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HomeMy WebLinkAboutED Waiver of Permit First Presbyterian Church re REST ProgramCITY Agenda Item No: 3. h Meeting Date: December 17, 2012 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT Department: Economic Development � -Vi 044ziwt Prepared by: Stephanie Lovette, Manager City Manager Approval/1- SUBJECT: Resolution Waiving Payment for an Administrative Use Permit Application in the Amount of $ 2,476.00 for First Presbyterian Church to Participate in the 2012 Rotating Emergency Shelter Team ("REST") Program (1510 Fifth Avenue) RECOMMENDATION: Adopt Resolution approving a waiver of the $ 2,476.00 administrative use permit fee for First Presbyterian Church. BACKGROUND: The Rotating Emergency Shelter Team ("REST") Program runs from November 15 to April 15 each year. The purpose of the program is to provide temporary winter shelter for people who cannot access the Mills Street Shelter. The program provides shelter for up to 20 women and up to 20 men from November 15 to April 15. The women are housed at the County Wellness Center and meals are provided by Marin congregations. Congregations throughout the County provide shelter for the men one night per week on a rotating basis. Additional congregations participate in the program by providing food for the guests. The program runs from 6pm to 6 am. St. Vincent's provides for the administration of the program and hires the staff that stay overnight in each church. Each participant is screened and approved by the St. Vincent's staff in advance. People cannot drop in or walk up to the church and be admitted for the night. Guests are picked up each night, delivered to the church, picked up in the morning, and transported to St. Vincent's for breakfast. Once guests are admitted to the church for the evening, they cannot leave unless they are accompanied by a REST program staff person. While the program does not provide permanent housing to the estimated 1,220 homeless individuals in the County, it has been a successful program. St. Vincent's has stated that the congregant volunteers developed relationships with and respect for those that were seeking shelter and therefore are eager to provide shelter again to their friends as permanent solutions are being worked out. The REST program also includes a Housing Initiative Group where guests can focus on achieving their housing goals by the end of the 2012-13 REST program. St. Vincent's provides rental deposit assistance for participants in the housing initiative group. FOR CITY CLERK ONLY File No.: C? -to - 2 - Council Meeting: I 7ZI;?- .j Disposition: --i 4.46iz 7 6 SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL AGENDA REPORT / Page: 2 The REST program and the housing initiative program are privately funded by donations to St. Vincent's and the generosity of the congregations. There is no governmental funding. ANALYSIS: San Rafael congreations previously pariticpated in the REST program pursuant to a Use Permit issued by the City. San Rafael congregations did not expect to particpate in 2012. Unfornately, congregations in other comunities were unable to fufill their obligations for 2012, leaving two nights without host congregations for the men. First Presbetryian Church has offered to host on Thursday night. The sleeping area has been inspected and approved by Thomas Ahems, Chief Building Official and David Heida, Fire Inspector. Homeless shelters in San Rafael require a Use Permit. The Zoning Administrator hearing for the Use Permit is scheduled for December 19, 2012. The cost of a use permit is $ 2,476.00. The City Council has adopted Resolution 11025 providing for a waiver of $2,000 of planning or building fees for non profit organizations that provide services to low income persons. The REST program at First Presbyterian Church meets the requirements of Resolution 11025 by providing services to extremely low-income persons. FISCAL IMPACT: The requested waiver of $ 2,476.00 would have a minimal impact on the General Fund. The majority of the staff work on the proposed conditions of the use permit occurred in 2009. Therefore, the staff time for this permit has not been extraordinary. OPTIONS: 1) Adopt the Resolution approving the waiver of $2,476.00 for First Presbyterian to participate in the REST program. 2) Direct staff to make changes to the Resolution. 3) Reject the Resolution. ACTION REQUIRED: Adopt Resolution. ATTACHMENT: Letter from Loma Wuertz, Elder, First Presbyterian Church RESOLUTION NO. 13476 RESOLUTION OF THE SAN RAFAEL CITY COUNCIL WAIVING PAYMENT FOR AN ADMINISTRATIVE USE PERMIT APPLICATION IN THE AMOUNT OF S 2/476.00 FOR FIRST PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF SAN RAFA0L TO PARTICIPATE IN THE 2012 ROTATING EMERGENCY SHELTER TEAM (^°REST")PROGRAM (|5lOFIFTH AVENUE) WHEREAS, City Council Resolution ||O25(policy for consideration o[fee waiver requests for planning and building permits) sets forth procedures for waiving planning application fees from non-profit applicants providing services to low-income pc,00uo up to $2,000 and gives the City Council discretion for granting fee waiver requests inexcess ofthe $2,0O0maximum; and WHEREAS, onDecember 5,30|2,First Church ofSan Rafael applied for a Use Permit tuparticipate inthcRotatiug Emergency Shelter Team r^RGST"1 Program h`serve 20 men onThursday evenings from December Z0,ZO|2toApril |5,2Vl3;and WHEREAS, First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael participated in the REST program in 20U9pursuant 1ouUse Perm itissued hythe City ofSan Rafael: and WHEREAS, First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael met all requirements of the Use Permit and there were noreported problems; and WHEREAS, on December 19, 2012, the Zoning Administrator will hold a public hearing on the use permit; and WHEREAS, the cost of a use permit is $ 2,476.00 and First Presbyterian Church of San Ru[ue| is requesting ufee waiver o[all planning Duoo relating to securing the use permit; and WHEREAS, the REST program meets the requirements ofResolution ||025hvproviding services toextremely |ov/ income persons. NOW, THEREFORE BE IKRESOLVED that the City Council nfSan Rafael hereby waives the Use Permit application fees in on amount o[$ 2,476. 00 for the First Presbyterian Church o[San Rafael toparticipate inthe REST program; D, XlS7[XD0R l0|OIRN|O, Clerk of the City of San DuCue1` hereby certify that the foregoing |{ouo|udon was duly and vcgo|ur|y introduced and adopted at u pcgo|ur noecdug of the City � Council of the City of Sun Rafael, held on Monday the 17 'dov of Ducornhcr 2012, by the following vote, to wit: AYES: Counci|mnembcm:Cnnno|hy, Heller, McCullough 6tMayor Phillips NOES: Counci|mcmbor :Nune ABSENT: Counui|nuembers: None December 1, 2012 Mayor Gary Phillips 1400 Fifth Avenue PO Box 151560 San Rafael, CA 94915-1560 Dear Mayor Phillips, �D,ECE0WIE j DEC 5 2012 SAN RAFAEL REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael is a congregation of 230 members and located at 1010 Fifth Ave., which has long had a heart for those in need in the San Rafael community. At various times in the last 25 years this congregation has served meals and housed the homeless who would otherwise be sleeping up in the hills or under the overpasses in San Rafael. In 2008 — 2011 we fed and housed homeless women on Friday nights, November through April without incident or complaints from neighbors. We currently provide the dinner to 80 other financially struggling residents once a month in the church building at the corner of 2nd and B, and each Friday night we provide a meal to the women staying at the Wellness Center. We also partner with the YMCA to provide after-school activities and homework support to up to 20 underserved students of Davidson Middle School four days a week. We have learned that the homeless men in San Rafael have no evening meal or a place to sleep on Thursday nights this winter. The image of anyone sleeping outside in the rainy, cold months is haunting, at best. Offering hospitality to the stranger and food to the hungry is what we as a congregation feel called to do. And so the Session of the First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael has generously endorsed this offer of Canoles Hall in our building throughout the remainder of the REST season, which ends April 15, 2013. The men would arrive by van. at 6 p.m., wash up and roll out their sleeping bags, eat dinner together and go to bed under the supervision of a trained, seasoned Staff person from St. Vincent's De Paul Society and volunteers from churches in Marin. Lights go out at 10:00 p.m., and the men will awaken, pack up and be out of the building by 6 a.m. Friday morning and taken by van to St. Vincent's Dining Room for breakfast. Our congregation appreciates the City's support of the REST Program and its attention to this emergency situation. Sincerely, Lorna Wuertz Elder, First Presbyterian Church of San Rafael cc: Stephanie Lovett Attachment A CITY OF SAN RAFAE INSTRUCTIONS: USE THIS FORM WITH EACH SUBMITTAL {]FA CONTRACT, AGREEMENT, ORDINANCE ORSESOLUTION BEFORE APPROVAL BYCOUNCIL /AGENCY. Successor /SRCCAGENDA ITEM NO. 3jl DATE [)FMEETING: 12/17/2012 FROM: StophanieLOv8tte DEPARTMENT: Economic Development TITLE (}FDOCUMENT: Resolution Waiving Payment for an Administrative Use Permit Application in the Amount of $2,476.00 for First Presbyterian Church to Participate in the 2012 Rotating Emergency Shelter Team ("REST") Program (1510 Fifth Avenuo)(ED) iL�-, - �� bepaArne-n-f �Head(slgnature) (LOWER HALF [)FFORM FOR APPROVALS ONLY) APPROVED AS COUNCIL /AGENCY APPROVED AS TO FORM: City Attorney (signatur4) 6;