REPORT TO COUNCIL
SUBJECT
Title
Council Update and Possible Direction on Establishing a Temporary County Cold Weather Shelter for the 2015-16 Winter Season at the City’s Onizuka Site
Report
DISCUSSION
On September 1, the City Council directed staff work with the County of Santa Clara to consider establishing a temporary County cold weather shelter (CWS) for the 2015-16 winter season at one of the City’s Onizuka parcels. The City owns two parcels at the Onizuka site:
• Parcel A is an approximately one-acre site located at Innovation Way/Mathilda Avenue, south of the City’s existing Fire Station 5 and north of the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) parcel.
• Parcel D/E is an approximately 4.6-acre site located at Innovation Way/Moffett Park Drive, south of the education center that is currently being constructed by Foothill-De Anza Community College District (FHDA).
Council expressed a preference for locating the temporary County CWS on Parcel A. Staff indicated that approval at either of the Onizuka parcels could be authorized through a limited term license agreement. Council also requested that County staff provide monthly status reports on finding a permanent CWS location and the operations at the temporary County CWS.
Action by the Council on the environmental/CEQA finding for the project and the license agreement are scheduled for September 29. The County Board of Supervisors will consider the license agreement on the same day, as well as the agreement with HomeFirst to operate the temporary County CWS.
Discussions with County staff are actively occurring and the preparation of the license agreement and site evaluations are ongoing. The purpose of this agenda item is to update the City Council on discussions with County staff on locating a temporary County CWS on either Parcels A or D/E, with possible direction from the Council as needed. The staff update will include the following items:
• Public input received on two community meetings held on September 10 (one in the morning and the second in the evening) to receive input on the proposal;
• Decision or direction of the County Board of Supervisors at its meeting on September 15 where County staff will provide a status report on establishing their temporary CWS;
• Summary and status of the draft license agreement that has been prepared by the City Attorney, which is currently being reviewed by County staff;
• Site analysis and preliminary site plans for locating a temporary County CWS on Parcels A or D/E, including discussions with VA and FHDA, and the extent a recommendation has been reached on either site;
• The County’s proposed program for their temporary CWS at the Onizuka site, including items related to staffing, security, hours of operations, support services, and site improvements; and
• Status of environmental/CEQA review for the proposed project.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION
Recommendation
Discuss and provide direction to City staff as needed on locating a temporary County Cold Weather Shelter at the Onizuka site.
Staff
Prepared by: Hanson Hom, Director of Community Development
Approved by: Kent Steffens, Assistant City Manager,
for Deanna J. Santana, City Manager