She was addressing Councilman Joshua Pedrozo at his first meeting as a Council member since being installed on November 30^th. 

Pedrozo, during the debate over whether two portable toilets for the homeless should be provided at their present campsite on Black Rascal Creek near Santa Fe in Merced, had asked, pointedly, “Where is the money going to come from?”

Davenport, who had initiated the request for the two toilets and hand washing facilities and had submitted a cost estimate of $270 per month per toilet, stepped up to the podium indignantly. 

After her offer to pay, a 4 to 3 vote in favor of allowing the porta-potties as long as the faith-based community would pay ended the lengthy discussion in which some Council members acknowledged that homeless people at the campsite are using Black Rascal Creek as a bathroom but expressed opposing viewpoints about providing toilets. 

Running until almost midnight, Monday night’s Merced City Council meeting also decided several other issues involving the city’s homeless: (1) A citizens advisory committee will discuss homeless issues brought up in the staff report and make recommendations to Council within 120 days on these issues and whether the creation of a homeless campground in Merced is warranted; (2) a previously-proposed site for a homeless campground at Mission Avenue and Tyler Road will no longer be considered by the Council; and (3) $25,000 in CDBG funds will be used for professional services to prepare the 2009 Continuum of Care Plan which will request a $579,947 grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for homeless programs. The HUD offers funds to help the homeless transition to permanency, and the city has contributed $25,000 in the past for a homeless tracking system currently in place. There are two new projects being requested: A permanent supportive housing project for six chronically homeless adults with supportive services by Turning Point, and supportive services for a transitional housing project for homeless women and children to be operated by Community Social Model Advocates.

The Council members who voted against allowing the portable toilets at Black Rascal Creek were Pedrozo, Noah Lor and Michele Gabriault-Acosta.

About the toilet request, Councilman Lor said, “Once we start providing services to them, the camp will grow and there will be no one in the shelter.”

About the idea of creating a campground, he said, “Creating a campground means we are promoting homelessness in our society. If we really want to solve the problem, our shelter is available. If we really want to solve it, we need to start working with Habitat for Humanity to build one house a year.”

Lor said the Council should focus on a permanent solution with an outcome of the homeless transitioning back to living within society.

Councilwoman Michele Gabriault-Acosta, who also voted against providing toilets at the Black Rascal Creek campsite, said, “I think we’re setting ourselves up for some bad public policy. They need help - - a hand up, not a handout. I’ve gotten some calls from businesses, and they’re upset about this. They don’t want it. Do we jeopardize losing jobs because our industries out there are looking to move elsewhere?”

Councilwoman Gabriault-Acosta was one of the three Council members who volunteered to be on the citizens advisory committee which will make a recommendation in 120 days about whether an official homeless campground should be created so the homeless could be relocated from their various tent cities in Merced such as the one at Black Rascal Creek. 

The other two volunteers for the citizens committee were Councilman John Carlisle and Merced Mayor Pro Tem Bill Blake. 

A suggestion was made that two of the homeless men who shared opinions at the meeting be included on the committee.

One of the most perplexing issues was identified as where to place the “290's”, who are parolees who have committed sexual offenses and are required by law to stay about 2,000 feet away from schools and parks.

When sharing his view that no matter what, the homeless campsites will remain since some homeless people choose to camp for various reasons or else cannot qualify for a shelter bed, Blake labeled himself a realist. 

He said, “It’s the coldest night of the year, and we’re still gonna have empty beds [at the shelters]. Most don’t meet the criteria for a bed. That tells me we’re still gonna have campgrounds because it’s not gonna go away. We can’t wish this away. We’re gonna have to do something. But not near a back yard, a school or a playground.”

Councilman Carlisle agreed, and asked Mike Conway, Merced’s Public Information Officer, who was reporting on the matter, “How many beds are available to the 25 or 30 290's?” 

Conway reported, “When we last checked out there, it [Black Rascal Creek campsite] had 45 to 50 people. Half are 290's. None of the shelter beds would be available to the 290's. There are very few locations within the city limits that are acceptable [for 290's].”

He added, “They are regularly checked on by Mental Health and the Human Services Agency to see what programs they qualify for.”

Councilman William Spriggs weighed in on the issue, saying, “I don’t like the idea of a campsite having a negative impact on businesses. They’re camping all over town. I’m sorry, but the community has a different standard. But we need to have alternatives with sanitary facilities. In the interim, we need to have a campsite. We need to put someone in charge so we can start leveraging HUD money.”

Although he voted in favor of allowing the porta-potties, Spriggs said, “I am very conflicted on this. From a human/public health point of view, we should provide this. But if we do this, do we want to continue to attract people to this community because we’re doing such a good job?”

Near the end of the meeting, a homeless woman who introduced herself as Roberta, stepped up to the podium.

She described herself as “out of prison, battling with cancer, diabetic, off parole”, and “clean and sober for one year.”

She said, “I’m in a 12-step program. I go to church. I try to work part-time, but my medical issues prevent it.”

She thanked the Council members, saying, “Because of the grant you gave to Sierra Church, I got the first apartment I’ve ever had in my whole life.”

She concluded, “The homeless are my friends, brothers and sisters, just as you are. God wants us all to work together.”

During the meeting, the Council awarded a $937,578 contract to Viking General Contractors as part of a Safe Routes to School grant. The purpose of Safe Routes to School is to increase the number of children who walk or bicycle to school and reduce the barriers to this from lack of infrastructure. The contract will allow construction of 21 flashing school signs, sidewalks, curb, gutter, and paving at various schools, as well as traffic signals at the intersections of Gerard Avenue and G Street, and at R and 22^nd Streets with handicapped ramps and crosswalks.

Ross F. Carroll disagreed with the decision, claiming it was the lowest responsible bidder.

During the meeting, the city received the Municipal Information Systems Association of California Award for Excellence in Information Technology Practices. This is the fourth time the city has received the award, under the direction of Jeff Lewis.