Notes on 7/25/2024 BOCC on approval of homeless shelter assignment of $10 million of taxpayer funded real estate to reStart:
- Commissioner O’Hara’s amendment for BOCC to require reStart to require clients to be JoCo residents, failed 5-2
- Commissioner O’Hara’s amendment for BOCC to require reStart to require clients to be U.S. citizens or other legal status, failed 5-2
- Commissioner O’Hara’s amendment for BOCC to require reStart to hold 5 long term beds (out of 50) to be available for law enforcement drop off for homeless, failed 6-1 (they don’t want homeless in a homeless shelter????)
- Commissioner Meyers asked Assistant CM, Joe Connor, if amendment on U.S. Citizenship was redundant since the Coordinated Entry System does not allow questions on residency or legal status in the U.S. Joe Connor, Assistant CM responded in the affirmative that was correct
- United Community Services, a NGO, developed RFP not county staff. Joe Connor, Assistant CM confirmed that he is on the board of United Community Services and was on the selection committee as a non voting member.
- Mental health department uses Coordinating Entry System…..cannot require JoCo residency or even U.S. citizenship or other legal status for homeless.
- Joe Connor, Assistant CM confirmed that reStart does not fulfill criteria that BOCC set requiring operator to be self funded. ReStart has a $500,000 deficit the first year. ReStart has nothing in their budget for security, staff assured the BOCC in the COW on July 17th that reStart trains their staff for security and will call local police when necessary. Security cost is approximately an additional $250,000.
- Chairman Kelly called Commissioner O’Hara xenophobic….O’Hara’s response: my daughter is African American, two of my grandchildren are Hispanic, my grandson is Korean and my daughter-in-law is of Pakistani and Hispanic ethnicity. (I forgot my daughter in law who is of Filipino descent).
