SUMMARY MINUTES OF REGULAR MEETING

The purpose of these minutes is to capture a high-level summary of Council’s discussion and action. This is not a verbatim transcript. Meeting video and audio is available on the City’s website.

Monday, May 15, 2023 Council Chambers - Shoreline City Hall

7:00 p.m. 17500 Midvale Avenue North

PRESENT: Mayor Keith Scully, Deputy Mayor Betsy Robertson, and Councilmembers John Ramsdell, Laura Mork, Doris McConnell, Eben Pobee and Chris Roberts

ABSENT: None.

1. CALL TO ORDER

At 7:00 p.m., the meeting was called to order by Mayor Scully who presided.

2. FLAG SALUTE/ROLL CALL

Upon roll call by the City Clerk, all Councilmembers were present.

3. APPROVAL OF THE AGENDA

The agenda was approved by unanimous consent.

4. REPORT OF CITY MANAGER

Bristol Ellington, City Manager, reported on various City meetings, projects, and events.

5. COUNCIL REPORTS

Councilmember Ramsdell reported his attendance at a Lunch and Learn event hosted by NUHSA to discuss community land trusts.

6. PUBLIC COMMENT

The Council heard comments from the public from approximately 7:04 p.m. to 7:14 p.m. Written comments were also submitted to Council prior to the meeting and are available on the City’s website.

Leathen Wene, Shoreline, raised concern about the reduction of routes on public transit and asked Council to support continued transit service.

Rodrigo Celis, Shoreline, brought attention to drug activity and assault in the Richmond Beach neighborhood and asked Council to address the issues.

Pat Storal, Shoreline, spoke about crime, drug use, and parking issues in the Richmond Beach neighborhood and asked Council to address the issues.

Randy Dressen, Shoreline, shared concern about parking issues and litter in the Richmond Beach neighborhood and asked Council to address the issues.

7. CONSENT CALENDAR

Upon motion by Deputy Mayor Robertson and seconded and unanimously carried, 7-0, the following Consent Calendar items were approved:

(a) Approval of Workshop Dinner Meeting Minutes of April 10, 2023

Approval of Regular Meeting Minutes of April 24, 2023

(b) Action on Resolution No. 507- Adopting a Six-Year Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP) for 2024 Through 2029

(c) Approval of Multi-Family Tax Exemption Program Contract with MCREF MFR 1 Shoreline LLC for the Modera Shoreline Located at 17802 Linden Avenue N

(d) Authorize the City Manager to Approve Real Property Acquisition Located at 14800 1st Avenue NE for the 148th Street Non-Motorized Bridge Project

(e) Authorize the City Manager to Execute a Construction Contract with Massana Construction, Inc. in the Amount of #7,998,584 for the 148th Non-Motorized Project - Phase 1

8. STUDY ITEMS

(a) Discussion of the Regional Crisis Response (RCR) Agency Principals Assembly and RCR Agency Program Update

Brook Buettner, Executive Director of Regional Crisis Response (RCR) Agency, explained that RCR is a collaboration between Shoreline and other partner cities, Kenmore, Lake Forest Park, Bothell, and Kirkland, to provide mobile crisis response services for in-progress crisis calls and referrals to the community of care. She said some staff are operating under the original crisis response system called RADAR, but they will become RCR staff following the official dissolution of RADAR.

The RADAR crisis response program started in Shoreline under Police Chief Scott Strathy in 2016, initially as an information sharing program designed to reduce the risk of use of force for people with a behavioral health condition. In 2020, the RADAR Navigator Program had four part-time contracted Navigators. With the execution of the RCR interlocal agreement, the program now has six full-time Navigators and is working on hiring four more.

Ms. Buettner noted that the King County Sheriff's Office Communications Department coordinates with Navigators to use resources more efficiently. This is done using a KCSO call sign to increase information sharing, and a computer aided dispatch system, allowing KCSO to cross-deploy staff to other jurisdictions. During the first three months of this year, Navigators served 177 people.

Ms. Buettner spoke about the governance structure of RCR under which the Principles Assembly, Executive Board, Operations Board, and Community Advisory Board are organized. She described the boards as follows:

· The Principles Assembly calls for an elected delegated by each of the five partner cities to take part in the development of the crisis response system.

· The Executive Board is made up of City Managers from the partner cities except for Kenmore whose Assistant City Manager provides representation.

· The Operations Board acts as a way for community partners to be involved in the way that the response is deployed.

· The Community Advisory Board provides feedback on various aspects of RCR from individuals with lived experience in the crisis system.

Mayor Scully asked Councilmembers if there was any objection to a mayoral appointment for a position on the Principles Assembly. Hearing none, he stated that anyone interested in a primary or alternate position should email him.

Ms. Buettner described what a Crisis Now community is and how RCR is working to become one. She said that SAMHSA describes a community with a good crisis system as one where there is someone to call, someone to respond, and somewhere to go. RCR meets these needs by employing 988 as the crisis reporting agency, providing RCR staff to respond to calls, and establishing the crisis triage clinic that will open in 2024. Ms. Buettner stated that when the clinic opens, RCR will be one of the first communities in the state to meet all three Crisis Now components. The next step for RCR is to conduct the community visioning process where any stakeholders are invited to discuss the vision and dream for the crisis community.

Councilmembers asked about RCR’s hiring process and Ms. Buettner stated that the agency is attracting a good candidate pool due to a strong wage and benefit package provided by cities. She added that the team needs to have members with a unique dynamic in personality, lived experience, education, and relevant experience to provide crisis service. She wants to make sure RCR brings on individuals who will be happy in their position and provide good service.

Ms. Buettner was asked to speak about RCR’s data driven approach. She explained that RCR is collecting demographic data and encounter data. Staff only record what is needed to care for clients as the agency is subject to public records requests. Additionally, RCR is gathering information about response plans and lessons learned from crisis response engagements.

Councilmembers asked how RCR coordinates with Designated Crisis Responders (DCR) to determine the outcome for an individual, and what RCR’s greatest resource needs are. Ms. Buettner said in the crisis facility, providers have a good track record of working with high acuity people, and they bring much skill and intentionality around deescalating people to keep them at the facility. DCRs can involuntarily detain someone under statute as a civil detention and RCR staff will write an affidavit if they believe somebody should be detained because of risk to themselves or others or because the client is greatly disabled. In terms of resource needs, Ms. Buettner explained that the City of Kirkland performs administrative and fiscal functions on behalf of RADAR for a fee and will continue this function for RADAR until RCR officially becomes its own agency. She added that RADAR has purchased, through the City of Kirkland, various field and office equipment items that will become RCR inventory. Additional costs to come include the purchase of supplementary ballistic vests, vehicles, and radios.

(b) Discussion with the King County Regional Homelessness Authority on Development of their Five-Year Plan

Bethany Wolbrecht-Dunn, Community Services Manager, gave an overview of the history of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA) and introduced Alexis Mercedes-Rinck, the Sub-Regional Planning Manager with KCRHA to speak about the Five-Year Plan. Ms. Mercedes-Rinck highlighted that KCRHA works to support homelessness services by distributing funding to local agencies through service contracts and coordinating work between jurisdictions. The organization also oversees data systems such as the homelessness management information system and reports on activity in the region.

Ms. Mercedes-Rinck spoke about the development of the Five-Year Plan. She said sub-regional planning is essential to ensure that the Plan is tailored to each sub-region. One aspect of the Plan focuses on how to count homelessness in the community, service utilization rates, and the rate of return to homelessness. The Plan also discusses the homelessness response system with service providers and system relationships. She then shared collected information about homeless services available in North King County, homelessness demographics and its racial disproportionality, rate of homelessness, and the rate of death of people experiencing unsheltered homelessness. Ms. Mercedes-Rinck stated that the ideal system is one where all service providers can hire and retain staff that carry out best practices, coordinate services through data, and serve all disproportionately impacted sub-populations. Additionally, the system should be able to intercept before someone becomes homeless, and support folks transferring to other systems.

Ms. Mercedes-Rinck said the overarching goal of the Five-Year Plan is to bring unsheltered people inside to meet their needs for stability and safety, to prevent death, and stop further harm. She listed several measurements of success and explained that all the actions listed in the Plan are framed under the lens of what can be done within the current budget. The Plan includes a series of key actions organized by years one-to-two and years three-to-five. These actions have impact statements that make clear how this key action will make an impact on the metrics of success. The Plan also lists strategies identified through the community engagement process that KCRHA staff agree need to be done but are not currently funded. The process to approve the Plan starts with a recommendation from the Implementation Board then approval through the Governing Committee. The Implementation Board is slated to vote this Friday to recommend the Plan to the Governing Committee.

Councilmembers asked for specifics on the severe weather shelter and the future of the shelter at Saint Dunstan’s Church. Ms. Wolbrecht-Dunn shared that staff from the partner cities met about the status of the shelter and how to meet the remaining need before November. The Interlocal Agreement provided enhanced funding for the program and staff are discussing a static shelter and hotel vouchers for remote areas of the north end. Ms. Wolbrecht-Dunn said she expects there will be paid staff in addition to volunteers. She also noted that Saint Dunstan's Church has seen the service as their mission and highlighted the church’s graciousness in hosting the shelter. She stated that staff are open to exploring a variety of options to provide the most effective service.

A Councilmember asked what is considered the North King County area and where the 143 emergency shelter beds are located. Ms. Mercedes-Rinck explained North King County is defined as the five cities that are a part of the Interlocal Agreement. The current emergency shelter options within North King County are the Oaks, two emergency shelters within Kenmore, Mary's Place, and Vision House, in addition to other temporary and permanent housing options. There was concern expressed over the low number of emergency beds available for the area and Mayor Scully offered support to accommodate more beds to avoid overwhelming shelters and to keep up service levels.

9. ADJOURNMENT

At 8:14 p.m., Mayor Scully declared the meeting adjourned.

/s/ Jessica Simulcik Smith, City Clerk