Hi, good evening.

This is uh calling to order committee, uh special committee on ways and means it is 530 blonde.

Uh city clerks can you take roll call, please?

Chair Sanchez present.

Vice Chairman Taylor.

Yes.

Counselor Antigua is absent.

Councilman Graves, absent.

Councilwoman Peterson.

We have three present and two absent.

We have a form.

Awesome.

Thank you.

I just want to recognize that Councilman Vargas is uh here with us.

Um we have the law department, we have clerk department, council staff, and a lot of funding spaces from the administration.

So noted.

Uh how do you want to do the display role?

Um, and then if it's okay, I'd like to start with public property since they've kind of been a few nights already, and then move on to sustainability and housing and human services.

Yeah, that works.

That's good.

I feel like sustainability is here.

They have been in here too, yes.

For good stuff.

There's your right hand.

We clear the channel treasury that are about big not be above.

Uh Piselberg, Deputy Finance Director and Budget Officer.

Okay.

Uh Kate Ross, sustainability department.

Uh personal proofs for right to sustainability.

Sure.

Rachel Frara, human services director.

Alyssa McDermott has a new paying development division director.

Anything else that you can direct about for meeting direct public property?

Superview of senior services directly.

Uh this time I'll take a motion to entertain uh take motion uh to entertain exhibit sixteen into the record.

Uh motion here by council.

Okay, Taylor, all those in favor.

I'm not sure.

I'm not sure.

Um at this time I'll take a motion to waive the reading of items one through six.

Okay.

Uh motion made by council uh one through five, actually.

Uh motion made by councilman Peterson second by councilman Taylor, all those in favor.

I have it.

Um by Christian John Resident Meeting and Deputy Director of James Dean House.

Uh the department public property is considered a revenue centering department.

They generate revenue from um building fees as well as insurance proceeds from claims filed on behalf of the city.

Uh the fiscal year 2027 budget represents a five thousand dollar increase over the fiscal year 2026 budget, which is supported by the historical fund.

And I was in remiss in letting you know that they're budgeted in from page 263 in their budget book.

So if you go specifically.

Yeah, it's already reduced in the in the telecoms budget.

You'll see a reduction for that activity.

Certainly.

And I will say that the custodial staff is also tied to the project with 444.

We are currently paying um payment properties of the maintenance of that building, and so the city will need to unclear for the cost when that purchase was.

Um what's the difference and cost?

Uh we are gonna be, I don't have the fiscal note in front of me, but it was a savings when we invested in investing in the building versus paying for some dangers.

Um their budget has been broken into fixed and discretionary costs.

Uh they have quite a few line items, so we've wrote one slide for services and one for supplies.

Uh, the first fixed cost is liability insurance.

This is uh property insurance for our bond and collateral.

It is increasing by a little over 11,000 this year based on our estimated production from the insurance proper.

Um fees not properly have been decreased by 664,000.

Part of that is the reallocation of um or I'm sorry, the reduction for the 444 version maintenance fees.

Um, but the bulk of that has been shifted down to private contractors and relates to prison streetlight maintenance, and so that is an annual maintenance contract they require to pay um every year.

Uh additionally, under the discretionary line items, we have postage, dues and subscriptions, which are annual music licenses and professional memberships.

Um is another discretionary cost, and we can't pay it to increase by $20,000 next year and supportive historical spending.

Uh taxes are level funded, and there's a property taxes for the campfront property from Southern Park.

Uh private contractors considered a fixed cost, and this is again most of their contract services and includes the prison streetlight maintenance.

Professional belters have the modest increase of $3,000 for the total of the state's main seven to five thousand dollars.

Um miscellaneous professional services does have an increase of $25,000.

This is to allow for additional architect and engineering services for maintenance and non-CIP projects or so.

Well, what's the project for development?

Uh the professional development is question development for the staff.

I'm not sure.

We just bought a uh bobcat, so just to train the guys themselves, the question trained.

Other certifications.

Any other questions on services, um guys good?

Jim, are you good?

I like it, thank you.

Wonderful.

Um we go into the question now, or um, if you have a question on something that like specific to uh what we're speaking about, or you can ask uh just you don't forget, but if it's kind of more general speaking, we can wait until they're done for sending.

Well then I got one because she then did it.

I thought we were no, you have a little minute question.

That's okay, right?

Of course, yeah.

Well the camp pronoun.

Yeah, well, we've understand.

What's going on with PMCO?

We're losing one of that $15,000 but it's another one answered though.

We're not gonna dine on these books.

What is our plan for?

Are we gonna sell it?

What's our plan?

Do we have a plan?

I think we're in discussion right now with uh we're down DEM to sell it.

Good question.

We're in discussion with them.

Uh they might take over the property.

Okay.

I don't know.

There's not a problem.

Like we have to remediate something because it's adds an oil or something in there.

Oh, no, no, okay.

Take over, not for free at all.

I hope not.

It's up in the payments, right?

Yeah, there's just make sure one person is speaking at a time.

Obviously, I don't know, so okay.

Well, I will take that that's follow-up item.

I'm actually not quite sure what the plan is for camp county, but I can report back to the committee based on the feedback I received from the administration.

Awesome.

That would be great.

So um before uh council Peterson speaks as well.

The record reflect the council when Joe Davidson have joined us.

So noted.

Uh council gives it.

Just a quick question on camp for it.

Is it in usable conditions?

Uh the building is good.

Okay.

So it would have to be um built to whatever standards.

Oh, is it is it like optioning right now?

Is camp current operable?

Like can somebody go in and use it at any given time if they want to.

There's no water, there's anything like that.

The only thing there is electricity right now.

Got it.

Okay, thank you.

Excellent.

Yeah, so I'll have some follow-up information on it.

Uh so on to slide six.

Uh, there are quite a few supply line items that have seen lots changes.

So it's only for the spending trending.

Um, as per the trend for my five-year budgeting, we have eliminated the main expenses and we allocated those dollars to more descriptive line items.

So it's been a personal project of mine.

And we necessarily appreciate it very much, Crystal.

Wonderful.

I do think it's helpful to let everybody know what we're spending our dollars on.

Um, as you can see, we have some small increases in small tools and shop supplies as well as construction, maintenance and supplies.

Auto parts have been level funded, as has feeding fuel.

Uh housekeeping supplies are increasing by about $10,000 again for additional spaces that are mainly funding materials.

Um paint is level funded at $15,000.

Motorfuel is seeing a steep increase of $200,000.

This is supported by firms pricing and including our current agreement, um, which we would have to offer before I believe this fiscal year.

So it's wonderful.

So we have a new provider for those services.

Um, and that is our our estimated cost for next fiscal year.

Uh electrical supplies are also expected to increase by a bit, um, $41,000 to bring the total budget to $61,000 next fiscal year.

Uniforms and wearing apparel are increasing to account for the new staff that we've requested in this department.

Um we are level funding miscellaneous materials and supplies.

However, there is a small increase to the rental of equipment line item.

Um service again is additional um maintenance costs related to the purchase of coal 44, as well as operating maintenance that the government is cleaning on dealing for up the year, which includes window cleaning.

I don't know about you, but I was very excited to see City Hallway that's cleaning for the first time 10 years.

Um additionally, there's a small increase to repairs to autism trucks of $8,000.

Uh property and maintenance has been level funded and replaced the buildings, it's also been level.

Um question on this uh page.

What exactly is repairs to auto trucks, autos and trucks?

Like I'm asking because there's a line item for auto parts.

Um what's the difference between auto parts and repairs to being so um because we house the manager uh the fleet manager in our department?

So uh fleet manager is responsible for um the vehicles that get repaired at the repair garage on Dexter Street at DPW.

Um so we we pay for the parts for you know for most of those vehicles, especially ours uh for the fleet for um DPW fleet, um and uh like BIS, everybody that's got a car, we end up paying for the parts for those cars.

Um and then as far as the repairs, the repairs going to if um whatever we would have to pay that that like um autobody um things that we can't really fix external stuff, yes, in things that we can't fix in house.

Um question we're all very aware that cost of airplane has gone up uh extremely um so I'm I'm just making sure that the line items were auto parts and tires uh staying the same is sufficient to the needs of this department.

So the I believe the line item that we have for tires, um most most of the fleet with our last um uh what do you call it?

The uh semester lease.

Uh we've gotten we're somewhat riding with a newer fleet.

Um so we feel that the need for tires, you know, for the next probably while um is really plus not pumping tires, but those burnouts, yeah.

Um are you guys responsible for auto parts and tires for policing fire?

Yeah, they pay they pay their budget through the repair garage for for the uh fire trucks, police vehicles, things that nature.

Um we do send vehicles over there for repairs, um changes, things of that nature, like um say public property, uh DIS, things of that nature.

What's uh what's the actuals so far on auto parts for this this one year?

Uh the actuals year to date are $3,738.

For auto parts, right?

Is that um is that lagging a little bit on building or it shouldn't be?

I mean, to the deputy director's point, we did um issue a master lease a couple of years ago, so the fleet in general and public property is newer than it had historically been.

Um so many of those vehicles are less costly to repair and maintain than have historically been.

Um when we get into some of the other larger departments like DPW next week, for example, you'll see they actually have another allocation for auto parts and tires and the whole garage department in their budget.

Um so the deputy director's point, the fleet manager is responsible for you know managing and making sure that all of our fleet is is maintained.

Um but there are departments that have their individual budgets for auto parts, the tires um and um called repair socks, so like the external repair lines.

So just to clarify, um the city manager is not responsible for any uh police and fire maintenance repairs on their vehicles.

No, it that runs through that garage specifically in coordination with the fleet manager.

So my understanding is it works together, but they they are not necessarily directly report stuff that we're uh tailored.

Um the vehicles are they all properly labeled like the B gallons or I know last time we yeah, we asked.

So yes, yeah.

What about taking home vehicles?

Are they properly labeled as well?

Yeah, how many take home vehicles?

But how many take home vehicles do we have that go outside of the city of Province?

So outside the state, let's say that.

Yeah, I noticed approximately a hundred vehicle vehicles between all the comments, probably.

Um not counting police and fire, I think it's probably 10.

And we don't know how many go out of state.

Out of state, yeah.

Not sure we work there with uh state.

I don't think off the top of my head, I'll have three rules that we'd have people that drive into Canada.

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

So I don't know if it's true or not.

So not that we're aware of it.

We're aware of that.

Have you guys become aware of any cars going to the Connecticut?

Can you please understand?

Well, I'll I heard I'll tell you where I heard from Sudobap.

So I don't know why maintain a school department vehicle.

So we're not why if that's true, why they would even have a vehicle because I mean I mean again uh all the vehicles are on GPS, so even it's easy to find out.

Thank you.

Uh councilwoman Peterson.

Sorry, just to um piggyback off of what he said.

Um you said all including of the public safety vehicles that all have GPS to um they have to be.

Of course, I want to uh talk a little bit about mileage reimbursement um on these cars.

Um the take-home cars specifically, since there's a hundred of them that are being taken home, we have a mileage reimbursement that comes from the city from City Hall to wherever they need to go, right?

The large portion of that is fire, police and fire.

Okay.

Um is only a very small percentage that it leaks um like non-emergency.

Um the ask is very specific, but I'd love to be able to know how much in mileage reimbursement we're doing for these take-thing vehicles.

The reason why I'm asking is because if people are taking home their vehicles from wherever, let's just say they're going to court, and I'm I'll use public safety just because you've mentioned that the majority of the vehicles are um for public safety.

If they're living, let's say they live some warwith wherever it might be, but they have to go to the tribunal, but they're getting the mileage reimbursement from the city to the traffic tribunal to be able to report.

That's that's like three or four miles per.

And I get that that's probably not a lot, but it does add up over a series of negative vehicles, and just as stewards of the of the taxpayer dollar, I think you should just have a better understanding of what that happens like.

Are you talking about city vehicles or so nobody gets mileage reimbursement?

Nothing in terms of and so but when they lose their own if they're using their own, they can they can um apply for that put in work.

So if okay.

All right.

And I would say by and large, the mileage reimbursements we see are minimal that there's only a handful of departments that do mileage reendors, and they are departments that do not have city vehicles.

So we do not do any reimbursements for driving the city vehicle.

Okay.

What's the approval process for mileage reimbursement?

Um so uh the staff member would fill out a form, provide documentation of the number of miles they had driven, they would submit that to be as a record, or director would sign off on that.

It goes to cons table, constable review off backup, and then send a payment to the city.

Yeah, I think we're uh housing organs.

Um how many electric vehicles do we have?

Yeah, about uh 20.

Yeah, approximately 20, and we just we have 10 more funding than probably the next 30 to 40 days.

And 10 more coming in?

Yes.

Just at least 10 more.

Yeah, those those vehicles that are coming in through release.

True at least.

Yes.

Who make the decision to lease electric barge?

I mean it's I mean it was it was a group decision between the administration, uh departments because I'm seeing this municipal cars feeling transition of restaurant.

I agree.

And uh fuel.

With five dollars a gallon today, I will make a suggestion.

Well, they take car homes, take the electric one.

Well that assuming it's going home on a full, not a good enough charge because people uh don't have charging stations at home.

Um charge the vehicle overnight to get ready for the next day of work.

It's one ten charge.

Yeah, I'm I'm not uh I must possibly supply I don't have I don't think they have what to do.

And then once I mean then it gets into a situation where I mean you get uh you asked about the gas reimbursement.

Now I have to take a vehicle home and plug it into my house, or somebody else has to take their vehicle and plug it into their house, and now there's gonna get electrical reimbursement.

It's we're using them right now for uh inspect the vehicles and vehicles driving throughout the city itself because they have charged stations here to maintain the vehicle.

Because uh that that's where it's like getting fed up, giving free money to the employees and take a car home.

That's that's bottom and well, I mean you're you're saying free money, but um I don't think it's free money.

It's I mean these people are working on we order a square director.

The last employee who comes here to work making 40,000, he has to drive here, park across the street, pay for parking, and the guy who's making all that hunt that we give him a red carpet plus a car to go home.

I think that's something that we have to discuss.

Well, for those who are taking the vehicles home are also coming in with phone calls at 10 p.m., 2 p.m., 4 p.m.

to react to issues.

Um I mean, I myself come in all times, you know, just uh there's a problem.

Uh Johns come in, um and then you know we're constantly getting leads before we start work.

So we're constantly all over the place as a company city job.

You know what's up?

Uh councilman Taylor and then council beers only.

So just to follow up on that.

So we have 25 electric, roughly.

We'll get another 25, or 20 and 25 low.

We have another 10 coming in.

Oh no, 10.

Okay, how many charges do we have throughout the city for these cars?

Well, roughly I'm not gonna hold them on the public safety garage is 2020 at public safety garage.

Um we're gonna be installing some in BPW.

We still have enough.

They don't have to share things.

No, the vehicle when you purchase the vehicle, it does come with a charger.

It comes with its uh uh home charge and not a uh plug-in, you know, a stand-up model charger, if you know what I mean.

But we do have uh supporting how many stations at the DP or the EIS uh building.

I think we're gonna be putting it in uh eight to ten to support the vehicles that are talking about here.

Uh be able to charge those.

Uh I think we have 22 currently in the um public safety for a um and then we have uh one at the parts apartment.

Um we have the ability to pretty quickly install up to seven more there.

Um like when we did that one we uh kind of laid the groundwork to install more at the uh carriage house.

Um and uh we're also looking to install um six to eight at telecoms right now in our department.

So we'll have enough, that's why I'm concerned if we do add in cause and now we don't have enough charges like Kazu running out.

We have to do the fence fool installment.

Um last question is how hard is it or can we get a list of all of the take-home vehicles?

100 just to so we can see it, not just so we have an idea of we talk about it all the time, but I don't think I've ever actually seen a list of less it's already been sent in a couple of times.

Uh yeah.

Anyone for you?

Yes, yeah, just up again.

Thank you.

That's a formal request on behalf of this committee.

Thank you.

Of course, it's no good.

So thank you.

Um the charging stations accessible to neighbors.

Can they use them?

To the neighbors says provided for the business.

No, you need a uh uh we need a card for that.

So every single charging station is requires a card to be specifically for uh um my follow-up was to uh what counselor Vargas had said um with regards to you had said that uh you guys are on call pretty much all the time.

Could you tell me roughly like you know how often you're you picking up a phone call past your like traditional nine to five?

Well, I'm constantly picking up phone calls.

Uh don't call my phone.

Or having having to go out to go do more with regards to any of the public pockets.

So personally, recently uh not much, and only because I have uh been out and about with two shoulder surgeries since December.

Um but um like during the uh uh blizzard, I was out and about um in through the night, uh early mornings on pretty much most of most of that week.

Um, and then I had a wolf enough surgery after that.

But um prior to that, you know, it's it's every once in a while.

I mean, I mean, could be uh monthly.

I mean, I remember uh flash, I mean, and it comes in spurts.

I mean, it depends on what's going on and what people can handle.

Um but can I make an assumption on your part and you can tell me if I'm wrong?

Um when we know uh projected things that we need to do, whether it's events, whether it's a snowstorm, whether it's a we know that you're going to have to be on call much more than the standard work day work week, right?

Is that the reason why you guys are looking for a new manager facilities and operations?

Like what is the role?

How is the role gonna differ from you as deputy director, you as direct?

So we're actually uh picking up three more buildings for we picked up two more buildings for the new DPW building is in the ISB.

Now we're just thinking for us.

So we need additional out just to cover those extra buildings.

Okay.

So the the manager of facilities differs.

Um only so we're we're trying to find the best way to kind of structure things.

So you know, we are we're hoping to the idea is to try to put our current facilities coordinator into the manager of facilities um position.

Uh he just completed the um municipal uh leadership academy.

So we've been kind of working with him as far as you know building them up through the city.

And um, you know, so we we look at kind of like we're what we're trying to accomplish for efficiency and managing staff and whatnot.

Um since I've taken my position, I've been working a lot with uh more of an overview of the facilities department and um now helping cover the rest of the department and the meetings and everything else that it comes with.

So with with my extra work, I haven't really been able to completely concentrate on all the maintenance staff and how we're building stuff.

Um, I was typically the person that went out and uh investigated issues with buildings.

So now that we you know we're we're trying to put some of that, that's the data work in you know, smaller non-capital project work on um uh what we have manager facilities because I can't really do that to a facilities coordinator.

Um it's kind of like a different level.

Yes.

Um and then uh at yeah, so that that's kind of the process on so this new this person is gonna be doing the deep dives into the pools to make sure everything's working we are currently coming up with a good plan uh for that.

Uh we do have um some capital money uh for the pools.

Um what we have planned, we can't pull off um in the time that we have before the pools have to be opened.

So I believe the plan is gonna be that we're gonna do we're gonna try to resurface um the pools um and repaint with a uh uh two-part boxing.

Um do a few of them um this fall before it gets too cold and finish the rest uh in the spring temple is the hopeful plan.

Thank you.

I think that's it right now.

Awesome.

Let the record is like the uh councilman Royus has joined us, uh councilman terror as your questions.

I just want to follow up on that question.

Um councilwoman asked that uh I make a joke about volunteer guides, but I I do call you quite often.

And unfortunately, when I look at the calls that I do call you on my personal cell phone, not a city cell phone because I don't have um I usually start with Zen and then go to Anthony while Anthony's out, so it's either the Ben or I've actually called John weekends, problems with the West End, leaking roofs, no.

It's after 6 p.m.

It's always it's it's on a weekend, it's on a weekend, and I try to tell them to let me know during hours.

Um like the director of uh recreation or the fire department called up the leaf groups, and so as far as um me personally, I can say that they answer the phone calls and do uh address the issues, not during uh hours.

It's always so it was after hours, and I appreciate that you guys answer the phone.

Like I said, I go from Ben, then Anthony, and then John.

And John is always answered my phone call and then always get something done.

Anthony did too, but he's always shoulder and couldn't fix his phone up.

So I can't just involve Ben.

No, seriously, you guys do answer.

I I'm very pleased with uh the uh response that I've done.

I don't know if anybody I uh I can only test to myself or if it's always uh every time I look at my oh seven o'clock on phones understanding.

There's an issue they can't wait.

It's a leaky move.

It's going on to the basketball court, and we've already had replaced it like three times, or there's no heat opposite, there's no way like I mean, so they always are very attentive to my needs, and I just want to put that on say that.

We appreciate that shape.

Yeah, you guys are very supportive.

I don't know if it's supportive, but you guys were very present, uh and collaborative when we opened up City Hall uh for uh shelters.

So definitely uh you guys credit and gratitude for that.

Uh ultimate margins, and then after this, we'll just wrap up this uh presentation.

We have like one or two pages, and then uh we'll let the directors give us the opportunity for it.

I finished two questions.

Any reason why not everybody has a amount on these salaries?

Um a two I I can answer that one.

That is a typo or is no, that's a that's a me problem.

So apparently when so I I use the uh we have Microsoft uh Visio, it's like a work chart designer thing.

So I honestly just noticed this a little bit when I was trying to print out um a copy before I so I found that there is a problem when I export from Visio to um uh like Adobe uh to a PDF, it actually takes information off the page.

I don't know how to fix that.

Well get you an updated one with all of the sound and anybody write the amount of stuff in the peers.

I'll put it in clip.

I'll do it for you.

Go ahead and talk about it.

We can work out another copy.

Yeah, you guys look at like I guess I I got a little more hit to see that.

Uh so we probably've in charge, what fleets or cars?

Only the what fleets?

Fleets, like usually you go in charge of DP Z overview of cars.

Everybody police.

So you are in charge of the whole so we yes, so we are in charge of like uh uh the overall fleet for DPW DIS uh parking enforcement.

Um we do take care, we do work with the police department when it comes to the police cars and the fire department when it comes to their uh like non-emergency vehicles.

Uh when it comes to like the fire department's emergency vehicles, they're the ones that take care of that because they have special needs that they have to, you know, for what what specific use they're gonna use it for.

Um, but we take care of pretty much of the regular vehicles.

These one million seven hundred thousand dollars in fuel is for the whole city.

Yes.

Everything, including emergency vehicles and current drugs, influences.

Thank you.

Um, just before you go uh the cent.

What I just I guess uh I don't want to keep talking about this for too much.

Well, I guess like it if your department is responsible uh for the maintenance and repairs of all those vehicles that you just mentioned.

Um how come the the budget for parts doesn't live in your particle?

Why is that separated?

Uh so for a lot of our departments where actually like mechanics that work in the departments that are report up to the director.

So, for example, in DPW, there's a department known as the garage, and there is a uh hierarchy of a mechanics that work in that garage that work for DPW that are actually managing and maintaining those those vehicles, and they have a budget for auto parts and repairs in that budget specifically.

So in public property, these dollars are not necessarily dedicated to DPW vehicles, it's primarily public property or like inspections and standards, which doesn't have its own kind of garage shop per se.

Um public safety is another example where they have a garage, they have a shop dedicated to specialized equipment with specialized staff on hand, and so it just makes sense to keep those budget dollars with those staff that are actually doing that.

Yeah, that makes sense.

How many mechanics um are under public property?

There are no mechanics.

There's no mechanics or no mechanics.

No, they're they're based out of their own department.

So like DPW has their mechanics uh carbs as their mechanics.

Uh council is um not a question about fleets or cars.

Uh, but I am wondering about heating oil.

Can you talk to me about that a little bit?

It's surprising to see that it's level funded.

So heating oil, uh, we are we are actually um the budget for that at some point is gonna start getting a lot lowered um as we start replacing mechanical systems for electrical systems.

Um currently most of our locations that we use heating oil is uh fire departments because they got the older uh boiler type units that are oil.

Um, and then the other items that we use um diesel falls into that, but um generators um so like home heating oil technically is the refined diesel fuel.

Um but uh yeah, so most of our locations for heat and oil is fire stations.

Okay, and despite the fact that expenses on this item would tend to be going up everywhere, you're not and we're not anticipating that will happen here.

Well, we're we're uh transit stable to electric flight electricity.

I just didn't know what the pace was, so that's what just really jumped out of me.

I don't show our actuals for this.

We can show the actuals actually have been declining in fiscal year 2024, they were 91,000 and 25, they were 85,000 in our year to need is just under 50,000.

Fantastic, obviously supportive of the electrical measures.

Didn't realize it was kicking up quickly.

Thank you.

Yeah, so we we have uh um project managers from the in our department, and um they are currently working on projects to replace mechanical uh HVAC and oilers and furnaces to all electric systems.

So as we get these projects working, um we have capital to keep moving forward with it.

We we we're just trying to push them out as quick as well.

Right.

Thank you.

Oh how much more do you have of this?

There's just one more slide, and there's not a lot of things.

Uh mixture number people have uh questions.

Uh so the past category expenditures to capital budgets, um it has been reduced by about 500,000.

That reduction is attributable to the ARCA investment that is expiring in this fiscal year.

So all of those dollars would be expended before the end of the screen of needle uses.

Um, and there's uh you know, the nominal amount of 5,000 dollars there in the store capital meaning exactly.

And that wraps up the financial case.

Uh the floor is yours, uh director.

If you want to show us uh quick rundown um how the department is what's your needs are, where you're selling.

Well, I mean, and then you have there's no flop in this budget.

I mean, I mean it's in there is being utilized to uh maintain all the buildings that we've responsible for the responsible for quite a bit of work as far as uh maintenance on a lot of these buildings uh 20 years of catch-up uh deal that we sort of caught up right now, so we'll be ahead now.

Um appreciate uh you can do that about this budget get through.

And just just to add, um I I gotta say uh when you look at the the last three years, um, especially with the years that Joe and I have been here.

I think that we've pushed out more maintenance and capital projects in the CDC probably in 20 years.

Um our buildings are aging.

Um we're playing catch-up on a lot of uh mechanical, electrical, plumbing problems, um roofing problems.

Um and it it takes time to get through these major issues.

Um you know, it's it's a collective um you know push uh with the entire department, even from our office staff working on our purchase orders, you know, and whatnot.

So the improvements that we've made kind of reflect with if we're asking for more money, it's only because we're fixing more issues and coming up and working on more projects.

So a few questions.

The uh I know we are selling or sold, we sold sold engine five, humble fire station, and we're selling engine four with Shambo.

Do we get those generators out of there?

We're not giving them the generator sale.

There is no generators.

There wasn't one at NG4 or five.

So all fire stations don't have a generator.

Well, those two didn't have one.

Oh, they didn't have what do they office have?

Because uh when we were coming into the blizzard, we had an issue with the generator at uh Messer Street.

Um it was uh starter from so I physically drove to both uh locations and search upset generators to see if I could potentially scavenge parts for it.

Um no generators.

And also um the DPW build.

Well, let me ask the first question because the Uber's applying actually was flying around last year.

Facts it's good, but it's back sending movements over here.

I'm saying moves, but I think it's a fact, but I want to know.

Um they moved to the um Chapman Street, obviously, the the upper echelon, whatever.

Um I'm hearing that there is a bedroom that was done for the director of DPW.

Is that correct?

A bedroom, no, not a bedroom in her room.

Just like uh Pima has uh I'm not sure to properly what is it?

Similar to that.

Um there's a bed in there.

It's uh it's not a full bed, it's a uh trunk trundle bed, I think the word is um just like uh it might even be like similar to a bunk bed that Pima has just in case they are well, especially um uh public works to do 24 hour shifts and times during source sums and stuff like that, and is a place to rest.

So DPW is one of the buildings that like when there is um a snowstorm that requires all the plowing and stuff like that, they do set up like uh headquarters there.

And uh, you know, just like the people that are plowing in the streets, um, they're pretty much working uh 24 hour schedule um all the way to I mean, I mean we get people that are taking you know one to two hour naps and then heading back out and for a total of like 72 hours at a time or you know, even longer.

Um so I guess you know just you know, I I I the idea is that you know, for the upper for the for the the people that are in the the upper building over there um where they have the uh the like the headquarters set up if they you know need a kind of decompress and take the quick nap, they got a place to take a nap.

Um I mean in other locations, um we have um mobile cots that way, you know, if we need to set up shop somewhere um and get and have uh you know some of the staff take naps.

Um we can do that.

Is that the case?

Sorry, is that the case at public safety?

Do we have local cards?

So there is more cost right now.

We have a dormitory thing, supply of those.

Oh yeah, it's got all the hands.

And I'm still a little confused.

So you've got one trundle bed and you got 3040 drivers out there.

Who gets to use this trundle bit?

I think it's for the administration people.

Um like this last song.

I know the mayor was there, Clark was there, Emily was there, uh Doctor.

Also, in that same office there, and also the portion where you're talking about.

Um, so and also going on D'cause I can of course when do we have the new building?

Because if rumors again, I've heard that the DPW building is not it's it's let's say A through Z was ordered, but they're only gonna get A through P.

Like it's not gonna be everything they ordered because of money is going up so high.

Not your fault.

No, I don't know you take responsibility.

Um the first time uh first meeting I have a went when I was hired was DPW building.

So we sat there and the first question was asked by LB architects, what do you want?

They gave a Christmas list four miles long, which came to so many millions of dollars.

Once we figured out was so far up the budget, then it was reduced at that point.

So yes, the building was reduced, but it's beginning portion from two years ago when they first started, but uh they're getting uh everything they need.

And then when do we have a bit of a rough time frame of when it will be completed?

Rough, roughly three years, three years.

2027, yeah.

End of 27?

It was a little bit for that.

Probably 26 beginning of 27 tops.

Then just to go along with that last one, I promise.

Um the idea that we're giving 700 Allen's Avenue over to PRA, right?

Is that correct?

Giving or not giving.

Well, we're gonna sell it, or we're gonna do something with it.

Again, that's another negotiation.

And so if we do that, okay, let's um don't dump in ahead.

So we get rid of it, or we whatever.

I don't know.

What happens with the mattress that you put?

Where does that go?

It's gonna be shipped or to the new property.

Is there room for it on?

Yeah, there is room for it.

So they'll have the trailers, so you just move over once, that's all correct.

In 2027.

Well, 2028.

Uh that's probably gonna be shorter time, right?

I think because that build will be gone and the new building won't be built.

The garage is still be there though in the area behind the garage.

The existing garage where they pop the vehicle style at DBW.

Okay, staying.

All right, flashback.

Salt pile, and I know that's probably not you, but uh here we'll think you know, we have salt piles that are obviously one was up near trades, one down here.

We were renting, I guess like down near the uh port or whatever.

They said no, you can't use it anymore.

Yeah, what are we doing for the future for that?

Um booking right now.

So we have not.

But we still uh like we'll still use uh Pleasant View uh way in the back.

Um we'll still use that area because it's we own that they're in the wind.

It's it's on the other side of the city, which works out well, so people aren't traveling all the way to this side to keep getting uh refills.

Um, but we are looking for a more general location here.

Here, is it now?

Like around the downtown area.

All right, I'm done.

Just a quick question on the mattress.

Is it called we approved to transfer that to PRA this past council?

Yeah.

Um that's five minutes.

And I don't see my cell by we uh have not been involved in any of those conversations.

Um so if you can please uh keep us posted uh going forward on any possibility changes to uh I know Councilman Taylor is there every single councilman.

Between these two gentlemen right here, they probably pick up 30 mattresses every weekend.

So we got a lot of interest in the that depot.

Uh so you could please keep us uh especially if there's any changes, uh greatly appreciated.

Um councilman uh who is uh thank you, Chair.

That's gonna take me a while to get used to that.

Um I just had a question about uh is the administration similar to sort of the um any public properties for sale.

Anything coming down the pipeline that the administration is looking at in terms of selling public buildings, yeah.

The old um police and via me on chat ground.

Yes, I'm aware of that one.

Yeah, yeah, so other than that, not that we're aware.

Okay.

So uh councilman works.

Uh question on this avenue.

Do we have an appraisal?

How much is this building so far?

So is there appraisal for appraisal in the building?

No, not that I know of.

So it's like with public property, but really not responsible for the sale of the building, that'd be like Chicarelli on the real estate.

Uh Nick Chichale, uh real estate.

Oh, yeah.

Yeah, because uh so Vic he uh well, so between our upper echelon and Nick, they kind of work out you know the whole you know the way uh you know uh buying and selling of the posts.

Um we're public property, we you know we kind of fall into what is so that's different departments?

No, it's our upper echelon and uh um real estate or the state department.

Do you have a question for the worst?

Yeah, well, didn't answer my question.

I I guess I think the point that got Marcus is getting to it's uh well if there's a real estate department.

Um that department is under yours and under your house.

That's what I was trying to ask.

Yeah, no, I'm sorry.

Um it's it's a separate department, uh real estate department.

Um who and they handle the sale and and purchasing who's the director of that department that would be me.

Nick Chicarelli, Chick Chicago, yeah.

But he's under planning, which is charge planning and balance.

Okay, thank you.

I guess that's like wait, um, because Nick Cherry is also uh secretary of the PRA.

That um I guess if he's the one, you know that's in charge of real estate for the city, but it's also very evolved the PRA.

Is that a normal practice?

Chief I don't think Mr.

Chairman.

I think 70 years' main mission is a um the agency that can handle eminent domain taking of fossils and properties.

It also handles the real estate, therefore it is a duly constituted board.

That's why Mr.

Cicotelli is the secretary of that.

So yes, property that would be pride, sold praise go to the PRA.

I guess I understand that part.

Well um checks and balancing are sure that uh seems like a lot of the meetings are publicly not so they've opened they have a appointed board that helps business.

I don't know, I was about to say members of the council appointed that board.

I guess um I guess like who would approve that like for us to translate?

I know it's it's the council, but I guess is there any one administration uh before uh it gets to us staff members of the department of planning would assist in identifying properties and then making recommendations to seek appraisals, appraisal board before the PRA board, the board would then take motion to accept the appraisal and/or process to identify qualified buyers if the city was selling property, including publicly advertised, and there is a city ordinance that says it cannot accept any value below 45% of the value.

Thank you.

Yeah, okay.

And I'll talk about Rahiti for a second.

Sure.

Conversation.

Um you guys have done a phenomenal job.

I have to tell you in general, um everything that I've I haven't needed to seek out resources from you guys very often, but with Kennedy, we've been very instrumental.

Um John, I've seen you at every meeting that I've attended.

I've I it's nice to be able to see you there.

Um, and um when it comes to graffiti, you guys have done a great job in handling um at least in my neighborhood, as much as what I've seen.

Um what implementation plans have we changed the the process by which we report graffiti and then have it um taken care of to assist the neighbor?

And if we have not, can you please repeat what it is so that we can make sure that we let our neighbors know because graffiti still seems to be a sort of large concern?

And then our staff takes the work orders, they kind of divvy it up in areas, and then they can kind of hit certain areas.

Um we do not do graffiti that's on private property or like commercial residential.

Um that comes with the liability.

Um hypothetically, if there's graffiti on a house and we go there and we power wash it and we start ripping wood shingles off the house, we're responsible to now fix that whole section of the house.

Um if we go and do a uh commercial building, and the the paint on that is like an onion with 15 different layers, and now we have multiple colored recycled wall, then we have to go and uh essentially have to paint the entire wall so it matches all one color.

So it comes with the liability.

Yeah.

Um when people seek out resources, it's just power washing that you do.

That's all it is, it's done to kind of remove whatever graffiti is.

So we we we do uh power washing and our power washer, um you know comes with uh I uh PSI and it's eated.

Okay, water to help uh get the graffiti off.

Um but you know so when it comes to city property, uh on on the trucks with the uh pressure washers, we have a guesstimate of like six colors of paint.

It's a brown, it's a black, it's a gray, you know, it's it's things that align with electrical boxes, telephone poles, uh things like that, so that we can you know try to get it off, you know, yeah.

Then we're we're gonna paint over it.

Uh the reason I ask is because when we first started our term, I think we all had a large issue with graffiti all over the place, and you guys have done a phenomenal job.

And I think at one point, um, if I remember correctly, and forgive me if I'm wrong, but I thought that we were assisting neighbors, if not with assisting them to get rid of it, but assisting them with being able to um just give them the advice on how to remove it.

So funny you say that.

Um I've I've actually not sure how they get my phone number.

Um probably another city council, right?

I uh I actually take a lot of calls uh from people who aren't actually asking for us to come there and do the work, but recommend um like the chemical that we use because we use a chemical called SNOP.

Um it's called SNOP.

SNOP S NOP.

Uh it works magically.

Um but so we we so when I get the phone calls, you know, I I try to guide them in the right way uh of um, you know, if they're going to buy a pressure washer or if they're going to rent one, you know, watch the pressure, you know, yeah, all these like kinds of little things in meeting I end up having a you know short conversation about it, just because and that's a lot of times that's all they want is just information.

So just as an aside, if you guys want to post that publicly, any word of recommendation on either your website or the 311 so that that can be a recommendation.

Sometimes it's literally most of what people are asking for.

Um, and I know that you've gone above and beyond because I actually had a neighbor who told me that they called you directly.

I swear to God, I do not read it.

Um but you were very resourceful for them and they were actually able to solve their issue on their own.

And sometimes I think that just the information I'm I'm a big person on communication.

So um the information available is just it's like 95% of the conversation with with neighbors.

So you guys just want to, as a recommendation, if we want to post it somewhere, that would be something we can actually give the information to three on all the years.

We discuss that prior to, and we will have to do not that like we don't know it, but I we would have I would want to do a little bit more research to make sure that we're putting out a proper, you know, of course.

Um thank you.

Also just you have to be careful because a lot of pets and stuff if it kills someone's pet.

Oh, the city told me to put this use.

Yeah, that's true.

That's not like we don't want this not to go.

Good point.

Thank you.

Um, is your question?

One summon.

Um thank you.

The academy building with a water supply board used to be what we plan to do with it.

Keep it in use.

Currently, it's housing the academy.

It's housing our maintenance staff and all of our storage war maintenance.

And it's currently housing certain departments for the police station.

It's pretty much the makeup of the building.

We're actually put a new roof on it.

Yes, probably within the next two weeks.

Some structural work.

Done a little bit of flooring with the police academy.

Making some improvements.

Yeah, just before we uh move on, just want to uh just send your appraises and give you credit.

Um Anthony is that was really um and to Vinci Center.

Uh the only community center by NASA to uh Brandon based after um 50 years.

And so I want to thank you for I know that was not easy.

No and uh John, I gotta say every time I send you an email man you get back to me right away.

We really do.

That means a lot to me.

Um so I just want to praise you both and when you're talking apologies.

Appreciate it.

Thank you.

Um that's a good way to wrap up unless anyone else has any questions.

Well said, thank you so much, guys.

Thank you.

Is there a vote for this?

Yeah, it's a five charge.

Right.

That's what I mean.

Yeah, you can get a tool.

Oh, yeah.

Oh, it's more than the end budget.

Oh what?

All right, I'll take the master.

So uh motion made by councilwoman Peterson, second by council's here, also here, and I well I'm joined today by our chief policy and director Dallas Cruz, the director of the sustainability department, deputy director Town Croft, and director of energy operations in regime.

Um, I'll just kind of kick off the presentation.

I'll go through the HLT slides and then figure the case folks to awesome.

Okay.

Uh so the total proposal budget for the sustainability department was for 2027 is 1 million 30,526.

This is a 129,449 increase over the fifth year 2026 budget, or approximately 14.3%.

Uh total salaries in this budget do not reflect any requests for funding of his positions.

Uh there is a cost of living increase of one million in one million.

11,000 eight hundred and seventy-five dollars.

Uh as well as that increase for their one union police of $508.

Um, and level funding of temporary salaries of $11,000.

This provides funding for one manual fellow to the URI energy fellow.

Not the R follow one URI energy colour, the URL energy program.

Additionally, there are some requests to change titles in this department.

Um David's title we are requesting, and I had inadvertently missed it in the ordinance to change this title from the energy and resiliency initiatives administrator, which is a lot of words, to the director of energy, um, which is a little simple and more indicative of the work he is doing.

Additionally, the fiscal and communications coordinator position is being changed to a fiscal communications manager to more accurately reflect the work that she's doing.

And as a special uh I'm sorry, the sustainability policy associated title that's been changed for projects associated to again reflect the work that she's doing.

It's more project days than response.

So is that reflected in the ordinance?

It is in it's in the org chart, and I got two out of three of them in the ordinance, but I I somehow missed David's title, so I will need to correct that for final ordinance and adjust that.

So thank you.

First up is uh fees not project line, which has a $5,000 increase.

This provides uh support for parking for the staff, uh professional development uh stipends for necessary uh board members and public meeting costs, including space, food, and child care.

Postage has an increase of 1,811 to accommodate the barrel mailing that's expected in a fiscal year.

There's a small reduction to dues and subscriptions of $20, which is supported by historical Trent.

Printing has been increased by $3,500 again, related to the Faro mailing, where this would be the printing expenditure for that um implementation.

And private contractors have an increase of $27,000.

This provides funding for translation.

Uh, this is the fee we pay the URI for the energy fellow program.

This uh mostly the increases for climate justice plan updates as well as stormwater and still program development.

Under the supply line items, there is a $45,000 free decrease in brand expenditures.

That is not indicative of a decrease in work in this department.

It's just the match the city is required to contribute next fiscal year has been reduced based on certain grants that have been come to fruition and what is is in next year.

Um and miscellaneous expenses has been eliminated and moved to more appropriate.

So we're decreasing it $45,000.

We're decreasing it because this grant extension line is tied to specific matches they already have.

So last year their matches in total for the external grants they had require $72,500.

This year's or the upcoming fiscal year grants that they are participating in only require um a match of uh $72,500.

And then I'll also add that we shifted um to private contractors as well.

So there was both like what Crystal say that matches at Lord based on the grants that we've subset those that are coming in, and then also there were some line items that make sense to go on to private contractors versus um grant so they did that shift.

So you'll see that decrease there, but an increase in the private contractors.

Um that was C Julia uh fiscal um and communications now drive, so I got that right.

Yeah, that's awesome.

Um just to confirm so every single grant uh um is anticipated for the appointment.

Um we are already aware of like there's nothing that can be, you know, I don't think it's gonna be rolled out by our federal administration.

Uh but say like let's say introduce like a new grant that required uh municipal uh match that would follow you as department.

Um where it could be possibly budgeted for for that.

So one of the exercises we do mid-year is identify funding for new initiatives that come up.

So should there, I will say pretty confidently that we never like to leave money on the table.

So should the department identify a grant next fiscal year, that would be the exercise we would do, and where it would come from is certainly going to depend on where we're at in that year and where certain line items are also at.

Um, but there is no intent to reduce matching grant opportunities out there, particularly for sustainability initiatives.

That's fun, Krista.

If I can just quickly add to that in terms of the brand matches, what we'll see there, um Bar Foundation gives us $125,000 yearly.

So we're about to go into a renewal process, so we've accounted for that on the grant match.

Um, and then I would leave Evan the uh optimization for the release compensation study under that line item, type 12 release initiatives.

Um, but in our um department description, we pay you what we currently have on hand in terms of brands leveraged funding.

So for all those brands, we've already fulfilled our matches.

We're just spending them down.

And we also got a new grant from the Rhode Island Foundation that doesn't require like a future match.

Um, and one of the things uh I'll give more into this, but we're really trying to be mindful of like what are these projects we're gonna be working on.

So we went through that exercise and factor that into the budget before you and everything else were just sunsetting so we can focus on these other bigger initiatives.

Awesome.

Thank you.

So this department is also responsible for our heat power in light budget.

They're not as humanistline items in that budget, it's really just one, but if you're curious, it is on page 39 of your budget book.

There is revenue generated by this permit.

It has to do with the energy cut experience by PTSD as part of our agreement with them.

And it is level funded at North Bive million dollars in fiscal year 2.

The power expenditures have been broken down by line item.

This is one of the initiatives that the sustainable gate company has been working on.

We are trying to more accurately identify what goes into this budget.

So you can see that Director Rogerio has done a great job of kind of explaining where the $6.5 million is coming from based on previous standards.

And again, these changes are attributable to where we were at last year.

So just to confirm, so it doesn't cover all of our utility expense for city, does it?

This is all of our includes schools, but it's lost city facilities.

David knows the exact number of accounts, but it's like well over 100, I would say.

Yeah, that's okay.

This is all the part of our ROS for the console, as you said.

And again, the uh sliding is just again another breakdown of the expenditures by type that shows the total budget of 6.5.

That wraps up my uh narrative.

Um directors see if some opening remarks.

Thank you all for the time.

And yes, we've been before you have a little bit.

We've been before you a couple of times in in the past uh few weeks or so.

Um so what you have before you, like I started referencing is basically a level operational budget.

Um Crystal and David can speak more to the heat power and light budget, and I'll after this take it over to David to just talk a little bit more about the heat power and light budget and let you know how we're approaching that in the coming year.

So, in terms of this level budget that we have before you already mentioned the shift that we're doing.

Um, we have the reduction in the grant matches.

It's natural because of all the grants that we we currently have like over 12 grants, so really going into this upcoming fiscal year is like wrapping those up successfully, right?

We fulfilled our city matching um whether types of staffing or half-day dollars, um, and now we want to focus on um the bigger arching projects.

Um, and that's why you also see the increase in private contractors because that signals the continuation of the things that we're currently working on.

So I'll just speak a little bit to those.

Um the the budgets will position our department to further the mission of implementing the climate justice plan that's gonna include all the work you've heard in the past couple of weeks, right?

The decarbonization plan of really making sure we face out fossil fuels from our city-owned buildings, but but that we do that smart strategically, that we are avoiding costs for the city and also bringing in revenue.

We're gonna be ramping up our investment in solar, not reflected in the operational budget that's taxed to do and revolving funds.

So we're gaining the three million dollars in marketing to manage, right?

Tied to clean energy projects.

Um, we also are going to continue administering the building energy reporting ordinance program that's including for our buildings, um, public restriction of the energy, but also working with um mostly cloud building all that service fares, um, but also to tap into energy efficiency.

Um, and we're of course doing all that decarbonization work along with public property and the parks department.

Um, we're also going to continue um implementing waste reduction reduction strategies.

Um, the big one, you know, we started off with uh workflows to uh 80% conclusion of uh distributing new trash and recycling cards, then we can really focus on holding in on our food with waste reduction strategies, but also um reducing contamination and recycling, right?

That's really the savings that we're looking for, both environmentally, but also in what is costing the city to be better recycling.

Um the third, um, we're gonna continue pursuing uh working with Chief Normandy um sustainable and equitable funding for farmwater and storm management, including flooding prevention strategies.

Um we're also going to continue working on the resiliency preparedness activities, aka our resilience hub strategy, like at the Holy Village resilience hub.

Um, and last but not least, uh I mean we are due for a five-year update to the climate justice plan.

So that is a very rigorous, robust community engagement process to update that.

So both with the stormwater um sustainable funding initiative and with the climate justice plan, those are really big projects for us to deliver on.

So we want to buckle down and focus on that.

Um other quick things that are important to know when it comes to the software we use to match the building energy reporting ordinance bureau program or to manage a thousand utilities, that lives in IT's budget.

So you won't see it reflected here, but it's supplementary, right?

Um, and then we also I mentioned the Great Evolving Fund.

We also, as soon as um the city council adopts the platform master plan, we're gonna be managing uh the sustainability reserve account.

Right now there's 480,000 in there.

Um and then public street waterfront access project.

Um there is money, about 30,000 living in the CIP under public properties hazardization line, and that's gonna ensure that we can deliver on that project that's so important to the Southside community.

Um so I I will leave it there, but if there's anything you want to add to that.

That public street uh example is another example of like C that showed up under our grant expenditures that's matched.

But it match we match the project at this point, match all the grants.

Um, but we're still investing in the project, which doesn't fall under the sweet and David um key power in life, anything you want to add there?

Um, but then building on something Crystal said where we're tracking expenses, breaking it down granularity.

I did do some analysis because what I do.

Uh the last three budgets that we have created using EIS using the new software and breaking down our expenses.

Uh we've been within nine the budgeted amount and the invoice amount on any given year or fiscal year.

Uh so it's there's a comfort knowing when we go in there and saying, all right, we have contracts through the end of the fiscal year.

We know that our costs are going to be in line with uh with our use.

So it's it's kind of fun project.

What next?

I guess that's the big question.

Yeah, and the last thing I'll add to that, I mean David spends a great amount of time tracking the volatility, right?

Of electricity and gas.

So we all know that energy costs are skyrocketing.

There's a lot of volatility.

So we do expect some minor fluctuation there.

Um, and of course, that would come back to Krista.

And then Mr.

Chairman's like behalf of Lane Paula and David's work and the entire team to be noted a 23% reduction to the shear post-budget versus the priority of over three-year average.

Um that uh budget has been reduced by 39.6% like all due to the initiative that they have identified the strict management actual bills.

It's a uh painstaking process, but it's a major item of the budget closer to the team.

So we're also doing two was that on the rest of our questions and comments.

Um I just want to start off with uh, you know, I obviously recognize that I'm so grateful for all the work that this department does.

Um my comments and concern, I guess you could call it the same thing with parks and drugs.

And with uh these departments are doing amazing work.

Um in contrast to parks and rights, this department is saving us money and bringing revenue.

And it's it's the this I mean it.

I want to be very clear because I think last time I said it was kind of worded a little weirdly.

It's like this is not to take uh away from any of the work that this department does, but I see this and that I'm like we should re-investing some of this money back into uh capacity building uh when it comes to this department.

I I don't know in which way if it's in energy or or resiliency and exactly where, but it seems like there has to be some level of of uh opportunity to to build out some of this capacity.

I know what needs to respond because I know it's kind of awkward, and I recognize that, but um, as a city councilor, that's my comment uh initially because obviously I'm very grateful for all the work, but at the same time, it seems like we need to keep building that that momentum and having the same amount of positions.

Um I just feel like it doesn't uh add to uh the trail.

Uh any questions?

Uh Council Gibson.

Thank you.

Um I first want to start with a comment.

Um I just I want to applaud this this particular department for all of the things that you have already said, but um, Priscilla, and I don't say this because you're a board 14 constituent, although that is an extra bonus.

Um you've taken something that for me is a complete unknown, and you've made it so understandable for me.

You and um and Councilman Andrew Ball also uh she deserves our flowers here as well.

But what you've done is you've allowed us to understand how much potential we have as a city to contribute in this way.

Um, and you made it easy for me to understand at least a person who has no understanding about this, and also how important this part of what we do or part of what we can do with the city is also I just want to thank you.

Um, because what you've done in three years is identified how we can be leaders, not only just in our city, but in our entire state.

Um I've spoken about this before, but I went into a um legal cities and towns meeting uh convention where you were this you you were the presenters and you were showing other cities and towns what you can do with what we have.

And in a time where we're fine, we're looking for ways desperately to save and be cost effective.

You've you've done that, and you've done that in a short time.

And I just I think that the kudos is not just to you, but it's to your entire team.

You've you've identified what we can do to move forward in uh in a much more sustainable way.

And for somebody who had no idea how truly not only needed, but um how important it was.

I just want to thank you because it's made it a lot easier.

I know that our neighbors are paying attention to this part of it.

Um I talk about it very often.

I don't talk about it great, but I just say we have really great constituents that are spearheading a lot of this great work in the city.

Um, and I just I need to applaud that because I don't think that oftentimes we get a chance to um really see as detailed as you provided it, all of this really great work.

So I just want to thank you and your entire team.

You guys have been phenomenal, and you've made me understand this in a way that I had no idea.

I didn't know that I would be so interested in this topic.

So just a simple thank you.

Um, it's a very long-winded way of saying that means a lot to me.

Um, but my two questions um are you spoke about solar, and um I wanted to understand what you're what we're considering um in terms of solar, if you have any idea yet.

Yes, so David can um elaborate more here.

So um in the decarbonization roadmap, there were about 60 buildings that were assessed um guiding.

And uh so you even know um and then uh what we're doing now because of the green revolving fund because we're moving faster secure as many federal tax credits before the sunset is identifying what are the top projects.

Uh there are about a dozen right now that we are analyzing, and that includes schools.

So David is really looking at like their energy usage, um potential size for the solar system, and then making sense of the money that would come back into the green revolve.

But they want to add to that, it's moving really fast, right?

It's moving fast, and we went with 12 projects because their availability, their roof, the spacing, everything seemed to align.

Um, we knew that not all of them would come on the contract, uh many of them wouldn't qualify uh to move forward refining that to be the case.

Um the city could support its buildings about 10 megawatts.

We have half a megawatt under contract down between the new DPW building and entry contracts that uh sustainability is responsible for this next round.

We're hoping getting what we hope for like 1.5.

So it'd be about 20% of the way there, which aligns well with our departmentization efforts where we're about 22% over towards retrofitting.

Is there any part of it, any of the new construction that has been uh determined that would be able to take on any sort of soap solar project?

We are considering new construction purpose for schools.

The schools, the new construction currently underway, or that's that's because they're large roots and they're all electric buildings.

Um, so then we get coming in in the summer because the schools aren't in use as much, and a speed production period.

So, yes, any large real estate is what we're looking for in critical areas such as uh department of communications, which we'd like to do might go through there on the draw from small initiatives being clear.

And then just my last question um is with regards to federal funding.

Obviously, we've seen um not the greatest support and tree leading of and championing of these um opportunities.

How has federal funding actually affected what you haven't currently doing?

I know you've sought your way through what you already have, but what is there anything that you're looking at that's potential on the horizon?

I know being in the grant field, I know what they're prioritizing.

Um, so I just wanted to see if there was anything that you guys were looking or looking outside the box to consider for um more in terms of federal opportunities.

Yeah, I mean, I think we've been fortunate first that the grants that we had on hand, we were mostly able to keep them or other departments or other entities that face that kind of luck.

Um, I I think where we're looking elsewhere is just try to be more innovative, right?

Where do we form a partnership either with the Rhode Island Office of Energy Resources to expand um electric vehicle infrastructure?

That's gonna be another evolution where they still have money that we can leverage to then you know open up our money, and then we're also very fortunate that we have grants and relationships through the Rhoda Foundation, the Barr Foundation.

Um, and I think we're at a place just based on our staffing, um, bandwidth and resources that we feel like we have enough on hand.

Right.

Um, and then we also on the resiliency side, um, and we work with other departments also comfortable in that area where there's still state funding top into, and then EPA money that was in fought back that we were able to.

So we're feeling pretty comfortable over the next CO2, um, but of course, looking for other opportunities, you know, looking ahead, you know, yeah, what we're gonna need.

Thank you.

Well, on the solar side, what David has been working on, uh, if we're able to get a number of these projects, let's say we get eight out of 12 of them uh under contract by the end of this fiscal year when it's kind of like funding deadline that you're talking about for solar hits.

Uh we have a four-year window to build those projects, so we'll be able to we kind of have like type one of projects and kind of see us through them.

And then it's David is always saying, you know, you've seen the tax credits for solar and global energy kind of rise and fall, and um, I think it should be surprising if we can come back in some way or another under a different uh Congress or different administration.

So hopefully we're able to get these things locked under um contract uh in time to take advantage of the existing credits, and by the time we're ready to start uh looking at uh additional buildings, um, that credits you know returned in some way.

Last thing I'll say is um thank you very much for all your work on the stormwater project.

It's extremely important in work, especially on the branch app side.

We've talked about all of these, but it's um it's essential for us.

So thank you very much for really preparing for all this.

Yeah, it's really important for the city we'll consider working on that.

Um worries.

I was gonna ask some of the okay.

And also just in building up what you just said, Councilman Peterson, um, we're gonna be talking a lot more about stormwater, and we look forward to working with you on that because there's a lot of community engagement to happen around that conversation.

Thanks.

Thank you.

Thank you very much for all you do though.

It's great, great department.

And thank you for the support that you've given to uh CEO waste that they go and around and inspecting the recycling.

That's a big for us because they look at the same time they educate the public.

So we won't be saving a lot of money that the top and done.

The other uh question I have is like if you need any audit by somebody else, yes, to check the waste and the leader on the fuel and the fleets that we have.

I was going to ask how many cars do we have in the whole city?

What happens is they need a system to go off if the car is left on at least for five minutes park to go off automatic.

So that will save fuel on the pitch.

Something that we need to start working on because if you notice when you go around the police officer, get out of the cruiser, leave the closer on, he goes to see what's going on while the cruiser running.

Should be a system where that cruiser goes off, and when he gets in, would go on automatic.

Something we guys to think about.

Thank you.

Do uh is there software out there that exists like the uh the fleet manager says our uh public property was previously um talking about uh he manages he's very interested in reducing idling.

Um talking about uh see fuel costs, it also does uh puts a lot of wear on uh the engines, um, so they require more maintenance.

So he's definitely keyed into reducing idling and fiscal.

Maybe you can uh think that they are uh in the process of kind of transitioning to a more modern software to be able to track the vehicles and actually specifically track idling vehicles so that if they're seeing uh a specific drive.

I don't know, I don't know about the actual like turn off, but if they're seeing like this one car as you know, an idle time that's 700% more than the fleet ad or so they can talk to that person be like, hey, what's going on here?

Uh you gotta get a turn car off and you're just sitting there.

So I know that that's something that's uh on his radar, it's not something that we're doing specifically, but uh I hear you and um we can bring that back and also about technology that we can do to just get shut off at the time.

Yeah, so it's a good point.

Um I've also noticed a lot of voice cruisers doing it.

I called the chief ones and I was like, Yeah, we'll take care of it.

But I'm like, I'm not gonna call it cheap every single time.

Like it's like it's just like a weird thing to uh we call it about uh but when I worked over here in Better Lives, there's uh uh J rule substation there every single day there was multiple if not different uh vehicles either.

Um yeah, I mean I think something uh we should uh correct to be headwork.

Councilman Davidson.

Thank you, Chairman.

Um yeah, I mean, you know, I hope you can do a praise because you got more coming from me.

I'm super grateful to have been working with you and um you know, happy to be on the special committee for environment sustainability and be attached to the work of that way.

And um, folks in work too are incredibly grateful all the strong water work that we are doing, the collaboration, the education and the actual work.

So just like thank you so much.

Specific questions around um, maybe this pairs with solar, but um whether we are planning any expenditures for battery storage systems as part of these systems.

That's number one, a throw out number two, because it might be part of the bigger answer.

I see no um investment um expenses related to heat pump installation.

So I was just wondering about those two things.

Sure, those are mostly the CIP butters, I mean worked towards staff.

Um battery storage uh put in line and requests uh for the Charleston Center um to have a micro grid there, uh as well as Elmwood and uh communications, the old vehicle location as well, so they can't support solar.

Um that's because you have generators there, you have a need there.

Yeah, of course.

So we are looking uh restored seriously.

We have some money in the CIP which we go when if we're all the funding.

Yes, again.

And I believe there's a dot to interrupt, but I believe there's also some grant eligibility.

I mean, some subsidy eligibility currently.

So I think there's some subsidy to sense.

Uh batteries will stay, uh, brown strips heat pumps will stay as well.

Uh and we're meeting Monday with OER to discuss uh some activity money that's available.

Yeah, we're yes, yeah.

Yeah, we're always talking to OER to see what funding they have sent our way.

And which regards to heat pumps, uh all the new building projects that the city takes on have to have electric heating, have to have heat pumps, uh, whether they're air source or brown source heat pumps.

Uh the Rhode Island utility and PUC have not allowed fuel switching as a um this current three-year plan and probably the next one, uh, which means we can't there isn't a lot of money there on the utilities.

Okay, um, because it's just been deemed um appropriate if you break pay money, gas rate pay money to pay for electrical systems, those working in Massachusetts.

Those working in Massachusetts, that's why I have heat pumps in my house.

Um there's still incentives on the federal level, the ground source heat pumps, which are more expensive to install, but less costly to operate.

Um benefit there is when you start renovating large buildings and money buildings at the same time, think of phase four schools or something.

That's exactly what I'm thinking.

Um we've been talking, we're just talking about this now with our foundation renewal, but this is something that they're willing to help us pay for physical studies to assess which school properties will be from Canada's progressive team getting to the space for so based on that, it's based on a lot of the facts that yes, we can talk Rhode Island League, we do go out in public stuff speaking.

I've been invited to two um workshops or conferences both in the Boston area this week and next week to deal specifically with solar and with heat pumps.

Um both rate.

Um so we're up there should be looking for mining and well, so Kevin talked the Bar Foundation that was the surprise.

Oh, good network for the energy guide uh involved in that.

So we have our hand and everything.

Um I think that's the next big push now that we know we've got this pipeline for solar.

Let's look at a pipeline for electrification.

Thank you for that.

Yeah, I mean, it was generally in the plans, but you know, I don't see it hitting as a line item yet.

So I just wanted to better understand.

Yeah, it's building the public property project budgets.

So, like the new uh uh fire station, for example, they just electrify those uh the renovation.

So they are building into electrication into uh the cost and the green revolving fund requires on electric upgrades to buildings, electrification of systems and efficiency and renewables.

So when we sit down with John and Anthony and I say, hey, we have to replace the boiler and firehouse, we can say no, it gives a heat pump, we can substance or we can fund the difference in that.

So it's gonna be a multi-year process.

I mean, just to conclude for your entire team, sort of taking up on what uh Chairman Sanchez said, you're doing an incredible amount for the small staff.

Um we understand that you are creating great opportunity for this city.

Eventually, there's going to be limits to that.

I think that we all acknowledge that.

Um, so I you know just want to really commend you for making the most of our resources, but also your human resources to get an incredible amount done.

I appreciate the title changes.

They're important.

And you know, I hope that the staff can I hope the city is doing what it can to keep the staff together and keep it forward.

Thank you.

That was a lot of nicer so thanks.

Oh, if that was a good voice.

Actually, just a segue still on this point of uh well, first I shared everyone's second day about how great you all are.

Um similar to um my colleagues have said you all are a small and money team.

And I was wondering with the green revolving fund and how we've we've uh dedicated three million to seed funding, and we'll get we'll continue to invest in that fund to savings.

We've we we will uh approve.

Is there a component or mechanism in that fund where it allows for a small percentage of administrative cost to expand the workforce in your department?

Well, right now, but we that's a great question.

Right now, what we've identified, we work with sustainable endowment institute that has experience in launching these green revolving funds, and based on the size that we have, um, we can operationalize it with existing stuff that we have and and adopt software.

Software is really critical for how we track, and then of course, we need to still identify where we outsource.

Like, for example, um the finance department already has under contract a company called CLA that will help us buy the tax credit.

So it's just again us looking at what capabilities um behalf of the department, what makes sense based on the infancy of the green revolving fund.

Um, but if the fund and you know future years were to grow exponentially, then that will look differently, right, in terms of how we administer that and how many people need.

So like if it does grow, um so there is a legal mechanism where you can use some of that to grow the department, if that's some well, the way that the Green Revolving Fund, um the operational guide for it or charter um and the ordinance is written, it's to manage the green revolving fund.

We just need to make sure that enough of it revolves.

Um but we have been talking about you know operationally like building in some costs, right?

You don't see the software per funded in the IT budget.

You might see it in that green revolving fund, but it it would be a significant compared to the amount of savings that are coming back into the fund.

This is probably just a comment is uh uh chief.

I think you may have said I probably could have misheard this, but uh I think over three years, C really has reduced their operation uh operating budget by 30%, or was that 39?

On the average, they reduced uh the actual cost for 2026 to the year by nearly 39 percent actual to the proposed.

That's amazing.

The three-year average has shown including it compared to this year's proposed budget, at least a 23% reduction.

Right.

You know, I was talking to uh a resident about municipal government in general.

Um sorry it's a golf track here, but I just I just there is uh you know, obviously the no matter you know sometimes the council, the administration will have different philosophical views on how government should administer services and where those services should go.

Um and I keep you know, I keep telling residents, you know, municipal government, there's not a lot of good over in terms of it, you know, we have to pass a balanced budget.

And I bring this up because how do we message out to residents that we're not just spending willy-nilly here?

We're actually saving um, we're trying to be efficient with tax dollars.

How do we use those success success stories to kind of tone down the cynicism, skepticism, which I share?

You know, I I don't that's a really low question, but you being in finance for all these years.

How do you uh navigate um that sort of like how do you how do you communicate that to the casual resident?

So as uh esteemed finance colleagues have often said, starting with our budget officer, 94%, maybe now 96% of the city's budget is not discretionary, it's fixed and it's rising fixed.

And that's based on the reason why.

If it's wages, it's wage contracts that span across the bottom units.

If it's pension, it's based on ambulance schedule that's declared.

If it's self-managed healthcare, same thing.

Savings in one department, while it would be helpful if they could retain it within that department, uh generally not done that way.

We give the department.

I will say this about finance.

We tell us that every department that directors, their fiscal role is not to lower their budgets to defend it and make sure that it's a document that is sustainable, no pun intended, and making certain that we can support that budget.

But if there's a savings one year or the other from one department because there was an ideal program, that savings flows into the general fund budget in total, and it is used to offset rising costs somewhere else.

It is a process.

Well, it's not scientific, it is clearly an art uh of doing that.

And uh great credit goes to the two finance directors and their staff uh as we work as a team.

But um, how do you message that to the citizens?

Clearly, we this year is an example, a 1.75% increase over the prior year.

And with due respect to other communities as you've seen around Rhode Island, what happens when budgeting is not done accurately.

A budget that's approved today, or let's just say in the month of June, is only as good as today's approved, and not because of neglect or cause of incompetency.

One bad budget break could throw the budget off the entire year, and you have to sustain and live with that change throughout the year.

To the credit of the finance department and all directors throughout the city, they manage their budget microscopically.

It's amazing the process they do and gain the maximum efficiency from that budget, including new programs, new programming issues.

Uh, I too step back and say it's amazing what we do.

And uh for the record, we've had 11 consecutive balance loss surplus budgets, you know, rising cost economy just on the pension alone.

13 consecutive years of 100% pension payment.

That's an achievement that I don't think I think we don't give enough credit to.

Why is that important?

I could just digress from this will make the 14th consecutive year we finish 2026 and the budget under consideration from the measures the 15th consecutive year of 100% pension payment.

If you go back 35 years, then come forward 20 in those 20 years forward, only two out of 20 years was the right money put into the pension plan.

And it does make a significant difference.

And we're seeing a change in the funding percentage of the pension plan.

So discipline is what takes the balanced budgets.

And there is a story there, no question about it.

Residents should be proud of the fact that the work that was on in all deposits, just what you heard tonight for public property and sustainability is amazing.

I sit there myself and applaud them for the work that they do.

It's good work.

Your presentation, um I'm not a finance person, but we'll say um coaching must have been uh, you know, you made me want to run to a wall.

Yeah, saying that I don't know, I was inspired by numbers, but that was great.

That was great.

Thank you.

Um thank you.

I only have one question.

Does anyone else have anything?

Uh my question is is there any timeline that we should be aware of for the uh justice updates?

Yes, uh, that's a great question.

So we have the we've onboarded the consultants that are going to work with us on updating that plan that includes um civic, um GZA of work on the Prop Court Master Planning process and another organization called BW Research Group that has an expertise in equity and justice and energy and workforce development.

Um so we've onboarded them successfully.

We've also started competing with the RNJC, um, the National Representative Justice Committee who co-developed the plan that we're updating the plan with us.

So right now we are aiming for end of June to kick off a community event to talk about the climate justice plan update, and then after that kick off a series of events.

So where we want to be by the end of the year is having a direct plan that the community is revising and making sure it drives with the engagement that we've done, um, and then have a final update released um January of 2027.

So yeah, there's uh a lot of excitement uh around that sort of thing.

It's exciting, right?

We have a nationally recognized climate justice plan, and now we're updating it to ensure that we can continue implementing it over the next five years and years to come.

So it's been the same.

Um I think we're all said, thank you all very much.

Yeah, so we could say it's pretty good.

Actually, that runs through a lot, so not like we don't put me square.

Yeah, I don't know.

I was just my right until we do I like to have major technically happens to finally have those twenty sort of uh motion to enter exhibit 18 into the record.

Uh notion made by councilman Peterson, second by councilman Taylor, all those in favor.

I have it.

Oh no, we uh we are not gonna rush through this, but we are gonna go through it in a time of manner.

Uh possibilities.

Um their budget can be found on page 117 as we're loving.

Uh I am joined today by again our chief of Cal Key Mesilien Cheryl Dormandy, uh, our director of Calvin and Human Services, Daniel Friedman, uh, our director of cloud thing and community development with the McDonald's.

Uh director of human services, Dr.

Rachel Ferrara, which is a view of accomplishments.

We also uh and our age family community directors to Rodeo.

That's my true case correct.

Uh year 2024 2027 plus budget for HHS is 2,377,459.

This is a 9,963 increase over fiscal year 2026 budget, or a little under a half a percent.

It's important to note that this is a nominal uh increase in large part because rent is being removed from the budget, so it's not an indication of a reduction in funding overall.

Uh total fiscal year 2026 salaries are budgeted at 600, we're budgeted at $695,148.

We have budgeting possibility increases of $17,379, staff increases of $1,203.

Virtual proposed fiscal year 2020 salaries of $75,000, $730.

This department does have a very large quantity of grant funded depart um DAC.

Um, so I will say that there is a slight increase in funding that is shifting over the general fund.

I believe it's 0.1% of someone's salary is going from a grants and general fund, so a very small amount of dollars are being shipped over.

Um, but I think it's going to be that they're doing considerable amount of work and that those grant programs are very important.

Uh their budget has been broken into fixed and discretionary costs, the large um most of their costs are considered discretionary.

Uh first up is feeding on classified as a staff parking for any non-union staff who needs to uh our 50 City Center Garage.

Uh Postage has been level funded in $1,800.

Advertising and marketing is $15,000.

That's for the e play learned program and considered a fixed cost as uh most of the city's advertising costs are for uh public meeting businesses.

Uh due some subscriptions have a small increase, and this covers any sort of necessary uh special memberships as well as the grant management software.

Printing has been increased by $15,000, and this is so that we can uh print additional housing report and other annual reports because we found that having printed logo nice quality materials uh have been handy for them in promoting their work.

Uh, there is a reduction of $75,000 program expense.

Um their contract services are being increased by $133,000.

This provides behavioral health outreach, prepared programming, age family programming.

This also has the funding for the acute community needs fund and their housing and tenant education that we'll talk about on another slide.

Uh professional development has a small reduction at $2,500 based on estimated needs been here for 26.

Under the supply line items, office supplies and stationary have been level funded.

Again, uh the primary reduction here is for rent.

We will no longer be allocating rent to our departments.

I'm sorry, I didn't said it.

What is the 75,000 deduction in programming funds?

Uh $75,000 reduction in these expense is tied to you know this how income is.

Oh, that's what it was.

Yeah.

Got it, thank you, Director Freeman.

Uh so there was a reallocation of uh $75,000 that was moved out of the program sends it into contract services.

What was that?

It was for the housing support matching grants, is that correct?

Yes.

So we differentiate program expenses typically internal city programs.

Uh contract services are typically services where we would issue an RFP, and so we just simply reclassified for the sake of transparency assistance.

Right.

The line item remains changed.

Um, so lastly, the 2037 budget does propose some investments in housing supports, the that's majority of which are being funded from the sale of two city assets.

So this is just a slide from our budget overview to remind you all that that is an investment we're proposing for next fiscal year.

Um, assuming or once those sales are finalized and those purchases are executed, the city will be submitting an ordinance requesting that those funds be transferred out of the capital asset funds into the general fund, and we will be budgeting a transfer um to the um we'll be budgeting the expenditure of these funds.

And that wraps it up.

Let's do it.

Pretty straightforward.

Yeah.

Good evening, Science City Opportunity to join a new free thing to be half of City Department Housing Services.

The work of HHS reflects, I believe, our shared priorities.

Um, and we look forward to highlighting quickly uh the province achievements for FY26 as well as our strategic priorities for FY27.

Uh as notice I'm joined by directors to Romeo, uh, sorry, Romeo, uh, and doctor as a Friday virtual call.

So as you're well familiar, our goal is to ensure the province residents have access to safe housing, essential support services, and pathways to long-term stability.

We do this through direct housing investments through meeting partnerships, public health initiatives, and human services programming, with the goal of strengthening our neighborhoods, expanding opportunity, improving uh resident quality of life, and preserving and creating affordable housing throughout the city.

So in FY26, some quick comments we wanted to share and highlight with you all.

The department played a critical role in the city's ability to respond rapidly and effectively to community emerging community needs.

Notably, we uh coordinated the implementation of the city's emergency food plan during the SNAP disruption that affected thousands of Providence residents, including over 16,000 children for advanced planning across departmental coordination and strong partnerships with our community-based partners, state agencies and philanthropic partners.

We were able to quickly identify needs, mobilize resources, and support emergency food access through the city.

We have also served an active role in the mental health at community recovery work associated with Brown tragedy, including working to partner in the establishment of the New Resilience Center.

We have partnered with Department of People and Culture to roll out a new recovery-friendly workplace policy citywide.

We've completed the city's first annual housing progress report, which provides a transparent framework for measuring progress towards addressing the housing shortage by tracking housing production, preservation, our direct investments, and household supports across the province.

And if you don't have a copy, happy to distribute some.

We can digitally, but not in printed copies.

Any reports like this, if we could get uh printed copies.

We're really appreciated.

We were able to uh complete and conduct achieved timely approval of the city's new five-year consolidation plan.

We are now advancing our year two CDG home and optico investments.

Uh that budget has come in for the city council for second passage, which includes the creation of a new maintain assistance program for low-income home buyers, uh continued affordable housing investments and home repairs, and critical support community-based organizations that serve refugee and immigrant populations, unhoused residents, and uninsured or underinsured individuals during the increasingly uncertain federal funding.

We have also distributed completed year one of the deployment of our opioid settlement funding, distributing over 1.2 million dollars guided by the city's overdose prevention strategy with our first annual opioid subject fund annual reporting range short.

We look forward to sharing that with the council as soon as it's available.

Um, some highlights we can preview.

Um, we'll try to say that those investments have reached more than 3,000 individuals to funded programs and services.

Uh those partners have connected over a thousand people to additional care treatment, housing, and recovery supports.

We've provided 625 housing supports and housing related services to recovery, thank 635 individuals in our CN administration is overdose response and supported 461 people within recovery services and peers of that uh a complete report will be released uh in the coming weeks.

We look forward to sharing that with you, and that's the first round of investments over the field cell funds.

Um we also are advancing to advance the age-friendly plan through new programs and initiatives, um, and we are developing a resource guide for the seniors and also the current fund.

So FY27, um, we are continuing to advance our budget and our works for City General Fund, state awards, federal brand funds, and private programs.

Um, as noted by finance, uh, this FY27 proposed budget largely reflects only modest operational adjustments based on actual expenditures and programming needs.

Um importantly, the department continues to realize operational efficiencies and cost savings resulting from our 2024 department unification through shared staffing structures, coordinated administration, and streamlined operations.

As it's been a theme of this evening, um diversification and continued coordination of funding sources is going to become increasingly important as diesel continuing happiness uncertainty around federal safety net programs and competitive funding.

So, what we continue to work towards is shifting initiatives wherever possible to multi-year awards to improve continuity and reduce administrative burden for our partners.

We are working um creatively and strategically to grade buttons screens to maintain service continuity, adapt to evolving federal guidance and eligibility prescriptions.

For example, and Dr.

Ferrara is incredibly adept at planning ahead for these things and anticipating and changing federal guidance.

So there is a lot of behind the scenes movement of budget so that there is no disruption to any external program.

So that takes a lot of effort on behalf of the fiscal staff and bucket growth and others to point ahead for those changes and make sure that we're well prepared and have thought through to avoid any disruptions in care.

So as has been outlined to you all, there are some new proposals for some additional housing stabilization supports.

So we are seeking to create a new first known municipal rental assistance program structure that ordinances, I believe, in front of this committee shortly for consideration.

Currently proposed for one million dollars in anticipated funding.

We are releasing an RFP to identify qualified community partners subject to funding approval.

We'll be able to administer that program and get those dollars out to house states in leave.

We are also seeking uh to utilize funding to review the city's uh eviction defense pilot that has been incredibly successful, looking to uh reinvest in the eviction defense collaborative.

Um we are seeking to uh add a new line item for landlord tenant education, so continue to invest with the assettment funds and private funds in recovery for entropy municipal housing.

We are continuing to expand team based support services and seek to sustain them by strengthening partnerships with organizations and branding funding provide comprehensive support services.

We are working to continue to improve our operational effectiveness and our accountability in our service delivery.

Um continuing to implement and refine our measures to monitor and evaluate program outcomes, ensuring transparency, accountability, is improving service delivery.

Uh, we are making a proactive effort to develop resource guides and external facing reporting to ensure that our work and available resources are known and accessible for our constituents.

Um part of this budget also includes a transition from senior services to the aid from the community um division.

We're changing the names to better reflect community inclusiveness, um, focusing more on health and wellness.

Um, as you know, the states change their name to the Office of Healthy Aging.

So it's kind of a movement that's happening to take away the stereotype of seniors and help folks age, older adults age at all stages of age, not just older or you know, there's a lot of elder folks from 50, as we know, right.

So the name change kind of includes everyone.

Um, and it's you know said that if you if you create a city, an age-friendly city for eight to eight year olds, it includes everybody.

So it'll be a good city for everyone.

So this transition is not anticipated to have any general fund impact.

Um, we are going to be updating materials and collateral through the sort of normal replacement cycles.

And so in this budget, ultimately the changes donate to titles and the name of the department to be more moderate and inclusive as uh directorio mentioned.

Awesome.

Uh, so to elaborate a little bit more on the few um new initiatives that are proposed.

We did um try to be measured in our request for new initiatives, uh given the current budget constraints, but we did propose the new general fund investments of $15,000 for landlord town education with the goal of supporting targeted fair housing testing and proactive knowing rights education.

We anticipate if funding is approved to issue an RFP to follow by legal aid or fair housing agencies for services such as flagging Scofflaw rental listings, tenant union technical assistance, workshops and fair housing tests to ensure state and local laws are known and followed.

We are also proposing a new line for $25,000 for acute community leads, which would be a fund to address acute unforeseen gaps in basic needs services.

Example surge funding to food pantries or meal sites in event of a future stamp interruption.

In the current chaotic settled climate, it's helpful to have a fund available as a backstop in the event of funding or benefit pauses or government shutdowns, having dollars to ID in emergency plans like the emergency group plans, shoot-up.

We can be nimble when we continue to receive these types of destabilizing disruptions.

We ideally would have a vendor selected for June 29th, but the goal of having that program, the rent program uh operational sometime in July.

So I think in closing, uh our work is fundamentally collaborative and our progress depends on continued partnership with the city council, community organizations, service providers, and residents.

We appreciate your all the your continued support and partnership as we work together to strengthen housing stability, improve public health outcomes, and ensure province residents can access services and opportunities that we can try.

So we thank you for your time and consideration seating and welcome to the questions.

Thank you.

We really appreciate all of you and through your department uh do for the residents of our city.

Oh, I know the associate amazing team over there.

Um I have a couple of questions, but committee members have yeah, um, that's all of your um so minor kind of all of it as well start with a few at hopefully conversation brings the other ones forward.

Um with regards to age-friendly PVD.

Um, I think it's a phenomenal idea.

Well done.

Um, are you currently working with the rec departments to facilitate any sort of partnerships and user space or what ideas are we actually just held a pilot program at Elmwood Community Center, step into spring, where we invited seniors in, we work with Meals on Wheels, they sponsored the lump program.

Um we brought in Tai Chi, Salta Dancing, a nutritionist from Meals on Wheels, and we had like four hour programs that were very, very successful.

So we're really excited about it.

We're hoping to create a monthly you know program there if not, like a maybe a six-week summer program.

Oh, yeah.

Sorry to interrupt.

Oh, you were there.

You say all those lovely things that I mentioned, and I was there all summer in my day job capacity as much.

It was awesome though.

So mid-some care transportation, which is sometimes so that's another reminder to make sure that folks uh are promoting and utilizing the bus services that the department 100%.

Uh just as a follow-up to that.

No, that's okay.

I'm glad to hear about that.

Um, when Rex came and spoke with us, I had suggested the idea, and I'm not sure if you guys are already working on this, so I apologize if I'm stepping um I'm stepping into something that's already kind of in the works, but we have these wonderful pools that we um were utilizing and getting ready for the summertime.

And I think it's such a great idea to be able to support the seniors and having the opportunity to be able to come into um our pools whenever possible.

We had started at Farganoli a few years back.

This was before line on council, um, but an initiative just to have them come and enjoy um the splashback.

Yeah, because it was something that um some of the residents were like, well, we don't really have anywhere to go.

I know transportation can often be a barrier, but um if there's a way to facilitate some of that, it would just be so um an additional support to our new Ward 14 has a large growing, um, a large number of aging and trained neighbors.

And one of the things that I find um as costs continue to rise and affordability becomes a continued problem, especially for our seniors, is that they don't really outside of their homes, they're not really doing a whole lot.

Right.

And um, I think we have such a great program already in place, and we um have these services available.

I am looking for ways to get the word out to my neighbors um about all these great programs.

So if we can work together on something, I would absolutely love to.

I think it's um, you know, uh, I just think it's a great resource that we use, and I know that would benefit so many more, especially in my board.

Um, so thank you for that.

Um, three questions for you, director.

Um we're considering $15,000 into uh landlord tenant um education.

Do we have anything in place for any already for that, or do you have any funding for that at all?

We cannot.

Um, this is really to uh pilot a direct, I think this will be our first direct investment in um putting out that type of uh mailer workshop opportunity.

We have invested in CDG in um uh local legal aid clinics through DARE and the adventure defense collaborative.

Um, but we know at the federal level that fair housing is being deprioritized, and so this is an opportunity to sort of pilot and see what the um what our partners like Soccer Coast Fair Housing or um Eviction Defense Collaborative could offer um or community expensive additional resource.

And then so um in follow-up to I was writing things down as you were talking.

So um you had also uh talked about acute community needs and a $25,000 investment in that.

Um obviously for being able to implement an emergency food plan, I think is huge, especially right now.

We're seeing growing numbers of waiting people waiting at our food pantries.

Um we're seeing it on Grand The one at um the neighborhood food patriot on branch Evan, and I'm sure the other ones are as well.

Um I know from a grant's perspective, what you said is absolutely um on point.

There's there's much less um opportunity to be able to fund resources of that nature.

Um 25,000.

So what are you envisioning with 25,000?

I know I'm not saying that it's um I'm saying it's not enough, but not in a way of like saying, no, you need to do more.

Like what do you envision being able to support with 25,000?

So this past fall when the SNAP interruption occurred, um, one element of our emergency food plan really located a gap was the need for um you know we were able to work with phone profit partners to serve resources directly to the food bank, which is sort of the central hub for purchasing and distributed food, but we knew at these sort of frontline sites that there were these ancillary costs and specific needs that were not being met.

And so we were able to very quickly identify some contingency funding and deploy uh mini grants to these organizations to address things like dumpster costs.

We know a lot of these food companies rely on volunteer staff.

Um paying overtime and stipends to staff, uh other you know, transportation costs, culturally specific food items that you can't get through um you know, mass purchased foods.

Um and so there's opportunities where we find that we can be very effective in a coordinating role and then also to identify where those unmet needs are, and sometimes a small amount of money really can make a difference to ensure that um you know all of those I think it's 23 food uh distribution sites were able, there wasn't any sort of gap that they would prevent them from distributing that increased level of food.

So it can be very critical small amount of money, so yeah, the shorter version.

I certainly can appreciate that.

I um growing up with limited resources allows you to make sure that every penny is accounted for.

So I can certainly understand.

Um I just wanted to truly just understand because I know that our need is growing, and while we're trying to do as much as we can with the very little that we have for me, being able to support as many as possible with that small amount is obviously I'm sure for everybody is the most important thing, right?

So kind of what that looked like was was the question.

Yeah.

Oh, how many of the mini grants did we uh 23?

How much?

2,000 hours.

2,000.

Yeah.

2, 4500.

How many people how many applied?

Um, I believe it was I could give you an exact figure, but I believe it was 25 and those that were deemed ineligible because to follow the process and be transparent and be in accordance with city policy and ordinance.

Um we did find other ways to direct some funding to those organizations, um, but there were very few that were deemed ineligible at the initial time of application.

Sorry, gentlemen.

That's okay.

Um, and then for now, my last question is um it's the eviction fund.

Do we have funding in place already for that and we're adding more to it?

So we had a significant investment in our funds on that program.

That RPA, as we know, is some setting.

Um, the eviction to cost collaborative with programs awareness is a partnership between the Center for Justice, Rhode Island Legal Services, Housing Works Rhode Island, and DAIR to provide legal legal services.

Um they have been able to get a HUD grant to support some of the network as well as state funding.

The state funding was also ARPA, and so they are going to be seeing potentially a need to um constrain your services, and so not only was it a success a successful program, but it's a program that deserves to be expanded.

Um, and so we're seeking $500,000 to continue that very important.

So I think it's great now as well.

So I've been up for awesome.

Thank you.

Um questionslash observation.

First of all, I just wanted to shout out Sue.

So and this really is for you and sort of inspired by sort of um other many other folks in Ward Two, um, where there are also lots of folks who are aging in place, and in this case, aging in place in places that are too big.

Um, and so I just want to raise that without with understanding there's nothing in this year's budget that necessarily addresses it, but this is a since I have you here since I have you here.

Um I suspect that's a phenomenon in many places of the city, but I can just speak for the area.

I know well, we have a real crisis of seniors living in homes that they would like to leave and sell to younger families and nowhere to go.

And so I just say this with an urging of anything, and you're all sitting here right now to coordinate with each other.

Anything that we can do as a city to create um you know age-friendly housing in the neighborhoods where people already live, I think it will be really transformative to our to our city.

Um, so any influence we have a city have to push that lever, um, I think will make a gigantic difference.

And you know, we'd love to be sitting here next year and hearing about some initiatives that could make that happen.

That's just my plea, really.

Um say involunt here that we do have the CDG Homer care program um in the C budget, which helps to make home modifications that would allow seniors to age in place if that's appropriate.

Um the DIS revolving fund similarly can help seniors address uh code violations.

We do hope to and are seeking approval right now, the general assembly for a 25 million dollar housing bond.

Yeah.

Um, if the province housing trust is recapitalized, we do provide preferences with projects that incorporate universal design and serves vulnerable populations.

So that would include senior housing and housing that could be modified to be fully accessible for a population that we know is uh aging now and is going to continue to grow at the that population growth and accelerating rate.

Um so there's a few initiatives that we look forward to circling back to reporting out.

That's awesome.

And I want to follow up with you all to make sure I understand the programs that currently exist so that when people reach out to me, I have them on my fingertips to share.

Thank you.

Okay.

Um how many residents have been uh served over the years uh through the when it was offered funding?

And if I could just uh add another question really to that, which this relates to the lead, so uh no way to have the answer, but didn't and I guess my follow-up list, how many of those evictions were a result of um beyond of sort of female run?

That's a great question.

Okay.

So in FI25, uh the program assisted 652 households, which was 1,546 people.

Um, I don't have the specific percentages, but the outcomes were prevention or delay in evictions, retained eligibility for subsidized housing, and navigation assistance to locate alternative housing.

Yeah, I think when we have um the rent fund ordinance, I think we'll definitely dive into some of this fundamentals when we feel through it.

I um I had some feelings about um through the the uh rental systems uh program through a uh outsourcing it to you know a nonprofit or the ordinance even allows for the for profit we've uh entity to do it.

If this I guess my question is if this is the first time that that our city has been known at least to do something like this, what are we gonna look for in a partner uh to be able to be confident that they can do this um in a way that is uh efficient, responsible, ethical.

And the other question we'd add to that is will that partner be stationed in City Hall to administer that program.

So the RP is drafted with uh to be very prescriptive on what type of partner we're looking for is uh URCP a nonprofit partner, uh, an established community partner who is already operating similar services in a community and has the ability to offer accessible services, some multilingual services, um, online application, in person applications, dedicated staff to assist with preparing and completing the applications.

Uh, we are already in preliminary discussions with 311 to discuss how we might integrate um 311 with a direct sort of referral pathway into the program.

Um ultimately the goal will have to go to programs going to have for the ordinance very specific guidelines on who can be served and the types of uh qualifications to be and administrative requirements that will flow with the dollars.

Um, it will be a performance-based contract, and the goal is really to have a qualified community partner who is also prepared to make appropriate service referrals.

Um, you know, we can expect if a if a family is housing um unstable or experiencing housing stability, they're probably also having difficulty affording child care and affording food and affording their utilities.

And so having an organization that can make those direct referrals in a very streamlined way is very the goal.

And that's why we haven't opted to housing internally at HHS.

Our goal would be to work with the cleaning partner who's already doing this work, and so that that's a very seamless integration for um you know families who really don't have time to be going from agency to agency, you know, and and navigate a complicated network of resources.

Uh director, can you send us that RP once it's one whereas you also have I guess the the uh the administrative cost after the uh was it was a total of uh was it I want to say with close to a million uh in terms of administrative costs for or my I can maybe make it on up.

Uh years um so we did implement uh cost um cap for indirect or admin cost of 20%, which is a similar app that you'll see on federally funded program and these programs to try to have alignment.

Um federal direct cost rate is about 15% right now.

So we're expecting between 15 and 20% to be the overhead to implement the program and the other 80% to be direct cash assistance to clients.

And but then but the total of that after the uh if uh the entire types of program, well, what's that total number for the 20% of administrative costs?

Right now we only have a proposed budget for FY27 of a million dollars.

Um, and so that would be less than 200,000 for administrative um or overhead for the delivery of program and 800,000 for the direct um assistance to clients.

Um I have a good question on the last part.

What's the thought process behind uh just how the ordinances are handles that it's uh paid directly to uh property owner or property manager, what's the process or what's the reason we can't give it to the tenants directly?

And I asked is because there's a bunch of different concerns, but I guess like the primary concern or what I would like to see is someone that is transitioning from you know having roommates or or homelessness, um, just needs a little bit of money for security deposit, um they wouldn't be able to use this uh fund as written.

Um that's helpful feedback, I think as we're sort of reviewing the ordinance.

Um, that's certainly something we can take under advisory and discuss further.

You know, the goal was really to provide sort of with best practices um being formed by those various records programs that operation COVID uh to pay directly to the third party that is owed.

So in that case, um, if they've located an apartment, we would pay the landlord it's a security deposit, make sure that's documented by a valid, legitimate legal lease.

Um, or if there were, for example, rental over years owed housing, uh, and the there's infection case proceeding in housing board.

Our goal would be to invest those dollars and ensure that by paying the landlord directly, the landlord also agrees to block the eviction filing.

And so by paying the party that's owed, for example, a utility company as well, we were viewing it as a better avenue in order to intervene and advocate on behalf of the uh impacted family.

Um often when you pay the per when you pay the person directly, um, if they're on benefits that have income limits, that's counted as income.

And so you're putting their benefits at jeopardy because that looks like they've received additional income for the month, or alternatively, if you pay it directly to who is owed, then that doesn't count against the person's income for that month.

So there is a lot of benefit to paying it directly to the landlord versus giving it to the tenant to be the middleman and protecting additional benefits that they may have.

Um thank you, uh doctor.

Um what uh I guess you because you mentioned a director.

Um what what mechanisms would be in place?

Uh say a landlord is owed certain uh funds, we would give them the allocated, I think, up to three thousand.

Is it um I guess what mechanisms are in place that like they don't proceed with eviction if there's other you know legal avenues for for them to do so?

Right.

Um I think that's our goal of having these all work as a stabilization package together that we would have um you know in exchange for receiving the financial assistance that the landlord would agree to stop something that they would not pursue in it in eviction um for uh a period of time.

Um and ultimately the goal would be to have this nonprofit organization as administrative program be monitoring for that exact scenario and ensuring that they're making appropriate referrals for eviction defense um or other services that are appropriate to monitor and prevent that.

Yeah, I got a few questions and statements, I guess.

Um so it's a million dollars minus 200,000.

So we have 800,000 available for the eviction, is that correct?

So the the 20% is a is a cap.

Um ultimately this is gonna be competitive proposal, and so if an organization can operate on the program, um they will score better in the RFP.

But it'll be 800,000 roughly.

I'm not holding that number.

Realistically, I would expect most nonprofit organizations would seek the sort of indirect cost rate of about 15% with sort of industry standards.

We'll use I'll use 800,000 because that's what I figured.

So if it's 800,000 minus the 3,000 because we get the 3,000, so we can actually help 266 people.

Well, you're telling us that in 2025 or whatever the year, sorry, it was 600 some people.

So we're not even really helping half the people.

That's my that is not really.

I'm not I'm making a statement, and here's the problem I have with this.

And I had a problem years ago with the reparations that we did.

So we did the reparations payments, and then you know, we're gonna do all this, we're gonna give all this, and then come to find out when it was all said and done.

The people that really needed it, they weren't even included in.

And then I'm just you know, throwing that out there that those are the people that put in for it.

And my only and my other two concerns is on this is one is I hope it doesn't turn into like a COVID member when people all applied for COVID, uh not really in the city, but in the state-wise, we found out that uh use Remington House because to go there, you don't have any scrimmage, and they use the money saying, Oh, yeah, we were open, we did all this, and we paid all this, come to find out they ended up taking money that they didn't deserve, and now they closed.

So that is a big concern.

And also another concern to me is me and Miguel or friends, right?

I've been renting from Miguel, he's a landlord, right?

So and Justin, well, well, I'm used to it.

But we're friends, we're friends, right?

So now I've been renting and I'm not behind.

But now we work out a deal where hey, listen, you know, this is coming up, and we can get 3,000, right?

And I'm going way off, but I mean, there's people out there that think like this, and they'll say, Oh, you get 1500, I get 1500, and villages will try to do this.

How do we stop that?

Because we don't have in other words.

If this comes out, so like I'm rent, let's say I'm renting from somebody, and then we know it's coming, landlord calls me.

Hey, listen, do me a favor, don't pay rent for the next four or five months, and then we're gonna come back, and then you could pay me, you know, put the money aside, but I'm gonna work a deal where I'll knock it off 50.

But I I just don't I don't trust people.

I don't trust people in this, it's like free money thing because me, I work for everything I need.

And I I work at work at work, and I've always worked since I was 16 years old.

This is like a freebie with given to people, and the people that really need it, we don't know if we're like helping those people because there's gonna be 266 people, and say it's 267 people in this room.

We're helping everybody but one person, and and come to find out at the end that one person might really need it more than the other 266, you know.

So I that that's a problem I have because only because we're not we're not helping the number of people that really need the help.

And if some people are going to take advantage of it, I think so.

That's my personal view.

And and I that's that bothers me.

You know, so I just it's not really a question, it's just a statement that I'm putting out there that I hope we think about this when we do vote on it because you know.

Um before you have something to add, um, I'll just like to say I think it's uh a good uh conversation uh piece that definitely should be discussed.

Um but I wouldn't uh you know let the reality because it's a reality, any social benefit, whether it's SNAP, Medicaid, you know, there's people that unfortunately cheat the system, but we're not gonna penalize everyone because there's a small few.

So I I think you know what we can do is work with said vendor to make sure that all the necessary checks and balances are in place.

Uh councilwoman Peterson, and then we'll uh direct their respond.

So it's a good one.

I'm not really questioning.

So it's a good conversation.

It's a good conversation to have.

Yeah.

I can ask my questions afterwards.

Uh as the chair well said, um, you know, we have built in safe charms based on what we're fired in COVID.

Also, you know, as administrators of federal funds which are subject to intense scrutiny uh, you know, we have many of the best practices in place to prevent waste spray abuse.

Um this is the means test program, which means you will need to demonstrate that you are a person who is a low-income household.

There is prioritization for people earning 60% of AMI or below, so lower households.

We are looking for um verification of enrollment in other programs like staff recipients.

Um we also gonna be looking for third-party verification of the need, and so we're gonna be looking for uh mortgage statements that show past due balances if you to prevent foreclosure, looking for past due utility statements, looking for sworn statements from a landlord that you are in rental over years or evidence of an eviction notice of finite.

Um so we have taken steps and we'll continue to work with any selected vendor to ensure that we have all the safeguards in place to ensure that they're installed um potential risks, and we do uh anticipate that the likelihood for that would be incredibly low.

Um, I would also note that we do anticipate that the approximately 266 will be households, not necessarily people.

So, based on the average that we're seeing in other comparable programs, we expect the trusted size to be about three to four people.

So this will be serving in excess of a thousand.

So um, my question or comments on the rent fund, I think it's uh a good tool in our uh investments and policies when it comes to housing.

Um this is obviously uh funded with one-time dollars.

Um have there been any exercise that your department has done or uh research to to see how we can make this uh annual or sustainable program.

That's work that we're active in doing.

That would obviously be the goal is that one million would be starting budget and that we would be able to continue to sustain it ongoing because we don't expect that this um particular need is going to ever really totally go with this.

No one needs to respond.

No, my last question on on this is so obviously we have uh the housing trust fund there there's a revolving dream fund now.

Is there uh a world where revolving rent fund is possible?

Well the money's like leaving, so I'm just like is there uh a stream that well I think that's really the problem, right?

Revolving funds rely on some sort of revenue stream to revolve in.

So, for example, with the green revolving fund, we have IRA credits, so we know we complete a project, we submit a tax return, we get that revenue back, it revolves back into the funds.

So we know we complete a project, we submit a tax return, we get that revenue back, it revolves back into the funds.

I think at this point we have not identified a source to revolve funds for um, so just from like it just couldn't be a revolving fund until we would identify how we would revolve those funds.

Um in general, these are dollars going out to the community, and there's no way to recoup them.

Rightfully so, they're intended to cost, but um, there's I'm not aware of any you know audit funds available that we could use to replenish this from basis.

Yeah, I mean, I I think that's a really good point, but I think you know, there's a lot of interest on the council to try to identify the whole forms of whether it's not this year in the in the near future.

So I think this is super important.

Councilman Peterson and Councilman Royus just saying I propose something that could have whatever we discussed that at a different time.

Um so with regards to relief.

Um I can share in the concerns that you have, um, Council and Taylor.

I think one of the things that I, as you were talking a little bit, I think one of the things that I um in the conversations around what rent stabilization looked like and the reason some of the reasons why, as this is just a little piece of food for thought.

Um a lot of the conversation that I had with tenants in my neighborhood was around the fact that um leases were month to month, and that was a huge concern um where they really couldn't um alleviate some of the pressure.

Um so I just wanted to flag that because one of those things is it I I feel like in an effort to try and support neighbors with relief, we'd need to be able to also see from the landlord to be able to actually make sure that they're providing a little bit of a more long-term um lease so that we can support the nature as well.

Um I just think that that's a point that I continue to think about as we're navigating all of this and what the complexity of our housing issues are.

Um the need to go to RFP on this.

Um I understand that there's people that can do all of this work for us, but I think that at even at the 15% or even 15 or 20 percent um overhead or administrative costs, I think is a little bit high, especially when we're you already have such a small number to be able to be able to support as many neighbors as possible.

Um was there any thought to perhaps considering a position or two instead to maybe offset some of that thought of like the 15 to 20 percent as an RFP?

Like, could we have done it?

I just remember COVID really funds how many people it took to actually provide that service.

Um it took a massive amount of work um for people 18 to 24 months, if I'm not mistaken, of and and those were salaries, right?

Those were actual wages that people were were garnering through all of this.

I'm just wondering if there isn't a more of a of an opportunity for us to do something to create a little bit more of a savings to then provide the tenants that would need it.

Uh so we did certainly evaluate whether or not it would be more cost efficient to manage internally determined that we would need basically we are running a um you know, sort of at capacity right now, and did not propose any new FTEs as you noted.

Uh these programs do take a number of FTEs, especially if you want to offer those um very hands-on multi-ranged program.

Yeah, so we were not confident that we could manage it effectively um at the internally in the city level.

Our goal with putting out to qualified partners that they would already have um staff capacity, for example, housing navigation staff, case managers already on staff actually um we could get some autonomies of scale by having them leverage existing staff who are already working and providing referrals to other programs, already doing housing navigation, already working with landlords.

Um so we do expect that this will be the most cost-efficient um uh proposal, and by putting it down to the competitive market to a number of qualified non-profits, we do hope that we're gonna get the leanest budget, yeah, the most efficient budget possible.

You for that one.

Um I want to pick up to just a couple of different questions.

Yeah, if you want to find anybody had more business than one question.

Is he a comment?

I'm I'm like struggling with the the word qualified, only because just working in a nonprofit world so many years.

Uh I know a lot of our nonprofits uh for understandable reasons are at capacity, even in their workforce.

And I'm really worried what they submit an RFOP and what's on paper might not deliver in practice.

And I think this is a huge undertaking, I support it completely, but I'm really worried about any nonprofit's ability to administer something like this.

And um and I I know even for just you know, I understand like sort of like hoping that maybe and not say it's not possible, but hoping uh not nonprofits have can sort of divide the workload uh in terms of existing employees, but it just seems that we had a vulnerable population on the verge of eviction, and I I think the the crisis is so immense that uh I'm not feeling confident though, maybe that that'll change once we get to RFD application submitted.

But I'm getting anxiety over any nonprofit uh doing this um in a way in a way that sort of they're not gonna drop their ball uh when it comes to vulnerable life in their hands.

Yeah, these are nonprofits that already deal with vulnerable populations, but this just seems like a massive undertaking.

Um not really a question to respond, but that's just we just want to put my uh maybe statement that is uh council Gibson.

Thank you.

Okay, um I have two final questions, and I promise I'm done.

Um the 25 million dollar bond.

What are they proposing to do with the 25 million?

So that would propose to recapitalize the province housing trust fund.

Um as the council may recall, is the 2024 uh you updated the uh coding ordinances to reflect uh the rules and regulations pertaining to the use of those funds.

So they would be deployed again for the development of affordable housing as defined by the floor ordinances.

Um at the back of the housing report, it gives you um Chairman Sanchez sees this often as a PRA member.

Um there are tables that show exactly where every dollar that we uh invested in the housing trust fund to date have gone and been committed and what types of housing were built as resulted those investments.

So in total, we have deployed for ARPA and a prior housing bond, approximately 55 million dollars, which has supported more than 2,000 housing units, of which about 1600 were deprescripted affordable.

Um so it has been tremendously effective.

Um, in fact, the program and our goal is to continue the good work.

Um thank you.

I wanna highlight if I could.

Um you guys recently hired somebody by the name of Steven Santos who has a phenomenal background in understanding exactly how to do so many of these things, including aging in place.

So I want to make sure that I I just it was a side note thoughts.

Um but um one of the things that I think is I obviously housing is a complex issue, and you guys are doing as much as you can with the limited resources you have, and I thank you all of that for all of that, because there's so many moving parts to all of this.

One of the things that I believe is super it's not even discussed often enough anymore, is um affordable homeownership.

And I think that part of what we need to be doing with any of what we do is while we are supporting these opportunities um and creating these measures to make sure that we're we need to also kind of find ways to segue our neighbors from um subsidized housing into an opportunity of affordable homeownership because I think that's often a part that we are not recognizing as an instrumental portion and component of affordability and um the huge proponent of of that.

So if I can make any ask of just like in some of the work that you're doing for education and um making people understand kind of the availability of funds and resources that are available, this is also a part that we are not utilizing enough of, and I think it's important to highlight that we can do that in so many of these programs that are already available.

Um I think it's a it's a great chance um to build on another opportunity for neighbors in addition to all the affordability from a tenant perspective that we're doing.

Um which leads me to my next question.

It's kind of a sideway, but not really.

Um I took a look at your report um um on the internet, it was actually very good.

Thank you very much for this.

Um I'm gonna keep this because I I still have more things that I want to review.

Um can you tell me roughly how many renewable affordable units are being built uh in our current development factory?

Yeah.

Is that 1600 here?

But then there's a different measure.

And I just was like, I got not confused, but I just even in the last year, how many units are we in have we permitted for for in the last year?

Sure.

I can speak uh so the the 1600 relates to the investments directly tied to the affordable housing trust.

So that's the 55 million directly invested has translated to about roughly 1600 goods.

Um our current development pipeline, uh depends on if you want to go calendar year or fiscal year.

So whatever you think is easiest.

Uh we just submitted, um, you may have seen the state's first integrated housing report.

Yep.

Um, so we've I believe permitted or developed 778 new units, of which um when we ran the numbers, 22 percent, and this has been a consistent trend actually since FY23 that about 20% under 22% of the housing that we're building is deed restrictive affordable.

Six the I did read that at 60% AMI or less.

Right.

Yes, okay.

Yes.

Um so all right, here's here's the challenge.

Um 60% AMI at this and in Providence right now is for a family of four, it's about 68,000.

The average income for a Providence resident right now is under that, it's about 66,000.

Um, so if we're reserving 22% or roughly for 60% or less, but we still have half of our residents kind of making less than that.

Um, how are we what are we doing to be able to facilitate a little?

Not saying that it's not enough.

I'm just saying what can we do?

What more can we do?

Because there's not the numbers aren't we can't we need to be able to supply more, which supply is part of the conversation, but like it's still not meeting the standard of what we need to be able to support neighbors that are not even, I mean a 60% AMI at 68,000.

I we know many neighbors in all of our neighborhoods that are not even close to making anything like that.

So that's exactly right.

But for um, you know, an average household in Providence, even affordable housing is still often out of reach.

And so that's where uh we are subsidizing the direct development, but we also need to be subsidizing via layered subsidies and ongoing rental assistance, the actual cost to operate the unit.

And so many times uh we need to be actually pricing to 50% AMI or 30% AMI.

Um so when we have put out our fund dollars as well as the project housing trust fund dollars, we continue to prioritize and reference those products that offer that for removal affordability, and typically it takes layered um province housing authority, they're profit-facing vouchers.

Um, a number of the projects you'll see uh in the back of the housing report also have product-based vouchers in the um very glad department of the PHA on that initiative.

Um we often have other we are prioritizing really that 30% AMI on supportive housing when we get it.

Um I think we touched upon an ongoing need, and that's why I believe the council and the administration are both advocating the state house this legislative session for 25 million dollar uh voucher program, which would provide project-based vouchers to those very low-income households.

Um, and so we're hopeful that this legislative session that will be an additional tool, the toolbox because again, um, you know, you can only subsidize construction so far, before you also need to also for very low-income units subsidize the ongoing operate.

Um and so that's where it takes those layered subsidies, and that's where you know we know that our public housing authorities are their vouchers are fully utilized.

And so we need to be thinking about we know we're not getting more money for this from the federal government.

And so that's where that advocacy of the state house is very critical right now to ensure that we also have ongoing rental assistance for those households that we know are never going to be you know making more than a fixed income or living with disabilities or are having difficulty affording the 60%.

So a million dollars in revenue week isn't really that enough to even not the same programs.

I think we view these all as uh a continuum of programs.

The rent program that's been proposed and the ordinance that's in front of you is really for that one time um, you know, these sort of asset limited households who you know are experiencing a one-time disruption.

Um, you know, I was struck when recently reaching out to the eviction defense collaborative to ask, you know, what's your average past due rent for a client that comes to you for eviction cuts?

And they said 2400.

So somebody could potentially lose their home and have an eviction on their record for 2400.

But it is not the program, you know, if somebody is making 30% AMI, that's not the program that's going to be targeted.

No.

No, I I agree with you.

I just think that what we're seeing is a consistent struggle of multiple multi-level situations that require us to be extremely hands-on in a very layered approach.

And I think you guys are tapping into all of that.

I just think that we have we still have a lot more to go of it to achieve that.

And part of the discussion with regards to the um the construction of it is that it takes time, right?

So by the time all of these things, I'm hoping are um you know super successful in the way that we're still helping and enabling people to be able to reach that goal of being able to obtain one of those um newer deed restricted apartments, although we still know that it's not nearly enough to be able to um commit to the dense needs that we need that we have.

Thank you as a deal.

Okay, thank you uh for touching on that because yeah, I mean, even I I look at my own personal finances.

I make $75,000 a year.

Um, and I live almost paychecks paycheck.

So I I really you know emphasize uh this work that we do um for the people that do the most because it's um it's dire out there.

Um so anything that we can do the to move uh our community forward.

Um definitely we don't have the original council to advocate and invest in politics uh in that way.

Um the only thing I have last is committee counseling to you, we're all set in your set.

Um the only last question I have um uh crystal going forward, is there any way to break down the contractual services?

Um just so we're aware of what those like the individual contracts, I guess.

Like we can.

We can give you a copy of like the seems like you know, there's some pretty important you know, programs that that are being funded using these um it kind of relates to you know us just being aware of where money is being invested, so we can communicate and message that in a way you know that is adjustable to our residents.

Yeah, um so it seems like you know uh paired programming.

Um what is paired programming again?

It's our behavioral health response program, um, in which a mental health clinician has been CMT to assign this faculty SUD.

So the Providence Center currently holds that contract for ICFD, which are successful.

No, yeah, that's awesome.

We're all most of us are aware of exactly where so I mean if it's it could be broken down for us.

Yeah, I think try to break it down on the uh little, I don't know that I can like get it to the dollar, but I think kind of like there are certain contracts that are estimates with what is proposed, and so I mean maybe maybe everything over $100,000 on it.

I don't know what makes sense.

Um just so we can and it doesn't necessarily have to feed the full dollar amount.

I I guess like if just those the big ones that that are at least listed here and in other cases they've been listed, um, just so we're aware.

Um, I mean, I'm I'm sure we could ask the auditor for that as well if needed.

Yeah, let me think about some ideas I have on how to present that we can I might just maybe do like a little contract sheet so we can just high-level what the contracts are by department, and that's they're entitled, but um, I've got a little time sparning screen.

So let me let me put something.

Oh, we appreciate your crystal.

Um, and then lastly, so I I know these grants and and contracts, those of you um the grants that the city does, uh there's like $7 million in grants.

Um is this department like aware of those?

And I guess like to be specific.

Um, I just want to know what crossroads uses their $129,000, and I want to know what in this house uses their $250,000.

I think you know what's right.

Yeah, sure.

Uh so to give you a little bit of background in FY25, the administration of the bulk of the budget grants was actually shifted to HHS.

It was formally, I think, for a period of time implemented out of the policy office.

Because HHS is by and large already working with so many of these partners, the goal was to provide a sort of streamlined interface for organizations like Crossroads and Amos House to have a central point of contact for any and all contracts, and also for us to have a line of sight and consistency across reporting, across fiscal management.

And so we've taken in the budget grants.

So these are our community libraries.

This is our network of neighborhood-based community centers.

There are also downtown Protestant Parks Network, WRWC, who really sort of provide specialized programming on behalf of city waterfire as well.

So for Amos House, their contract is predominantly for the stipends for their participants, which not to get into the federal compliance means, but we fund them also for through C BG, but CDBG, we are not able to pay for those participant stipends.

It's not an eligible use.

And so the city budget grant has really been crucial in being able to provide the direct payments to those participants, of which there's probably more than 300 participate per year.

And so that the bulk of that is really sort of for the delivery of that program staffing and the direct stipend to those participants.

Likewise at Crossroads, it's uh you know, direct staffing, housing navigation, um, I think front desk staffing and other operating costs to deliver their programs and are otherwise college elsewhere.

But certainly if there's any additional information that we can provide, um, you know, or answer any specific questions, we're happy to share any responsive materials.

Yeah, I think there will definitely I I know that some colleagues have asked um questions on some of these grants.

I think we'll definitely follow a little board with Consumer Royce, and then I think we're also Yeah, I'm uh I'm wondering if um, I guess I'll just start by saying that there's a grown new candidate uh across the North End.

I feel like my neighborhood is probably felt dishes disproportionately against other people.

Maybe it'd be kids in every probably being women.

Um I think in my observation of the crisis, um, I feel like we put a lot of resources towards affordable housing, key preservation, production, but when folks are at the lowest and they're now they're experiencing chronic um unsheltered sort of homelessness.

What I often see is really outreach teams are spread in.

And I think it's you know, with regional access points is it in my view the shift to reps, um which I know is a state function.

I I feel like it's a lot more pressure on outreach teams, and I who are now I'm having less contact with uh because they're assigned specific regions by state.

But but I'm wondering when it comes to city funded, are we giving any uh tacky funds to agencies who are tasked like is housing under the umbrella of sort of housing navigation?

Does that also consist of sort of outreach teams who visit encampments and it does something about contract?

Yeah, we currently hold a contract with East Bay Community Action Program with the East Bay Recovery Center specifically, and that's to provide behavioral health outreach that's specific to our folks who are on house experience and uncheltered homelessness.

Um and so we have direct contact with them, we can let them know when sites have been identified, um, when we've heard that there are individuals in need and deploy them as such.

Um and so that's for um not just during regular business hours, but they're also contracted for evenings and weekends.

I'll say the pair program that I spoke to earlier has also been a critical piece of the response, and they have been especially beneficial because they have even further extended hours, and we know often people will go out during the day and then return to um where they're staying at night, and so they've been able to connect with a lot of individuals as well, um, and get them connected with services or or even just basic needs that they might have in that moment.

Um, so really looking at like what are the acute needs of that person and then beyond to how are we connecting you with ongoing resources to support.

So we we have so one agency tasked with um with outreach for the entire city is that is it it's it's easy.

So East Bay does the the statewide, um, and then we do have a a contract that is grant funded with project webinar that is specific to downtown.

I will say that those two teams are the ones that are fully funded through our like our city streams through gen funding authority through a grant direct to us.

However, Dennis, who is within our department or housing resource coordinator, he works extremely closely with the state outreach coordinator and has regular contact with the state teams.

Um so I'll say those are the two contracts we have fully funded, one of only which is gen fund, um, and will be expiring in December of this year.

So we'll be going back out that um, but we do work across all of the outreach teams to ensure that it really is a coordinated response, and that if someone has been going to a site and has built rapport with those individuals, that we're not inundating them and trying to bring in other folks who may hinder that process.

Yeah, um, we don't have a contract with crossroads for direct outreach in the city.

Uh so we have funded crossroads mobile diversion program um that recently sunset and is about to go back out, work on a B-release site as a reminder, we participate with Consolidated Homeless Fund, which is a consortium of the sort of urban communities who receive PSG funding and other funding we've deployed through CHF, um, as well as state resources to provide sort of a one-stop shop for all of these outreach teams, shelter providers, um, and transitional housing providers to apply.

Um, and so what we might fund might vary per year, but ultimately the goal is there is a now state street outreach coordinator who is housed at executive office housing.

Um we can actually have booth clean check-ins with that staff to ensure that you know if we're deploying that's not duplicative of, for example, House of Hope is already deployed to that particular area.

So there is um an effort to not duplicate um investments, not duplicate um contact.

And so there is you know a behind the scenes coordination that's happening to ensure that you know a qualified team that has built report is going out regularly to any encampments um to ensure that basic needs are met and that people are being um appropriately referred to shelter.

I would also add was sort of speak to sort of billing source contracts that um I would elevate them to do both um Dennis and myself represent the city on the consolidated homeless fund.

And so if you have concerns about any contracts or any administrations or you're hearing from house constituents that you work with or dissatisfaction with any services, please always flag that to us so that we can bring that back because we do have leverage, even if we're not directly funding a contract, we participate in the scoring and review of all applications through the CHF.

And so, you know, that's helpful information for us to have.

I'll connect with you all the line.

I do have concerns in regards to that, and I worry about our ability as a city to provide oversight um when it comes to if on the ground contact is happening consistently.

Um again, these are in I also there's like this level of it's not that I I think that workers are trying not to work.

I think this that is a tough job and the turnover so high, and I really worry about how because it's a so high, how the rapport can break down your clients can see different faces and how that hurts um the work.

Um, and so I just I just want to put that out there, and I it's it's it's a segment of the of solving this housing crisis that I feel like we don't put enough resources into.

Um and I think that as I think the general view view of society is that once these folks are on the whole and they're experiencing chronic um unsheltered homelessness.

I just feel like the general view, I'm not saying you will hold this view, but it's kind of like, oh, once they're there, they're um we we can't help them.

They're they're gonna stay there forever.

And I feel like uh discard the the overall conversation we're having statewide.

resources into um and I think that's I think the general view feel of society is that once these folks are on the whole and they're experiencing chronic um unsheltered homelessness I just feel like the general view I'm not saying you all hold this view but it's kind of like oh once they're there they're um we we can't help them they're they they're gonna stay there forever and I feel like uh this car the the overall conversation we're having statewide um I'm not seeing I'm not hearing any dialogue about you know putting resources towards paying people um a living wage when it comes to those outreach teams and um and I I just I I think that in my experience of being really literally on the ground in the north end of these encampments again I'm connect offline I'm I'm not hearing a whole lot of contact so um but I'll be no thank you that's uh a really good point and I'll be honest I I had to I had to step away from that line of work um it's traumatic to be honest it's literally uh a crisis every single day um so I think it is really important to um increase uh capacity to some of these outreach teams um a big issue that a lot of this outreach workers had is there wasn't anywhere to go for folks um whether that's emergency shelter um or obviously more permanent sport housing um so anything that we can do to keep increasing uh these investments uh we definitely you know it's important to not duplicate work but I think we need to uh um these are our investments as much as possible um with that being said I don't think there's any other questions um a big uh gratitude to everyone uh that uh participated in this hearing thank you counseling chair thank you council thank you counselor Pearson thank you Council uh huge shout out gratitude to all the folks from the administration uh council staff and I'm just so grateful for everyone uh I really enjoy this work um and I know a lot of you guys um probably also enjoy this work but uh I mean this is such a sacrifice and I think it's important to to recognize um yeah we're all uh committed to the city ranking to the people that I call province home so thank you obviously shout out to the clerks and to the people missing some baseball to be here that means that I'll take uh I understand a motion to continue items one through five uh motion made from Taylor second by council view said all those in favor aye any nays eyes have it uh this time I will take a motion to adjourn just