AGENDA #15a(1)

 

MEMORANDUM

 

TO:                  Town Council

 

FROM:            Mayor Kevin C. Foy and Council Member Sally Greene

 

SUBJECT:       Public Dialogue on Homelessness

 

DATE:             October 11, 2004

 

 

This memorandum relates to sponsoring a public dialogue on homelessness, which became a Chapel Hill Town Council goal last year.

 

The attached budget ordinance would authorize the Manager to transfer funds from the Council’s contingency fund to cover expenses related to this event.

 

BACKGROUND

 

Last fall Triangle-area elected officials were briefed on the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness initiative sponsored by the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness. Attendees were asked to begin similar planning in their localities.  Our counterparts in Wake County along with the Triangle United Way have developed a program that incorporates public forums and action-oriented workshops.  For more information about their program you may visit www.raleigh-nc.org and click on end homelessness in the lower left hand corner of the page.

 

At our Town Council Planning Session on January 17, 2004, the Council received a report from Council Member Greene regarding the 10-Year Plan to End Homelessness. Following that presentation the Council agreed to add a public dialogue on homelessness to its list of goals for 2004. Councilmember Greene and I agreed to lead this initiative. 

 

In May, my office sent a letter to County Commissioners about partnering to sponsor a Roundtable Discussion on Homelessness in Orange County.   The County suggested a committee be organized with members from each of the governing bodies.  The group began meeting on June 24th.  Members include James Harris (Town of Carrboro), Sharron Hinton (Orange County), Tara Fikes (Orange County), Loryn Barnes (Chapel Hill), Emily Dickens (Chapel Hill), Linda Tuday (Triangle United Way), Chris Moran (IFC), Kristin Lavergne (IFC), Bille Guthrie (OPC Mental Health/Orange County Continuum of Care). 

 

In August, the IFC Community Planning Group, a committee Natalie Ammarell and I convened to consider the future of the Inter-Faith Council and services for individuals and families who are homeless and at risk of homelessness in our community, released its report.  Chris Moran shared the report with the Roundtable Committee. Thereafter a public discussion of this report was added to the agenda for the roundtable discussion.

 

DISCUSSION

 

The Roundtable Committee proposes to hold the Roundtable Discussion on Homelessness on November 18, 2004 at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Airport Road.  A draft agenda is attached to this memorandum.  The group has determined the following goals for this event:

 

  1. To educate the community by dispelling myths and putting a face on the homeless,
  2. To develop a long-term plan to end homelessness in Orange County
  3. To encourage personal responsibility by inviting the community to address this issue individually

 

Invitations will be mailed to individuals and community groups that currently provide services to the homeless. In addition, registration is open to the public.  The members of the Church of Jesus Christ of the Latter Day Saints will provide a continental breakfast for the participants.  The Roundtable Planning Committee requests the following support from the Town Council in order to complete planning for this event:

 

  1. Facilitator’s Fee - $1000

 

    1. Andy Sachs of the Dispute Settlement Center has agreed to provide assistance including meeting design, consultation and facilitation services.  The fee is $75/hour. Mr. Sachs estimates nine (9) hours of preparation time for the event plus three (3) hours at the event.  In addition up to three additional facilitators will cover breakout groups at no additional cost.

 

    1. Orange County has agreed to pay one-third of this fee.  We have contacted Carrboro about reimbursing the Town for the remaining one-third.

 

    1. We are requesting that the contract for services be between Mr. Sachs and the Town of Chapel Hill for the entire fee and then the Town will request reimbursement for Carrboro and Orange County.

 

  1. Videographer’s Fee - $200

 

    1. The Planning Committee determined that it would be helpful to develop a tool that can be used to continually educate the community following this event.  It has been proposed that a five-eight minute video including testimonies from members of the homeless population and those who provide services in Orange County would provide an educational tool that the governing bodies, IFC and Continuum of Car can use on an ongoing basis for community education. The video will be unveiled as part of the agenda for this event.

3.   Web Support

 

    1. Online registration will provide easy access to the public. Since this is a Chapel Hill Town Council goal, the group proposes that a registration link for this event be added to the Town of Chapel Hill website. This would also include assignment of a registration e-mail address ([email protected]). The other agencies involved have agreed to post information on their websites directing visitors to the Town’s website for more information.

 

  1. Other Financial Support - The Triangle United Way has signed on as a sponsor for his event and will donate $300 towards costs associated with this event.

 

RECOMMENDATION

 

We recommend the Council allocate funding from the contingency account and adopt the attached budget ordinance.

Homelessness Roundtable Discussion

November 18, 2004 8:30 a.m.-Noon

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints-Airport Road

 

GOALS:

 

  1. Community Education: dispelling myths and putting a face on the homeless
  2. Long-term plan to end homelessness: begin work on developing a plan in Orange County
  3. Personal responsibility: encouraging the community to address this issue individually

 

AGENDA

 

I.                    Welcome and Introductions

a.       Commissioner Barry Jacobs

b.      Mayor Kevin Foy

c.       Alderman Alex Zaffron

d.      Craig Chancellor

 

II.                 Needs and Challenges Facing the Homeless

a.       Ending Homelessness PowerPoint Presentation

Ken Maness, City of Raleigh Planning Department

b.      Panel Discussion

                                                               i.      Martha Are - Human Services

                                                             ii.      David Hood- Holy Trinity Lutheran Church

                                                            iii.      Raney Norwood- IFC Shelter Coordinator

 

III.               Homelessness in Orange County

a.       Video Presentation

b.      Public Discussion

 

IV.              Break-Out Groups

a.       Group A- Community Ownership for Ending Homelessness

b.      Group B-Preventing Homelessness

c.       Group C- Moving people from homelessness toward self-sufficiency

 

V.                 A Call to ACTION