Ukiah council reviews Building Bridges shelter report; approves fee, grant and parks measures

The Ukiah City Council on March 19 received the latest operational report on Redwood Community Services’ Building Bridges homeless resource center and approved a bundle of administrative actions including an update to electric utility fixed fees, submission of a CDBG program‑income application, introduction of higher business license processing fees and acceptance of a parks gap analysis.

Community Development Director Craig Schlatter told the council the item grew from condition of approval No. 15 associated with the shelter’s original use permit and from later state law changes. “Condition of approval number 15 … the director’s report shall include a record of any complaints received from the public or shelter occupants,” Schlatter said, explaining the city established a recurring reporting template to track complaints, police and fire/EMS calls, program manual updates and site visits.

Nut graf: The discussion put local homelessness services and public‑safety impacts at the center of the meeting. City staff and Redwood Community Services (RCS) presented operational details — including a recent site visit after an uptick in complaints — and described how staffing shortages at the non‑profit correlated with more people congregating outside the facility and with higher UPD calls. Council approved several staff recommendations that finance and planning officials said will help align fees and grant submittals with current costs and regulatory requirements.

Shelter operations, calls and services

Schlatter summarized the city’s monitoring framework and said the tenth reporting period (02/06/2024–02/06/2025) recorded 206 police calls to the site and 59 fire/EMS responses. He said the city conducted a site visit after receiving more complaints than usual and coordinated that visit with police, fire, code enforcement and RCS staff; details are logged in attachment 4 of the staff report.

Sage Wolf, homelessness and housing support manager for Redwood Community Services, described the Building Bridges facility’s current operations and service expansion. “The shelter is open 24 hours a day,” Wolf said, adding that the emergency shelter maintains about 55 beds (sometimes rising to 58 to prioritize the most vulnerable) while the day resource center offers expanded services. Wolf said the program’s Enhanced Care Management (ECM) served 211 unduplicated individuals in 2024 (up from 115 in 2023) and housing support services assisted about 278 unique people in 2024.

Wolf and Schlatter both told council that periods of reduced staffing at RCS — linked to the end of temporary COVID‑era funding streams — corresponded with more persons congregating outside the facility and a rise in complaints. Schlatter said the most recent program manual update from RCS was received in September 2024 and city‑staff reported continuing coordination with UPD, fire and RCS to reduce impacts.

FEMA mapping and other city updates

Public works and planning staff briefed council on changes to FEMA flood maps. Director Erickson said the city had received a formal notice that starts a six‑month clock before the maps are fully adopted; staff will review ordinances for compliance and had requested FEMA assistance with technical review. Erickson said the city is considering local rain‑gauge monitoring and additional hydrology work to supplement consultant modeling.

Council actions at a glance

Votes at the meeting were grouped with minimal debate on technical items. Key outcomes:

- Electric utility fixed fees: Council opened a public hearing and adopted a resolution updating electric utility fixed fees to better match department cost drivers and comply with state law. Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous vote recorded).

- CDBG program‑income (PI) application: Council adopted a resolution authorizing submittal of a CDBG PI‑only application to the State Department of Housing and Community Development to fund a code‑enforcement services program using approximately $250,000 in PI, and approved corresponding budget amendments if awarded. Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous).

- Business license application fees: Council introduced an ordinance by title to increase certain business license application and renewal processing fees (for example, a renewal fee moving from $5 to $30 and a new brick‑and‑mortar application moving from $10 to $206 to reflect planning/building review costs). The ordinance was introduced by title only and will return for adoption. Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous).

- Annual Progress Reports (HCD and LCI): Council approved submittal of the 2024 annual progress reports for the housing element and general plan to the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD) and the Governor’s Office of Land Use and Climate Innovation (LCI). Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous).

- Parks gap analysis: Council received and accepted the 2025 Parks Gap Analysis as fulfilling implementation goal 5.1 of the city’s general plan. The report identified Wagonseller and parts of the north and south nodes as underserved and listed potential sites and facility priorities (dog park, shade/misting, pickleball, indoor space, improved river/Great Redwood Trail access). Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous).

- Emergency contract for Western Hills mudslide: Council authorized an emergency repair contract with Diamond D Construction LLC for a mudslide affecting a city water tank in Pressure Zone 1 North. Roll call: Roden, Chris, Orozco, Vice Mayor Schur and Mayor Crane voted Aye (unanimous).

What council asked staff to track

Councilmembers pressed staff on implementing ongoing monitoring, the FEMA timeline, and on linking the city’s fee and master schedule work to budget development so inflationary adjustments are regular rather than ad‑hoc. Staff agreed to add these considerations to annual rate and fee reviews moving forward.

Public comment and neighborhood concerns

Several members of the public spoke in favor of Building Bridges staff and the services they provide; one former shelter resident described being placed into permanent housing after shelter assistance. Neighbors and other residents used public comment and the parks discussion to press the council for stronger, faster action on a long‑standing Wagonseller neighborhood park need. Neil Davis, director of community services, and the city manager said the city will continue to pursue grants and property opportunities and emphasized that park acquisition and development depend on (1) willing sellers, (2) matching grant opportunities and (3) available maintenance funding.

Ending: The council adjourned the business portion of the meeting after the votes and scheduled follow‑up items noted in staff reports; several items — including final ordinance language for business‑license fees and follow‑up on the FEMA mapping timeline — were left for future agenda action.