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Record of Proceedings

Measure U Advisory Committee Meeting – January 22, 2024: DCR Overview, Leadership Elections, and Affordable Housing Discussion

Measure U Community Advisory Commission — Monday, January 22, 2024
BodySacramento, California
SessionMeasure U Community Advisory Commission
DateMonday, January 22, 2024
StatusFILED
Video Record
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0:21

Thank you.

0:23

Good evening, everyone.

0:24

Welcome to the Monday, January 22nd, 2024, 53 p.m.

0:30

meeting of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee.

0:33

Happy New Year.

0:34

Welcome to the new year.

0:36

The meeting is now called to order.

0:38

Will the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum?

0:42

Thank you, Chair.

0:43

Member Rueb?

0:45

Here.

0:47

Member Sala.

0:49

Here.

0:50

Member Macius?

0:51

Here.

0:52

Member Wolf?

0:53

Here.

0:55

Member Goris.

0:57

Currently absent.

0:58

Member Georgioff?

1:00

Here.

1:01

Member Byrd?

1:02

Here.

1:04

Member Pascal.

1:06

Here.

1:09

Member Diaz is currently absent.

1:11

And Chair Dickinson.

1:13

Here.

1:14

Thank you.

1:14

We have quorum.

1:16

And may I share the information that Member Riviera has stepped down from the committee?

1:22

Absolutely.

1:22

Well, I let me say that a little bit louder.

1:27

Member Riviera has stepped down from the Measure U Community Advisory Committee.

1:31

She serves on the city's community ambassador as a one of the city's community ambassadors and was told she can't serve in both capacities, and she chose them and not us.

1:42

But they are lucky to have her.

1:46

So we'll be looking forward to uh she's a the mayor's appointment, so we'll be looking forward to a timely appointment from the mayor.

1:55

Um I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins.

2:05

You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on after the first speaker.

2:10

We will no longer accept accept speaker slips.

2:14

We will now proceed with today's agenda.

2:17

And first, if you are able, please join us in rising for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands.

2:26

To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern May Do Valley, and Plains Miwok, Patwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe.

2:40

May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of and of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples history contributions and lives.

2:58

Thank you.

2:59

And now can you remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance?

3:03

Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands.

3:10

One nation.

3:31

Thank you, Chair.

3:32

Thank you.

3:34

Are there any members, commissioners who would like to speak on this item?

3:45

I'd like to um bring uh item two up for discussion.

3:55

In the meantime, can I get a motion on or we'll wait for a motion on both items?

4:02

And I need to so uh so part of our work plan was approved in November.

4:14

Yes, November by budget and audit and moved forward to council who received and approved uh the measure view committee approved the work plan in November and budget audit approved in November.

4:33

You approved it in January.

4:35

Oh the work plan oh okay, wait a minute.

4:38

So yeah, no, I was uh no, I was referring to the work plan, which was approved by PPE in January.

4:45

Yes, and referred to council, which has not had it for receive and file on their agenda yet.

4:53

They don't council does not need to see them or approve the work.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Homelessness████████████████████████████████32%
Affordable Housing████████████████16%
Procedural██████████████14%
Budget and Finance████████████12%
Public Safety███████7%
Community Engagement█████5%
Personnel Matters████4%
Public Works████4%
Environmental Cleanup██2%
Summary of Proceedings

Measure U Community Advisory Committee Meeting – January 22, 2024

The Measure U Community Advisory Committee met on Monday, January 22, 2024, at 5:30 p.m. (scheduled start 5:30 p.m., actual start 5:35 p.m.) in the City Hall Council Chamber. The meeting included a consent calendar, an oral report from the Department of Community Response (DCR), election of 2024 Chair and Vice Chair, a discussion of Measure U expenditures on affordable housing and homelessness, and public comments. The committee approved the consent calendar, re-elected Marjorie Dickinson as Chair and elected Marbella Sala as Vice Chair, and received a detailed overview of DCR operations and funding.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of November 27, 2023, Meeting Minutes: Approved unanimously.
  • Agenda Log and 2024 Approved Workplan: Approved as amended. The committee agreed to move the February 2024 discussion item on 9-1-1 and fire services to the March 2024 meeting, noting that the February meeting was cancelled.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • Lambert Davis (on Item 4 – Selection of Chair/Vice Chair): Praised the integrity and courage of Chair Dickinson and Vice Chair Sala, referencing his prior interactions with the city.
  • Sarah Johnson (on Item 5 – Affordable Housing/Homelessness): Representing a nonprofit developer, emphasized the extreme need for affordable housing, noting that long waitlists and high deposits prevent many from accessing housing. She urged the committee to allocate more Measure U funds to affordable housing.
  • Lambert Davis (on Matters Not on the Agenda): Promoted his family’s viral cheesecake business and called on the city to engage with local entrepreneurs to create jobs.

Discussion Items

1. Overview of the Department of Community Response (DCR) – Oral Report

Interim Director Brian Pedro presented an overview of DCR, which was established in July 2020 as an alternate response to non-911 crisis calls. Key points:

  • Mission/Vision: To connect individuals in crisis with services and treat them with dignity, aiming for recovery and self-sufficiency.
  • Staffing: 37 FTEs authorized; 7 Neighborhood Resource Coordinator vacancies, one administrative assistant vacancy, and one program manager vacancy (currently in recruitment). DCR contracts with Hope Cooperative for outreach and mental health services and manages the incident management team (IMT) for homeless encampment response.
  • Measure U Funding: $12.46 million in multi-year projects and $5.46 million operating budget, totaling $17.91 million. Other funding (ARPA, HAP) supports additional programs.
  • Programs: Hope Cooperative Outreach & Engagement Center (23-hour respite, 50 beds, expands to 100 for weather activation); 2023 data: 621 clients served, 27 weather activations, 869 bed nights. Hope Cooperative outreach: 2,000+ general concern calls, 5,400 total calls in 2023. Security contracts for 24/7 coverage at multiple sites. First Step Community (Miller Park moved to Roseville Road): 269 enrollments, 3,369 services in 2023. IMT: over 10 million pounds of trash collected ($2.3 million cost); 418,000 pounds of trash collected through January 16, 2024.
  • Performance: 311 backlog reduced from 3,000 to 1,700 calls; average daily calls ~160-180; IMT is now outpacing incoming calls. Shelter waitlist: 2,334 individuals, plus 625 families.
  • Challenges: High vacancy rates due to demanding job and pay competition; lack of integrated 911-311 system; need for more housing. Director Pedro emphasized the complexity of homelessness and the need for empathy.
  • Committee Questions/Discussion: Members raised concerns about the low percentage of Measure U funding for affordable housing (only ~$3 million vs. ~$18 million for homelessness response), expressed support for DCR’s work, and asked about cost-effectiveness compared to police response. Director Pedro noted that DCR responses are cheaper per call but no formal cost comparison data was provided. Members also discussed the lawsuit by the DA against the city (not the county), which has not affected DCR operations.

2. Selection of Chair and Vice Chair for Calendar Year 2024

  • Chair: Member Sala nominated current Chair Marjorie Dickinson for a second term. The motion was seconded by Member Wolf. Roll call vote: 10 yes (all members present except Goris, who arrived later). Dickinson accepted, noting her last year on the committee and emphasizing succession planning.
  • Vice Chair: After several nominations and declines, Member Georgeoff nominated Member Marbella Sala, seconded by Member Paschal. Sala initially hesitated due to upcoming family commitments but accepted. Roll call vote: 10 yes. Sala will serve as Vice Chair, with the expectation of mentoring future leaders.

3. Discussion of Measure U Expenditures Related to Affordable Housing and Homelessness

Yayin, Housing Policy Manager, provided an update on affordable housing projects funded by Measure U:

  • Pipeline Projects: Kind South (216 units, 67 affordable), 13th & C Streets (62 units, motel conversion), Bridge Housing (124 units at Art and Way, 31 homeless housing), and partnership projects with CADA and Stockton Boulevard Gateway (total ~1,011 units in various stages).
  • Funding: For FY 2023-24, only $3.2 million in Measure U funds was allocated to affordable housing, primarily for staff planning and zoning. Prior years included one-time gap financing for projects.
  • Challenges: City relies heavily on external funding (HAP, state grants, tax credits). The zero impact fee program for affordable housing (not Measure U-funded) has been successful. A proposed housing transportation sales tax measure was postponed.
  • Committee Discussion: Members expressed strong concern about the low level of Measure U spending on affordable housing relative to homelessness (ratio ~6:1). Several members (Diaz, Goris, Georgeoff) advocated for shifting more funds to housing, citing that 44% of homeless individuals cited lack of affordable housing as the primary cause. Member Sala highlighted the difficulty of for-profit developers providing affordable units without gap funding. Member Byrd noted that high security deposits can still be a barrier. The committee also discussed the need for prevention programs; Yayin noted that $2 million from HAP3 was allocated to prevention but with narrow eligibility (14-day risk). The committee agreed to prioritize affordable housing and homelessness prevention in upcoming budget recommendations.

Key Outcomes

  • Consent Calendar Approved: Minutes of November 27, 2023, and the Agenda Log/Workplan (as amended to move the February item to March) were approved unanimously.
  • DCR Report Received and Discussed: No formal action taken.
  • Chair Elected: Marjorie Dickinson re-elected as Chair for 2024 (unanimous).
  • Vice Chair Elected: Marbella Sala elected as Vice Chair for 2024 (unanimous).
  • Affordable Housing Discussion Held: No formal vote, but consensus emerged to recommend increased Measure U funding for affordable housing and prevention in the upcoming budget cycle.
  • Next Steps: The Budget and Policy Development Subcommittee will draft the FY 2024-25 budget recommendations, to be discussed at the March 2024 full committee meeting. The subcommittee will also consider a survey of members' priorities and an advocacy strategy. The committee plans to engage with council members and the public to support its recommendations.

Meeting Transcript

Thank you. Good evening, everyone. Welcome to the Monday, January 22nd, 2024, 53 p.m. meeting of the Measure U Community Advisory Committee. Happy New Year. Welcome to the new year. The meeting is now called to order. Will the clerk please call the role to establish a quorum? Thank you, Chair. Member Rueb? Here. Member Sala. Here. Member Macius? Here. Member Wolf? Here. Member Goris. Currently absent. Member Georgioff? Here. Member Byrd? Here. Member Pascal. Here. Member Diaz is currently absent. And Chair Dickinson. Here. Thank you. We have quorum. And may I share the information that Member Riviera has stepped down from the committee? Absolutely. Well, I let me say that a little bit louder. Member Riviera has stepped down from the Measure U Community Advisory Committee. She serves on the city's community ambassador as a one of the city's community ambassadors and was told she can't serve in both capacities, and she chose them and not us. But they are lucky to have her. So we'll be looking forward to uh she's a the mayor's appointment, so we'll be looking forward to a timely appointment from the mayor. Um I would like to remind members of the public and chambers that if you would like to speak on an agenda item, please turn in a speaker slip when the item begins. You will have two minutes to speak once you are called on after the first speaker. We will no longer accept accept speaker slips. We will now proceed with today's agenda. And first, if you are able, please join us in rising for the opening acknowledgments in honor of Sacramento's indigenous people and tribal lands. To the original people of this land, the Nissanon people, the Southern May Do Valley, and Plains Miwok, Patwin Winton peoples, and the people of the Wilton Rancheria, Sacramento's only federally recognized tribe. May we acknowledge and honor the native people who came before us and still walk beside us today on these ancestral lands by choosing to gather together today in the active practice of and of acknowledgement and appreciation for Sacramento's indigenous peoples history contributions and lives. Thank you. And now can you remain standing for the Pledge of Allegiance? Pledge of allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands. One nation. Thank you, Chair. Thank you.

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