Good morning everybody. Um going to call this meeting to order at um 10:02 a.m. Seeing is being recorded by the community relations committee. If any other persons present are doing the
same, you must notify the chair person at this time. First we'll do a roll call of members and guest will introduce themselves. So, councelor Sarah Brown present. Christy Allen >> absent.
So, Larry Thomas absent. You can't come this morning. Reese McGovern >> present. >> Robin Green. Pamela Goodwin >> here. Zoe Smith
um not here yet. Um, so that we still have a quorum, so that's great. And then if guests want to introduce themselves, um, you can go around particularly. >> I'm Pamela McBride with the Greenfield Public Library.
>> Um, I'm Admiral Kohl's with the Threeount COC. I'm Vega with the 3ount COC as well. >> Pocky Wheelen with the U Greenfield Human Rights Commission. >> Thank you. Great.
Um, and first we have approval of minutes from July 10th and July 31st. Um, is there a motion to >> I I have some amendments. >> Oh, great. So, first we'll um >> Do you first want to >> make a motion? >> Okay. I I move that we look at the
minutes, please. >> Seconded, please. >> Um, so mine are going to be kind of vague because we couldn't go all the way through. Um, I know that when we're listed who's present,
um, I'm not a counselor and so I would like it to say members. Zoe is also not a counselor. So I can't remember whether it was the July 10th or the July 31st. It says people present and it says counselors. So I would just
recommend that that get changed to members since you're the only counselor. And then um I have a correction for how to spell um Officer Jake's last name. >> Would you like me to spell it out or
Okay. It's um this is from his email and I've spoken with him many times. So his last name is spelled M A C L E A Y. And if anybody wants an email for him, I guess they can like check in with you
Sarah as the chair. Okay. Unless you want me to say what it is he gave it to. >> Oh, okay. Um, that seems good. And then one more amendment to add is that it's Emma Poles with an S at the end, right? >> Yes. >> Okay. So, those I think are the amendments. Any other amendments?
Um, okay. Motion to approve the minutes with those amendments. Second. >> Great. Um, all in favor? And that So, that passes. Now, I should approve the main motion. I think I might. So all in favor of approving the
main motion of approving the minutes public comment. All we have is councelor Perry if you'd like to say anything on public comment >> just how great of a job you guys are doing. I really appreciate all the effort, all the work and all the time that people are putting into this topic.
It's uh it's very encouraging to hear other work that you're you guys are doing. So, thank you very much for that. >> Thank you. What a lovely public comment to start off with. >> Keep it coming. So,
um great. So, now let's get into some announcements and just hearing from our guest. Um, basically any type of updates are good, but if you want to start off maybe with the summer point in time count that you guess. >> Yeah. Um, for Greenfield, what was
counted were 20 individuals experiencing homelessness um that completed the surveys. This number might most likely is not encompassed all of them, but those are who were surveyed. Um, overall in Franklin County, there were 23 that were
counted. So the majority being in green fields. Do you have anything else to add that's important to know? Um not about the point in time count but anything about the
So the state put out a request for information I think two weeks ago um to inform the money they're going to make available for winter bed needs and other things for the unsheltered in the winter months. Um,
and they are asking both providers and municipalities to respond in the response that they're due tomorrow. And City of Greenfield is planning on responding. Um, and I sent an email saying that this group had done a survey that has some qualitative data if
they're interested. Um, I've also reached out to some outreach providers to get an idea of how many unsheltered people they're seeing. and Larry's away this week, but I did connect with someone from Elliot. Um, and she said
that they're seeing like 200 people unsheltered in Greenfield. Um, I'm going to get some more information from her because that seems incredibly high, but if that is the case, like that is really
important to know and just shows how much of like an undercount our pit count is. An important step, but yeah. Yes sir. Okay. Um sorry I don't mean to raise my hand. Um 20 sounds reasonable based on people who are like in
encampments based on my observation with some police officers. But that was one of the things Larry had said was difficult was he is not able to get into the campsites. So my question was
who who else was helping him since it was something state required and since you know I just thought he was um struggling with it >> and um and it's not just that but he you know needed a bit of a break as
>> so um we know there's trans transitory people they're coming from Orange they're coming from Springfield to Northampton to on up here and I'm talking to a lot of them downtown Greenfield. Um they like the community
that they're with, you know, um speaking with some people are not on house. They just come in and kind of hang with them. That man from Monagu who's housed >> and he was picking up trash kind of like I do. So that's why I think the 20 is
very deceptive. And they're here. I interviewed someone who's living on a mountain somewhere by himself, you know, and doesn't want to be in with the camps, two locations and so forth. So, >> and I do know we're getting ready to
look at what's happening this winter because it's August and it's late August practically. >> Um, so I don't know how to get an accurate count on that either. It's the first time, I believe, that you've had a summer request, right? It's usually a winter. Yes, we did a summer count two
years ago. Um, but we're not required to do it. It's something we choose to do. And the point about the capacity in Greenfield and how it has been Larry primarily and how that is a problem. Um, it's a very good point. I know CHD has a new outreach worker who is in Franklin
County. Um, so hopefully that individual can start to help more. Um, but yeah. And what was the date? There was one specific date was to happen. Do you remember? Because I don't have it. >> July 20th. >> July 20th is when we were supposed to
figure out who was sleeping where. Only on that day. >> Throughout that week asking about that night. Yeah. >> Okay. So, it's one particular night, but you have a week or so to >> Yeah. Where did you sleep on? >> Because I remember that's what he said. He said, "I can't track these people
down to do the paperwork even if he found them downtown, you know." So yeah, I think he needs a lot of assistance with that and I do not think it should fall on that. >> I agree 100%. >> I was just going to say in regards to
the numbers there have been at least two times well for me and that I have been downstairs in the periodical lounge where the community surveys are and I've met someone who I know is unhoused and said, you know, have you filled out this
survey? And I've gotten the brush off. So I think that's another another point is that people don't necessarily want to be identified. >> The pit count survey is um anonymous. >> Yes. I I was actually talking about the
community survey which is also anonymous. Yeah. >> Which we're posting at the at the library. Um, so but so I wasn't specifically but I was just talking about the pit count >> and we had actually waited to distribute these surveys because we didn't want to
have overlapping collection time with the pit count survey because I don't want people to think that they've done one and not do the other, you know. >> Um, yeah, those are still coming in. Um, we're still getting them through interviews. We're getting a few through the library. So they're they're getting
collected um slowly but surely. I wanted to ask um I haven't respond I saw the email that you sent. I haven't responded to it yet because I wanted to get a little more clarity on what kind of information the state is looking for because I definitely have information
that I can share with them from the community surveys, but I don't I want to like pick the stuff that's most relevant to their ask. So, if they're asking about beds, I'm going to give them a different set of pieces of information than if they're asking about like what
are things that people wish were available when they walk into a shelter, right? Um so, can you talk a little bit about what that ask actually is? >> Yeah. So, um I think there was like six or seven bullet points that they want um municipalities and providers to respond
to and one of them is like what are the other needs of the unsheltered in your community? And so like that is a very broad question obviously. Um but I know that on your survey I think that was one of your questions like what else do you need? Um
>> so just like beyond just a shelter bed like what do you want at the shelter? What do you need outside of a shelter? You could really take it in any direction, I think. >> Okay, then I can I can respond to that later today with some some information. >> And can I just remind people we don't
even have a shelter. We have a warming center that we will be using again, Salvation Army. I just uh talked to Amy Kaen recently and um one need that she and I talked about that I know of is there's no no
breakfast on Sunday morning. So when they get up taking all their belongings, leaving there's no place to go and eat unless they have money or can you know go to Wendy's or if they have snacks somewhere. So um that's one one thing I
I I do remember thinking about. And so it's just remembering that they're on the floor in a warming center staying warm, hopefully can have a shower, they're using facilities, plugging their phones in, and until the Well Street
opens and that 34 other beds and the others, you know, um, you know, they're very limited. Can >> I ask, sorry, silly question. Is one arch place not a shelter?
>> It's my understanding that they can go there um for some meals at cso. >> Okay. >> Um and so I think people are maybe there. I believe they can even shower there because when we first said where are these people, they moved some into
the Arch Street place. I think they can shower there. I believe they also can do laundry there because that was a they're not allowed in the laundromats in town. That's nowhere where even though the one on federal they're open at 600, but they really don't want the homeless there.
That's what we're finding. They don't want unhoused people anywhere. >> So there there are beds at one arch place. >> Yes, I believe so. >> I think the issue is they can't add any additional beds because of the cap space capacity. Um, and so they can't add any
like emergency beds this winter. >> Understood. Thank you. >> But they do they are open like their community space I think is like 8:30 to 4:30 every day. People can go shower, do laundry, just hang out. >> Gotcha. >> I don't know about rules of like >> what behavior is not allowed and if you
do this you can't ever come back, that kind of thing. But I know that they are open. >> And I don't know what the um what the requirements are for securing a bed there. Like I'm not sure if it's specific population. >> I just misunderstood because I heard we
don't have a shelter, but I think I that >> it's a capacity >> shelter with available beds. >> Gotcha. That makes sense. >> Yep. They're loaded up. I understand. >> I'm on board. Thank you. >> Um thank you. Anything else that you all
have been working on that feels I mean of course lots of things you're working on. Thank you. Um I can't think of any but I mean one thing I can I can um share after the
meeting the details for but um I am going to be hosting on an ongoing basis um trainings for those that would like to become coordinated entry assessors, those that are working with the homeless um that would like to complete assessments to have them connected to
the three county COC's resources and I can send the registration information. I'm doing one today, which is a little too soon, but then I'll be doing it on the third Thursday of every month. >> And And where do you do that? >> Um, it's a paper assessment, but the
training itself is over Zoom so that it's accessible to folks. >> So, how do we find out what the seven or six bullet points are once you >> on the our meeting are >> Yeah. that the state is looking for. For
example, I think Reese is gonna meet with you guys, right? >> No, I was >> the email was sent. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Um I think in the email the PDF was included and if not, I can just send it. It's like a fivepage thing. >> Did that go to Tam? Do you know?
>> Well, it didn't go it didn't go to the unhoused committee. It just went to Reese. >> Okay. I guess I'm requesting that it come to the committee because I also would like to know since I'm a volunteer over at the warming center. Sure. >> Like I want to know what it is the state is thinking of doing. So the money makes
a huge difference. >> We don't get the money. We got to figure out other than Amy Clark from Interfaith Council and whatever it's given to Wildflower Alliance. Now that's if that can come to all of us. I think that would be great.
>> Yeah. I didn't do that. >> Okay. Excellent. And you sent the survey already. Well, I'll get into it later. Yeah. Um, okay. So, some other announcements.
These are quick. Um, these are both announcements from Springfield. No one leaves that there's an eviction ceiling clinic. Date and time and location has been chosen. September 29th, 5:30 p.m. at the Brook House in Turner Falls. So,
if you know people who have been evicted and would like to seal their records, then they can get support in this session. Um, what's that date again? >> September 29th, 5:30 p.m. at the brick house.
And then also, there's um the kickoff of the rent control campaign to get on the 2026 ballot. Um, so there's going to be a 10-week signature drive starting in September.
Um, and you can't get more than 20,000 signatures from every county. So, we can't just like rely on Boston area to carry this. So, um, trying to have folks up and down Franklin County and, um, the
River Valley doing this as well. And so there's a kickoff with Springfield Nolan Leads for um August 27th at 6 PM. And that >> I just say you do have to register because I just registered. >> Yeah. >> So you know you can't figure out how to
use this fit me stuff which I hate. I already >> got it from somebody and you just sign up and say boom. Then they immediately sent me the link. Awesome. >> Because I think that's really important for everybody. And even if you can't make it, still sign up because if you
want to be involved at all, then you'll get updates that way. Um, so that's something going on that is important. And then something else, another Zoom, same day, criminalizing people who are unhoused. Um, getting some updates on
like federal legislation from the National Homelessness Law Center and the um, Massachusetts Coalition for the Homeless. And that's same day, August 27th at noon. So, these are all in the C in the agenda. Um, those are my announcements. Anyone
have other I also have two more actually. Sorry. But if anyone else wants to pepper an announcement first, um, we're going to do a pickup this weekend. >> Yes, that's later on the agenda. >> Oh, okay. >> Yes. Thank you.
>> Yeah. >> Um, the other announcement that I will Um, one is that Pittsfield is criminalizing homelessness. If folks have seen any of the news coming from that, >> Pittsfield is
>> Yes, they are having a lot of problems right now. Yeah, feel do you I I just like read a little article, but if you know anything else. Um >> I don't know too much, but we cover the Birkshars and in one of our meetings yesterday, one of our board members, she
was saying that she feels like the housing providers and like homelessness side of things aren't in the conversation well enough like countering the negative narratives um and stereotypes. And so we are thinking of like how can we address that? But I just
know that there's a lot of like tension in Pittsfield right now and people think that people are getting busted in from like out of state and other places in the state and like blah blah blah just all the the typical things that people say. >> And then can I just add to that because
even in Greenfield I have at people friends of mine I'm not safe downtown. I'm not going there. I'm not going to go into town. I can't bring my children in and possibly the language is the issue, you know, like I know little kids still don't need to be listening to some of
that. So, but I certainly am downtown all the time and I don't feel like I'm in danger. Um, and if we go back to what Wissy had said about building a community alongside of them and having group activities, I have yet to see
anybody unhoused participate in the Friday night thing down here with people of all ages. Um, but maybe this week and we're distributing flyers. It's all over. There's only two more Friday night free things on the common. Maybe, you know, that's community activity where I
wish that we could just somehow knit people together. Um, but I am hearing that from from other people who are just pretty disgusted. And I to be honest, I just say you're one huge health event away from also becoming unhoused. I try
to be very delicate because these are people that I know and associate with which I find it kind of shocking. But we know that they've they've criminalized it in Boston, Fall River, um I want to say Bel Ra of Worcester and Brockton.
>> Yeah. I mean this is >> going on across the state. You you will not find an unhoused person on Boston Common anymore. They boot them out and they don't care where they go. >> Yeah. And we have by the way had the chief sit here and say he has never
arrested anybody for for you know so we don't feel that way or we wouldn't be but it is something to combat. Obviously we are saying that uh Pittsfield is the first city in our threecount region that's
trying to criminalize but they're not going to be the last. We all know that. So, positive news. Worcester is working on like a tiny home village. >> Oh, yay. Can I clap? >> Worcester is doing a tiny home village.
>> Yeah, I like honestly I just skimmed this article, but I can send it out to to the >> I would love to see that. >> Yeah, >> I have friends in Worcester and I know what Worcester can be like. >> Nice to have a more local example, too. >> Exactly. >> Yeah, that's great. um
>> as opposed to Portland, Oregon, >> right? Um any other announcements and then otherwise maybe we could just hear from you and you about human rights commission and library things. Go >> ahead. >> Well, basically we I'm here to find out what you're doing.
>> Okay. >> To back to to us and you know to let them know about things like the the cleanup on Saturday. But uh because you know I one of the things we tr we chose we've chosen two things as a focus of homelessness and um singlepayer health
care >> because health care is a human right and you know it's all across the Commonwealth people are paying up to 40% more for health insurance than they did last year or you know so and it's just
outrageous. So that but um so that's just a little plug for that. But basically we just want to know what you're doing so we we don't try to reinvent the wheel. So I'm basically the between you and and
our commission. Thank you. >> Feel free to talk about library now or if we go into survey and then whatever however well I have to leave about 11:15. And I have no idea what time it is. >> What about talking about survey first if that? >> Yeah, let's do that. There's no
objections. Let's do that. >> Okay. >> Um, so we've gotten now uh 15 responses, which according to the point in time count is an excellent number. Um, >> what's the percentage of it? >> Yay.
>> Um, yeah. And I'm sure that this is just the tip of the iceberg, but it's nice to know that we are capturing like a good portion of folks who were captured by the point in time count. Um, uh, I'm just going to sort of give a summary of highlights from the surveys
that we have so far, I will a little bit later once we've gotten a few more respondents start um creating like a a a more formal summary that will go with our recommendations to the city. But for now, this is just um for us and for
general information. Uh the age range of respondents that we have right now is 22 to 77. Um so that is both horrifying and great. Horrifying because no 22-year-old should ever be homeless. Nobody should be homeless, but especially, you know,
77y old should be homeless, right? And that's a very wide age range. Um and we have representation through the decades between those two numbers. um uh 50% of the people who responded to
the survey have been unhoused for one year or more. Um so a lot of the folks who are responding to the survey, this is a a a chronic situation for them. Um the the most common service that
people are reporting having is SNAP is food stamps. um which is notable because SNAP is going to be pretty severely restricted moving forward. So, one of the most common things that people are saying is helpful for them and that they have access to is potentially becoming
less accessible. Um, everyone who of the folks who responded to the question about like what would you like your housing situation to look like? Um, the majority of them want a private space. the majority of them want
a small space and the majority of them use the word stable um to describe the housing that they want. Nobody has responded yet and said I would like to continue living outside. Um
>> Oh yeah. uh the barriers that people are reporting to accessing services and accessing housing um just across the board. The three most common were answers were transportation um weight
lists and being in limbo. So being in this like place where they don't have a mailing address, they don't necessarily have a consistent phone and and then that affecting their ability to access anything. Um, everyone who has responded to the question about how is Greenfield doing
supporting unhoused people on a sevenpoint scale gave it a four or below. So, nobody is happy. Some people are feeling like eh could be worse, it could be better. And most people are reporting
a one or a two. Um, or what can Greenfield do better? Jobs and housing. unsurprised. But those are the the repeated answers over and over again of people saying we need more jobs. We need more housing. Um some people got a little more specific
and said we need more senior housing. We need more housing that doesn't require you to be clean and sober. We need housing that doesn't require you to have a clean crim criminal record. Like but jobs and housing are the two big topics. And then I wrote down um a few quotes
that I thought I would would be nice to share from like what would you what else would you like us to know about your experience? Um somebody said I want people to know that I'm not dangerous. Someone said I want to do well and recover my life. And someone else said I
would like activities that let me be with the house where I feel welcome and loved. And of the 12 people that I or 15 people I guess now that we have um three people have left left us direct contact information and I'm not following up on
any of those yet but we do have contact information for a few people who are interested in talking to us more to that. That's a great report. Thank you so much. I think it's super helpful. It is um you know pull it pulls your heart out when you read these things and I have
done only six myself but then I did read four that came from the library. Um I will add that one person said for one room to sleep in they wanted $1,200
you had to you have no toilet. You had to share a bathroom share a kitchen. Uh but they also were requiring $3,000 for first, last, and security. This particular person said, "I thought that
was illegal." Well, technically, if you got a private landlord and he's offering you this place to sleep and you've got cuz I even asked, "Was it congregate living?" And uh cuz this is sometimes, you know, you do have your own toilet and your bed, but those are some of the
houses that um housing authorities can put you up down here, put you in Turners. Um this particular person said she did have raft to help her, but there's no place and she certainly didn't have the raft would have helped
her with probably the $3,000. Um, and I do know of ani individual who was very very feeling unsafe and not treated well who said he was from a service net house, refused to be there.
I've heard police people speak with him too. What happened to your housing? Um, he's now in a safe place in a hospital for now because he just kind of went missing and we were trying to figure out what happened and unless you know a last name, you can't figure out much of
anything. Um, so I know where he is. Um, and once you're used to seeing people all night long in the morning and whatever and they are nowhere and then we also realized um through Maria Burge um not
showing up for meals, I will say that they're thrilled to have all the churches feeding them and we do have some churches that are have run dry and are out of money in terms of that. And that little card over there has I think nothing on a Friday. That's an evening
meal. Um we should spread the word that the whole city is being fed this isn't it this Saturday? >> Saturday. >> The harvest the stone soup harvest thing. >> So maybe after we do some cleanup when does that what are the hours for that
harvest meal in the evening >> or Okay. >> So hopefully word will spread to them as well and I think they will be aware of it. Um, so the fact that we feed people is a plus. Um,
one guy had needed to go over to the transition office and SNAP card, but he needed to get over there, but he also has a health issue that the hospital needs to deal with. So, I really appreciate the quotes. Um,
and and that's those are the ones that I remember. And there isn't anybody happy, but we do know um that the chief of police said some of these people are not going to follow the rules. I heard over and over speaking with people, they do not want a
shelter. They're not safe in a shelter. They don't want to go where there's drugs and there's alcohol and there's possibly women being assaulted is what I kept hearing. And so they just want a safe place, the privacy that Ria is
talking about. And I can't help but think, why can't we get back to an oldfashioned boarding house situation that we used to have in the past in our history, in everybody's history, where the meals are provided or maybe no meals are. It's
almost like a B&B, but you at least have a room. You can walk your belongings in there. You're safe in your bedroom. You might be sharing a shower room, a full bathroom, um, and somebody runs it that's caring and loving. I mean, how
hard can that be? If you've got people running places, and this is maybe a rumor, but if this is one person who's filed a legit complaint that you should know about Faky, because I asked, is there a complaint that's been filed? Should be a complaint that's filed
before it ever goes anywhere else. Um and according to him he has. So um that's the tragedy I think of the situation. So sorry I talked too much I know but I I want people to understand
these surveys were difficult for them to do. I had to find them alone. I didn't they don't want to share their story with even a close friend of theirs. And so it does it's not a fast thing if you go item by item. They know it's
anonymous. They know they can skip anything. She's got several where I couldn't get an age out of anybody, but I did it in passing up walking around the street with somebody. So, thank you. And I think this is really important stuff, the survey.
>> How long is the survey open for? >> Um, is there a date? >> We don't have a date. Okay. >> I thought we said a date and said it couldn't be just endless, but then I can't find it in my notes either. We said like fall approximately. >> We we didn't set a date mostly because
we don't have a date yet that I think that when we make recommendations that will be the date, right? But we don't have a date for that yet. So for now it's it's open and as much information as we can get um we want. >> And are you getting the QR code or
pretty much just the hard copy? >> Yep. >> Some folks are filling it out online. Um >> good. Uh something also that I wanted to just sort of bring up to the committee is that we have 63 partial responses on
the web form. Um some of those I think are probably somebody opened it, clicked through and closed it. They may or may not actually be a respondent who we want to get data from. But I because I'm using essentially a a free subscription
of this website to use to to make forms um to make surveys. I can't see those responses, but at some point before we colleate the final responses and provide the recommendations to the city, I would like to figure out a way to pay for the
subscription that lets us see all the partial responses so that we can gather that data. Um, and I just wanted to sort of put that out to say like there is actually more data than we have, but we can't access all of those partial pieces of data yet because um, I don't have a
subscription. But my plan is to to find money to pay for that subscription for a month so that I can get all of that information and get as much data as possible to the city. >> You know the cost? >> Yeah, it's $89. >> 89. So it's not, you know,
uh 10 bucks, but it's also not like 500. Thank you. >> Yeah. Anything else to add on survey or like library? I don't know about storage lockers. >> Um I was just I'm just we're curious as to when if there has been any progress
with the locker situation. Um, I know I talked to the two of you last week. Um, we are, you know, as it gets colder, it becomes an issue where people they they don't have a place to put their belongings and
it's very difficult because we can't let them leave their belongings at the library and then they can go do their daily groups. Um, and we had a problem last week with a newer couple, um, who didn't
realize that we closed at 5:00 on a Thursday night and left all everything, including their phones, >> um, at the library and we we couldn't I mean, I went outside, I couldn't find them. So, luckily, we put it all on a
cart. Luckily, our custodian, our nighttime custodian was still there when they came back. So, we were able to get it to them, but it's it's an issue because you don't it's not like we're going to throw everything away, but we can't just and nobody else has access to
the build, you know, it's not an easy access to the building once we're closed. So, and we're just it's and it's also, you know, it's a public health issue. It's just it's an all-around issue. you can't that people can't store things there. Um,
so that's why I I I said that last week and I'm just I don't know if anybody knows what's going on with the lockers, but we think it's we think it's a really important issue. >> Time sensitive sounds. >> Well, timesensitive people need to have
a place to put their >> put their life in a safe place. You know, I get to leave my life at home. Um, and it's safe. Um we are you know of course we are act as a cooling and warming center you know during the summer with the heat waves. We were very
fortunate with uh the F and the fire department donated cases of water so we were able to be able to hand out cold bottles of water. Um we're looking into for the winter months especially of being able to offer hot drinks. It's a
work in progress. Um and uh we're also we have um applied for a grant to hope if we get it to be able to be that stop gap during the really cold snaps
especially on say like a Sunday afternoon so that we could be open for a few hours just the front lobby so that people could have a place to come in. We it it's we noticed it. We really I mean
we've been talking about it for a while. It's it's an issue of funding of course um and staffing. So we're work um hopefully we will find out within the next month or so, but that way we could be a little bit of a you know because on Sundays there's no place for anybody really to go unless you have money um or
you want to spend money. And then the only other thing is is that we finally we've gotten all the supplies we needed for we're going to have about 25 backpacks that we're going to fill with personal care items, things like, you know, reusable water bottles that we
will just make available for people who need it. So, we've gotten the supplies. We should have those by the middle of September available. So, I'll I'll keep you up to date. So, that's everything I've got. I want to visit the locker situation
because um that's um that should have been on the agenda like old business follow up on kind of thing. So um here's what I remember. Um Amy Kaene um and the mayor took it to HLC
asking could they convert some of this other money for this purpose. And I think they were waiting to hear back. I kind of thought Amy would be here at least remotely. It is approved. But then what was left unfinished was
like where like and you know we had some controversy going on. It's like oh not over on Art Street, not over here, not over you know is it going to be in the garage. So who would follow up on that so that we get an answer? And how do we
get an answer? We can't keep dropping it. >> I can email Amy. >> Okay. Talk to her. >> I really thought she would maybe be here remotely for a minute, but then last night was a late night. So, >> um, and do we want to offer any other
places? And I will just say this is a big mess at the warming center. People brought in their whole life. It's not to be left there in the morning when they have to leave after breakfast. And it was stashed outside.
one woman lost everything. I mean, we're talking about birth certificates if they were trying to prove and get an ID, you know, it's just thrown outside of Salvation Army for anybody to either go through. Um, and it's it's so so needed.
And we had an offer of two smaller lockers from Moldivike Dreams, like a school locker. It has to be big enough for a backpack. You can't put a tent in there, but surely >> really important thing so they're not
walking around with these huge things, >> uh, you know, on their on their back. >> Northampton has the system and they've had it in for a few years and I think it is in one of their parking garages. Am I correct? >> Yeah. >> Trying to remember. >> I think it is in the parking garage.
>> Yeah. And it was I think Mana House really spearheaded >> that. Um, so they might be a really good group to reach out to. Well, yeah. To reach out. I can imagine two really good
placements. One would be at not at the skate park, but on the other side of the parking lot of the skate park next to the parking lot that's under construction behind Wilson's. Um, because the Portland Blue is there, the skate park is there, there's charging
available. If we were to put like a little bank of lockers and a roof with a solar panel, you automatically could have a nice like charging station set up that would mirror the charging station at the skate park. Um, and it would be
extremely accessible both on foot and by vehicle. um and hard to block basic like like it wouldn't it uh act physical access to it would not be an issue in the way that it might be in some other spots like the energy park I can see
that being a nice spot but when it gets very muddy or very snowy everywhere that you might want to put it in the energy park would become a lot less accessible um so that's location one that I was thinking about location two would be inside the parking garage because the
parking garage is the place where you can park overnight. Um and so and it would be then covered, right? Um so also fairly accessible on foot and by vehicle. Um it's a little bit less central to town, the parking garage
itself. But if we're thinking about the places where people tend to walk from the dog park or from Energy Park, that would be actually fairly close sort of to the the route of people coming into town. So, if we're just thinking about
like what would make the most sense in terms of the the patterns of people movement, right, that we currently have, those two locations, I think would would be really reasonable and it would be harder for people to argue like, oh, it's an extremely public place like the
outside of the library and we can't have that happening downtown on Main Street, right? because these are both >> you have no room at the library where yeah, >> but like th those two locations I think uh it would be harder for people to put
up some kind of like uh think about it being a public space and and therefore not a place that you'd want somebody storing the film. >> Yeah, Reese, those are really great ideas. And when I attended Zoom that they were getting the funding, they were saying that they wanted this committee to help advise on locations. So I think
that yeah, >> it's a great idea. >> Yeah. >> Well, sorry that's on the agenda, but it's sort of under public resources and mapping that up. >> Um, >> can let me just ask the question. So So
those are good ideas. So how does it get from being this idea that we all think is a wonderful idea to a reality? >> Absolutely. I'd like to check in with Amy >> and >> so you're gonna give the two ideas of location to Amy and then Amy will
>> get back to you or us or something. >> Has the funding been secured? >> Okay. >> We never heard that. >> Yeah. I didn't realize. I mean that's progress since the last time that we talked about this. So I think that we're >> Well, there was a public hearing about the funding being Yeah. approved,
>> but it had to be approved by Boston. >> Yeah. So, you're saying it did get approved by HLC. >> Thank you. >> Good question, Rocky. >> Um, I don't want to spend too much time on this, but I'm just wondering how many lockers
>> I don't know that. That's a good question. >> Yes. >> And is the funding mostly just for like the one time construction of them or is there going to be >> up? Okay, >> we need for that. >> Well, wait. Well, maybe Amy can come.
>> That's because that's a really good question because I think that now that there's a number, right, there can be like budget proposals about like different ways to use that money. >> Yeah. >> And Sarah, did you send an email because I there was aund page document about
Northampton. That's what I was if you >> That's what I want to call your attention to because I think that I know about the man a little bit and but 90 pages like >> totally I was skimming. >> Um how about we touch on the cleanup
stuff and then we can go into this like 100 page Hampton case studies. >> Um so campsite cleanup want to take this? >> Yes, I do. Thank you. Okay. This coming Saturday, August 23rd, we are having a
campsite cleanup. >> Oh, don't go back. last time. >> This Saturday, August 23rd, we are going to the Green River Dog Park on Petty Plane Road and we are going to clean up uh the campsites of some people who are living there. Um, specifically Christy
Christy Allen, committee member, is going to be our guide and she is going to guide us through specifically what needs to be picked up. They do not have regular trash service there. They have one small can that gets picked up every once in a while, but it's insufficient. They also don't have any sanitation
services. Um, so, uh, Emma has been a huge help with, uh, getting this organized. Um, Max Webb from the Greenfield Trash Pickup Club has also been huge. Uh, Max made a poster for the event, which I don't have here, but
maybe we could add it to the minutes if that's okay. Um, anyway, it's happening Saturday, so uh, we would love to see you there. >> 10:00 a.m. >> Yep. Yep. 10 to 2 at the dog park at Petty Plane Road. We will meet in the parking lot there. Um, two logistical
things. Um, first, I did manage to secure a bunch of contractor bags from Larry and the Interfaith Council. We're not going to be able to use them because we will be disposing of all the waste at the transfer station, which only accepts waste in 30 or 33 gallon bags. So, I
have those bags which I will be bringing. If anyone else has 30 or 33 gallon bags, that would also be a huge help. Second thing is transport from the dog park to the transfer station. Um, if someone has a pickup truck, that would be awesome. Uh, especially if they have a trash sticker on it. If not, I have a
lead on a pickup truck, but they need it back fairly early, so we would need to uh we it would be a little bit more of a hassle if we had to use mine, but that's fine. That's okay. Um, other than that, just having more people would be more
good. >> Uh, and the last piece we're still figuring out is if there's any sports events on one of the fields. I reached out to someone from bars department, but she's off this week. So, I reached out to Amy. Um, and she is trying to get that answer for me. So, as soon as we
know that, I'll let Robin know. >> Thank you. >> Can you send me a flyer? I can put it on the community bulletin board. >> Thank you. Yes. Where is it being advertised? >> Mostly just in groups and chats and yeah, right now. So,
>> because in the past there was one put out by Brickett Alice. >> Yeah, they had a huge turnout. >> Yeah. I just want to be clear this is a small I do not expect this to be a big event. I mean, I'm I would be excited to be um contradicted in that if a bunch of
people showed up, but I'm really only expecting like half a dozen, maybe a dozen people to come help, which is fine. We're only working on one campsite, right? >> That's only her campsite. There are several campsites. Yes, we are not going to clean up anybody's campsite unless
Christy connects us with someone who is living there to guide cuz we this we are not in the business of touching people's things without their stuff. >> Have you checked in with Zoe though? >> A what do you mean? How >> like if we're only allowed to go cuz
I've been down there. We're only going to do Chrissy's area. What about all the other people that also have trash around there? >> Yes. Wouldn't Zoe be a good liaison to try to figure out if someone else would like some of their I'm not taking
personal belongings. I'm talking trash. >> I know Christy would be a great liaison and if if she helps us I have opened that route to her and that may or may not occur. So, we might be helping other people if they are there and if they're connected with Christie. But this is not
the purpose of this cleanup is not to be the end all be all that makes the dog park pristine. This is the first cleanup where we help we help our friend Christy right now with the problem that she's having right now. And if it goes well, then we can have future cleanups where
we do more or do this more regularly. But this is very much an ad hoc thing that I'm really excited about and we could use all the help we can get with. But we are not cleaning green field with this project. That makes sense. >> Yeah. Yeah.
>> But on that note, we did meet with the source to see um Connecticut River Conservancy folks and that was great because they really do want to team up with addressing um river pollution and sanitation issues for unhoused folks. Um, and so the source to see cleanup,
the September 27th date, save that date for another encampment cleanup. And we're also going to do a walk through of the campsites with the mayor, with Amy, and that hasn't been scheduled yet, but hopefully next. Um, and the sheriff's
office is also planning cleanups with the opioid task force. And I didn't attend that meeting, unfortunately. So, I don't know. >> On Monday? >> Yeah. Did you go to that? >> I did go to that. >> Okay. Do you know actually then what's going with those cleanups? >> Um,
>> let me check my notes. This has been such a long week. >> Real I think the idea announced the cleanup was happening. I don't know. >> I was at the meeting too. They just announced there is a they're in a process. Their problem is staffing if I remember if I'm pulling it out of my my
memory. Um it yes it was staffing and trying to find getting the correct supplies and the vehicles I think is is what I remember from the meeting is I think they mentioned as well which you know
similar to this committee. >> Yeah. I remember Jake saying we we asked Mlay whatever he says his name anyway about an ATV and he said they did have one so we need to follow up.
The sheriff's department has an ATV had to do with being able to get in there. >> So the last I heard Jake was going to speak to his >> supervisor. Do we need to follow up? Have we heard anything from Jake? I
don't know. Do you Robin, do you want to contact Jake? Because I I don't know if Saturday is like too short notice for them. >> Yeah. I don't expect there to be an ATV at Saturday's event. >> Yeah. >> So, for future times, this is all to be announced to be determined to be determined. So, if we have access to
that, I think that's going to be helpful. >> Yeah. I can when we have more details for future things, yes, I can follow up with with Jig, but I don't want to call up the sheriff's department and say, "Hey, can we just have your truck on call?" You know what I mean? That seems kind of silly,
>> but yes. Yeah, I can I can take point on that. Sure. >> Can I ask one question? Is there the funding for taking the trash to the transfer station? You have to pay it. >> Yeah, I was just going to pay for that out of pocket. If someone else wanted to contribute, that would be fine. I don't
expect it to be I mean it's only $3 a bag so >> that'll be fine. >> What's up Emma? >> I found my notes from the the FCNQ emergency services meeting. So um they did say they got grant resources to
support the staffing component of the cleanups. Um there's been four sites that were identified by Larry and Tapestry. Um, Tapestry also wants to put out a sharps box somewhere. Um, but they also
said that they don't want to be present at any of the cleanups because they worked hard to like build relationships and they don't want to be seen coming in with like law enforcement just because of like connotations. Um, Larry also wants to make sure that none of the cleanups are just like
running stuff over because that's what happened in the woods behind Wraid last year. Um um we tal they talked about um cleaning up abandoned versus active encampments. Um and then kind of the like, okay,
here's a trash bag, but what do you do when it gets full? How do we make sure that there's more regular pickup, etc. So, I think that's about it. >> Great. Yeah, I feel like this is um just a good example of coalition building and like all these people and players and
groups and organizations coming together and hopefully then this will lead to like a long-term sustainable approach, not just a you know dealing with things after the fact. Um,
does this feel complete on trash for now? And then we could go to >> uh I guess the only thing I I forgot to say is we will be providing water, bug spray, sunscreen, gloves, and um and we will at least have me and
possibly also a representative from Tapestry on site to pick up anything that our volunteers don't feel comfortable picking up on Saturday. But yeah, that's all I got. Thank you. Yeah, good work.
>> Um, all right. I would love to screen share some things I learned from Northampton. >> Can we do that? >> Are we coming back to the port of bodies and bathrooms? >> Yes, we can go into we can go into that
now even actually before that is technically the order. >> Yes. >> Do you want to talk about bathroom? I I do want to go about talk about that. Um >> so um in the past I had checked out the portaotti
uh at the dog park. I was the one that volunteered to go to the mayor's office and the financial people which I did and then I heard back that twice a month those are routinely cleaned. Um I went this morning to all of them. the
I went to the one at Energy Park. That one has now got some defacing going on the and smelled great. I mean, I could have used it. It was all clean. Um, and the two there are two now at the
dog park and there is no defacement. They had just been cleaned. It smelled like, it looked like. And uh so the previous pictures that we had um that Christy had sent to us, those those are not there. There is some defacement in
the one at Energy Park. And because we don't own them, I don't know quite how to deal with that, but I didn't like what I was written all over on this side of the wall and that side of the wall. I had not gone to that one.
That was the one that Misty had complained about in the past because she had used it to do garden work down there. So, um, they looked great and, um, and I had previously said if there's a
problem with a portaotti, just these specific, not the Lou, I didn't go over there and I don't know even how that one works, but they're to call city hall, you can leave a message if it's after hours and say, "This one is in bad shape. Every time I have gone there,
it's looked great except for this defacing. And I will say that we have no idea who stands in there and writes disgusting stuff about the smell of the body. I don't know how it's this committee's
job to clean up people's attitude about anything. There's graffiti on parts of our city downtown. There's been graffiti on the poet tower. And how you get somebody to stop being vicious is something that I just don't think we can
police it short of me somehow reaching a phone number for this particular portaotty and getting permission to fix it. Maybe that's why the others are gone. Maybe they have a way of scrubbing it and painting it and
whatever. But when people are mean, they're mean. and they weren't brought up with the values or the ethics as maybe some other person did. So, I don't know what to do about the graffiti. I don't like it. I think it's disparaging. It's disgusting.
But when you're sitting in there and somebody wants to do something, what do we do about it? I've talked to Larry before about this. We've talked about educating everyone. Pick up your trash. Put your cigarette butt where it belongs. They're all over the place
downtown on where the cigarette butts can now go at the city's expense. So, that's just my two cents on the graffiti. You might have to shut your eyes, grit your teeth, use the clean facility, and we don't know whether a
unhouse person did it, whether a pickle ball this morning. They're all playing pickle ball there at 8:30 a.m. There's and it could be a person that uses a dog park. There's no way to figure this out. So, I don't know what to do about the graffiti, but I don't think that it's
something that we can figure out other than asking people to play nice in in the atmosphere that we call world and life. Anything else folks want to share about bathrooms?
I just want to say I'm I'm happy to hear they're they're cleaned and >> Oh my gosh. I've never I mean I I go camping and we use porta botties and all that and I've been at fairs. These have freshly done. They're dated. >> You know, the 19th of August was one of
them. One that was done. If I had my c my I didn't have my phone on me, I was going to like take a picture. Oh my gosh. Smells good. Looks good. You know, >> toilet paper where it belongs. Perell right there. Not empty. plenty of toilet paper there, you know. So, what else can
happen? Those people are servicing them. >> I think I'm curious about like the season seasonality of it because it's just warm weather. So, when are they going away and then what happens? >> So, that's a question for the the fall
thing, right? We are protein fall. >> Yeah. I don't think that stuff freezes whatever that chemical is. Right. >> It's true, but I think they just haven't historically been keeping a bathroom in the
>> in either of the places. >> So, it's the Portland L or nothing. >> I think so. >> Okay. >> It's generally what it's been. And while we're on this particular topic since they're talking about uh body odor for example, every time we keep talking about showers
and they do have showers at CSO and I don't know if you have to be a member of CSO and registered with Cso to walk in there and say, "May I take a shower?" >> I think you do. >> I think you do. I think you have to fill out paperwork, right? >> Yeah. Well, you can do the paperwork in their drop in center is my
understanding. But still >> in in Arch Tree where the showers are, >> okay? Because we don't ask them any questions when they come to the warming center. There's towels, >> one at a time, that kind of stuff. But those are the only two places that I know of. And then we've talked about, I
think, a 50 to $75 portable shower. And again, with the winter coming, I don't know how you're not going to want to have that bottle of water free. Speaking of that, is there been any further discussion on a water station at
the community police station? >> Yes. >> Really? How good? >> Oh, good. >> I love that. >> I I spoke with uh a cop who was stationed outside the substation as it's still getting sort of
up and running fully. um he hadn't heard about this idea, but we talked it through and he was very much in support of it, so that he would talk to Chief Chief Dodge. Um his concern was that during the winter it's possible that things would freeze um if
there was an exterior um spot of some kind. And we sort of popcorned a few ideas about how to help that not happen because it's a very solvable problem. Um, that's the last
contact that I've had about it. That was about a week ago. Okay. Because I remember at the GBA meeting about the community substation, I think the chief actually brought it up saying we can put in a water station. So, he is aware of
it. He might have actually helped to spearhead that discussion. >> And this building is open all winter long. And the feeling >> not overnight. >> Yeah. Not overnight, but if you come in during till 5:00, they have the filling the place where
you fill your water bottle. You kind of have to think ahead. >> Yeah. The water the library has two also, >> right? One on each floor, but one open. >> Yeah. Yeah. I just feel like having we don't have any outdoor water refill station that's 24/7 access and that
would be a good goal ideally close to a campsite too in addition to downtown location. >> Yeah. But it is hard with plumbing. >> Yeah. Beyond me. >> Oh, come on. Be a plumber, Sarah.
>> Um, yeah. So, I think those would be good things for research. Bathrooms through winter and outdoor water refill. That's 247 exits. Um, but we can get into like delegating this
research in this next bucket of just thinking about the public resource mapping. Could I share? Let's You should be able to now. Okay, let's try and do this. Um, so I feel excited about
this. I'm going to close so you don't see how many there. Okay. So, this is a report from Smith College from a few years ago. Um, and this was part of like the resilience
hub planning pro process. RIP. Yeah, exactly. RIP. But I think there was a lot of good stuff in here that we can use for examples. Um, so I'll just bring our attention to a few of these. So, Portland check, check. We've done that. We could
do more, but this I thought was a good example of showing um a cool mapping of the downtown business and how they relate to their bathroom policy. So even just like do they have
an ambiguous policy? Is it customers, patrons only? Is it employees only? Is it no entry? Or is it a public bathroom? Frankly, this is a helpful thing for even us to map out about which businesses allow folks. And then
based on this, then they came up with where are there a lack of bathrooms. So like a 100 foot buffer area around existing public bathrooms. Um, so I thought that was interesting. And then
I'm just going to skim. Sorry for chaos. I could have screenshotted it, but I'm doing it this way. Um, so yeah, back to more public bathrooms. They also looked at this location factor, looking
at public urination complaints by the police department and then using that data as to where to locate bathrooms. Um and also with street lights and also looking at um
yeah proximity. So this is an example of a bathroom, the Tokyo toilet that's like designed to be like central but like you don't linger because it's like really visible but it's still like a beautiful artistic sculptural piece. So I just thought that
that was sort of interesting. Um, and this so yeah, so we already looked at this. The community toilet scheme is what this is called of like when you're using existing businesses that have bathrooms
or existing public spaces, not just creating new bathrooms. Um, so that was what I thought was interesting about bathrooms. But then there's also wayfinding signs and also you can feel free to like stop on anything but I'll go back to the
wayfinding signs part. Um sorry if this is chaos scrolling. Okay, here we go. Wayfinding. So this is their resource card. We have a 413 cares the yellow thing on the bulletin. Then they updated it to be even clearer for this to be the
resource card. And then they worked on a mapping project where they showed locations and then um had identified what was at those locations. So I think this is something
this is just an example of what a resource card map could look like. Um because we had started that last time. I don't know if you you didn't weren't here so you didn't see >> No, but we have a resource card that's very similar to the Northampton model. >> Yeah. Um >> the 413 care is one on the bulletin
board. >> No, it's actually a small little handout um that we make available that you can put in your pocket. I will send you >> Oh, great. >> I just wrote I will >> Thank you. >> send you a current copy. We don't have a map. >> Yeah.
>> And that's a good idea, but we have like all We have the food pantries. >> Are you talking about one that the library has created? >> This one? Yes. We've updated it >> recently. Okay. Um Christian L plant when he left he handed it all to me. >> Oh um
>> you're the holder now of >> I'm the holder. >> That's really good to know. >> Yes. Well because we we we pro we we probably distribute more of them then but I've also given it to Sheriff to Jake and to Zoe so that they I give them copies so that they can hand them out
when they're out. >> So it's changed a little bit. We changed it made it a little bit. It's now a trifold so you can actually read it a little bit better. um um and without a magnifying glass. So um I will send a copy of it.
>> That's amazing. >> And um I know that we're due for an update. So what I will do today, I just need to contact because you when you were talking about some of the churches are out of funds. I need to double check with them to make sure they're still
offering their services. And Amy is already making some changes to this. knows that that before what what she just told me recently is she's got to think about the fall now that it's August, but for example, um Maria Burge
has said they serve an evening meal at 5 every Thursday, not that had to be changed. So, we've been handwriting that. And also, we had to take off Dayan Family Shelter because we know that's going to be a Marott. But I asked Amy
recently about the intake number and she said that's still valid. >> So I don't know. I guess it's who that rings into. Yeah. But she's the one that said she's going to make some changes. And I said to her, it's very confusing
because there's the two Catholic churches, this one and that one. And it will say on there to go to the one on Federal Street. And Maria says, "I didn't set that up. That's just the way the Catholic the two Catholic churches,
but everybody who knows on Thursday it'll be at this church down here on Main Street." Um, and I said I said to Amy, "That's confusing for someone that's new here. That's why we really want a map with um not just street numbers, but um >> yeah,
>> what do you call it?" You know, >> landmark. >> Yes, landmark things. So >> yeah, like the way >> Maria's church used to serve serve I think the second, the fourth, and the fifth Thursday, but now it's every Thursday. And as far as I know, they're not. >> And that's the one on Main Street.
>> That's right down here. Right. Main Street. >> The one on Federal I thought was doing the Saturday or Sunday lunch. They or at least in the fall, I don't know if they still were, they were doing a lunch drive-thru pickup. >> Did they also have a pantry there at the Penro Street one? Do I remember that
right? I know the Silver Street one does, but that one's farther. And then I think >> this one I don't see the pantry there. There's a pantry down on the one >> and they're ending their Monday night. >> Yes. >> Meals. >> Which one is ending? St. James is ending >> on Monday nights. >> Yes.
>> And that's one of the complaints when people say, "Oh, yeah. We get a lot of places to eat." But then it's like there's nothing except lunches on Fridays. So you can go to Salvation Army for lunch. Well, that's breakfast. Sorry. 8:30. And then 11:30, Salvation Army serves a lunch.
>> Oh, no. >> And there's nothing Friday evenings. Um, they do know about stove soup, I think, on Saturdays. Most people do, but if you're new, this new couple that came in, they wouldn't have any idea about where any food is.
>> Uh, St. James is on Sunday at noon. >> Um, >> I don't know if that's accurate because I thought they ran out of money. St. James, >> they have changed it. That's a That's >> Yeah. So this is why Amy is reaching out to people and say this has to be fixed. >> Yeah, that'd be great.
>> Thank you. >> Yeah, >> thanks. But that's great to have and thank you for making it bigger readable. >> Well, yeah, it just Yeah, it was it was it's hard to read. >> Yes. >> And I talked to the chief police once and he said we could certainly laminate them because they're getting soaking wet and then you can't
>> Right. That's a good idea, too. >> So, and so I think that >> about lamination >> would fit in nicely with this, too. >> Yeah. Um so something else we can look at so this is this is more of a budget expense but
wayfinding signs um these are some examples. So >> you could have um so these are like the considerations like where are people what are well structured paths and then you they were identifying sites for signage
um and then they proposed some locations and these are like some sample signs. So that's just something we could think about as more of like a stretch goal. Um, and then something else I thought was really
good in this packet is the um, permanent site for temporary structures. So, this is back to the sanctioned encampment village model pocket affordable housing, whatever the hell you want to call it. This thing, this like this project. Thank you for being
here. Oh, >> no problem. Bye. I'll see you all later. Um and so this these are some other case studies of it happening Camp Pope and um in Ontario, Canada. And
then I really liked their site selection process for Northampton. And this, I think, is what we need to do because we were just looking at like public land, but I think what this is is like where they chose key resource areas and then
they did a within a half mile and one mile buffer zone. And then they also looked at the existing bike trails and PBTA route and flood plane. important >> and then also either green space
or city-owned parcels. So, I'm hoping I asked someone to help with this mapping part of it, but I think maybe the original conception was like, let's just find some public land. And maybe the conception now is like
let's find identify sites that like we can map out well that fit these criteria and then from there we can like see who owns it a little bit too. like we could like I think making it happen the municipal support side of it is like
zoning for sure. We need that to be able to have like a village model and maybe there can be partnership with like trash pickup but not necessarily like relying on public land because it also might not even be the ideal site. So, just I think maybe we need to like back up a bit and
do a bit of this kind of um mapping analysis for site selection. That was also part of when Robin and I went and looked at a bunch of different sites. That was part of our consideration. We didn't do it by this process, but like there was a site that
we looked at that could potentially just looking at the site have been a really nice fit, but it was too far from everything and so it didn't even make our list. Yeah, we definitely were considering access to um and I don't want to call it
amenities, just resources downtown and and transportation. But I think but I think this is like a cool way of of the map just like spitting it out. >> Yeah, >> they use GIS to make that. >> I don't know like mass mapper GIS. I'm
not sure but I asked a mapping type person. So we'll get help. Um, and then also just something else to call attention to in this packet that I thought was cool,
um, is and then it's the last thing. Um, I thought this was cool. The small home community on the far wooded side of the property. So, three sets of small home communities with five homes each providing separation, privacy, and community. this feels exactly like what people ask for,
small, private, stable, >> um, for multiple or single occupancy. And then I've just been seeing other studies about this and how people like when they can customize their unit like if the beds are movable and like they
have autonomy and that's like for like trauma informed design and they also don't want it to be like boxy like if you can make it like jutting out pieces or like anything to add some stylistic elements or it's not just like >> so Sarah is this considering is this
Northampton is considering this is this why are part of this I would say that Northampton um has not implemented these things, but >> this was a proposal as an option. Yeah. >> Okay. Yeah, that's >> But this is incredibly affordable. Like
a for 480T green infrastructure home cost was estimated at >> Yeah. So it would be 20 20,000. So for five homes, 100,000. It's like this is And it's like I'm sure you could get so much donated labor. You could have the Franklin County Tech School. You could
have maybe Habitat helping >> like GCC like there's really just so many potential partnerships. >> I think what if we worked on having the right zoning for that and we don't have tiny so this is just >> Can I ask about Oh, sorry. Go ahead.
>> No, that's all this just I think that this is like an inspiring way of like >> something we could do collecting and presenting information. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. I would love to see this kind of stuff presented publicly because I think a lot of people are not sitting down and
watching us right after the fact. Yeah, I'm positive. But also, um, you were at the initial meeting about a waiver and liability and all of that. So, I know they came around that at Dignity Village. So is that something
that I think that's something to really take a deep dive into before we start doing all this other thing. We talked about getting private people >> involved instead of looking at the public town hall land. >> The liability solution that Dignity
Village uses is that they have the city owns the land. The nonprofit leases the land. They're obligated to maintain their 501c3 nonprofit status and they're obligated to to have this contract and there's an indemnification clause to
hold the city harmless for anything and then also they have to maintain an insurance policy and absorb any liability and risk. >> So the pooling people living there absorb this policy amount. No, the the nonprofit and the nonprofit is made up
of the community members like the self-governance of the community members like they elect within the community people to be on the serve on the nonprofit board >> because I don't think that's been explained to municipal >> exactly. I mean that's that's a puzzle piece that really is critical.
>> Yeah. >> Have run past the city attorneys, >> right? It's just contract with an indemnification clause, a nonprofit, and an in with their own insurance policy. It's like not insurmountable. That's normal legal.
>> So, would we just want to set up a meeting and run that past people? >> Um, I feel like I would like to do the site selection mapping and then if there's really public land that's like ideal, then that makes sense. And if there's also private land, that that
makes sense. also talking to those owners. So, I feel like this project is maybe slightly outside the scope of this committee. It's partly in the scope of this committee, but the scope of the committee is for sure at least the zoning. >> Well, but that's the recommendation that
goes back to city council. Am I right? >> The zoning. >> Yeah. >> All of this like the the thing is going to have to go to them and then it's going to have to go to ANO and >> zoning. Totally. But the village model of like who's going to the coalition
building that would be necessary to create that like I feel like that's not necessarily completely situated here if that makes sense. Like that's going to be like I don't know whoever wants to it doesn't have to be on camera in these recorded meetings like whoever wants to work on it ideally like people with lived experience like
Christy is like I want to do a tiny home village. So it's like how like folks um being part of the planning process like that's that's a whole thing but we can set up the conditions so that that can happen. >> Sounds wonderful. I'm very impressed.
This is you know and and you're right. I mean it I'm happy when you talk about the various dimensions both bringing in private and public you know just an an amazing opportunity for collaboration to really to really be in the forefront of
this um you know we hear that Pittsfield has just criminalized being unhoused and we're talking about how to how to enhance the lives of people who are currently unhoused that uh I'm Thank Oh, good
>> Sarah. Um, we're almost out of time, but do we want to say anything about some of like the individualized work that has been happening around um some of the recommendations and like getting closer to having something to bring back to the whole committee?
Um, I was okay to just like table it to next time, but just the fact that we were co-working on things and >> I think that just like >> that's all that we are there is other progress happening. >> Yeah. >> Yeah. Because I've been waiting for the email you told us about last time and you said, "Oh, I'm going to email it
now." >> Huh? >> It's in the notes now. >> It's in the It's in the bottom of the notes underneath minutes. Going back. Okay. >> Kind of expecting it to be in my inbox. I'll send it out because just it kept changing and growing. So, I was like,
I'll just send it when it's like more of whatever. >> Okay. But it but it but the version that was screen shared did get sent out in the meeting minutes. >> Okay. I didn't scroll down far enough. >> Okay. Thanks. Um but yeah, we're meeting
with her frog also. So, I think if we choose a next meeting time like two weeks, 3 weeks, a month, whatever, and then um if there's any steps that people want to say that they plan on doing in between, that'd be cool. But if there's not steps, you can that's okay, too.
>> So, we're looking at September what we're almost in September. What the hell? >> Yeah, it's back to school night. They already over there at the 11th. That works well for me. >> So that's three weeks out. Yeah,
>> I already have it in my phone for some reason. >> I have it, too. I guess I >> But I because Tammy always says, "Well, about every two weeks or something." I guess that's confuses. >> Okay. So So that's three weeks from now. Does that work for folks? >> Yes. >> I'm not usually on like a three week meeting cadence. I feel like everyone
does two weeks for us, but but we're on a three week schedule. So quirky. >> Two weeks in the first week of school. Yeah, I'd rather not. >> Um, what was the date? >> The 11th. >> The 11th. >> I have to leave. Awesome. Thank you. Thank you. >> Can I just say we probably should find
out whether Jake and Zoe can also make that date? >> Yes. >> Because it's good to have one or the other here. >> Thank you, Pac. >> And I guess my question too is has anybody ever thought to invite anybody from cso or service net to any of these?
>> Do you have folks you would recommend inviting? Um yeah, I mean I have the contact information for most folks um at Cso, but not service net as much. We don't work with them. >> I'd like to invite um one of the Tapestry service or like
>> coordinators um to our next meeting and I think maybe it would be nice to have both tapestry and cso at the table for that meeting. And I have a Terara Trismiscus that's running the recovery project as a volunteer coordinator, but
I don't know if that's like just too many. I don't know. I mean, I met with her and she's doing a whole lot of stuff. >> Sorry. >> As well. So, >> I think just to use a couple of people. >> Well, I I my hope would be at the next
meeting that we have >> Oh, there's important. Thank you. Um my hope would be that at the next meeting we have um a framework of recommendations
to that that we're considering making to the city and that we might be able to say to the recovery project and cso and tapestry. Do you feel like there are anything there's anything that's really missing here? like are you seeing a gap in what we are recommending that you are
currently trying to accommodate through other services? That would be my my hope for our next meeting. >> But wouldn't we look at it before we said to these outside groups, this is what we're going to thinking of. >> So So what I'm saying is is we could say
here's what we are talking about recommending. Do you think that there are things that we need to add? Not here's our recommendation. What do you think? But but are there gaps in our perspective based on the fact that we're not clinical service providers? >> Like a first draft? Yes, that seems
good. That seems like a good deal. Um, also just to read from the chat, the mayor's domestic violence task force is about to release a walking map that shows so social service agencies. So, we should definitely
talk to them. Thank you for that idea. Um and then S service net I guess that's what that means s service net outreach on prospect street is forward is the number ask for the director >> and
wind works at service net still >> service net is outreach >> oh I think so >> I love learning new things >> no this is this remember we talked about duplication >> a lot of different people don't know who's doing
Elliot does outreach too if we want to get >> service net works service net on 13 Prospect Street works with the is subcontracted from the department of mental health where I work and the outreach program works with people in
the community including some of the homeless people some of the homeless people that you guys have interacted with and seen are actually DH and Service net clients as well that's why they complain about the person who left the service net house and that sort of
stuff. So calling the prospect fee outreach program and talking to them if you're trying to get service nets feedback might be a place to start. >> Thank you. So thank you. >> Do you want to Yeah. Awesome. Great. Um
and we'll just keep on keeping on like that. Uh, is there a motion to adjurnn? >> Motion. >> Second. All in favor? There we go.
Thank you for being here.