Councilmember's Column (Jan 26 - Feb 1)

On my Mind
This past week I had an opportunity to volunteer for a biennial Point-in-Time Count of homeless individuals in the county of Marin. The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) requires communities that receive federal funding to conduct a count of unsheltered and sheltered persons experiencing homelessness. Cities and counties all across the country were conducting counts this past week.

As a part of the Novato group, I showed up at the volunteer location at 6AM where I was paired with a homeless guide and given two census tract maps of locations in Novato. After a brief overview, we headed out to canvas our area and conduct the count. Heading in to it, I knew that we would see some individuals, but it still doesn’t quite prepare you. Knowing there are homeless individuals in our city and county is one thing, but seeing tents and encampments on a cold winter morning is another. After a few hours driving and walking our area, we returned back to report our findings.

Once the results have been tallied, I will be quite curious to see if things are getting better or worse. The 2013 count came to 933 homeless individuals who were either sheltered, unsheltered, or part of “other homeless populations”. Of that total, 196 people were counted in places not meant for human habitation. The count was an eye opening experience and reinforced my interest in addressing the broader issue in our city.

I would be very interested to hear from some readers. Do you think homelessness is a growing issue in Novato? What can we as a city do to address the needs?

Around Town
Celebrating Jack Gallivan – On Saturday, over 100 community members gathered at the Novato Theater Company to remember and celebrate the life of Jack Gallivan. Jack worked tirelessly in our community and had a contagious passion for theater and the arts. He also dedicated much time and resources towards re-opening the downtown theater. Now it is our time to finish that effort he helped start.

The Week Ahead
Monday (February 2)
Planning Commission Meeting – 7:00PM (City Hall)

Tuesday (February 3)
City Council Meeting – 6:30PM (City Hall)

Wednesday (February 4)
Design Review Commission Meeting – 7:30PM (City Hall)