Stockton council endorses homeless pilot framework for Trinity Parkway, directs staff to complete vetting

Mayor Christina Fugazi and council members spent the bulk of their April 29 meeting debating a proposed two-month homelessness pilot focused on the large encampment along Trinity Parkway.

Councilwoman Michelle Padilla, who chairs the ad hoc homelessness committee, presented the effort as urgent and experimental. "We are acting. We are testing, and we are being honest with the public about the challenges and the steps ahead," she said, urging a measured pilot that would include intake, triage, showers, meals and case management.

City Manager Michael Colangelo told council the city had already declared a local state of emergency and set aside contingency funds to allow expedited procurement and cleanup operations. "The council made the decision that enough is enough," he said, describing encampment conditions that staff said included more than 100 individuals without running water and reports of structural damage to the levee.

Inner City Action, the nonprofit that proposed operating the temporary triage site, described its experience running temporary shelters and access centers in Manteca and Lodi. Frank Saldana, an Inner City Action director, said the organization could set up a climate-controlled 80-by-100-foot tent and provide three meals a day, showers, pet services, life-coaching case management and transportation to appointments.

Opposition and questions centered on vetting, oversight and long-term outcomes. Vice Mayor Jason Lee and several council members said they were not comfortable making a sole-provider award without a competitive process or fuller verification. Lee said the council had a fiduciary duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars were matched by clear performance measures and interagency agreements.

Public comment was extensive: residents of Trinity Parkway and outreach workers urged the council to prioritize services designed with resident input; advocates and nonprofit leaders pressed for interagency coordination and clearer measures for how the pilot would transition people into permanent housing. Some speakers warned that moving people without guaranteed exits could simply displace the problem.

After amendments and procedural votes, council approved a motion to accept the staff presentation and ‘‘endorse the program framework’’ while directing staff to complete full due diligence — including verification of insurance, certifications, environmental and county clearances, and a list of participating partners — and to return with a finalized agreement for council approval. The procedural motion passed 4–3.

The staff report estimated the total budgeted amount for cleanup and the pilot at $825,000; staff clarified the pilot outreach element itself was estimated near $297,430 with the remainder designated for site cleanup and contingencies. The council motion did not finalize a contract with any single operator; it directed staff to bring a fully vetted recommendation back to council for approval.

Next steps: staff will finish vetting, confirm permits and insurance, identify partners for housing exits and behavioral-health services, and return with a contract recommendation and a more detailed cost breakdown for council consideration.