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Assembly hears plan to fund year-round Thane shelter, staff warns enforcement and capacity challenges
Summary
City staff proposed an ordinance to appropriate about $208,000 to extend cold-weather shelter operations in Thane and outlined a path toward year-round funding that would cost roughly $1.1 million annually; staff said success would likely require stricter enforcement of dispersed camping and tightened transportation arrangements.
Deputy Manager Barr told the Committee of the Whole the ordinance in the packet would appropriate "just north of $208,000" for the remainder of fiscal 2026 to support the cold-weather shelter in Thane and that staff would seek year‑round funding in FY27. Barr estimated "a total funding cost for year-round operations of the emergency shelter at Thane would be about $1,100,000," with most of that in contractual costs and a smaller amount for facility maintenance and repairs.
Barr said the shelter operator, Saint Vincent de Paul, has proposed a model that could allow year-round operations but that staffing capacity among social-service partners has historically constrained longer operations. He warned the committee that summer sheltering would require a different approach to dispersed‑camping enforcement, noting the code currently limits camping in public spaces to 48 hours and that enforcement had previously been relaxed when shelter space was unavailable.
Assembly members pressed staff on whether people would use the shelter voluntarily and how enforcement and transportation would be handled. Barr said partner agencies would continue to provide transport where possible but that summer services would be more challenging; on enforcement he said the best outcome is "first touch enforcement done by staff who work for the social service agencies," with CBJ park rangers, community service officers and police filling gaps when partner capacity is insufficient.
Two members disclosed affiliations with Saint Vincent de Paul; both said they had consulted the city attorney and were advised their roles did not create a personal or financial conflict and that they would not recuse unless the assembly directed otherwise.
The mayor moved to forward the emergency‑sheltering ordinance to the full assembly for public hearing so the community can comment specifically on enforcement and other implementation details. The motion was adopted by unanimous consent with no roll call recorded. The committee did not adopt substantive changes to the ordinance at the meeting; staff said they will continue outreach with social‑service partners and will return with implementation details as requested.
