The captioning is available this evening to access this.

Select the show captions button in the meeting toolbar and select your preferred language.

Staff and commissioners are participating both remotely and in person.

Members of the public are welcome to provide public comments and listen to the meeting in person or on Zoom.

I will now call the rule.

Commissioners, please say here.

Vice Chair Hayes.

Commissioner Gonzalez.

Commissioner Singh.

Here.

Commissioner Perlman.

Here.

Commissioner Rashid.

And Commissioner Basana.

Here.

Okay.

First.

Oh, okay.

We're gonna welcome Carolyn Basana.

Am I saying your name correctly?

Your last name?

Okay, awesome.

Our newest commissioner.

And so we're gonna go around and introduce ourselves and then hear a little bit about you.

And welcome.

Hello, hi.

And so we'll start with Sada.

Sana, can we start with you?

Sure.

Hello, my name is Sada, and I am a human service planner.

Thank you for being with us.

Jimmy.

Hi, this is Jimmy Singh.

Uh I was a format chair and with the commission for the last four years.

Hi, I'm uh Chris.

We've met uh in the interview.

Nice to see you at the table now.

And uh welcome.

And I'm Ruth Blau, Human Services Manager.

Welcome, welcome.

Angela Fan.

And yeah, hi, welcome.

Olga Parliament.

I'm one of the New York commissioners as well.

Delphina Gonzalez.

So welcome.

This is the best time of the year to join us.

Thank you.

And I'm very happy to be here with a wonderful opportunity and look forward to working with you all.

Yay.

Thank you.

We also have Chrissy Stingley back in Christ.

Who is our senior planner?

Okay.

Giselle just Al.

Hi, I'm Giselle.

I'm the senior admin for human services.

I met you at Orientation.

So nice to see you again.

No.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah.

Okay.

All right.

Thank you.

And again, if you have any questions, please ask them.

Um, there are two sets of minutes to approve this evening.

Take a moment to review the March 16th and April 20th meeting minutes in front of you.

And I just have I don't see the merched ones.

It was just a single page.

I just have April's.

It's okay.

Thank you.

You just need the others.

Oh, I only have one copy.

Oh, yeah.

Okay.

Sorry about that.

I want to online.

Well, we can start at the April.

We can start with the April 20th meeting meeting minutes first.

Um discussion on the April 20th meeting minutes.

No.

Is there a motion to approve the April 20th minutes?

So moved.

I second.

All those in favor say aye.

All right.

All right.

All right.

The April 20th minutes are approved.

And we'll come back.

Okay, we can come back.

We're going to come back to one screen.

Um, so um basically it was just from our training.

Let me open those up.

And I would go over just the absence and then on, then I can move on.

Moment.

And we had Doug Rayford there for the training.

And I will move down to the business.

And that goes over.

Any discussion on the March 16 minutes.

No.

Is there a motion to approve the March 16 minutes?

So moved.

A second.

Okay.

All those in favor say aye.

All right.

The March 16 minutes are approved.

Good job.

Okay.

This is our favorite part.

Staff will call the names of people in the order they have signed up, either online or in person for oral and written communications.

Members of the public may speak during one of tonight's oral communications for up to three minutes per person or agency.

After everyone who has signed up to speak has been called, staff will ask if there is anyone else who will like to speak.

I recognize that I think we're at time for our public comment.

And so there will be a chance to speak after our meeting if we have additional comments.

If everyone votes.

Also, too, we're here to listen, but we cannot respond.

So if you're you're all new to public comments, commissioners cannot engage or speak, but we're listening.

So staff, can you please call speakers for oral communication?

Yes, thank you, Chair.

Our first speaker for oral communications is Alma Gonzalez with Nisso.

You can go ahead.

This is my first time, and I'm the first one.

Yay.

Okay, so uh my name is Alma Gonzalez, and I'm here to uh tell you a little bit more about NISO.

NISO, and I'm gonna look it in my notes because then my mind goes all over.

Uh NICE is a community-led organization, finding in 2018.

Uh base um decided based on the community input.

Um we started partnering with the side pathway when we started, and then over time we uh we expand, and we was uh we we were funded by the King County.

Um when the King County changed their policies, and they make a statement that NISA was one of the organizations who influenced the King County for those for those changes.

We're proud of that.

And um we will like we what we do, we serving uh I'm sorry, this is my first time I tell you doing it.

We uh we were with hundreds of families at this time, um who had children from zero to five with the whole idea to helping those families to um to uh uh advocate for their children.

They have all the tools that they needed uh in order to uh to be ready for kindergarten.

Uh we focus in four different areas, which is um health education, basic needs, and um with health education basic needs and uh parent support.

That's all the information that we bring to those families.

Uh we also uh hiring to do this job.

We hire people from the community, and most of these people that uh those people who've been participating in it uh previously in our program.

Um sorry, I tried to stick to my notes, but I know all the information is here, so I get a time.

We we're working with this uh with with those families.

Um, and we do partner with different organizations.

We partner with the uh school districts, we partner with uh uh cities with different cities, you know, like City of Bellevue, Kirkland, with B police department, and with dozens and dozens of uh nonprofit organizations, many of them that you already know.

Uh also we um we collecting data through the whole through the whole process with the families that we serve to be sure that we can improve ourselves, our services and the families get the information and the services they deserve.

Um I just what I don't know.

I'm I'm not very good to tracking my time.

I don't know how much I have, but with the second that I have, I just thought you know that we is the first time that we uh apply for the for to be granted by the city of Bellevue.

We really love what we do.

We impact so many families.

We have a very large group of uh uh promotoras or family liaison, we'll be calling.

Uh and um we hope we we can keep doing it if you guys consider our application.

I don't know if the time you did great.

That's perfect, Alma.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Axton Burton from Pride Across the Bridge.

And this is JL.

Bless you.

All good.

Do I need to press anything?

Sorry.

Good evening, commissioners.

My name is Axon Burton, and I'm the executive director for Pride Across the Bridge and Org serving our incredibly diverse queer community throughout the East Side.

This week our region lost a transgender teenager in Seattle, Juniper Plessing to a fatal stabbing.

The suspect was a Bellevue resident who had the privilege of turning himself in four days after the murder.

And while there have been promises of support, proclamation, visibility, and public statements over the years, hearing almost nothing from all of our Bellevue leaders in the wake of this loss has been deeply painful.

For our communities, this did not feel distant.

This is horrifically close to home.

This is home.

For me, this brings back the pain of the Bellevue resident, a trans Rainbow Elder and teenager girl, uh transgender girl in Duval, who we were uh who were taken from us two years ago.

I'm still very much in the grieving process.

Along with myself, I'm working with my incredible team to support the weight that many queer and trans community members are processing right now.

But I also know how important this meeting is, and I know that all of you wonderful people are here, are genuinely caring and care about our communities.

Pride Across the Bridge now holds more than 330 events annually across the Easts.

Our big book of all things queer is in four of our region's most read languages.

And the reason why Pride Across the Bridge is doing so much here is oftentimes out of survival and necessity, but also because our community is finally ignited, being served at home, not told to find their community elsewhere.

It works because volunteers, community members, and neighbors continue to show up from one another to create the connective infrastructure that is historically not existed until Pride Across the Bridge came to be.

Funding from the city of Bellevue would not just support the critical connective spaces we desperately need here, but to find one another and to be with one another.

It would help to fuel the incredible volunteers who make these hundreds of connective spaces possible.

It would help us nourish attendees, sustain recurring programs, expand multicultural access, and continue to build spaces where people can feel and exist, connect, breathe, and be seen.

There's still so much work to do in Bellevue, but we're deeply grateful for working with city partners, collaborators, and where visibility is possible.

We're working to build something that should have existed here decades and decades ago.

And I'm genuinely hopeful that this commission sees the depth of care, transparency, lived experience that our org and volunteer team bring to this work.

Thank you for listening, and thank you for your time.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Dr.

Janice Clark from Support Safe Homes.

Hi, good evening.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you.

Okay, thank you so much.

I am Dr.

Janice Clark, founder, visionaire, and president of Safe Homes.

We established in June 1st of 1995.

For nearly 30 years, Safe Homes has served youth, veterans, and families across Kings, Nohomish, Pierce, Thurston, and Kit Sap counties.

Our model is rooted in trauma-informed care, culturally responsiveness, and community partnership.

Why we created the women's veterans division?

In 2009, we launched the women veterans division because women veterans, especially black and native women veterans, face challenges that traditional veteran systems often overlook.

Many of us, including myself, are survivors of military sexual trauma or domestic violence, and too many struggle with homelessness, unemployment, and untreated trauma.

Safe homes uh women's veterans division was created to fill that gap with dignity, safety, and culturally grounded support.

We have a four-pillow model on the reason why we're asking the Bellevue as a partner to participate in this well uh long overdue needed services for this targeted population.

When we launched in 2009, we realized that we needed to be a sustainable and also that uh provide that stability.

So the four miller four pillar model is the mouthful.

Housing stability, securing safe housing for women veterans in crises, financial education, and wealth building by improving credit and reducing debt, employment and entrepreneurship, connecting women, veterans to living wage careers and small business opportunities, and fourth, emotional and mental wellness, providing military sexual trauma, specifically and culturally grounded in healing.

Your investment allows us to expand housing access, increase the financial stability, and deliver trauma-informed care to women veterans who have been historically overlooked.

Together, we can ensure that every woman veteran has the safety, security, and stabilization that she not only earned but certainly deserved.

Thank you for your time.

Thank you, Dr.

Dennis Clark.

Our next speaker for oral communications is Meredith Meyer with Imagine Housing.

All right.

My name is Meredith Meyer, and I serve as a housing stability resident services manager at Imagined Housing.

Imagine Housing has been providing affordable housing on the east side for nearly 40 years.

In the last 15, we have added resident services to our portfolio to help individuals and families connect to resources and strengthen housing stability.

To sustain and continue providing essential supportive services to residents at our Bellevue Imagined Housing properties, we have submitted city applications for 285,000 in funding to support our resident services programming.

In addition, we've requested 55,000 in funding to support our partner behavioral health services that provide additional supports to our most vulnerable residents.

In 2025, 99% of Imagined Housing residents maintain stable housing for at least 12 months.

Funding support for ongoing staffing and on-site resident services for individuals and families, including those exiting homelessness, is crucial to the continued success and ongoing housing stability of the Bellevue households we serve.

Our resident services programming creates supportive environments for families and individuals can move from surviving to thriving.

And Imagine Housing's affordable communities, on-site resident services help in a multitude of ways.

Resident Services builds community and reduces isolation.

In 2025, resident services case managers hosted over 470 community events, supporting connection amongst residents and with their broader communities in Bellevue.

Resident Services increases access to resources.

Over 8,935 referrals were made in the 2025 service providers and partnering organizations, supporting residents with essential supports like food, behavioral health, financial assistance, as well as connecting to job training, educational programs, health care, and legal assistance.

Resident Services reduces costs and improves access by bringing services on site and helping residents connect efficiently to community providers.

In 2025, over 17,137 basic needs items like cleaning supplies, personal care products, paper products were distributed to residents.

And 1,211 kid vantage orders like diapers, wipes, strollers, clothing bundles were fulfilled.

Ensuring access to these critical items allows residents to direct their resources towards essentials such as rent and food and ensuring long-term housing stability.

In closing, city funding is vital for the continuation of Imagined Housing's resident services programming and supports that have proven critical in maintaining housing stability.

With an average household income of 28,292 and 77% of residents earning less than 30% AMI, many households are just one unexpected expense away from falling behind.

The programs and services we provide build stronger communities by connecting people to resources, building skills, and intervening early when challenges arise.

We thank you for the city's past support and for your consideration of our current 2027-2028 request.

Thank you all for your consideration.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Tara Hakam with Family La Casa.

And I believe they are online.

So Tara, um, you can go ahead when you're ready.

Can you hear me?

We can hear you, yes.

Perfect.

Thank you.

Hi, my name is Tara Hawkham, and I'm a board member and volunteer advocate of Family Law Casa of King County, and I'm here to share briefly about the work we do to help families with low incomes in Bellevue and across the county.

Family La Casa is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children, families, and communities navigating economic injustice across King County.

We advance intersectional equity by providing free advocacy services for children involved in family law cases, connecting families to support services, and driving transformational system change.

Each year, we advocate for hundreds of children involved in high-risk custody cases across the county.

In 2025, we served 18 residents in six cases in Bellevue.

And in the first quarter alone of 2026, we've been working on six cases with 15 residents in Bellevue.

Imagine a child caught in the middle of a complex custody case, being exposed to conflict, domestic violence, neglect, or abuse.

These situations are not just heartbreaking, they have long-lasting consequences.

Imagine their parents struggling with their own challenges and traumas, trying to figure out how to navigate a very complex court system with no knowledge or resources.

In King County, over half of parents involved in family law cases can't afford legal representation.

This means judges are making critical decisions about a child's future without fully understanding their needs and the best interests or the complexities of their parent situation.

Family Law Casa steps in to shine an objective light on the realities in the homes of these children and ensure their voices and experiences are understood by the court.

We also use interpreters when a family speaks a different language as their first language to ensure that we can fully capture the nuances of these very complicated cases.

For one example, uh a case that we're currently working on in Bellevue involves a family that speaks Russian.

This case involves three children living with their mother in Bellevue.

It has required us to use Russian interpreters for the interviews between advocates and the parties in the case.

It involves allegation of physical abuse, abandonment, and neglect.

This case has lasted over a year and a half already, and our advocates and legal team have filed two reports already.

Trial is currently pending, and our recommendations are a critical part of the proceedings to ensure the judge is able to make sure the children are safe and are not exposed to further traumas in their lives.

We are hopeful to continue partnering with Bellevue through your Human Services Commission funding in 2027 and 2028 in order to keep providing this vital service to families to create more stable homes and healthy kids in our community, building leaders for Bellevue and our county through this support and healthy Holm Living.

Thank you for your time, and please feel free to ask me any questions that you might have.

Thank you, Tara.

Our next speaker is Sakira Abu.

I believe they were also online.

So good.

Good evening, commissioners.

My name is Zakaria, and I'm speaking on the behalf of MCNA and Robocodor regarding the East Side Youth Morship and Mental Wellness Application across Bellevue and the East Side.

Many immigrant refugee, African immigrant, and multilingual youth are quietly carrying isolation, bullying, identity pressure, and mental health challenges or lacking trusted mentors who truly understand their lived experiences.

Africans on the east side and local families were creating trusted spaces through mentorship, STEM and robotics, sports, and family engagement.

Adam Moore Elementary School, we saw students who were normally quiet, beginning leading robotic activities, speaking with confidence, and connecting more deeply with their peers and families.

This is not just a youth program.

This is a prevention work.

This is belonging work.

This is about reaching young people before they disconnect, lose hope, or fall through the crux.

When youth feel seen, connected, and supported, and so our community communities become safer, healthier, and stronger.

We appreciate the city of Bellevue's commitment to youth, wellness, prevention, and equitable access, and we hope to continue building a stronger future for the Eastside Youth Together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Next.

Our next person on for oral communication is Jennifer Savage with the Sophia Way.

Good evening.

My name is Jennifer Savage, and I serve on the board at uh cannot speak on the board of directors for the Sophia Way.

The Sophia Way serves women experiencing homelessness here in our community, providing shelter, safety, and pathways to permanent housing.

With your support, over 500 women access services and more than 140 were supported into the housing in the past year alone.

These are women navigating extremely low incomes, trauma, and complex barriers, and who, with the right support, are able to stabilize and rebuild their lives.

Every day we see that homelessness for women is not just about a lack of housing, it's about needing consistent trauma-informed care and a clear path forward.

That's why the Sophia Way is focused not only on emergency shelter, but on building long-term stability through housing, day centers, support services, and strong community partnerships.

We know that when women have stability, a safe place to sleep, food, consistent support, and a pathway forward, they are able to heal and move towards independence.

We appreciate and are grateful for the commission's commitment to investing in solutions that work and help create lasting stability in our community.

Thank you for your time and your leadership.

Okay, thank you.

Our next speaker is Mike Stewart from Kindring.

Good evening, commissioners.

My name is Mike Stewart, and I serve as the new CEO of Kindring, a nonprofit founded here in Bellevue more than 60 years ago.

Each year, we have the privilege of serving over 800 Bellevue children with diverse needs in their families.

And first, thank you for your partnership.

Your investments in our free childcare consultation, parent education, and family stabilization services provide critical support in turbulent times.

Next, I will share some trends we are seeing.

Demand for these services is growing as families face increasing stressors like economic hardship, housing instability, and heightened immigration concern.

These stressors directly impact child development.

Children of color and children with disabilities are disproportionately at risk for of being expelled from child care in preschool.

These inequities amplify the gaps in child care access, recognized in your human services, needs updates.

However, I'm proud to say that last year, 96% of children referred to our child care and preschool consultation program retained in their child care settings.

I attribute this to our team's thoughtful collaborative approach and the trust they have developed over time with early learning providers throughout Bellevue.

Our parent education and family support program extends that impact directly to families by offering culturally respectful guidance for caregivers of young children through group classes and coaching.

We help caregivers address behavioral concerns, reduce stress, and feel more confident supporting their child's development.

Our families in transition program or fit supports children with in families experiencing housing instability and immigrant and refugee families.

We provide developmental evaluations, pediatric therapies, infant mental health therapy, outreach, case management, and connection to essential resources like housing, employment, and food.

Last year, 88% of children in FIT made progress toward their developmental goals.

Giving increasing immigration and financial stressors, we expect the need for early learning, parent education, and family stabilization services to continue growing.

In closing, I want to say thank you for your partnership.

Your investment in is providing children with life-changing care and it is helping families find stability in a very challenging time.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Our next speaker is Sharmila Ratinam from Eat Happy Now.

Good evening, Commissioners.

This is Sharma Ratnam, the founder of a food rescue nonprofit called Eat Happy Now.

Eat Happy Now was founded about three and a half years ago to fulfill the need of rescuing perfectly healthy food, and we redirect the food from landing up ending up in landfills to people in need real time.

We use technology, we use an app called Eat Happy Now, which onboards all the culturally relevant produce as well as grocery stores and restaurants onto our app, and we connect it to the people in need, and we pick up and drop within an hour.

So there is no packing or sorting or a facility where we take the food to.

And that is over 3,800 people.

We provide food access on a monthly basis.

And just in last year, for 2025, we've rescued over 100,000 pounds of food and uh touched over 3,400 members, uh, food insecure members in Bellevue.

We are able to collect this kind of real-time data because of the technology and the app we use.

This year, what we've done this with the ability of AI, we've also taken this data which we collect real time and made meaningful uh report and impact of what the organization is doing.

So, all these numbers I just pulled before coming to the meeting because the numbers which we have is real-time update.

So, I really want to thank uh the commission for believing investing in us, and we hope that the funding coming in will continue to help build stronger communities because we do a lot of focus on student advocacy and want to educate the students at high school levels to start these Eat Happy Now clubs.

So the investment is going to go in rescuing more country-relevant food, serving more people, and also bring this technology to food banks and food rescue operations because we have seen a ton of operational efficiency and capacity building at our level in terms of what we can achieve with the data we have.

So thank you and appreciate all your support.

Thank you, Sharmila.

Our next speaker is Tia Kennebrew with CCS.

Hello, I am Tia Kinnerbrew, program director for New Bethlehem programs with Catholic Community Service.

Um, I thank you for your continued support in what we do.

Um, so um we believe everyone deserves housing.

Um, what we do here um at the Beth programs is that we operate uh 24-7 shelter um at a hotel and at a facility, and we also have a day center that services families and single adults can enter into the um day center to come take a shower, to come get food, to get hygiene products.

Um we've been operating um for the past 10 years in the Kirkland area, and we have just seen um a rise in people that are needed support.

The day center is to be in access more.

Um, and we welcome anyone to come use the facility to take showers, the um safely park in the parking lot while they're doing that.

Um, over the past year, we have um housed and serviced 41 families, um, have been in our shelter and have been able to provide permanent supportive housing or rapid rehousing.

Um and so we continue to do this support and we continue to assist the families.

Um, but the barriers that they come with are various barriers.

Um dealing with evictions, um, criminal backgrounds.

So we we believe everyone deserves housing and um with a basically a low barrier, um, trauma-informed approach.

And so when we service the families, we don't require them to have um like documents, so we have some undocumented um residents in our shelters, um, and we are the only family shelter on the east side.

Um, we are the only one that provides um 24 hour, um, 24-7 enhanced care wraparound services with case management services, um, housing assistance, employment, tutoring for the kids, um, our volunteers there come and help the kids with tutoring.

Um people coming in for the day center, hygiene packs um to eat.

Um, so the community on the east side really relies on us, and we just want to continue to do the work that we do in the service the families and give them um housing because everyone deserves housing.

Thank you for your time.

Okay, thank you, Tia.

Um, and the final speaker that I have signed up for oral communications is Miriam Padilla with for tomorrow.

Oh, public.

Okay, sorry, Miriam Padilla with for public.

Oh no, I'm just ready to speak.

Oh, okay.

Go ahead.

Yeah, sorry about that.

As a member of the public, I misunderstood.

Well, good evening.

Um is Miriam and I'm a mother of seven, three grown and four still in my care.

For years.

Sorry, my first time doing this.

Um, my life has shaped by trauma and survival.

I became a domestic violence survivor, and that experience left me struggling to find safe, stable housing for my children.

I stayed with my family and friends when when I could.

At times I lived in our car until I was until my cart was towed for improper parking, losing the carton and losing our last bit of shelter.

We were officially homeless.

Even as I worked hard and found an okay job, we were only able to rent a small room for all of us for five of us.

I could I couldn't cook meals for my kids or give them the sense of home they deserve.

I reached out to many organizations for help throughout years, um, trying to get housing or some kind of support.

Never came around.

No response.

Um, then everything began to change at an event at the Together Center.

I met a coordinator for from for tomorrow from that first conversation.

I felt something I hadn't feel in a long time.

Safety and trust.

When I later see when I later secured a better job, I finally had enough income to afford rent, but not the high moving cost.

I remember for tomorrow for tomorrow and reached out.

They enrolled me in the in the in their life service program, and I was connected again with the same coordinator who had made me feel safe that first day.

For tomorrow for tomorrow helped me cover my move in costs.

And today, my children and I live in an apartment where we feel safe, stable, and at home.

My coordinator continues to guide me, answering questions, connecting me through resources and helped me navigate challenges with confidence.

Now I am beginning a new chapter, therapy through for tomorrow for many families for my families.

For many families, the need might look financial on the surface, but for tomorrow offers much more healing, clarity, and empowerment.

With for tomorrow's help, I've reached my gold, found stability for my family and regained the confidence to build our future.

Thank you.

Thank you.

That's all that we have signed up for oral communications.

Um we have reached the 30-minute limit, but um if there's anyone online or in person that would like to speak, we can ask the commission to extend.

Is there you can raise your hand if you would like to speak?

Okay, you're good to go, Chair.

Okay.

I don't see council member Robinson for um city council updates or major San Bria.

So we're gonna go straight to staff and commissioner reports.

Do we have any commissioner reports?

Nothing.

Okay.

Staff reports.

Yes, thank you, Chair.

Um I'm going to ask around a schedule of what our special meetings are going to look like.

Do we need one more over there?

No, we're good.

Um this paper has a breakdown at the top of just the total requests that came in, the number of applications, how many new programs we have, the amount that we're budget budget budgeted for for human services and for the BHRS.

Uh funding that we sometimes call for 1590 funding.

Um, and then we will be having the three special meetings.

So we have two, we've divided the commissioners into two groups with staff support, and these meetings are June 15th, July 6th, and July 20th.

Those dates are bumped because we didn't have a quorum at our last meeting.

And then it tells you for the first group, uh, Commissioner Fenn, Commissioner Singh, Rashid, and Basana.

It will have the topics that we're gonna cover for each meeting.

So June 15th will be food and financial assistance, and then the next column over tells you how many applications there are in each of those areas and who your staff supports will be.

So for that first group, uh that first special meeting on June 15th, we will be around the corner down the hall.

We have windows, uh, but we will be not in this room.

It'll be a special meeting, and you'll work at your tables with your staff support to work through areas of need and make your recommendations, your preliminary recommendations that when we come back after the three special meetings, you'll be debating your recommendations in this group with the public.

But these meetings will be the public can come and sit, but it isn't recorded, and um there's no interacting.

So I just wanted to give people a little bit of breakdown so that you're facing your notebooks, you can see sort of what dates you'll need to be ready with which topics.

And if you have any questions, let me know.

At our next meeting, we're gonna dig in even a little further.

We'll have our staff recommendations for the first set of uh meetings.

And uh I'll answer, of course, any questions at any time.

So both teams, we are gonna be here in June 15, same room, just divided, like for June 15th, July 6th, and July 20th, we'll be around the corner.

Okay.

Yep.

Thank you.

How is everyone feeling about that?

Horrible.

Horrible.

I know Friday we get off because of the 4th of July, but I'm just curious if everyone's gonna be around because that it would be great to let me know now if we feel like that's a challenging date because we we do have more time.

Um we don't we have all of the time we need in September and October to get things all hashed out.

So can I ask if people know that the July 6th date Monday, July 6th is a challenge for a meeting?

We can we can bump dates again if we need to.

It really depends on where you're gonna bump.

Because if you're gonna what date, right?

Well, it would just bump one date forward.

We at this time we don't need to add a meeting, it would just bump the agenda further down.

And it's better that we know now versus like a week or if you know you're gonna be gone for a long weekend for the fourth of July.

I might be traveling for work actually.

That's why, but I don't know yet.

Okay.

Okay.

And is it a challenge for you?

No.

Okay.

I'm just thinking that I'm just thinking.

No, it's great to think.

So in this moment, it sounds like the date could work out just fine.

Commissioner Hayes has had raised his hand.

Oh, uh not about this.

So I'll wait till we'll finish with the item.

Great.

So in this moment, we will keep the meeting on the sixth.

But as you're watching life happen, be sure to let us know if it looks like you're gonna meet miss a meeting.

We're really needing to have a quorum.

And it's nice to know ahead of time if we're not gonna have a quorum so that the public doesn't show up.

And so uh for each other, we can we can reschedule instead of having to cancel after we've arrived.

Um is the public meeting, these meetings with the public?

The special meetings, there's no public comment.

They can sit in the room, but there's no public comment.

There's a public hearing on June.

The public hearing is June 1st.

Yep.

It might be beneficial to check back in with the commission, maybe on June 5 June 1st or June 15th.

Yep, that sounds great.

And then uh sorry, you go.

No, no, finish.

I had a uh question about um so if it's a first time reviewing a lot of applications.

Does staff have any strategies or tips for the commissioners to where do we start?

Do we just like read all the applications?

Do we set up a grading scale?

What's the best way to kind of get us down the path?

Um, that's a great question.

So uh just for you, Vice Chair Hayes.

You're on June 15th, you'll be working on shelter and fostering well-being.

Shelter is 20 applications, fostering well-being is 11 applications.

So you'll want to start there.

I would ask uh Commissioner Singh and Fan for your hot tips for how you get through applications.

Yeah.

So once you go through, you will find out the things you have to look into.

What are the areas you need to focus?

It's all in the same order.

The numbers people served you read about the organization.

One, three or four will be hard, but then you will go in the floor.

You'll be able to understand the but you have to go through everything.

Yeah, yeah, all the applications.

Yeah, that was my we're all required to read all of them.

So just keep that in mind.

Um what I told Carolyn earlier was if everything starts blending together, stop reading them because that means you've just read too many, and you want to make sure you're giving enough time to the organization that you're reading it and you're understanding that this is what the organization does.

So if things start blending together, you've read too many.

Um, I highlight like crazy.

I take notes like crazy.

Um, and then the staff works, they they work with these organizations.

So any questions that you might have, just ask a staff member.

Um, because they're they're working with the organizations and they're they're they'll be able to answer your questions.

Yeah.

Is there any organization tips like do you kind of um categorize the applications to subcategories and it tips along?

Do you want to know that I think yeah?

Okay.

Um this is gonna sound so geeky.

I can't no one's asked me.

Um, I scheduled a weekend away for my family.

I took just my binders, and I I organized the chunks of time by uh area.

So it was like from 10 a.m.

to 12 p.m.

I was only reading like food food, and then I would take a break, and I was out in the like I I took I took a lot of hikes, and then I'd come back, and then the next chunk of time I just spent on shelters, and that's what I did because I'm crazy.

But uh yeah, but I think like whatever you do, just think about like however you prepared for like the hardest tests that you could take in college and or high school, and like what you did to prepare.

That's how I kind of did because you don't need to be knowledgeable in all of the things.

That's you have them right here.

You can always reference them, you can always look at them, but it does matter, I think, to the organizations that you did take the time to read the to read their applications and to understand like what they're doing in community.

But like knowing the numbers and stuff, you're never gonna like that's so many numbers.

But getting like understanding what these organizations are doing for our community, I think is the the biggest important part.

So we have a staff assigned to us, which will be sitting with us.

Thank you.

Yes.

And I want to add one thing, like there was an appreciation last weekend, commission appreciation day.

And I want to appreciate whole staff.

We couldn't have done it without you.

I would have taken a mic from Mayor and said that it's got a staff.

Everyone was taking a credit, but it was a staff, which plays a major role.

Thank you.

And one thing I want to add about questions to staff about agencies.

Um, we are uh not going to be responding to specific commissioner questions if it's beyond information that's in the application because if we have to go back to the agency, I think what we've found is that it just creates a really uneven playing field.

If we try to contact an agency to ask a commissioner question and they get back to us really quickly, then that looks really good for that agency.

If another agency isn't get able to get back to us, that can reflect poorly on them.

So we are happy as staff to answer any questions that we can for you, but we are not going back to the agencies to ask questions.

And we're aware that there are some applications that are incomplete, and we have still moved them forward.

We have some staff recommendations that may reflect an incomplete application, but you all are welcome to do with that what you will if you come across an application that isn't complete.

I do have some clarificing questions because the navigation seems to be like a broad 67 application.

So do we know ahead of time like what would how is it organized essentially?

Like if we're gonna go through two two sessions of navigation, so how do we know which ones are in the first day or second day, at least for our group?

You can do it in order.

Yeah, so we typically do them in order, and Saga and I are overseeing um that section.

And so we actually went through and broke them into categories.

So you'll see the legal applications are kind of lumped together so that it's a little bit more systematic.

So as we're having the conversation, we're not going from legal to case management to I'm trying to think of something other totally other area, because it is a very broad category.

And so we you'll see when you look at them, they're not necessarily organized by alphabetical order, they're organized by category.

And so I think after the first meeting, we'll be able to see kind of what the groove of the group is and be able to say, we're thinking we can get through these applications in the next meeting, and then maybe be prepared to talk about this chunk.

And I think the other thing is that the other commissioners will be aware of, but you may not be that may have been part of your onboarding, but staff will also provide recommendations.

And so as um a staff team, we've been working on funding recommendations for each of the categories, and so that will be something that you'll get in the future.

Um, it does not mean at all that you have to find follow what our guidelines are or what what our funding recommendations are.

It's just from the guidelines that we used um based on our strategic plan and something Ruth will be talking about in a little bit.

Um, we um came to up with some recommendations because there are it is a lot more requests than the amount of money we have, and so we put some kind of structure in place as far staff of what how how we would do recommendations, but again, uh the commission is the deciding body, so it doesn't have to be followed.

I'll want to add one thing, yeah.

You're free to ask as many as questionnaire.

We all asked when we took we ask all kind of crazy stuff, and you know rules for you.

You ask whatever in your mindset.

We need maybe your question will ring some bell and we will think differently.

So please feel free to ask as many questions you want.

I guess uh a couple of things.

Can you actually print for us or resent to us the list of how many dollars each of these organizations got in the last round?

I know you have provided that to me before, but I don't see that unless it's somewhere here that I just didn't.

Yeah, when we give you the staff recommendations, it'll include what they were funded in the last cycle.

So that'll be one of the columns.

You don't have that.

We will have them by the 22nd.

We'll email out the recommendations for the June 15th group.

We will have those ready by the end of this week.

Yeah, on the application on I think it's the first page of the application, and it says what they received last funding cycle and what they're requesting this cycle.

That is in I would say that the majority of them are accurate.

I think that there was one that I came across that funding was somewhere else within Bellevue, but they did actually get funding from City of Bellevue, just not from human services.

Um, but the majority of them are accurate.

I guess that's why I was worried is that like it's an application.

But okay, great.

That's good.

So we will also get the information if they have asked the money from Redmond Renton, that would be also added.

I see that.

I'm just was more interested in like what are they received last year from us because I know I've gotten that list before and it helps to think about it.

Um what do you want to do with the conflict of interest?

What is the I'm on the board of one of these organizations and they have applied for like four or five places?

Oh, okay.

Then you can let us know, and you can participate in uh you can be a present for the group and not participate and not uh weigh in about the funding, just recuse yourself from the conversation.

We have to talk about that because I at this point I should just resign.

Because they're in like four or five of these okay, but it will be pointless to be part of the discussions period.

Okay, so in the past is just recusing yourself for that application, and so you could still talk um talk about your recommendations for all the other agencies, and then it would be the other participants in your group discussing for that.

Yeah, it's just that one that's that's the other quick question.

Like, so I'm looking at the application number two, and it does it doesn't have a check mark.

Is this a new program?

Yes or no, it's it's not checked.

So is that just a miss?

Okay.

Then um, what what is I just want to make sure I understand fully, I get what the culturalistically specific services means.

That I just want to make sure I definition-wise provide cultural linguistic responsive services.

So, for instance, um, if an agency provides translation, that's responsive to the need.

That's different from if it was grounded and founded in um the language that's being uh requested.

So responding to the needs, we expect every agency we fund to be culturally and like linguistically responsive.

We have high hopes that all of them are.

So really we're really looking for the specific define some different okay.

That's why I was like, I got the first one.

That's the second.

Yeah.

That you're oh yeah, that's why I was just checking.

We can check in um briefly after the meeting, but I think it's fine for you to not weigh in on the small number of uh applications that you're connected to, but to still fully participate in your group.

Does that make sense?

That's fine.

I mean, I used to like sign some kind of a waiver as well.

I don't know if you guys have anything like that.

Switch her group.

No, she's not even in.

I think it's quite a few larger organizations.

Any other questions, comments, and we'll dig in even more at the next meeting.

And you show you'll have an email with recommendations for the June 15th groups by the end of the week.

Um that's all for my announcements.

Any other staff reports.

Okay.

Um just that we had the appreciation event last week.

I believe so.

Yeah.

And uh the city clerk's office wanted to see if you had any feedback about it.

Um, just offhand.

I know last year, last year, one of the items was like to bring a plus one.

So they did that this year.

So they were just um wanting to see if you had any comments, concerns, feedback about the appreciation event.

Host it for happy hour somewhere outside of City Hall.

We spend too much time here.

Yeah, we all all everyone appreciated, but there should be something that we could improve also like um that they can improve on the yes.

This is what like uh something coordination we can bring the city any concerns, any anything yes, and the council can tell that this is what we didn't get from human services so that we can improve little feedback from them or we can get feedback so you want feedback as well, like yeah, okay, okay.

Okay, okay, that's all for me.

All right, just so will you share the community agreement PowerPoint.

Um, so following the equity and bias training, commissioners shared reflections on what would help create a safe, positive, respectful, and productive culture during these meetings, as well as as we're thinking about moving into our funding process.

So we took these themes and drafted a community agreement that you all will be able to look at right now.

Um, and again, the goal of these agreements is to provide a shared framework on how we want to approach meetings, discussions, and review uh all of these amazing applications that you have ahead of you.

Um I know there were a couple of commissioners that were missing the day that we created this.

So again, this is just an opportunity for you all to offer any feedback, um edits to this community agreement.

So the first one is we uh create a welcoming and supportive environment where all commissioners feel heard, respected, and comfortable asking questions, encourage open, honest dialogue about allowing space for discussion, differing perspectives, and naming difficult topics without judgment.

We approach funding conversations with confidence, curiosity, kindness, and empathy, recognizing that learning and growth are ongoing for everyone.

Remain mindful of personal bias while focusing on shared goals, community impacts, and overall philosophy guiding funding decisions.

And the last one is foster a collaborative process where disagreements are viewed as productive, mistakes are treated as learning opportunities, and commissioners support one another through the process.

So I will hand it over to our chair if there's anything else that you guys will like to discuss around community agreements.

Um we uh add one thing in this it's like a responsibility, accountability, and it's a taxpayers' money.

We are taking it, it's a responsibility and accountability for that community agreement via agreement that we are the representatives of the community, and we need to be responsible for the taxpayer money by accountability amongst the other questions, yes.

Anything else?

Okay, we will make sure to add that.

And then moving forward, you will see something like this with the updated guidelines that you all created at every meeting.

And again, this is just to ground us on how and the posture we take when we're together.

Thank you.

Thank you.

Any other staff reports?

No.

Okay, so first order of business is Christy.

The commission is finalizing and voting on funding recommendations for the convening funding.

And Christy's gonna present staff recommendations.

Sorry.

Can we please get a confirmation of how many dollars?

I thought it was 200 in total.

It's 200 per year.

Per year.

Yeah.

So just a little reminder because we gave you these applications and talked about this quite a while ago.

And because of changes of meetings and meetings being canceled, this has been delayed.

So I just want to do a little reminder.

So the first was actually it's 200,000 per year.

So when we're doing awards, we typically do what the first year award will be, and then it is um the same amount the second year.

So the organizations that applied for this needed to be convening education and or human service providers along with other interested parties to increase their collective impact.

And just as a reminder, this is parks and community services funding.

So we had five agencies apply.

Um one agency, Dahlia Living was not eligible eligible because they were missing some of the required documentation.

Um we had $395,000 in request for the $200,000 available.

And on the chart, um, and did we print that out as well?

Okay, so it's printed out in front of you as well.

It looks like this okay.

I have an extra copy.

Do you have it?

Your eyes must be better than mine.

Um so on the chart you can see that it covers some of the factors that staff took into account when they were reviewing and making their staffing recommendations.

Staff recommended $80,000 for East Side for All and for East Side Pathways and $40,000 for Hero House.

And so, unless there's immediate questions, I'll pass it back to Angela, but Sada and I are also available as questions or commissioner or chairman.

Um leadership east, not a conven like the justification given.

I think this is a really good program.

We should be supporting them.

I have seen them first time, I think, in the application.

I haven't seen them before.

This is the first time they've ever applied to us when staff reviewed their application.

Um we also feel like they're a great organization.

They um tend to convene professionals and not necessarily human services and educators, which is the focus of this application, so that's why we did not recommend funding for them.

But added to that that being joining as a commission, I was nominated and I've gone through their course, and it helped me to make a lot of things.

And you guys can have that conversation.

Right now we're asking Christy questions, and then we're gonna go into discussion.

So any questions for Christy before we discuss.

I have a question.

Go for it, Chairman.

Um, my question is does Hero House currently convene.

I know I I don't they I I believe, and Soda, correct me if you remember this incorrectly.

They do believe they convene um in a non-formal way currently, but there is not a formal convening that they have in place.

Okay, thank you.

Is that what you vote?

Um other questions for Christy before we open it up to discussion.

Okay.

Now is the time to discuss.

Can I add one more piece of information just because um Commissioner Perman asked that earlier around the other agencies?

So in our past funding cycle, we um awarded 100,000 to East Side for All and 100,000 to East Side Pathways.

Well, for years you actually gave a whole 200 to the East Side Pathways who relied on that funding, and they had to let go number of their staff, which was in their application, because this is not enough for them to actually manage it.

It's pretty clearly stated, and there's an impact on the community.

Yeah, it was not a competitive process in the past.

So our last funding cycle, we made it a competitive process of the committee.

It was a commissioner decision versus a leadership decision.

Just acknowledging their application has made it very clear that yeah, not working.

Any other um my uh no, not mine.

I'm gonna start over here with Carolyn.

Were you able to look at any of the convening applications or anything or yeah, I've uh I've brought through them.

Okay, yeah.

And um, I'm still learning a lot of things, you know, trying to just be here and really listen to the discussions as I learn along, you know, things that we have to decide on.

Yeah.

So any like so this would be the time that you if you had any like questions to ask the group because we did have we did do the funding for this um two years ago, a year and a half ago.

Um, and if you wanted to say anything like um I any, I don't want to say anything examples, but if you had any support or not like information about um organizations that this is the time for for you to I know you don't have that, but I'm just saying, like just in general, like if you had any like insight or any opinion about where you think the staff recommendation works, doesn't work.

This is the time that we would would we would do it.

Okay, all right.

Thank you, you're okay.

Okay, Dalphina.

I have a question.

So for the hero the house, I mean hero house, they haven't found in 40,000 still, or why not understand what I learned from the application was that they would like to do this, like the it was very clear that they're not doing it.

Okay, yeah.

Um this is just staff recommendation.

We don't have to go with stack staff recommendation.

So my question, I just wanted to be very clear and ask very plainly like do they do this already?

And they don't.

Um so yeah, and their application is stating uh uh seeing a specific need or like a gap and creating a convening format so that they can get the funding.

And we have to vote tonight.

Yeah, I didn't see that one.

I agree with the side for all the any side pathways.

Okay, but not any rec sure for not sure for Hero House.

Okay, we'll go back.

We'll we'll go, we'll be able to go back around.

So um, Olga.

Yeah, I disagree with the Hero House because they do not happen to know a little bit more about them.

And um, I don't think that right now we should be peanut buttering across three organizations when you already have at least one of them voicing concerns with what we have given them at 100k last year, and uh happens to be a critical organization on the east side that does more good than many others, bringing everyone together.

So, and I think that east side for all with 100k would be the right number as well.

They asked for it, let's again do the right thing by them.

So recommendation is no funding for Hero House this cycle.

Do we call it a cycle?

Um, and then distributing that 40,000 20 to east side pathways, 20 to east side for all.

Yeah, okay.

Uh Jimmy.

I would like to add 20,000 to the leadership off east side, and I will like to fund east side for all amount instead of that.

Where is that where is that 20,000 coming from for leadership east side?

From the hero house, and then the additional 20 to go to east side for all.

Yes, or maybe we can divide between east side part to east side for all.

Okay.

Okay.

So we have two we have two recommendations right now.

Chris.

So I have a couple of comments.

Um the political question is which organizations or programs received money last year out of this fund.

Eastside Pathways and Eastside for All.

And both at 100k.

Yeah.

Okay.

So I do agree that I think we should honor both of those traditional funding.

Because I feel that if we take away some funding, the capacity would shrink.

And it sounds like Hero Health is a new program that is not verified or has a track record quite yet.

And so I just feel like as a steward of tax dollars, it would be most responsible to keep funding the programs that we know are working, that we know our delivery results.

I will say that I especially liked each side for all applications because they highlighted actual tangible deliverables and impacts on the community and the organizations.

So if I would you know um give uh um um feedback, I would definitely recommend organizations to really highlight the impacts in deliverables.

Um lastly um I was uh disappointed that Delia didn't uh um complete the application.

I think um you know I think they are working on some really important issues within the disability uh community around housing and and and uh living independently as of now I'm still a pretty new commissioner um but I haven't seen us invest yet in those types of programs.

I would like uh to see us uh support that type of services down the road and again I might be novice, so it just might not have crossed our our desk yet, but I did want to bring that up that it's a critical underserved uh issue they are really targeting, and that's all my comments.

Thank you for your time.

Thanks for um okay.

I agree with Olga and think that Hero House, while I understand that there is a need for that demographic to be more included, I think they can do that by having their own focus group for the human needs assessment.

Um when we do that again, um, and other opportunities where they're not convening, um, but they're a part of the process, and so I would like to see um that 40,000 be distributed between Eastside for All and Eastside Pathways.

Leadership East Side, I agree they do a type of convening, but it is again like for professionals mainly, and I think when we're dealing with organizations that are convening direct service providers, um, and to access those like to make sure that people are getting the resources that they need.

I I think that's where leadership eastside does not do the same thing that Eastside for All and Eastside Pathways does.

That's what sets them apart.

Um so that's my recommendation, and then we're gonna go back to Carolyn and uh do another round of discussion and then put up um I can do two motion, like two, yeah, okay, and then we'll vote for both recommendations.

So back to you.

Yes, pardon me because um I just got my email.

So uh it was a very lengthy um kind of um um files that I have to go through.

Um I I do understand that the impact for e-side for all and e-side pathways.

I went through I briefly went through the website and to see you know how it looked like, and it seems that um the e-sight for all is quite familiar, um, at least for the services that um we we uh they try to serve and uh so I I think that um in in those both ways uh I I I still want to know I want to find out and learn from you guys, like um allocating funds, how you guys allocate funds, and um if Hero House doesn't seem to um give that impact, then um yeah, we can discuss more why it's being distributed to other um non-profit organizations, yeah.

Daphne.

I have a question.

When did Dahlia leave uh apply?

Did you guys reach out to them about the missing?

Yeah, we you know we emailed them three different times asking for some specific financial documentation that was needed, and they continually sent us the same documentation, and we I even offered um to have a meet with them in person or have a phone conversation, and then I heard nothing additional.

Once again, I said I need it by this time, but I'm willing to sit down and talk to you and really sent it's the standard requirements for every nonprofit of the financial documentation we have to have in order to fund an agency, and we just couldn't get the documentations from they know they do they like when they have to uh give it to you so we said we needed it by the state, and if we didn't hear back, they would be ineligible because I know Isaiah for all work with uh many, you know, like providers, but I wish we could find Dahlia Living and with the 40,000 is then uh divide 20 and 20 for each for all and it's uh always, but it's not a choice, so I agree that we can uh find 100 for eSide for all and one for ESAPOS okay.

I actually just have a question.

Where does the leadership Eastside usually gets its funding?

Like it wasn't I'm I mean I am aware of them very much, but I'm actually not aware who signs them.

I think a lot of it is the participant, I don't actually know their budget.

I can look that up, but um, I know that there's a the cost to participate in the program, so I know that that is a portion of it, and I know at their the fundraising events as well, and they have sponsors, but I don't know like their actual budget.

Okay, or I actually wasn't sure if they're like a non-profit status that they do.

Yeah, yeah, I believe they are here.

Don't take me home.

Jimmy, are you are you are you done?

Okay, sorry.

Yeah, yeah.

Okay.

I was thinking if we can give some leadership e-side something, let a find 10,000, maybe.

Okay.

We do have to do a minimum of 20,000.

That was our um funding minimum for this round.

Any other discussion, Chris, before I put this up for yeah, I do love leadership inside work, but when we look at the mission of convening organizations of within the industry, we are looking for bridging gaps of community to solve a issues collective issues within communities and leadership definitely gets uh professionals on the journey to start thinking that way, but I don't think it's quite touching the mission of uh true um you know industry convening uh program if that makes sense and uh lastly I just want to know the you know even if Dahlia was uh uh qualified, I think the application borderline a program that doesn't really hit the convening mark either, and that's something to be aware of, but I just took this opportunity to raise uh this is the important issue, and uh I just haven't heard a lot of discussion around the topic at the uh commission quite yet, and I would like to see us uh discuss the topic sometime uh in

And then lastly, I just want to know the you know, even if Dalia was uh uh qualified, I think the application borderline a pro a program that doesn't really hit the convening mark either, and that's something to be aware of, but I just took this opportunity to raise uh this is an important issue, and uh I just haven't heard a lot of discussion around the topic at the uh commission quite yes, and I would like to see us uh discuss that topic sometime uh in the future, and I will end it by saying that I would be uh for moving the forty thousand into the e size for all and east pathways.

Okay, thank you.

Thanks, Chris.

Okay, so I'm gonna put up one recommendation first, which was I'm I will go with Jimmy.

Okay, are you sure?

Because we're gonna put it up for recommendation.

Okay, all right.

So I'm going okay.

Now we have one recommendation.

The recommendation is no hero house getting funding um for this specific and 20,000 going to east side pathways and 20,000 going to east side for all.

Can I get a motion?

Okay.

Uh so I'm making motion to split up the forty thousand from HOLs to uh go into each for all in each pathways.

Can I get a second?

Okay.

All those in favor say aye.

I all those opposed say nay.

The twenty.

So did I do this right?

All right.

It sounds like we have Eastide for All getting a hundred thousand, Eastide Pathways getting a hundred thousand.

Um, and that means that the twenty twenty-seven twenty twenty-eight convening funding recommendations are approved.

Can I do that?

And then that was uh thank you all.

That was um great discussion.

We have new business item number two.

Okay, the next order of business is to review the proposed commission guidelines for funding recommendations.

We will need to vote to approve these guidelines.

They're right here, right?

Okay.

Um, the city has received over a hundred and ninety applications for the 2027-28 funding, totaling over 18 million dollars in requests.

The commission needs to have agreed upon guidelines to ensure our recommendations are equitable and align with the city policy.

Uh Ruth is handing out the city the draft guidelines, and they're also on the screen.

And we need to approve these.

So we'll start with Jimmy first and go around for discussion and questions whenever you're ready, Jimmy.

Whenever you're ready, Jimmy.

2025 needs update priorities.

So it should be needs for this year and next year.

Those were the three critical needs that came out of the 2025 needs update were food, shelter, and financial assistance.

Okay, this so this is the need to be focused.

Okay.

So no, no, it's good very clear.

I'm fine.

Okay.

Chris.

It looks good to me.

Um, I just want to be careful about you know the 2025 um update is a little bit ago, and I'm just a little nervous about where we are skating where the puck was and now where the puck is going.

So I just wanted to keep that in mind as we go down this journey, the funding psycho journey.

Um, and that's all right.

But other than that, I think these guidelines are great.

Okay.

Thanks, Chris.

Okay.

Okay, I'll come back, Carolyn.

Yeah, um, I I thought these are really comprehensive guidelines.

Um the deeper funding of requests is preferred over partial funding.

Um I thought um most of the programs that are well established are really well known to our clients.

I s we serve the communities here in Bellevue.

Um, so when they go to the agencies, it's very well known already.

So um I think it's uh it's it's good that we have that um kind of overview um overarching um guidance on that because um when clients come to our office they would they know exactly where to go and it's a word of mouth and it's actually in the resources in our department, so it's well embedded and well deep into that um resource.

Um the I noticed that um for the future funding, I haven't looked into the books yet.

I I look forward to that, but there would be like a a uh a table where it says youth immigrants and refugees, because I've seen it somewhere.

I wonder if it's gonna be the same for uh those in our notebook.

Like we know it's exactly youth or immigrants or refugee support at least for ongoing.

Yeah, that will show up in a couple of places on the staff review.

It will say that, and then on this chart that Stephanie is um compiling, which will have that uh uh Ruth was talking about earlier that will have them out they requested early last time and what they're requesting this cycle, or what they're awarded last time or what they're they're requesting the cycle, it will have that information on that chart as well.

And youth programs are specifically noted on the chart because that was a council priority, and then the immigrant and refugee support it isn't in its own category, but it is noted if that's the service that's provided.

Okay.

Okay, yeah, Delphina.

I have a question.

Do providers have these guidelines too, or just us?

Oh, the providers.

No, this is for us.

It's for us, yeah.

I like it.

Okay.

Okay.

Yeah, it was wondering that.

Oh, meaning like have they seen have they seen this?

Like, is that what you're asking?

Yes, they know the we are gonna prioritize like specific areas the most that they need.

Can I say I feel like there are many programs that they are doing every year?

I don't know why.

Because they already have it because the money is there, is the the priority.

So this is I was wondering if they know this.

So this information was listed in our supplemental, so every city has a city specific or supplemental.

So every city has a city specific or supplemental.

They kind of go by both names.

And it it was about it was about six pages long, I believe, because it also includes our financial requirements.

So there's nothing that's on here that would be a surprise to agencies.

It's just worded very directly here versus we talked about kind of priorities overall throughout our supplemental.

Okay.

Thank you.

And also we were wanting you all as a group to have some agreed upon methods to deal with the fact that there are 193 applications and there's not enough money.

So this is just to help you all with all the different ways you'll have to say no instead of saying yes.

Okay, thank you.

Okay, okay.

Yeah, I mean, I I think it's pretty clear, like don't peanut butter.

But uh the one that I do have a question where it says expand access for Bellevue residents to cultural linguistics specific human services.

I thought we agreed on a percentage that we could target that potentially is already refund.

That's true.

This is a statement in our strategic plan that's relevant to funding, but we do have a percentage target, and I don't think we're gonna I don't think you're gonna have a challenge meeting that target, but this is just a uh statement from the strategic plan that provides some guidance, so we included it.

I guess I I get where that's coming from.

Isn't it then maybe simpler stated is that offer access for Bellevue residents because expand suggests that we have to increase above what we currently uh well this is just quoted out of the strategic plan, so but I feel like that's a guidance you you have it as a guidance to us, and and it could be that in two years we increase that percentage.

Um this is just the uh this is a policy that came out of the strategic plan.

We're in year three of the strategic plan, I think, and so um I it very well could expand beyond the percentage that we have for this one.

I read that as a something that like the ones above were also guidances, so those are plainly stated, and I feel like we could make a change to the strategic plan wording as well to make sure that it doesn't become a contradiction at some point to what we end up doing, like meeting it where we said is like the target of 26.3% or something.

Like if we feel like good about that, and if it ends up being 30, that's great, but I don't or like it shouldn't be in um if we're trying to make sure we're all making the right decisions.

I don't know if expand is the word that I would use, I guess is where I think I'm going with it.

But if it doesn't bother anyone else, that's not true.

Yeah, I mean we can't change the language from the strategic plan, but and it's also aspirational, so um general guidance you can strike it if you want to, but the published document we can't change.

Well, I'm not asking to uh anyone to change the document because if we're using this like during our conversation, where I want to make sure is that we give we absolutely provide access to the Bellevue residents that to have cultural and specific human services, and that we are targeting a certain percentage, because that's our target that we have, and if we go above it, that's awesome.

But I don't feel like I have to make a decision between the two programs that offer it or don't if they're fully qualified, and that's the only thing that potentially stops us from thinking differently.

Gotcha.

Because maybe they meet the youth, but not this particular guidance.

And I'm like, I just feel a little bit stuck with the word, but I think it's just me.

Okay.

Well, and I think one way to look at it is you're expanding access.

So it may be a new program reaching a new community that's never been reached, that you're not saying I'm not gonna fund this organization because of this, but it might you're expanding it in this way.

So these were all plans that were voted on by our council, so we can't change the language.

And so we could choose to not include that, but that's how I read that language is are we expanding as our services meeting all everybody in our community, or do we are we just only investing so that uh two or three populations needs are getting met?

Well, in some way, you are saying that we will be prioritizing council and emerging priorities.

So those are specific groups already, and they may not they might contradict with unfortunately with the cultural and linguistic specific human services programs that we may not end up actually funding and fund these other ones that focus on a different area.

That's where like I'm just trying to balance that in the words that we are going to be definitely having a lot of philosophical conversations around.

I just did I read contracts, so probably I was gonna say it.

I think whether regardless of where that word is or not, that's the that's what happens.

Yeah, that's why this is so hard.

Uh um any more discussion on this, yeah.

I have one more question.

Um curious about the differences in the country and emerging priority compared to the 2025 need of date, and I'm curious how we are supposed to kind of weigh that because they don't really overlap identically.

So is there any uh any kind of more definition or detail you could elaborate on the I'd like to quote that thing you said about skating and chasing the wrong plug or something like that.

No weird the bug in the go.

The um so the youth as a priority for council came out of the mid-by, and the immigrant and refugee support sort of came out of the uh current events that unfolded over the last two years.

The needs update um priorities from a timing perspective came before the immigrant and refugee crisis kind of exploded, but it was when there was appearing to be just a real huge crisis around financial assistance and food and shelter.

So you know, we are in a period where it seems like we hop from crisis to crisis, and I I think what you're seeing is that emergent needs and crises and uh the challenges are it's it's a longer list, the priorities, and you're right, they aren't they aren't aligned.

So council had some priorities, and then we had some emergent needs, and they're not the same.

Okay, any more discussion?

Um, I think the only thing, and it's like getting caught up on words, but prioritize meaningful and existing programs.

I'm worried using the word prior, like prioritize meaningful.

Like who are we to say that what these organizations are applying for aren't meaningful?

And so I think that's the only thing that I dislike about this general guidance is just um yeah, I can't imagine saying any to anyone like, oh well, that wasn't meaningful, so we didn't give you money.

Like, I just can't imagine saying that it's all meaningful work.

Um you're not going to say that.

I know like I would never say it.

Uh but would you like us to scratch meaningful?

I mean, it would it would make me feel better just to like that's not that's not our role.

Our role is not to tell somebody whether something's meaningful or not.

Um but as a member, we never give any reason to anyone why we're not doing this or what we wouldn't say it's not meaningful, like if somebody we discussed among ourselves, then we decide then we give them the funds and stuff describing anything of this.

Yeah, but that's like all our yeah, but that's like saying okay, is it important?

Like it's important to them.

I don't know if you've done therapy, like I would never say something like that's it's important to them.

I wouldn't tell you that it's not important just because I don't think you know what I mean.

And so that's I I don't think we would tell somebody that if we're not funding them.

Am I in the I don't know?

Is that just me?

I'm just wondering like what word we could use actually to replace because I'm really I'm now I'm concerned if he's completely strike it because then you like saying prioritize existing programs, right?

We don't want to do that either, right?

Because then well, you're gonna have to in some ways potentially yeah that I would love to have some other criteria now just because they're existing.

Well, that is full prioritize impactful and existing programs.

Like I'm not quite sure.

We all know that there's not like we deal with numbers, and so they are able to show an impact on something.

Impactful is probably solid enough that we could probably that whole statement is for agencies that are turning mul in multiple applications.

So I think I think we could probably heard like everyone's fine with that replacing the word meaningful with impactful with impactful, got it.

Okay, Jimmy.

So prioritize impactful and existing programs over partial funding and new programs, I guess.

Um what's the other thing?

I think that's all.

And can I just ask?

Can we is 6.1?

Could we take into like account this sounds like where navigation would sit?

Because we do know that that was a big ask in the human needs updates, and we do know that there's a like, but like we never we never say like we never call it out, like I know we're not prioritizing it, but in order to keep it within our in our viewfinder, right?

Does that make sense of what I'm saying?

Is that like navigation's a big subset of applications?

It was a big ask in the human needs update, but yeah, in our general guidance, because we're prioritizing um some other things.

There's no language here that talks specifically about navigation, but I am reading the council strategic target area, and I'm looking at that as that talks like about navigation, like that's where that would sit.

Oh, interesting.

Yeah, just asking.

So in the target areas, um there's one for economic development, there's one for transportation, and this is the one that is the human services target area.

Um, but I hear what you're saying that it that this seems to align with what navigation with many what many navigation applications are doing.

Um, but we can't change the language of 6.1.

Okay.

We're gonna vote now.

Unless anyone has anything else to add.

Okay, can I get a motion to approve the commission funding recommendation guidelines with the change um all to from meaningful to impactful?

Unless you can I get a second.

I second all those in favor say aye.

Oh yeah, uh all those opposed say nay.

The funding guidelines are approved.

Okay, good job.

That was great.

I know.

Um okay, so our next meeting is on June 1st.

This is the rescheduled public hearing on human services in Bellevue.

Our community is depending on us to show up and listen.

So please prioritize June 1st um at 6 p.m.

And then this is not right.

Our next commission is here, is right now.

So June 1st.

When is our next?

That's our next meeting, June 1st.

Oh my gosh.

Okay, this concludes our meeting.

We are adjourning at 7 49.

And I'm gonna hit this one more time.

Okay.

Good job, y'all.