Funding the Cost of Olympia Homelessness

Above: Time is running out as the City of Olympia works to address homelessness crisis options before the cold weather season approaches. The clock, along with other debris, was recently collected and placed in trash bags at the Nickerson homeless encampment off Eastside Street in Olympia.

Total 2017 amount spent for encampment cleanup expenses is nearly $103,000

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

“We may all need to compromise,” said Olympia city councilmember Jim Cooper, who serves as chair of the council's finance committee.

Cooper was speaking of funding options for homeless response efforts and two proposed city sanctioned encampments at a four-hour city finance committee meeting held July 31.

The committee is comprised of councilmembers Cooper, Lisa Parshley and Jessica Bateman.

As Cooper has said in the past, city funding to address the homeless crisis is a new line of business for the council, and all options need to be considered.

The city estimates that $1.4 million will be needed annually to operate two city sanctioned homeless encampments. The two locations, one on Union Avenue near Plum Street and the other on Martin Way, will assist 80 people total. 

An estimated $1.1 million total is needed for site improvements to both locations.

City staff has also proposed to direct $500,000 annually to other homeless response efforts. This amount could support other agencies that host campsites under the city’s proposed emergency housing ordinance for services such as garbage service and porta-potties. 

The need for safe storage has also been identified as a critical service so people experiencing homelessness have a place to store their belongings.

At the meeting, Cooper suggested using Home Fund money, a business and operations tax that has not been adjusted since the 1950s, dipping into parks funds, and using $500,000 to $1,000,000 per year of general fund emergency reserves for no more than five years.

And while he said he doesn’t want to raise taxes, he is open to using some of the non-voted utility tax, if that tax is extended an additional three years.

“The cost to parks and other agencies from this crisis is much higher (than past years). In fact, the cost to every department to deal with this crisis is at some level part of (staff’s) job…I believe a short extension on (parks) acquisition won’t hurt our city long term but it will help us relieve pressure on our park system,” he said.

One example of these higher costs is for homeless encampment clean-ups.

According to the city community planning and development figures, the cumulative expenditures incurred by city park rangers for homeless encampment clean-up at 24 citywide locations in 2017 totaled $13,820.46.

Other clean-up efforts were contracted out for cleaning up under bridges, drop box hauling, advanced environmental hauling, resulting in a total 2017 amount spent for encampment cleanup expenses of $102,991.04.

Councilmember Bateman expressed interest in using capital funds as long as there is a clear plan that includes transitioning a temporary shelter to long-term supportive housing.

She stated that she doesn’t want to touch general fund reserves because those are for emergencies, however, the homelessness crisis is an emergency, so use of those funds in that capacity seemed appropriate.

Councilmember Parshley wants to see a defined repayment plan if reserves are used.

Parshley also sought clarification on whether she needed to recuse herself because she has a veterinary business near the proposed homeless encampment on Union Avenue. She was told by city legal counsel that she can participate in the discussion but can recuse herself when it comes time to a final vote on the issue.

In his support for using funds from the new Home Fund sales tax for permanent supportive housing, Cooper said, “I really, truly believe that conditions on the ground have changed since we asked the voters to approve the Home Fund. They were changing in that time and we couldn’t articulate it as clearly as we can today.”

“Where we’re going to get the money from is premature if we don’t know how much it’s going to cost…. What we don’t want to do is provide for a plan for homeless encampments and not achieve the objectives we set out to achieve. We want to make sure…we’re on the right track,” said Bateman.

Bateman and Parshley questioned the site review, design and engineering costs for the two sites.

Cooper suggested putting two social service providers and a one or two people who are homeless on the city’s formal design team for operations and maintenance.

Staff appeared to agree, with city manager Steve Hall saying, “Nothing has been figured out.” 

That includes how it is determined who gets to stay in the encampments, which the city is calling “The Villages.” 

Bateman urged that the standard vulnerability index be used, as it is required for federal funding and considered a “best practice.”

Cooper said he understood that, but also believes in “best or better practices,” and wants to also look at other criteria for admission.

The full council will hold another study session on funding options to address the homelessness crisis on Tuesday, August 21, 5:30 p.m., Olympia City Hall.

Emergency Reserves

Debbie Sullivan, city administrative services director, told Little Hollywood this week that the city must keep a minimum of 10 percent of its general operating revenue in reserves.

The city currently has $7.8 million in its reserves, she said.

Reserves are important to financial advisers and determine the city’s credit rating, which affects its ability and cost to borrow money. If emergency reserves are used, they must be paid back with 2.3 percent interest.

“We are very, very, cautious about using our emergency reserves. If an emergency is declared, such as in the event of an earthquake, we have to access those reserves,” Sullivan said.

Little Hollywood often writes about homelessness issues, and unsheltered, street dependent individuals. For more information about these issues, the Home Fund, and the city’s recent purchase of property for housing the homeless, go to Little Hollywood  at www.janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com and use the search button to type in keywords.

New Olympia Councilmember: Veterinarian Lisa Parshley

Above: Dr. Lisa Parshley, at her veterinarian clinic in Olympia, won election to the Olympia city council last November. Parshley says the environment, homelessness, and living wage issues are all tied together. “The major message I heard while campaigning was to think outside the box….”

With hometown roots, her clinic is in Kurt Cobain's Lucky 7 House 

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

Both the massive Women’s March and the March for Science last year mobilized and energized individuals and entire communities to take action on a whole host of issues. 

Highlighting the need for more critical thinking skills and science in policy making, many scientists were inspired to run for public office. Last November, Olympia city voters elected both a scientist and a woman in one person: Dr. Lisa Parshley. 

Parshley handily won her election for Position 5 against candidate Allen Miller with 62.28 percent of the vote.

A veterinarian specializing in oncology, the field of medicine that is devoted to cancer, Parshley, 55, says her training will help her as a city councilmember to look long range while paying attention to today’s risks and threats. 

Receiving her Ph.D. in biochemistry, Parshley employs 40 fulltime and parttime employees on Olympia’s eastside. Her husband, Tim, is also a veterinarian.

The design of her clinic, a “fear free” veterinary practice, is a new concept in veterinary medicine. For Parshley, operating a “fear free” clinic means reducing fear during a consultation for both the animal and family members.  

Her examination rooms look and feel like mini living rooms. Each contains a brown colored, pleather chair and couch set, an end table with a lamp that casts a cozy glow and a box of tissues that undoubtedly comes in handy.

During an interview in one of these rooms with Little Hollywood, Parshley says her scientific training and style toward veterinary medicine will play a big role in how she approaches her council position, priorities, and the issues.

“In the last five to ten years we’ve been looking at ourselves as veterinarians very closely, saying there are some things we can do to reduce fear. The metal table and all the paraphernalia sets them on edge, inducing fear from the beginning. Our behavior changes also – similar to taking your child into a doctor’s office. These exam rooms are meant to try and take that fear away,” says Parshley.

She says this low key setting enables her to take her time through an examination, allowing her to get to know the animal and have a conversation with the family, who is often stressed and upset with their pet’s condition. 

“If I have a conversation with the family, I move slower through my exam with the animal and the family relaxes. When the family relaxes, the animal relaxes, and it tends to be a better relationship all the way through,” said Parshley.

She is working toward obtaining the first Washington State veterinary certification in 2018 for a fear free practice.

Providing Little Hollywood a tour of the facility, which is part old house and part new construction, the clinical area revealed all the equipment and supplies one usually sees in a veterinary office. Walking in, at least eight staff members were actively working on several animals needing care.

The basement of the house portion of the clinic was just as exciting.

According to local law enforcement, the house was part of the underground rock scene in its heyday. Kurt Cobain reportedly had his first concert in the basement of the Lucky 7 House, which is located behind the Lucky 7 convenience store on Fourth Street, kitty corner from the Olympia Fire Department station. 

Parshley is maintaining that portion of the basement as-is, however, much of the history was destroyed when Parshley discovered, to her horror, that carpenters had torn down all the old posters, thinking they were going to sheetrock the area. 

Above: The Lucky 7 “stage” where Kurt Cobain reportedly held his first concert in Olympia. The area is in the basement of the house portion of Councilmember Lisa Parshley’s veterinary clinic in Olympia.

Growing up in Portland where her mother was a school teacher, Parshley lived in Olympia during the summers in Boston Harbor.

Parshley earned her Ph.D. in biochemistry from Oregon Health & Science University, her veterinarian degree from Colorado State University and practiced in Michigan, Houston, Texas, and Los Angeles, California. 

She says she appreciated those stints because they gave her real life experiences in addition to her academic career, providing her the knack for balancing the financial needs of the human family and the needs of their family member who is facing a medical crisis.

After receiving her professional credentials, she returned to Olympia about eight years ago. Her hobbies include woodworking and restoring a 50 year old sailboat.

While she has been active in veterinary politics at the state and national level and has testified before the Washington State Legislature on veterinary issues, it was when Donald Trump won the presidential election that she knew she had to get more involved.

She had also learned a lot about the sometimes frustrating city permitting process and city ordinances in order to build her clinic. 

She was encouraged by Washington State Representative Kathy Haigh (D-35) of Shelton, also a veterinarian, to run for a position that she said would “put the fire in you” because there would be many challenging days.  

“You’ll make people happy and angry, and you have to know you’re in the right place to get you through those times,” Haigh advised her.

Parshley says she is very passionate about the environment and the climate and will work for better relations with the Port of Olympia. Speaking about the need to make plans for sea level rise, she also says she wants to reevaluate the recently completed Downtown Strategy.

The city of Olympia is coordinating sea level rise planning with the Port of Olympia and the LOTT Cleanwater Alliance.

“Rich Hoey, [City of Olympia public works director], needs support from the council – we can’t wait for some other council. I’d like to reevaluate the Downtown Strategy in terms of the current figures for sea level rise. Our climate action plan numbers used old numbers, but the seas are rising at a faster rate…we need to review it with current science. I’m not saying don’t build downtown, because we have a serious housing shortage, but I want to make sure it’s smart and based on science. I like building downtown, but on another level, some data is showing that we could have as many as one hundred king tides a year, as early as 2030.

“King tides don’t mean we’ll flood, but it means we’ll have 100 chances of flooding, so if that data is real, that’s scary to me if we’re not at least asking to put buildings up three or four feet or coming up with ways to deal with this. That means the city and the port - and the people - are going to pay for this. I just want to make sure it’s smart and we have taken into account all the new numbers. We can tap into the state climate action plan experts - we don’t have to do it all ourselves or hire expensive consultants.”

Parsley says she will also be asking questions and not just accepting staff reports at face value.

“I can’t stand it when someone tells me we can’t do something because ‘that’s not how we do it.’ That will lead me to ask, ‘Why are we doing it that way?’ That’s the scientist in me – I will question those things. Tell me why, and then I’ll ask, ‘How do we get around that?’ or, I’ll better understand why that’s how we do it.”

Parshley says she’ll also focus on homelessness issues. Meeting people where they are taught Parshley a lot about the community.

“What I learned in the journey of running for public office has taught me that these are people, first and foremost, that we have put stigmas on that aren’t fair. If you’ve ever had a point in your life that you couldn’t make the rent, much less pay for food, you know how close that is. A very serious illness in our family can put us close to that point…. All of us are vulnerable to this. I came out of this campaign feeling hopeful that the community knows this. 

“The major message I heard while campaigning was to think outside the box – we have to be compassionate. I think, in large part, the reason Renata [Rollins] and I were elected is because the city has to be the leader. We can’t put this off to another jurisdiction. We have to also find legal housing for the houseless, but it won’t be a one-size-fits-all solution. The cities that are successful in addressing homelessness are the ones that have a coalition of people sitting at a table that includes small businesses, different political spectrums, and those who are unhoused. Unless you have that whole group together, any solution is not going to be successful. We have to help stop people from getting on the streets.”

Above: Dr. Lisa Parshley, left, and Renata Rollins after they were sworn in as new Olympia city councilmembers on December 28, 2017. Parshley says she will look to Rollins for guidance on homelessness issues. Rollins is a social worker and community advocate with experience working on homelessness and downtown safety issues.

Speaking about planning for growth and a variety of living options, Parshley referred to the Home Fund, which will be on the ballot for a special election in February 2018. With a one-tenth of one percent sales tax increase, the Home Fund proposes to build and maintain at least 350 affordable homes over ten years.

“The Home Fund part of the puzzle - it’s a good start. I’m proud of the city for starting this,” she says.

She says she’ll also work for a minimum wage bill, ordinance or initiative which is going to provide adequate living wages with progressive and economic values.

“We have to redirect how we think about our town - it’s a living organism. The work of city staff is phenomenal but what I heard most at the door, repeatedly, was that people want us to look at how we do business as a government including examining voter oversight, how the council interacts with people, and how to better utilize our city advisory committees. I think we need an audit of that.

“I want to look at how we govern with the Port, the Tribes, and electronic advancements that support an open planning process for design review, budget and land use,” she said.

Parshley says likes the idea of Portland, Oregon’s model of holding quarterly town halls on Saturday afternoons around the city. She heard over and over again how people said they wanted to go to meetings but couldn’t because they were working or needing to be with their children.

“You may not get a large turnout but you hear from different people.”

The Olympia City Council’s first council meeting of the year is Tuesday, January 9, 7:00 p.m., at Olympia City Hall, 601 Fourth Avenue. Its council retreat will be January 12 – 13, where members will get to know each other, discuss priorities and divvy up committee assignments. That meeting will be held at the LOTT Cleanwater Alliance, 500 Adams Street, and is open to the public.

Above: Olympia city councilmember Dr. Lisa Parshley checks on her patients.

Thurston County Swearing-In Ceremony: Hugs, Handshakes and Smiles

Above: Newly sworn-in City of Olympia councilmember Renata Rollins, left, and her partner, Walker Lynn, were all smiles after a ceremony Thursday afternoon for Thurston County's November election winners. Rollins is a social worker and community advocate with experience working on homelessness and downtown safety issues.

By Janine Gates

Little Hollywood

https://janineslittlehollywood.blogspot.com

It was all hugs, handshakes and smiles at a swearing-in ceremony Thursday afternoon for Thurston County's November election winners. 

The event, held at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia, was open to the public.

Thurston County Auditor Mary Hall administered the oaths of office for Thurston County treasurer, port commissioners, city and town councilmembers, school board directors, fire commissioners and more. Guest speakers included U.S. Congressman Denny Heck (D-10) and Washington State Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler.

According to the final tally, the number of registered voters in Thurston County was 176,312 and the total ballots counted were 60,478 for a voter turnout of just 34.3 percent.

The newly elected officials, many of whom had never run for public office before, worked hard for their positions, and now have a whole host of pressing issues to address.

Above: Phoenix Wendt speaks with Lacey city councilmembers Cynthia Pratt and Carolyn Cox. Pratt ran unopposed for reelection and Cox won her election against Ken Balsley with 54.87 percent of the vote.

Houseless issue advocate Phoenix Wendt eagerly worked the room, speaking with new Olympia, Lacey and Tumwater city councilmembers. Wendt, a resident of The Jungle of Hope, Olympia's largest homeless encampment, said she will be looking to the cities of Tumwater and Lacey for help in finding solutions for the region's houseless residents.

For the City of Olympia, new councilmembers Lisa Parshley and Renata Rollins, along with Councilmembers Clark Gilman and Jim Cooper who each won their races, will likely change city conversations and priorities. All their wins were by significant margins.

Renata Rollins won her election for Position 6 against incumbent Jeannine Roe with 53.8 percent of the vote. 

Rollins, a social worker and community advocate with experience working on homelessness and downtown safety issues, says her priorities will be to protect and expand affordable housing, take climate change seriously, stand up for equality and stand up to hate groups.

Lisa Parshley won her election for Position 5 against candidate Allen Miller with 62.28 percent of the vote. The seat was open because Councilmember Julie Hankins chose not to run for reelection.

Parshley is a veterinarian specializing in oncology. She says the environment, homelessness, and living wage issues are tied together and are her priorities.

As for the Port of Olympia, the budget, cargo contracts and related decisions are expected to remain the same with the reelection of Port of Olympia Commissioner Bill McGregor.

Port of Olympia Commissioner Bill McGregor narrowly won reelection to his District 2 seat with 50.74 percent of the vote against candidate Bill Fishburn, for a final difference of 802 votes.

Above: After the swearing-in ceremony, the newly elected officials gathered on the stage at the Kenneth J. Minnaert Center for the Arts at South Puget Sound Community College in Olympia.