Lodi Council awards Access Center operations to Outreach Ministries International

The Lodi City Council voted Feb. 4 to award operation of the Lodi Access Center and emergency shelter to Outreach Ministries International Inc., based on the evaluation committee’s combined proposal and interview scores and staff recommendations. The council authorized staff to negotiate contract terms and return to the council for final approval.

Community development staff told the council the RFP sought a low-barrier operator capable of day-and-night operations, meals, hygiene facilities, case management, housing navigation and outcome tracking. Five proposals were submitted and four were found responsive; the evaluation committee advanced the top three to interviews. Staff said the committee ranked Outreach Ministries first overall, 5 Keys second and the Salvation Army Lodi Corps third, and that final recommendation reflected combined proposal and interview scores.

Supporters of Outreach Ministries filled the public comment period. Several people who identified themselves as past or current clients and volunteers described personal recoveries and services they said were provided by Outreach Ministries. Johnny Coughran, director of the temporary Lodi Access Center, told the council, “To date, we’ve gotten 203 people into either program or housing with about a 78 percent success rate.”

City staff addressed budget and oversight questions during council deliberations. Staff reported proposal budgets of roughly $1.08 million for Outreach Ministries, $2.4 million for 5 Keys and about $1.7 million for the Salvation Army Lodi Corps, and outlined staffing and readiness differences the evaluation committee used to compare proposers. County Health and Behavioral Services Director Genevieve Valentine told council that county and state funding for specified beds require precise reporting and that the county will partner in tracking grant and state requirements, saying the county is “100% committed with the operator to make sure that we are meeting all grant requirements.”

Council members asked how the city would sustain operations beyond the first year if grant funding waned and discussed contingency planning; staff and Outreach Ministries representatives said they would pursue fundraising and grant opportunities and noted several reimbursement and ARPA timing constraints. During discussion the council also raised community outreach to nearby businesses, options for temporary housing of clients’ animals, and the need to align reporting between city and county partners.

A motion to award the contract to Outreach Ministries was made and seconded; the mayor announced the motion passed. Staff will negotiate contract details and return to the council for final contract approval.

The council’s action was limited to selecting the recommended operator and authorizing staff negotiations; final contract approval and specific operating terms, including budget and monitoring metrics, will return to the council for a later vote.