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Redwood City council approves $1.215M LifeMoves contract with added oversight
Summary
The City Council approved a two‑year, $1,215,000 contract with LifeMoves for encampment outreach, case management and rapid response, adding regular reporting to a newly created homelessness subcommittee and clarifying contract language on outreach frequency and monitoring.
Redwood City Council voted to approve a two‑year agreement worth $1,215,000 with the nonprofit LifeMoves to provide encampment outreach, case management, rapid response and service coordination in the city.
The action came after councilmembers pressed staff for clearer, consistent contract language about the frequency and scope of outreach and for stronger reporting and oversight. Councilmember Diane Howard told the council that residents were asking whether the contract “is going to be monitored and audited and checked on a regular basis,” and staff and the contractor committed to regular check‑ins and periodic reports to the council and the new homelessness subcommittee.
Why it matters: The contract provides boots‑on‑the‑ground outreach intended to connect people experiencing unsheltered homelessness with shelter and services; council members said they wanted to ensure the city can demonstrate outcomes and stewardship of public funds.
Key details: City staff and LifeMoves representatives clarified several items during the discussion. Hannah Sinoway, director of regional outreach initiatives for LifeMoves, told council, “LifeMoves does not actually give gift cards to clients,” addressing concerns about an item that appeared in the staff packet as an example of supplies. Staff confirmed the contract requires outreach visits on business days and explained fringe benefits for the LifeMoves team amount to $277,819 of the contract budget.
Oversight and reporting: Councilmember Jeff Gee moved to approve the agreement with an explicit requirement that LifeMoves provide regular reports to the homelessness subcommittee that the mayor will appoint; Councilmember Isabella Chu seconded the motion. The council recorded one abstention (Councilmember Marcela Padilla), and Mayor Martinez Ceballos recused himself from the 7D item. The motion carried with five yes votes.
Next steps: Staff will finalize the contract language to remove inconsistencies the council identified, begin the oversight reporting schedule and work with the subcommittee to review performance measures and KPIs. Councilmembers said they expect periodic updates to ensure transparency and accountability.
