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Activists and residents press council on homelessness response and police chief hiring; group alleges closed-door talks
Summary
During public comment, several speakers urged more housing and oversight, criticized the police chief recruitment process and alleged private meetings involving city staff and external leaders about criminalizing homelessness.
A series of public speakers used the councilpublic-comment period to press for housing solutions, transparency and accountability in policing decisions.
Adam Callanan, speaking for People's Town Hall, said records show city staff and local leaders held private discussions about a hard-line approach to homelessness prior to a Supreme Court decision and that city manager Scott Sanders and the cityhomeless policy administrator Amber Lewis participated in talks with corporate and nonprofit leaders beginning in at least September 2023. "A records request we made shows that...city manager Scott Sanders and city homeless policy administrator Amber Lewis were in discussions about a hard line approach to homelessness...since at least September 2023," Callanan said, alleging that some council members and staff drafted responses in advance of the court ruling.
Other speakers urged the council to avoid criminalizing people experiencing homelessness and to invest in housing and services. Abby Banks of Ward 3 called criminalization "unacceptable," saying proposals could result in citations or arrests for unhoused people while supportive services remain inadequate. Tom Rendon and Laurel Clinton, representing community groups, urged the council to prioritize community input in a police chief selection and to pick a candidate committed to relationship-building and 21st-century policing reforms.
Council did not respond with a vote or formal direction on the allegations during the public-comment period. Callanan said a press release and additional records are available from People's Town Hall; no city staff statement occurred in the meeting record responding to the closed-door allegations during public comment.
