMMENDATIONS:
Board discretion.
ATTACHMENTS:
Attachment 1: Proposed Amendment to the Safe Parking - Safe Shelter Pilot Program Inland Ordinance
PREVIOUS ACTION/REFERRAL:
Board Order No.: I-1
Meeting of: June 7, 2022, July 12, 2022
File No.: 22-561, 22-853