Year-Round Emergency Shelter and Multi-Service Center Update

(the following is from the City of Fullerton website: http://www.cityoffullerton.com/news/displaynews.asp?NewsID=1553)

Latest Update:

A Community Meeting regarding the Emergency Shelter and Multi-Service Center is scheduled for Monday, March 11, 2013 at 6:30 pm at the Fullerton Main Public Library located at 353 W. Commonwealth Ave. in Fullerton. 

Background:

At their regularly scheduled meeting on January 15, 2013, of the Orange County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously to approve a purchase and sale agreement, in the amount of $3,150,000, for the purchase of property at 301 South State College Boulevard in Fullerton for a year-round emergency shelter and multi-service center for at-risk and homeless families and individuals in Orange County.

The action by the Orange County Board of Supervisors is part of the County’s approved “Ten-Year Plan to End Homelessness” which includes goals and implementing strategies to effectively end homelessness in Orange County. Plan goals and implementing strategies include but are not limited to:

• Improve the emergency shelter and access system.
• Develop year-round permanent emergency shelters to replace the seasonal Armory Emergency Shelter Program.

The County will make a presentation before the Fullerton City Council on February 19, 2013. The County is also making arrangements to hold a public meeting to discuss this project.  That meeting date will be announced as soon as it is confirmed.

In advance of upcoming presentations, meetings, and the development of a management plan, the following provides some preliminary details about the proposed Shelter and Multi-Service Center:

• The Shelter will be owned by the County of Orange and operated by a nonprofit contractor. The nonprofit contractor will be contractually required to operate the facility in compliance with the County’s good neighbor policy which requires collaboration with the City of Fullerton, residents, businesses, and other stakeholders regarding shelter operation and provision of services.
• The facility will be designed to provide emergency shelter for homeless individuals and their families. It will also provide a wide variety of multi-disciplinary services designed to successfully transition clients from homelessness to permanent housing.
• In addition to assisting those who are already homeless, the multi-service center will provide homeless prevention services and support to assist homeless families and individuals that are at-risk of losing their housing due to unforeseen circumstances.
• The proposed shelter and multi-service center will replace the existing shelter at Brookhurst and Valencia which has approximately 200 beds. Design features, including the number of beds, types of services, requirements for services, and collaborative partners will be determined at a future date through the County’s contractor selection process.
• The facility will be staffed by the contracted operator 24 hours a day / 7 days a week. 

The facility will have 24 hour a day / 7 day a week security.  Security plans will be coordinated with the Fullerton Police Department and the County of Orange. 

• The facility will be managed by the contracted operator in collaboration with various collaborative partners including but not limited to, multiple County Agencies, other nonprofit service providers, and local churches to coordinate services offered to the homeless and at-risk community.

For more information on the County’s proposal:http://cams.ocgov.com/Web_Publisher_Sam/Agenda01_15_2013_files/images/A13-000002.HTM

For agenda and minutes of the January 15, 2013, Orange County Board of Supervisors meeting:
http://cams.ocgov.com/Web_Publisher_Sam/Sam01_15_2013.htm 

Homepage for the Orange County Board of Supervisors: http://media.ocgov.com/gov/bos/default.asp

Updated: February 19, 2013

Value or Cost - Fullerton Water Rates

Last night's Fullerton City Council meeting brought forth much discussion on the subject of water rates.

The issue which generated the greatest debate was "cost of service" and how "costs" should be determined.  

I argued that the actual "costs" were already known, accounted for, and collected by the City as those costs are indicated on this pie chart from the City. (click image to see)

The chart identifies the "expenses" of operating and maintaining the water system which were budgeted for FY2011.  Let's keep in mind that the reason the Franchise Fee was put in place was to help pay for administrative costs of the City Administrator, City Clerk, and City Attorney.  

As you can see, "Other Expenses" and "Administrative Services" appears to cover those expenses.  Therefore, the Franchise Fee was a double dip into the Water Fund and the "costs" were already accounted for.  

What was presented by staff and agreed to by some members of the Council is the "value" of the water service.  This was best represented by lease-back option that was floated by staff.  The lease-back would have required that water rate payers pay a fee for leasing the property on which the reservoirs were built.  It is the left hand charging the right hand for the honor and convenience of being connected to the same body.  It is predicated on a single word: IF.  IF the water system had to rent the land...  That same logic could be applied to ALL of our city services with dangerous consequences.

How long will it be before this is brought back to Council so that the left hand can take another swipe at the right?