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Home My WebLink AboutCC Resolution 12770 (Grand Jury Response; Homelessness)RESOLUTION NO. 12770 A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL RESPONSE TO THE 2008-2009 MARIN COUNTY GRAND JURY REPORT ENTITLED "MARIN'S HOMELESS: THE INVISIBLE' PROBLEM THAT WON'T DISAPPEAR" WHEREAS, pursuant to Penal Code section 933, a public agency which receives a Grand Jury Report addressing aspects of the public agency's operations, must comment on the Report's findings and recommendations contained in the Report in writing within ninety (90) days to the Presiding Judge of the Superior Court with a copy to the Foreperson of the Grand Jury; and WHEREAS, Penal Code section 933 specifically requires that the "governing body" of the public agency provide said response and, in order to lawfully comply, the governing body must consider and adopt the response at a noticed public meeting pursuant to the Brown Act; and WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of San Rafael has received and reviewed the 2008-2009 Malin County Grand Jury Report, dated April 13, 2009, entitled "Malin's Homeless: The 'invisible' problem that won't disappear" and has agendized it at this meeting for a response. NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the City Council of the City of San Rafael hereby: 1. Approves and authorizes the Mayor to execute the City of San Rafael's attached response to the 2008-2009 Marin County Grand Jury Report entitled "Marin's Homeless: The `invisible' problem that won't disappear." 2. Directs the City Clerk to forward the City's Grand Jury Report response to the Presiding Judge of the Marin County Superior Court and to the Foreperson of the Marin County Grand Jury. 1, Esther C. Beime, Clerk of the City of San Rafael, hereby certify that the foregoing Resolution was duly and regularly introduced and adopted at a regular meeting of the San Rafael City Council held on the 15'h day of June, 2009, by the following vote to wit: AYES: Councilmembers: Brockbank, Connolly, Miller & Vice -Mayor Heller NOES: Councilmembers: None ABSENT: Councilmembers: Mayor Boro ESTHER C. BEIRNE, City Clerk CITY OF Mayor Albert J. Boro Council Members Greg Brockbank Damon Connolly Barbara Heller Cyr N. Miller June 23, 2009 The Honorable Verna Adams Marin County Superior Court P.O. Box 4988 San Rafael, CA 94913-4988 Honorable Judge Adams Office of the City Clerk File No. 269 x 9-3-30 RE: Marin County Grand Jury Report "Mann's Homeless: the `invisible' problem that won't disappear" We are forwarding to you the following documents: • A certified copy of Resolution No. 12770, adopted by the San Rafael City Council on June 15, 2009, approving and authorizing the Mayor to execute the City's response; • Original of the "Response to Grand Jury Report Form," executed by the Mayor on June 22, 2009, together with Attachment "A"; • Copy of the City Council Staff report dated June 15, 2009. Should you need further assistance, please contact me at (415) 485-3065. Sincerely, ESTHER C. BEIRNE City Clerk cc: Jeff Skov, Foreperson (with enclosures) Marin County Grand Jury 3501 Civic Center Drive, Room 275 San Rafael, CA 94903 Albert J. Boro, Mayor of the City of San Rafael (with enclosures) Lisa Goldfien, Deputy City Attorney Il (with enclosures) W.�.City Clerk- WorkNe' Letters & Memos etcGrand Jury Responses'Grand Jury res onse-Manns Homeless.doc 1400 Fifth Avenue, Room 209; P.O. Box 151560; San Rafael, CA 94915-'560 Phone: (415) 485-3066 / Fax: (415) 485-3133 / TDD: (415) 485-3198 RESPONSE TO GRAND JURY REPORT FORM Report Title: Maria's homeless: The `invisible' problem that won't disappear Report Date: April 13, 2009 Response By: City Council of the City of San Rafael Title: Mayor and City Council FINDINGS: • We agree with the findings numbered F5, F6, F7 (See Attachment A) • We disagree wholly or partially with the findings numbered N/A RECOMMENDATIONS: • Recommendations numbered N/A have been implemented. (Attach a summary describing the implemented actions.) • Recommendations numbered N/A have not yet been implemented, but will be implemented in the future. (Attach a timeframe for the implementation.) • Recommendation numbered R4 requires further analysis. (See Attachment A) • Recommendations numbered N/A will not be implemented because they are not warranted or are not reasonable. (Attach an explanation.) DATED: / � " 1 Signed:Xz�w- ,OL� / ALBER(f J. BORO, Mayor ATTEST: /SSI"A ' Esther Beirne, City Clerk Number of naees attached: 1 ATTACHMENT "A" RESPONSE OF THE CITY OF SAN RAFAEL TO GRAND JURY REPORT "MARIN'S HOMELESS: THE 'INVISIBLE' PROBLEM THAT WON'T DISAPPEAR" Findines: F5: The City of San Rafael agrees with this finding as a general proposition. Emergency shelter is a temporary help for people without housing. Efforts must also be made to assist persons without homes to obtain low cost, permanent housing. F6: The City of San Rafael agrees that this finding appears to be supported by the research conducted by the Grand Jury and identified in its report. F7: The City of San Rafael generally agrees with this finding. The City believes however that homelessness is a countywide problem, and that the greater concentration of such persons in San Rafael primarily results from two factors: 1) the easy availability of public transit; and 2) the greater provision there than elsewhere in Marin of the services and programs that serve this population. San Rafael, being the County seat, is home to the County's offices and support services and to many of the nonprofits serving the homeless. Recommendations: R4: The City of San Rafael believes that given the very limited resources available to local agencies at the present time and in the foreseeable future, careful thought should be given to whether such a campaign should be the "comprehensive public awareness" program recommended by the Grand Jury, or whether it should be a more directed campaign designed to promote specific actions Marin County can productively take, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, to address homelessness in Marin. orry Agenda Item No: 18 n. Meeting Date: June 15, 2009 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: City Attorney's Office Prepared by: Lisa Goldfien, Deputy City Attorney H City Manager Approval: .(1 SUBJECT: Consideration of a Resolution of the City Council of the City of San Rafael Approving and Authorizing the Mayor to Execute the City of San Rafael Response to the 2008-2009 Marin County Grand Jury Report Entitled "Marin's Homeless: The 'Invisible' Problem That Won't Disappear" BACKGROUND: The 2008-2009 Marin County Grand Jury has issued its report, dated April 13, 2009, entitled "Marin's homeless: The 'invisible' problem that won't disappear." Based upon its research and interviews with County and City officials, nonprofit agencies, clergy, police, individuals experiencing homelessness, and others, the Grand Jury's report describes the varying estimates of the number of homeless persons in Marin, some of the difficulties those individuals face in living without permanent homes, the publicly - and privately -provided services available in the County to respond to the problem, and where the governmental response has fallen short. The Grand Jury has made numerous findings and recommendations regarding the scope of the homelessness problem in Marin County, the state of the policies and services that have developed to respond to problems faced by homeless persons, and what additional steps should be taken, and has submitted the report to the County of Marin and to each of Marin's eleven cities for a formal response. ANALYSIS: The Grand Jury's findings and recommendations are set out on pages 17 and 18 of the report, a copy of which is attached hereto. The Grand Jury's recommendations are primarily directed towards the County of Marin, and urge the Board of Supervisors to 1) establish a full-time coordinator and office to oversee the various programs available for the homeless; 2) make homelessness one of the Board's top five priorities; and 3) establish a facility for a permanent homeless shelter, at least for winter months. The City has been asked to respond to Findings F5 (the need of hundreds for emergency shelter), F6 (lack of widespread awareness of the homeless problem in Marin), and F7 (highest concentrations of homeless in Sausalito, San Rafael and Novato). In addition, the City has been asked to respond to Recommendation R4, that the County and Marie's cities should work together to launch a comprehensive campaign to heighten public awareness of the County's homelessness problem. FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: :Ibly Council Meeting:} eeting: 6.1 1 t Q 09 Disposition: kE3b1J)-f1194) f* )2.140 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUP . ."IL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 In consultation with Linda Jackson, Principal Planner, Stephanie Lovette, Economic Development Coordinator, and Police Officer Joel Fay, the City Attorney's office has prepared a draft response to the Grand Jury report for consideration and approval by the City Council. The proposed response indicates general agreement with the Grand Jury's findings, but also reiterates that homelessness is a countywide problem, and that in addition to addressing the need for emergency shelter, efforts must also be made to provide the homeless population with permanent affordable housing. The proposed response to Recommendation R4 suggests that additional analysis is needed, given the very limited resources available to local agencies at the present time and in the foreseeable future, to consider whether it would be more efficient to work on a directed campaign designed to promote specific actions Marin County can productively take, in cooperation with local jurisdictions, to address homelessness in Marin, rather than the "comprehensive public awareness" program recommended by the Grand Jury. Fx-": 41017 311 The City is required to respond to the Grand Jury Report. Penal Code section 933(c) states in part: "No later than 90 days after the Grand Jury submits a final report ... the governing body of the public agency shall comment to the presiding Judge of the Superior Court on the findings and recommendations... [contained in the report]." To comply with this statute, the City's response to the Grand Jury report must be approved by Resolution of the City Council and submitted to the Presiding Judge of the Marin County Superior Court and the Foreperson of the Grand Jury on or before July 13, 2009. A proposed Resolution is attached that would approve the City's response. OPTIONS: The City is required to respond, however, the Council could make changes to the proposed response and then adopt the Resolution and revised response. Alternatively, the Council could return the response to staff for further study and return to the Council for its July I meeting. RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends that the City Council adopt the attached Resolution approving the proposed response to the Grand Jury report and authorizing the Mayor to execute the response. ATTACHMENTS: Grand Jury report dated April 13, 2009 Resolution with attached proposed response