March 8, 2007, 2:30 p.m.

Community Development Committee
City Commission Chambers, City Hall
Agenda

On-site Tour: 2:30 p.m. (Meet at 1519 1st Ave S) Meeting to follow at 3:00 p.m. in the City Commission Room.

1. Approval of November 30, 2006 minutes
2. Recommendation for Emergency Shelter Site at 1517 & 1519 1st Ave S
3. Other Business
4. Next meeting: April 19, 2007  

Minutes

Present: Dan Fremling, Lynn Fundingsland, Linda Klebe, Tim Mahoney, Pat Zavoral, and Linda Coates
Absent: John Paulsen, Steve Stoner, David Anderson, and Scott Crane
Also Present: Rocky Schneider

On-site Tour 2:30 p.m.
The Community Development Committee members met at 1519 1st Ave S, the proposed shelter, for a tour.

Chair Linda Coates called the meeting to order.

Approval of November 30, 2006 minutes
3:00 p.m. Lynn Fundingsland moved to approve the minutes as presented. Second by Linda Klebe. All members present voted aye and the motion was declared carried.

Recommendation for Emergency Shelter Site at 1517 & 1519 1st Ave S
3:02 p.m. Chair Coates gave a summary for the proposed emergency shelter. The current emergency shelter does not serve individuals who are intoxicated and there is a need to serve homeless people that cannot access other shelters, and a need to provide 24 hour detox services and outreach.

Partnering and co-locating with Ray of Hope, Mental Health Association, local Police, and Centre Inc. for these outreach services is the plan. The facility will be a non-profit organization committed to this purpose and will be involved in training, will be staffed by non-city staff, will have a new organizational structure, will have a strong solid working board, and will lean on the expertise of those involved.

Jim Gilmour presented a Summary of the 2007 Budget in consideration for the proposed sight. The 2007 budget places a high priority on housing and homelessness, as well as neighborhood improvement. It includes 2007 and 2006 carryover funds available, but not designated as of yet.

Pat Zavoral stated that the City needs to enter into a contract for acquisition. The recommendation for the emergency shelter will be brought to the March 26, 2007 City Commission meeting. If the funds are released, then the City can close on the property. At that time, an initial payment would be made for building.

Dan Fremling addressed concerns/questions regarding who is going to own and manage this facility and how many people would be involved. He stated the shelter needs to have a structure in place.

According to Mr. Zavoral the baseline service has to be shelter. Transitional housing could then be provided. The goal is to encourage housing after being stabilized.

Ms. Klebe suggested focusing funds in the neighborhood surrounding the shelter to improve the overall effort. Chair Coates agreed.

Public Comment
3:40 p.m. Scot Sorrells, 813 19th Street South, a resident located near the proposed shelter location, presented information he gathered from a personal analysis in opposition to the proposed emergency shelter location.

Mr. Sorrells’ main concerns are in regards 1) to what the target population is and 2) to protect the most vulnerable – the site would be within a half mile radius of a school and adjacent to residential neighborhoods. A downtown location wouldn’t infringe upon these two concerns. Mr. Sorrell feels that this shelter would create a negative impact rather than improve the neighborhood and urges the Committee to consider another location based on the target population and location.

Chair Coates thanked Mr. Sorrells for his comments. She stated that a downtown location was the initial goal. Konrad Olson (a specialist in commercial real estate) had been hired to research possible locations based on size, affordability, and whether or not the location was currently used as housing. According to Mr.  Zavoral many properties were reviewed. Some required major renovations and some were too costly.

Postcards were sent to those in the vicinity. The response has been more in support of than in opposition to the proposed shelter and location. Lowell Wolff from Fargo Public Schools has also expressed his support.

The Committee needs to consider how to best prevent individuals from freezing to death, get individuals off the streets, and help area residents be safer. 

Chair Coates will have an organizational structure out for the next meeting and will have folks on hand to answer questions.

Commissioner Tim Mahoney moved to provide the emergency shelter at 1519 1st Ave S. Second by Mr. Fremling. All members present voted aye and motion was declared carried.

Other Business
3:55 p.m. Commissioner Mahoney stated that funding also needs to be available to meet the needs of the community the Committee hasn’t addressed, such as a new facility for family healthcare so as not to under fund needs or programs.

Mr. Gilmour stated that a plan should be developed for the coming year. The hope is to have the City Commission look at those needs.

Chair Coates stated it might be useful to complete a community wide study to see the true needs of the community based on the urban and social growth. Mr. Zavoral suggested having a consultant do the investigation/study and use some of the funds for that study.

The time at adjournment was 4:04 p.m.

The next meeting is scheduled for Thursday, April 19, 2007 2:30 p.m.