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Council discusses ‘1‑plus’ transition plan as town-hall feedback shapes post-sleep-center steps
Summary
City staff presented feedback from a town-hall on the draft post-sleep-center plan; council signaled support for a coordinated “1 plus” approach, discussed funding sources including recording fees, and asked staff to return with ordinance updates and implementation details ahead of a June 24 adoption date.
City staff briefed the Moses Lake City Council on community feedback gathered at a recent town-hall meeting about the draft post‑sleep‑center transition plan and asked whether council direction should change the draft before it returns for adoption.
“[The town hall] had approximately 100 participants with a total of nine round table sessions,” said Maria Biesby, who presented the feedback summary and noted a table of frequently asked questions and critical comments was provided to council.
Why it matters: The city is preparing to close the Open Doors Sleep Center and must decide how to transition services and use the site. Council and staff discussed a “1 plus” concept—maintaining a baseline level of service plus an additional coordination role to link people to treatment and out‑of‑community inpatient options—and possible funding for the additional services.
Discussion points and staff direction: Council members and staff reiterated that the community has many service providers but lacks easy access and coordination. Council members said the plan should include a coordinator or entity to help direct clients to treatment and transportation. Council member Martinez said recording fees are available to the city and may be used for some transition costs, though those fees have rules about allowable uses; staff confirmed recording fee dollars could be applied to certain expenses including site restoration. Staff said the city will prioritize drafting ordinance updates related to camping and other regulations and will provide those drafts to council before the next meeting.
Schedule and actions: Staff said the final transition plan will be brought back to council for possible adoption on June 24. A provider meeting at the Open Doors Sleep Center is scheduled for June 23 from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. on coordination and resources. Per the center’s lease, staff said the city is required to restore the site; staff will conduct a walkthrough with the property owner and will return to the council in July with specifics on surplus items and restoration responsibilities.
Funding and procurement notes: Council directed staff to explore utilizing available recording-fee dollars to support the “plus” services, and members discussed the possibility of posting a request for proposals (RFP) for organizations to provide coordinated services—but at least one council member asked that the council give approval for any RFP scope before staff posts it. Staff said they would seek guidance and bring recommended RFP language and funding plans back to the council.
Ending: No formal vote was taken. Council provided direction to continue work on a “1 plus” transition plan, to return ordinance drafts and funding proposals ahead of the June 24 meeting, and to schedule a July item to detail site restoration and disposition.
