A pilot program to shelter homeless residents during severe weather acted as a lens to a broader discussion about the critical need for such services in Sunnyvale.
At its most recent meeting on Dec. 10, the Sunnyvale City Council approved a pilot program that provides 10 motel rooms for up to 20 nights during the winter to homeless residents.
The county designated 15 inclement weather days last year.
The pilot is an amendment to an already-approved homeless outreach program with WeHOPE, given the go-ahead in August. It will run from December to April at Extended Stay America, 1255 Orleans Dr. in Sunnyvale. The pilot will run for two years.
Jennifer S. said she has been living in a tent for 16 months. She called the program a “life-saver” that “protects the most vulnerable in the community.” She told the council that America is founded on the idea that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are inalienable rights, adding that the government is created to protect these rights.
“And that necessity of pursuing happiness is the foundation of liberty. Happiness is inherently a fickle emotion, and it can take a lifetime to feel pure, unobstructed happiness,” she said. “Our public policy should reflect our nation’s values as they were meant to be. Kindness is a powerful tool in protecting happiness.”
Amanda Sztoltz, homeless services manager, told the council that state money for homeless support funds the program. However, the item came to council for a budget allocation to roll the initially earmarked money back into the initial program.
The amended contract total for the WeHOPE program is now $982,964, but there was no additional cost to add the motel pilot program. That additional money will be used for supplemental street outreach in the initial program.
Three services coordinators will be onsite. The program will also offer two daily meals during those days the county declares as severe weather. Rooms will accommodate pets and allow for those identifying as a household to share a room, Sztoltz said.
Myriad homeless advocates, many with Sunnyvale Community Services, also turned out to tout the program.
Claudia Camacho, with the group, said she and her daughter used to be homeless. She said she understands the toll being homeless takes on a person.
“Every day is a struggle just to find a place to rest,” she said. “The hardest thing is not just the physical discomfort but the constant worry of not knowing what will happen the next day or if you will be safe.”
The council unequivocally supported the program.
Council Member Richard Mehlinger said the need for the program “speaks to failures across all levels of society,” adding that it is “far from sufficient.” He added that he liked how “tremendously cost-effective” the program is.
Council Member Alysa Cisneros said if the program saves just one life, it is worth the effort. Such programs, she said, are “some of the most important work a city can do,” adding that homelessness is thought of as an “unsolvable problem.”
“No one city, no one state can do it,” she said. “If somebody dies on our streets, on our sidewalks, in the corner of a park, or in a tent, on a bench, we fail, and we shouldn’t be OK with that. That is on us, that is on the county, that is on the state, and we all need to feel accountable for what has happened. A long line of circumstances have led to that moment, and we could have potentially stopped it. That is a problem.”
The council unanimously approved the pilot.
City Set to Replace Flagship Fire Station
The council also approved the design of a new fire station. Fire Station No. 2, located near the Apple campus and Lowe’s between Wolfe Road and Arques Avenue, will get a major overhaul.
Marlon Quiambao, a senior engineer with the department of public works, told the council that five of the city’s six fire stations were built in the 1960s.
As a training site as well as the location of the city’s pancake breakfast and citizen’s academy, the building is a flagship station. The 2.3-acre site will feature a 16,000 square foot, two-story station and a separate 6,000 square foot training site.
One of the biggest benefits of the new design, Quiambao said, is the incorporation of “hot,” “cool” and “cold” zones. These zones allow firefighters to have a decontamination zone after a service call where they may be dealing with carcinogens.
The site also bolsters the city’s sustainability goals. It will feature publicly available electric vehicle charging stations and be solar-ready.
Chip Taylor, director of public works, told the council that the transition between the existing station and the new one will be “nearly seamless.” He added that the station will be on a microgrid, insulating it from power outages.
City Manager Tim Kirby said construction of the station is a prevailing wage project.
Mayor Larry Klein called the new design a “much-needed update.”
The council unanimously supported the redesign.
Funded by a $40 million bond measure and Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant money, the new Fire Station No. 2 is slated to come online in early 2028.
Sunnyvale City Council Consent Calendar Spending
The council approved the following spending in one motion via the consent calendar:
- A $440,000 purchase agreement with Lehr for accessory removal and installation of the city’s patrol and fire vehicles.
- A $385,000 purchase order with Precision Concrete Cutting for sidewalk assessment and concrete grinding.
- A $875,000 purchase agreement with Valley Oil Company for unleaded and diesel fuel.
- A five-year $542,747 purchase agreement with Axon Enterprise, Inc., for in-car hardware, software, delivery and installation of an upgraded mobile automated license plate recognition system.
- A $243,028, six-month contract extension, the fifth amendment, to an agreement with Keenan & Associates for workers’ compensation claims administration services. Total contract amount is now $2.9 million.
- A $420,000 contract with Brodart Co. for library print materials and shelf-ready services.
The council meets again at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 7 in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 456 W. Olive Ave. in Sunnyvale.
To submit public comments ahead of the meeting, visit http://Sunnyvale.ca.gov/PublicComments; Meeting online link: https://sunnyvale-ca-gov.zoom.us/j/96111580540; meeting call-in telephone number: 833-548-0276, meeting ID: 961 1158 0540.
