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Home My WebLink About2017-01-31 - Minutes -Alderman Adella Gray Ward 1 Position 1 Alderman Sarah Marsh Ward 1 Position 2 Alderman Mark Kinion Ward 2 Position 1 Alderman Matthew Petty Ward 2 Position 2 Mayor Lioneld Jordan City Attorney Kit Williams City Clerk Sondra E. Smith City of Fayetteville Arkansas City Council Meeting January 31, 2017 Special City Council Meeting Minutes January 31, 2017 Page 1 of 4 Alderman Justin Tennant Ward 3 Position 1 Alderman Sarah Bunch Ward 3 Position 2 Alderman John La Tour Ward 4 Position 1 Alderman Alan T. Long Ward 4 Position 2 A special meeting of the Fayetteville City Council was held on January 31, 2017 at 5:30 p.m. in Room 219 of the City Administration Building located at 113 West Mountain Street, Fayetteville, Arkansas. Mayor Jordan called the meeting to order. PRESENT: Alderman Sarah Marsh, Mark Kinion, Matthew Petty, Justin Tennant, Sarah Bunch, John La Tour, Alan Long, Mayor Lioneld Jordan, City Attorney Kit Williams, City Clerk Sondra Smith, Staff, Press, and Audience. Alderman Adella Gray was absent. Pledge of Allegiance Mayor's Announcements, Proclamations and Recognitions: None Citv Council Meeting Presentations, Reports, and Discussion Items: None Agenda Additions: None New Business: Seven Hills Homeless Center Emergency Funding: An ordinance to waive competitive bidding, to approve an emergency two month purchase of services contract with Seven Hills Homeless 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes January 31, 2017 Page 2 of 4 Center with possible extensions of up to four additional months and to approve a budget adjustment. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Paul Becker, Chief Financial Officer gave a brief description of the ordinance. He stated he feels it is an emergency situation. Lynn Carver, President of the Board for the Seven Hills Homeless Center: Thank you on behalf of our Board of Directors and staff for all the city has done for us in the past. Thank you for considering this additional emergency funding. The homeless population of Northwest Arkansas has grown faster than the population in general. We do not see an end to the increase need for the kinds of services we are providing. We believe that what we provide is essential to the overall system of support providing care to our neighbors in need while they move toward recovery and self-sufficiency. Despite the growing need, our organization has reached the point that we can no longer maintain the full range of services for people who are homeless. We have been working diligently to avoid having to cut services and we have made tremendous progress. We have cut staff and decreased our cost. We have added to our Board of Directors. We have reached out to other providers and community and faith leaders as we attempt to help people turn their lives around. We have lowered our debt. We moved our day center to property we purchased without the loss of a day of services. We have raised the money to stay open even with operating shortfalls at the day center and the Walker Facility. Despite these efforts we have fallen short. Our inability to find consistent substantial funding from any source means we have reached the point that we can no longer afford to continue our full range of operations. Without the funding you are considering and the additional assistance of the Northwest Arkansas community, more than 2,000 people will have no access to essential services. In addition to having to close the day center we are anticipating the necessity to discontinue our housing of the Walker Family Residential Community. There are over 20 residents, some of whom have disabilities and some with minor children who will be without housing when we do. Closing both of these facilities will have serious consequences for other organizations in Northwest Arkansas who depend on the Walker Family Residential Community to support a client or family's transition to self-sufficiency. This is a community problem and we ask for your help to continue this work. Alderman La Tour: We should approve the funding. I am convinced this is the right action for the city to take. Jesus said, "In as much as you have done it to the least of these my brethren, you have done it unto me." I strongly support this move. Alderman Petty: When I heard about this I made several calls trying to find funding, even though the board had worked diligently to find it on their own. The impression I got from some in the community was that they were waiting for Seven Hills to fail so they could resurrect a new program because of the problems that Seven Hills had in the past. If the City of Fayetteville needs to take a lead on this then we should be proud to take a lead. We should use this vote to renew a call to all the members of our community to help. If we need to convene an effort to assemble the resources to address this problem directly, then that is exactly what we should do. 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes January 31, 2017 Page 3 of 4 Alderman La Tour moved to suspend the rules and go to the second reading. Alderman Bunch seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed 7-0. Alderman Gray was absent. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Alderman Long moved to suspend the rules and go to the third and fmal reading. Alderman Marsh seconded the motion. Upon roll call the motion passed 7-0. Alderman Gray was absent. City Attorney Kit Williams read the ordinance. Major Dan Matthew, Salvation Army spoke in favor of the ordinance. Robert Ferdoe, 792 South Seven Hills Court spoke in favor of the ordinance. David King, a homeless resident spoke in favor of the ordinance. Sherman Terry spoke in favor of the ordinance. Alderman Tennant: Is there a homeless center in Springdale, Rogers, Bentonville or something similar anywhere? Lynn Carver: No. Alderman Tennant: This is more of a regional facility than a Fayetteville facility. I don't see other cities lined up here to help and it is disappointing. This building is in Fayetteville, but that doesn't mean it is just a Fayetteville situation. I challenge the other cities to step up. I've gotten a wave of emails and phone calls saying they didn't know there was a problem and now vowing to be active in helping. I encourage everyone to get involved and participate. Alderman Marsh: In the near future our Active Transportation Committee has recommended the construction of a sidewalk from the Seven Hills Center back to the intersection of 15'1' Street. We will have a safe and dignified way for people to traverse from the Seven Hills Center into our town. We are going to make some infrastructure improvements to help include everyone in our community. Thank you to everyone in my ward who wrote me letters and emails in support for this initiative. Fayetteville is a city of compassion and this is how we walk that walk. Alderman Kinion: I want to express my appreciation for the services they offer and the admiration I have for the challenges faced by this board. There is a continual need for this service. We all need to unite and make sure the services that are provided by Seven Hills are available and continued without disruption. This is a call out for the community to step up to the plate also. I look forward to the prosperity for the board so we can get these services guaranteed in the future without an emergency situation. 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov Special City Council Meeting Minutes January 31, 2017 Page 4 of 4 Mayor Jordan: When looking at situations like this, I don't have the heart to turn out 2,000 people into the street. I remember when Seven Hills started in 2001. I supported it then, I support it now, and I will support it in the future. At the end of the day it is the people that we take care of. This city believes in one another and taking care of one another. We need to be sure that everybody feels like a partner in this city regardless if they are homeless, the color of their skin, religious belief or who they love. We are going to support Seven Hills and take care of the homeless situation in this city. Mayor Jordan asked shall the ordinance pass. Upon roll call the ordinance passed 7-0. Alderman Gray was absent. Ordinance 5946 as Recorded in the office of the City Clerk Announcements: None Ad•ourlent:-5--55 p.m. onerdan, )WY or Sondra E. Smith, City Clerk Treasurer 113 West Mountain Fayetteville, AR 72701 (479) 575-8323 www.fayetteville-ar.gov