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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10-20-2025 - Study Session Agenda PacketSTUDY SESSION AGENDA CITY COUNCIL MEETING CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO Monday, October 20, 2025 6:30 p.m. This meeting will be conducted as a virtual meeting, and in person, at: 7500 West 29th Avenue, Municipal Building, Council Chambers. City Council members and City staff members will be physically present at the Municipal building for this meeting. The public may participate in these ways: 1. Attend the meeting in person at City Hall. Use the appropriate roster to sign up to speak upon arrival. 2. Provide comment in advance at www.wheatridgespeaks.org (comment by noon on October 20, 2025) 3. Virtually attend and participate in the meeting through a device or phone: Click here to pre-register and provide public comment by Zoom (You must preregister before 6:00 p.m. on October 20, 2025) 4. View the meeting live or later at www.wheatridgespeaks.org, Channel 8, or YouTube Live at https://www.ci.wheatridge.co.us/view Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to participate in all public meetings sponsored by the City of Wheat Ridge. The City will upon request, provide auxiliary aids and services leading to effective communication for people with disabilities, including qualified sign language interpreters, assistive listening devices, documents in Braille, and other ways of making communications accessible to people who have speech, hearing, or vision impairments. To request auxiliary aid, service for effective communication, or document in a different format, please use this form or contact ADA Coordinator, (Kelly McLaughlin at ada@ci.wheatridge.co.us or 303-235-2885) as soon as possible, preferably 7 days before the activity or event. Public Comment on Agenda Items 1. Homeless Navigation Program Update 2. Removal of Utility Marking Requirements 3. Staff Report(s) 4. Elected Officials’ Report(s) ITEM NO. 1 Memorandum TO: Mayor and City Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager Marianne Schilling, Interim Deputy City Manager FROM: Maddy Horgan, Homeless Navigator Kory Kolar, Housing Navigator DATE: October 20, 2025 SUBJECT: Homeless Navigation Program Update ISSUE: The purpose of this study session item is for the Homeless Navigators to provide a general update to City Council regarding the Homeless Navigation Program. PRIOR ACTION: N/A FINANCIAL IMPACT: None. BACKGROUND: As part of a regional effort throughout Jefferson County, in December 2020 Wheat Ridge hired a Homeless Navigator to serve the cities of Wheat Ridge and Edgewater. A Housing Navigator was then hired in July 2022. Together, the Navigators work closely with local businesses, constituents, metro-area non-profit providers, government agencies, and other partners. The work of the Navigators includes: • Weekly outreach efforts which consist of contacting individuals living unsheltered and offering resources and basic need items such as socks, water, snacks, etc., to build trust and rapport • Attending Municipal Court to make contact with and provide support for justice- involved people experiencing homelessness • Assessing peoples’ needs and completing intakes in the collaborative Homeless Study Session Memo – Homeless Navigation Program Updates October 20, 2025 Page 2 Management Information System (HMIS) • Assisting clients with obtaining vital documents (e.g., photo ID, birth certificate) • Making referrals for healthcare, mental health, substance misuse, legal, and other issues • Helping clients obtain/retain whatever public benefits they are eligible for (e.g., SNAP, Medicaid) • Working with clients to identify a pathway towards housing • Providing financial assistance for client housing searches, applications, and deposits • Actively participating in Jefferson County’s regional efforts, as well as statewide efforts, to address homelessness Client Updates Since its inception, the City of Wheat Ridge Homeless Navigation Program has served nearly 350 clients and spoken to hundreds more referrals, directing ineligible referrals to other resources and service providers as appropriate. To date, the Program has achieved 175 housing placements, into either transitional or permanent, stable housing. There have been 34 housing placements since the last update in September 2024. Each client is different, and the Navigators work to provide appropriate resources and identify a pathway towards housing that is unique for each person. Some examples include providing security deposit and first month rental assistance, purchasing a bus ticket to another state to reunite a client with their family, assisting with applications to any available housing voucher waitlists/lotteries, and assisting clients with housing search and move-in. Staff also complete assessments with nearly all clients, entering them into Coordinated Entry through the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), which will then determine their eligibility for certain housing vouchers. The median cost for the Program to achieve a housing placement is $1,550 per household, with Bridge Housing (motel vouchers) and move-in costs (security deposit, first month rent, etc.) making up the vast majority of expenses. The median amount of time client households spend with the Program before achieving a housing placement is 129 days; the longest wait has been 936 days. Community Court The Program continues to partner with the Wheat Ridge Municipal Court to fine tune the model of the Community Court program, a specialty court program that connects those Study Session Memo – Homeless Navigation Program Updates October 20, 2025 Page 3 who are experiencing homelessness or housing insecurity with the Program’s Navigators. Community Court is located at the Jefferson Avenue United Methodist Church with the intention of curating a more accessible and welcoming environment than a traditional court setting and therefore encouraging more persons experiencing homelessness to attend their court date. Upon arrival to Community Court, defendants may choose to work with the Navigators, who will perform a needs assessment with the individual and determine sentencing conditions that may aid the individual in meeting personal goals or working towards exiting homelessness. Some examples of these conditions include obtaining vital documents, applying for public benefits such as SNAP or Medicaid, or following through on a referral to a specialized resource that meets the individual’s unique needs. In addition to meeting with defendants at Jefferson Avenue Methodist, the Program Navigators also recently obtained clearance to meet with individuals with Wheat Ridge cases who are detained at the Jefferson County Detention Facility. Court staff recognized that many unhoused individuals were unable to attend Community Court due to their incarceration, so they worked with the Program to develop a system in which these individuals have a way to learn about the Program and the resources available. Grants and Partnerships $25,000 in funding was awarded from Colorado Gives Foundation, which has been used to supplement operational funds to pay for more client move-ins. The Program has also applied for $60,000 in Homelessness Resolution Program (formerly Emergency Solutions Grants) funding in 2026 from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, Division of Housing. If awarded, $10,000 will be used for outreach supplies (e.g., snacks, hats/gloves, sunscreen, etc.) and $50,000 for Emergency Shelter. Award notifications will be made by the end of November. The Program continues to maintain and strengthen relationships with the faith-based community in Wheat Ridge. In February, the Program was invited to speak to a group at Holy Cross Lutheran who were interested in learning more about the root causes of homelessness and how they can better support those in need. Glory of God Lutheran continues to provide the Program with the t-shirt bags that their sewing circle creates, which are then distributed by the Program on outreach. They also provide the Program with knitted hats and scarves. Beyond hosting Community Court, Jefferson Avenue Methodist has grown into a valuable referral source for clients, as their leadership is often in contact with people experiencing homelessness in the Kipling area. Study Session Memo – Homeless Navigation Program Updates October 20, 2025 Page 4 In May, the Program launched its first Summer Donation Drive to collect reusable bags and water bottles to assemble warm weather outreach bags. Over the course of one month, the drive received 200 donated bags and 300 water bottles. The strong internal and external partnerships of the Program were helpful to the success of this drive, as donation boxes were held at three Wheat Ridge churches as well as in the Police Department lobby and the Wheat Ridge Recreation Center lobby. These bags were assembled into cohesive summer outreach bags and were distributed by the Wheat Ridge Police Department, who reported that they were well received and helped to develop rapport and direct more individuals to the Program’s resources. A Winter Donation Drive for this year is currently in the process of collecting socks, gloves, hats, and handwarmers, with boxes in all the same locations as the summer drive, as well as two locations in Edgewater. Severe Weather The Severe Weather season runs from October 1 through April 30, and the response is activated when nighttime low temperatures are projected to be 32 degrees or colder with precipitation, or at a threshold of 20 degrees regardless of precipitation. Last year, the Severe Weather response in Jefferson County relied on three main resources: the Mission Arvada shelter (which provided 40 beds), the Lakewood Navigation Center (75 beds) and overflow motel rooms paid for by the County (averaged 70 rooms per night per weather event). This year, Mission Arvada will not be operating, and the Lakewood Navigation Center will be closed for renovations through December at the earliest. To fill the gap, the County and the municipalities therein have entered into an intergovernmental agreement, pooling funds to be used for motel vouchers. To determine the costs for this severe weather season, the calculation estimated the same number of severe weather nights this season as last season (50). The funding can provide for 200 motel rooms per night, which is more than the total number of beds available last year. Even so, it is possible that demand will exceed the supply of vouchers, so each municipality, through its Navigators, is pre-identifying and prioritizing the most vulnerable members of their community to ensure that those who need it most have access to shelter. For households with children under the age of 18, there will be multiple access points for motel vouchers in addition to the Navigators, including Jeffco Human Services and nearby non-profit agencies. There is also a process in place for police officers and other emergency responders to provide motel vouchers outside of business hours, for life- threatening situations. Study Session Memo – Homeless Navigation Program Updates October 20, 2025 Page 5 When weather forecasts project temperatures at or below 10 degrees for 48 consecutive hours, the County will trigger an Extreme Weather response to supplement the Severe Weather response outlined above. Through this response, pop-up shelters will be deployed that can accommodate up to 160 people including their pets, are ADA compliant, and come with on-site security and food provision. RECOMMENDATIONS: None. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Q3 2025 Homeless Navigation Program Data & Demographics Report WHEAT RIDGE • EDGEWATER +20(/(66 1$9,*$7,21 '$7$  '(02*5$3+,& 5(3257 ©׃ׂٌ׀ׂׅ ATTACHMENT 1 Introduction The Homeless Navigation Program serves people experiencing homelessness in the cities of Wheat Ridge and Edgewater. This Program Data & Demographic Report contains the following information: x Program Referrals x Program Exits and Housing Placements x AfterCare Data x Program Expenses x Select Client Demographic Data Demographic data is self-reported by individuals during the Homeless Management Information System (HMIS) intake process. The Homeless Navigation Program does not verify or validate the information. Power BI DesktopProgram Referrals by Quarter Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 Qtr 4 Qtr 1 Qtr 2 Qtr 3 2023 2024 2025 60 48 67 56 58 42 47 63 69 45 68 Referral Sources 23% 23% 15% 11% 10% 7% 7% 4% City Staff Community Partner Current/Former Client Municipal Court Police Internet Search Resident Co-Responder 18.9% of Referrals become Clients Primary reasons a referral does not become a client: they are already working with other service providers or Navigators • they are not primarily a resident of Edgewater or Wheat Ridge • they have household members under the age of 18 • they are not currently experiencing, or at imminent risk of, homelessness • they are not (yet) interested in our services • Power BI Desktop Auto-Exit Permanent Housing - Voucher Permanent Housing - Self Pay Transitional Housing Permanent Housing - Subsidized Deceased Permanent Housing - Family/Friend 111 75 46 35 12 9 7 Program Exits since December 2020 295 Total 175 Housing Placements Housing Placements by City 34 34 27 24 6 6 5 3 2 1 City Arvada Wheat Ridge Lakewood Denver Englewood Out of State Westminster Golden Edgewater Aurora Littleton Number of days before housing placement 936 Maximum 129 Median An "Auto-Exit" occurs aŌer 180 days of no contact with the client. TransiƟonal Housing is oŌen Ɵme-limited and involves certain behavioral expectaƟons and signed agreements. Examples include sober living and residenƟal work programs. Typically, a voucher is funcƟonally the same as subsidized housing; both mean that only a fixed percentage of the client's gross income is paid as rent. But a voucher is oŌen portable whereas subsidized housing is usually Ɵed to a parƟcular property or unit. Power BI Desktop Issues by Topic Finances Logistics Eviction Adjustment Basic Needs Employment Habitability Benefits 25% 18% 13% 11% 11% 10% 7% 6% Actions Taken 0%10%20%30% Facilitation Advocacy Financial Aid Resources Support Material Goods New Placement 83% AŌerCare is a light form of Case Management, a process of checking in on clients to see what issues are arising aŌer their housing placement. Some issues pose a serious threat to the client's housing, while others do not, but reasonable efforts are made to assist the client in any way possible, regardless of the issue's severity. Expenses $37.5K $12.0K $8.3K $2.7K $1.8K Rental Assistance New Placement Transportation Material Goods Utilities of households still housed after 1 year Power BI Desktop Bridge Housing Move-in Costs AfterCare Outreach Supplies Lyft/Uber Gift Cards Furnishings Housing Search Vital Documents Bus Tickets Goods for Clients Family Reunification $114.2K $72.7K $64.4K $18.4K $11.4K $10.9K $7.2K $3.9K $3.1K $1.9K $1.2K $1.2K $228.9K $62.5K $25.2K Budget Source Operational DOLA HRP Colorado Gives Total Expenditures since January 2023 $316,514 Cost to reach housing placement, per household $150 Minimum $10,490 Maximum $1,550 Median Year: All  2023 2024 2025 Power BI Desktop Disability 68% 32% Yes No Year: All  2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Age Range 0% 10% 20% 30% 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-61 62+ Race/Ethnicity White Multiracial Black, African American, or African Hispanic/Latina/e/o Power BI Desktop Total Months Homeless in the Past Three Years More than 12 Months One month (this time is the first month) Nine Months Five Months Two Months Six Months Ten Months Three Months Seven Months Twelve Months Year: All  2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 Household Income 0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% $0 $1 - $10K $10K - $20K $20K - $30K $30K - $40K $40K - $50K $50K - $60K $60K+ ITEM NO. 2 Memorandum TO: Mayor and Council THROUGH: Patrick Goff, City Manager FROM: Kent Kisselman, Interim Public Works Director Gerald Dahl, City Attorney DATE: October 20, 2025 SUBJECT: Removal of Utility Marking Requirements ISSUE: Utility markings are a necessary part of construction to protect underground infrastructure; however, they often remain long after projects are completed, leaving streets, sidewalks, and public spaces with unsightly, lingering paint marks. The City of Wheat Ridge currently lacks a clear requirement for their timely removal, resulting in aesthetic and maintenance concerns across the community. Establishing formal standards for utility marking removal will ensure that construction sites are properly restored, maintain the community’s visual appeal, and align Wheat Ridge with best practices in neighboring cities. PRIOR ACTION: None FINANCIAL IMPACT: None BACKGROUND: Utility markings are critical for construction projects to identify and protect municipal, special district, and private utilities. The City of Wheat Ridge requires such markings to prevent utility damage during excavation or construction activities. While these markings are essential, they are meant to be temporary. The paints commonly used are durable and, without a clear requirement for removal, often remain long after a project’s completion, creating a disfigured appearance to streets and sidewalks. To address the issue, developers should be required to remove all utility markings once their projects are completed. Adoption of a municipal ordinance would formalize the responsibility and improve the community’s visual environment. Study Session Memo – Date Page 2 The following cities have timeframes and removal methods regarding utility markings. • Lone Tree and Greenwood Village defer removal procedures to the City Manager, requiring only that the method used be “least destructive to existing improvement and approved by the City”. Lone Tree and Greenwood Village require all utility markings to be removed within 45 days after completion of work. • Leadville does not establish a specific removal date but does require that the “permittee shall restore the work area”. While Leadville’s approach provides more flexibility, it can make the enforcement ambiguous. Leadville does resolve this by authorizing the city to charge construction companies for removal if the city has to perform the work itself. RECOMMENDATIONS: Based on the review of other municipal ordinances, Wheat Ridge staff recommends the following provisions: • Require the use of water-soluble paint for all temporary utility markings • Amend City Code Section 21-52(10) to explicitly require removal of utility markings as part of project restoration • Establish a clear time frame, i.e. 45 days after project completion, for marking removal • Authorize cost recovery by the City if markings are not removed in a timely manner. ATTACHMENTS: 1-3: Example utility markings