Public commenters urge homeless‑system oversight and allege city contractors hire undocumented workers

During the general public input period, two speakers addressed city leaders on distinct community concerns.

Shannon Ward, a local business owner, said she had filed Freedom of Information Act requests and analyzed police citation data involving people experiencing homelessness for 2024–2025. Ward said her review showed about 1,962 citations issued to unhoused residents, with a small share of repeat individuals accounting for a large portion of citations; she identified the most common charges as alcohol in parks, alcohol on public property, park after‑hours and trespassing, and argued that repeated enforcement is not reducing homelessness. Ward urged the city to establish a cross‑sector homeless oversight council, develop a full housing‑continuum map, and formally compare enforcement costs with Housing First outcomes.

Sierra Broussard made forceful allegations that several construction companies contracting with the city employ undocumented immigrants who are “wanted for vicious crimes,” named local firms and said she works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Broussard urged the city to cease partnering with the named firms and said she expected further public disclosures as enforcement actions conclude. The transcript records these claims as the speaker’s statements; no city response or evidence was offered in the meeting and the council took no immediate action.

Both speakers framed policy recommendations differently: Ward proposed a data‑driven oversight and coordination approach to homelessness response, while Broussard raised enforcement and procurement concerns tied to immigration enforcement. Councilors did not take formal action on either public comment at the meeting.