Transcript: Part 3 Tahoe City Council Emg Meeting March 25 re rentals and Covid-19

(The Covid-19 Transcripts) 

Part One Public Comments is here
Part Two is transcribed here  
Part Four is here

This transcript starts at 1:03:15 into video 

Mayor:  Any questions? 

Middlebrook:   the direction you're looking for from city council is an agreement with the coalition or whatever we decide today is it, how much wiggle room can we give you in terms of hours and spacing and decontamination plans once this is over with?

Stroud;  The direction from staff on this one is as to what council wants in an agreement and I hope we can come up with a simple agreement quickly and get that in place and executed.

Middlebrook:  Is the coalition able to talk about [INAUDIBLE] for the city? 

Stroud; I would include something along those lines in this agreement.

Mayor Collin:  I guess the question to the council, prior to this coming up, I had been in discussions with Barton Health and the school district re a large space available for cohabitation and quarantine of people if we do have a big spike in the number of people that test positive. In other countries when they've been able to suppress Covid-19, that's what they've done and that's what the research is showing is really the way to isaolate it and then to reduce where we're not exposing more people than

I know Barton is very interested in them, we don’t know if we will get to that point.  Barton feels that it's an important piece to have in our cue and Dr.  is open to using the middle school or high school if we need it as well, so for me, just looking at the immediate thing we need to do is help out the homeless population.  I think we need flexibility on the term and just agility that if this does spike and get out of control, that we need to be able to have facilities that are available for the greater good of the community.  Again if we do get to that point, I don't know if we will do that in this country, because it's a lot more difficult to mandate things like that.  But we do know that that's been successful in other countries.  So we actually have partners with the school district that are in favor of that, in having those gyms available if necessary.  That's okay, I just want to get other councilmembers' thoughts as well.  I think agility is going to be extremely important for the community at large.  Anyone?

Tamara Wallace;  I'm in agreement with everything you just said. [OVERLAPPING CONVERSATION]

Cody Bass;  I'm sorry but I do agree just I want to put thought to it because again, if there are people that really need to have twenty four hour care, can we not find a property that has fifteen rooms that they can be served at but we can have isolation happening instead of a major auditorium.  My other thought is I want to absolutely find a solution for the homeless here without a doubt.  The other thought is opening the rec center as soon as possible and not have a thirty to sixty day wait because if we have a wet spring- it's something that people will want to have access to.  I just want to put as much thought possible forward and I think we should be able to find a fifteen bed motel that wants to make income during this time that we could work with and we could also find other motels for people that are not under twenty four hour care.

Devin Middlebrook:  I was just going to make the point that maintaining flexibility is key.  To Cody's point about the days being lost, I like the idea of putting it in increments but also the ability to have flexilibty and if Barton becomes a larger priority or we become overwhelmed, to be able to act quickly.  I think for the purposes of today's meeting, I think directing staff towards working with the homeless coalition, they are looking at all the other possibilities.  There are different avenues being explored.  In next week if we find a better location, do it, but let's not put this on pause.

Bass:  I completely agree.

Mayor Collin:  My last thing is the ability- I think it's really important- if we hit that critical point in you community, it's important that we not be locked in for 30 or 60 days because if the health care system is being overwhelmed, we could use the high school gyms, there are other places.  But if we get to the point where we need the rec center, I'd want to be able to pivot and take action quickly. I know the goal is to keep people out of the emergency room at Barton.  We want to minimize exposure there.  We're in agreement to work with coalition for homeless and speed up with flexibility the rec center.

Brooke Laine:  I was going to put forward a motion, so Middlebrook first.

Middlebrook: I was going to ask if we could add on to engage Barton in discussions of what facilities they need and adding that flexibility

Collin:  Those are already in motion.  I don't think we have to add it to the motion.

Bass:  My thing would be to work with the Tahoe Coalition, approaching motels for these purposes so in partnership with us and I don't know if- right now talking about whether we're willing to backup the funding, because that will make hotel owners more compelled.

Collin:  the coalition has the funding, they can cover- that's not the issue.

As our city manager approaches them, to make it more compelling to the owners of the properties.

Collin:  I agree, I don't think it's necessary to bring financial backing at this point.

Kilger;  I need to raise this point.  Keeping our community safe is highest priority but we need to be prudent really financial commitments, as our city is experiencing, so is the city with drop in sales tax and TOT.  We will have to address that in meeting coming up in April.  Obviously not saying we can't but need to understand ramifications of any commitments we make.

Collin:  Thank you and to Mr. Bass, they have funds for continuous care and to get people through the end of funding and with the state of California putting a hundred million dollars towards, a chunk of that will come through El Dorado County. So additional funds will be realized soon. 

Bass; I get that and I understand that but I don't know if all property owners get that when they see the city as a partner, they understand that we do have the money, I think that would make a big difference, that's the point I want to address.

Collin:  I think there is an  emphasis for the city to help out in this situation, and find a better option if there is one for everybody.  Now Miss Laine?

Laine: I move to direct staff to meet with the homeless coalition to discuss terms and what the council discussed today. To draft a use permit and authorize the city attorney to execute the agreement.  [TWO SECONDS]

Vote:  passed unanimously. 

01:25;00

Watch Video here: https://slt.granicus.com/MediaPlayer.php?view_id=6&clip_id=1086
Part One Transcript: https://cityofangels25.blogspot.com/2020/03/transcript-slt-city-council-emergency.html
Part two Transcript https://cityofangels25.blogspot.com/2020/03/transcript-pt-2-city-council-emergency.html
To Be continued, there is still one more hour.
*
NOTE:  The clips I transcribe for this project contain information that I don't think is available in print anywhere else. Please show your appreciation by clicking some cash into my PayPal account through button at top of left hand column.)

-ke
Posted by Kay Ebeling
Producer, City of Angels Blog
the city of angels is everywhere