Officials and Guests in Attendance
The Governing Committee members were present except for K. McClain which had to excuse himself due to an emergency and staff were present.  
 
Yes, all Governing Committee members seemed engaged.
 
Accessing the Meeting and Materials
Yes, the meeting started within five minutes of the scheduled time of 10:00am. Yes, I observed the entire meeting.
 
Yes, the agenda was available ahead of the meeting.
 
Yes, it was accessible but time of meeting was posted just the day before the meeting.
 
Summary of Discussion
Yes, the agenda was followed.
 
Attendance was taken.  K. Mcclain asked to be excused due to an emergency. J. Durkan was meeting moderator. J. Durkan introduced H. Howell who is the new interim director of the Seattle Human Services Department.

The meeting was opened for Public Comment.  No comments were made.

Staff Update
.L. Flor said the macro timeline for the KCHRA was on schedule.  The Implementation Board is working on the six month work plan for the CEO.  The Staff are working on logistics to welcome the CEO.  Methodology used to calculate homeless is different this year due to the fact that the in person count did not happen at the end of the last year because of the virus.  N. Backus noted that in the last five years three different methodologies had been used so there would be significant inconsistencies and they should do all they can to standardize things going forward.  Z. Reid said that they should find a way to count even with the virus - precautions can be taken.  We can/need to do better.  J. Hemphill said they can't forget all the people living in vehicles as well.

S. Plumacher gave an update on CEO recruitment.  Final decision to be made on Feb 4 with CEO scheduled to join Feb 18 Governing Committee meeting.

Committee By-Laws
Some changes were proposed to the by-laws at early meetings last year and voted on at the meeting.   The vote was unanimous.

Co-Chair Selection
It was decided to have co-chairs from all the represented groups and they would rotate chairing the meetings.
E. Price was selected as the co-chair to represent SCA.
D. Constantine was selected as the co-chair to represent King County.
J. Hemphill was selected as the co-chair to represent the Lived Experience Coalition.
J. Durkan was selected as the co-chair to represent the City of Seattle.

Other Business
Z. Reid expressed some concerns about R. Dunn in that things written about him seemed to not align with the mission of the KCHRA.  J. Durkan said it was important to build trust among all the committee members and they should meet in smaller groups in an effort to do this. R. Dunn said he appreciated the passion of the group and that he cared a great deal about the homelessness issue and that it was quite complicated - and that the solutions were many.  It was understood that Z. Reid and R. Dunn would talk further offline.

The meeting was adjourned at 10:50 am.

Officials and Guests in Attendance
All KCHRA Implementation Board members were there (with L Green sitting in for H Odom) and two people from the Hawkins Group (recruiting firm) were present. All Board members were attentive, courteous.
 
Accessing the Meeting and Materials
The meeting started about 10 minutes late at 8:10am. I observed the entire meeting.
Meeting information was available ahead of time. The meeting was easily accessible however the notice of the meeting came just the day before although it had been scheduled much earlier on.
 
Summary of Discussion
The agenda was followed.
 
This was a brief meeting (10 minutes long) before the Board went into executive session and the meeting was closed to the public.

The Hawkins group reminded all that as of December 10 for one month the evaluation committee reviewed all resumes received and determined there were four candidates they would like to proceed with for interviews.  When the meeting would go into executive session they would prepare for the interviews and all four interviews would take place throughout the day.  From the results of these interviews two candidates would move to the next step.  Between Jan 18 and 22 the SCA (Sound Cities Assoc) and the LEC (Lived Experience Coalition) would have an opportunity for a meet and greet.  Final interviews would take place on Jan 29 and the Governing Committee is scheduled to approve the selection on Feb 4.

G. McHenry ask that a list of the members of the evaluation committee be made available.

A. Quinn asked if there would be ranking sheets made available for the interviews and the Hawkins group said this would be discussed in the executive session.

The meeting was closed to the public at 8:20 am.

 Officials and Guests in Attendance
All Board members except A. Quinn.  L. Green was present for H. Odom. J. Spotted Elk was going to step down from the Board but has decided to stay.  H. Howell was present but is stepping down due to taking a new job with the City of Seattle.  Her replacement has not been identified.  
 
Board members were attentive, engaged, respectful of each other.
 
Accessing the Meeting and Materials
The meeting started within five or so minutes of the scheduled start time. of the scheduled start time. from the start time. I observed the entire meeting. The agenda was posted ahead of the meeting. as well as meeting materials. The meeting was easy to access, but date of meeting should have been posted earlier.
 
Summary of Discussion
The agenda was followed.
 
N. Caminos led the meeting and started as they always do with first acknowledging the land they were meeting on, second explaining the public comment process and third kicking off the group with a grounding question.  This meeting's grounding question was - How do you see using the Theory of Change in the work of the Implementation Board?

P. Carvalho said it was good that they are trying something new and that centering equity is not always the quickest way but we believe it is the right way.

L. Green shared some quotes "Those closest to the pain are closest to the change" "People need their power back"

M. Ramos appreciated the leadership of the Lived Experience Coalition.

G. McHenry said the challenge for them is to behave in ways that groups like themselves have not in the past.  The work needs to be rooted in relationships with those in need.

C. Anderson said this was an initial giant step in levelling the playing field with marginalized groups.

J. Spotted Elk was glad to be back, grateful for the land acknowledgement, and appreciated the open door and opportunity to center voices of the marginalized.

J. Chelminiak said the customer centered focus provides a unique opportunity to find a solution and appreciated learning more about equity focus at prior meetings.

S. Reddy said he agreed that returning power is the goal.

Staff Reports

• Work on setting up insurance for the Authority is in progress and should be scheduled for a vote end of Jan/early Feb.
• Work on setting up temporary accounting/payroll activities are in process with a local company.  Contract to be finalized and hopefully to start mid-Jan through Oct 2021.

CEO Hiring Update
4 candidates identified for interviews on Jan 15.  Final selection and vote scheduled for Feb 4.

Discussion took place on questions to ask in addition to what the recruiting firm put forth.  Recruitment firm questions covered - expertise/understanding of homelessness; commitment to equity, race and social justices; management skills; communication/leadership style; transformation/doing things differently.  Board's additions were:

P. Carvalho thought a question past crisis management would be good - more on prevention.

S. Reddy wanted to know the candidates thoughts on the relationship between health and homelessness.

G. McHenry wanted to know if the candidates had experience in building coalitions, relationships with multiple groups.

S. Rankin agreed with G. McHenry's point and wanted to know the candidates take on the ILA - are there any problems they see that need to be addressed?

M. Ramos wanted to know the candidates approach to power - in relationship to the political process, the lived experience coalition, etc.

J. Chelminiak agreed with G. McHenry and wanted to know the candidates answer to - How do you define success for the Authority?

L. Green wanted a question regarding the organizational climate the candidates would establish - will staff feel valued.

J. Spotted Elk wanted to look for transparency and wanted a question that asks the candidates to share some personal experience(s) that make them qualified for the work ahead/aligned with the work ahead.

Sound Cities Assoc (SCA) has asked the Implementation Board if they could have a meet and greet with the two candidates that will be put forth after the review of the four candidates.  It was decided and voted on (all in favor except one no from J. Spotted Elk) that the meet and greet was ok as it will build trust with one of the coalition partners.  It is understood that SCA will have no say in selection and must sign confidentiality agreements.

Public Comment
There was one public comment from a male who works with the homeless reminding all that the problem is growing - more people are sleeping in vehicles, referrals to shelters are a nightmare and that a Regional Action Plan is needed now - act as quickly as possible.

Board Business
It was agreed to change the meeting time from 90 mins to 120 mins as there was much work to be done this coming year.

There was some discussion on the Board structure - the need for a Treasurer, possible subcommittees, etc.  Some Board members expressed interest in specific subcommittees: L Green said that Youth should be involved in some level for representation; M Ramos said that they should look at previous committees that worked; G McHenry wants to be involved in the Regional Action Plan; S Reddy wants to be involved in the Regional Action Plan also.

KCRHA Initial Work Plan
The Board reviewed the initial work plan which is suppose to cover the CEO's first six months.
L Green reminded all that H. Odom wanted the Ombudsman office started at the launch of the Authority.

J. Chelminiak said the plan right now was just a task list of things to get done which was ok for a start.

M. Ramos said they needed an interim communications/PR person and/or strategy to manage better what was in the media - need to be proactive.

The meeting was adjourned at 3:30.

Members present:
Implementation Board: Helen Howell, Paula Carvalho, Simha Reddy, Gordon McHenry, Adrienne Quinn, John Chelminiak, Nate Caminos, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, Juanita Spotted Elk, and Harold Odom

Governing Committee: Executive Dow Constantine, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Johnathan Hemphill, Kirk McClain, Zaneta Reid, Councilmember Regan Dunn, Councilmember Joe McDermott, Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, Councilmember Andrew Lewis, Mayor Nancy Backus, Mayor Angela Birney, and Councilmember Ed Prince
​
Members absent:
Implementation Board: Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, and Professor Sara Rankin
Governing Committee: None
 
Background to Meeting
The King County Equity and Social Justice Strategy 2016 - 2022 Plan was co-created with employees and community partners.  The Plan is a blueprint for action and change that guides the County’s pro-equity policy direction, decision-making, planning, operation and services, and their workplace practices in order to advance equity and social justice within County government and in partnership with communities.  In developing the strategy, the County applied a theory of change that fundamentally shifts the County away from policies and practices that react to problems and crises toward investments that address the root causes of inequities, ultimately leading to better quality of life and greater prosperity in all King County communities.
 
Shared values of the strategy include:
 
. Inclusive and Collaborative -  The County achieves better outcomes by engaging and including employees and communities early, continuously and meaningfully; it maximizes opportunities and its collective potential by breaking down silos, partnering and convening across government and organizations. 
 
. Diverse and People Focused - The County represents the mosaic of its communities at all levels of the organization to innovate and better serve; nurtures respect and dignity by valuing every person’s leadership, strengths and assets. 

• Responsive and Adaptive - The County is culturally and linguistically responsive to and driven by employees and community. 
• Transparent and Accountable - The County builds trust and common understanding by being transparent and accountable in its actions, processes and measures. It dismantles systems, policies and practices that perpetuate structural racism, inequities and different forms of discrimination based on power and privilege. 
•  Focused Upstream and Where Needs Are Greatest - The County focuses upstream on root causes and sustainable solutions–where returns are greatest–and on populations and places with the greatest needs. 

 
The Lived Experience coalition wanted to ensure that the Theory of Change principles as discussed in the strategy were integral to the work of the KCRHA, and a special joint meeting of the KCHRA Governing Committee and Implementation Board was scheduled to discuss this.  As stated on the website - The Theory of Change will be discussed during the meeting:  If we create a homelessness response system that centers customer voice, then we will be able to focus on responding to needs and eliminating inequities, in order to end homelessness for all.
 
Welcome, Roll Call, and Agenda Overview
Attendance taken.  Almost all of both Boards were present.  Acknowledged the Duwamish tribe and that it is their land that Seattle sits on.  
 
McClain shared some opening remarks, quoting Malcolm X - saying that when people get angry real change happens -- that McClain was not an angry person but angry at the conditions and that all needed to really apply themselves to make real change happen.
 
10:15 they acknowledged the earthquake drill but kept on with the meeting.
 
Public Comment
Public Comment was opened with two comments.
One commenter said they needed to really lean in to this transformational opportunity.  Think differently.
Another commenter wanted to ensure certain funding in the budget this year for outreach through the urban league was included in next year’s budget.  He did not see it in the current draft and said this was a mistake.  He has been trying to get in touch with city council and other city government people to address this without any response, so he felt he had to address this forum to make them aware and asked for some response after the meeting.
 
Facilitated Dialogue: Centering Equity and the Theory of Change
McClain then said he was glad to be a part of this group.  That all needed to learn from the past or they would be doomed to repeat mistakes.  There are 14,000 approximately homeless in King County and we really need to follow the Theory of Change principles to be successful.  The Lived Experience Coalition is unified and angry and is saying systems changes are needed.  
 
Two guests (Dr Richards and Dr Perry) from the People’s Institute were present to assist with the discussion.  The People’s Institute for Survival and Beyond is a collective of anti-racist community organizers and educators committed to building an anti-racist movement.  It is nationwide and has been in existence for 25 years.
 
Richards said they needed to focus on quality of humanity and being accountable to the homeless community.
 
Glen, who is Native American, was supposed to speak at the start of the meeting but due to technical difficulties, just joined in at this point to share.  He said they referred to the homeless as unsheltered relatives as it was more humane.  That all needed to deal with the spiritual as well as the mind and body.  He sang a Native American song for all bringing a cultural experience to the meeting.  Said he had great respect for all present and for what they are aiming to accomplish.
 
McClain said they needed to remember to put people over policy and process.  There’s more here than just involving the brain - they needed to see the people and work with heart and spirit.
 
Perry and Richards wanted to hear from the people at the meeting what they thought the purpose/intention of the Authority was and asked for people to comment.
 
Reid cited 3 specific homeless people she knew and said with much emotion these are the reasons we are here.  One was a female veteran, now wheelchair-bound, living out of a van for several years because her priority was to get a college education and in pursuing this did not qualify for assistance.  This was one of three examples of how the current system failed people.  Reid said we are supposed to center these people.
 
Odom said they needed to break down barriers, understand poverty.  We let people sleep in doorways - how dare we!
 
Lewis said he had a sincere commitment to make progress on extreme poverty and inequality - to break down silos, tackle barriers, center experiences of people.  He cited the Health One Team as a good example of trying to help the whole individual - although this is currently just a small program in pilot stage.
 
McHenry wanted to understand the gap the lived experience people are seeing in the Governing Committee and Implementation Board’s work.  He wanted to know how they can all better align with the Theory of Change.  He asked if this could be answered at some point, if not right now.
 
Richards reminded all that racism dehumanizes all people.  That long ago it was our place of origin that defined us, not the color of our skin.  That before all got to housing equity they needed to get to voice equity.
 
Chelminiak said he was expecting a training session on racial disparity, which he felt they were starting to get to now.
 
Howell said she was expecting a training session as well - then received the government document on the theory of change so was a bit confused as to what to expect at the meeting.
 
Carvalho was expecting some type of training but believed they needed some type of foundation training.  She did not want to rebuild the same system which was disempowering to the BIPOC communities.
 
Richards wanted to know who had gone through the racial training session they offered.  It is a 2 day normally (3 day on zoom) session that unravels racism.  She said this could not be accomplished in a two hour meeting.  About a dozen or a bit less folks had already completed this training.
 
With forty minutes left in the meeting she suggested they can share what it means to create a space for antiracist organizing principles.  She also said Perry and herself would be happy to offer the 2-3 day training if they desired it.  What they have found to be effective is:

• Leaders have to always be growing and accountable back to their base
• The groups had to work as a collective for the same purpose - shared mission
• Principles keep them anchored and accountable and provide direction and clarity

 
She spoke about a network vs. an entanglement.  A network works together to get things done and entanglement does not get anything done.  They needed to fight 1. internalized racial oppression (victim) and 2. Internalized superiority (savior complex) as this results in a co-dependent entanglement.
 
Hemphill spoke to a very specific example where he is on the subcommittee to define the CEO profile.  He wants to give the CEO authority to establish permanent supportive housing if it is so deemed necessary, and others disagree.  He felt this was racism because who is out on the street?
 
Perry said that how you define a problem or situation will also define how you address it.
 
They needed to focus on what the root cause of homelessness was.
 
Richards said it was good to have lived experience at the table but did the table itself have to change in some way(s)? (i.e. Roberts Rules).  These are protocols that some have been following but not all at the table.  Is this helpful or not?
 
If looking for equity it comes at several levels -
1. Staffing
2. Policy, program and procedure (reform)
3. Organizational culture and structure (true nature of our relationship with homeless)
4. Vision and mission (do you believe you can become antiracist?)
 
McClain thanked Perry and Richards.
 
Hemphill said that the 200+ lived coalition is centered and grounded around the homeless people in the area and they do have relationships with homeless people.
 
Richards said that everyone present had lived experience and is having living experiences as we speak.  All should look at this as a way to connect.
 
Odom invited anyone that is interested to come to the outreach they have on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
 
The meeting was adjourned.

Members present: Helen Howell, Paula Carvalho, Simha Reddy, Gordon McHenry, Adrienne Quinn, John Chelminiak, Nate Caminos, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, Harold Odom, and Professor Sarah Rankin
 
Members absent: Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson and Juanita Spotted Elk
 
Welcome and Settling In
Jason Johnson (Director of Human Services Seattle) was the facilitator.  He acknowledged the indigenous history of the lands they were meeting on - he from Denver, much of the Board from Seattle, one from Idaho.
 
Meeting started on time.  Attendance taken - all present except for two folks, Carey Anderson and Juanita Spotted Elk.  When attendance taken each answered whether they were an introvert, extrovert or some combination of both.  This was done to help build relationship, understanding between the Board.
 
CEO Hiring
A representative from the Hawkins Group gave an update on the CEO process.  In the last eight weeks they have met with the stakeholders - this Board, the Governing Committee, etc. and have put together two documents.  The first is a position profile to be used in recruiting and the second is a screening document to be used in assessing candidates.  This should have been completed by Oct 12 but is being completed by Oct 15.  At this point the actual search for the CEO will begin.
 
Reddy wanted to know what themes for the position came through.  Four key things were mentioned:
1. The person has experience launching a new organization or working with a new organization the size of 50- 100 people.
2. The person is comfortable working in a complex political environment.
3. The person has a passion for the work, is an advocate for the vision.
4. The person have a degree of financial fluency.
 
Adrienne wanted to know a bit about how the recruiting was going to happen.  The Hawkins Group would not keep their search to just those within homelessness work positions.  Focus was more on the core skill set accompanied by the heart/passion for the work.  They asked the Board as well as other stakeholders to please put forth names they felt should be considered and they will be looking nationwide for candidates.
 
RHA Staff Update
Next up was an update from a staff member, Leo Flor, on two subjects.
 
First, the Advisory Board names were to be brought forward at this meeting, but it is on hold until the next meeting because they have to verify something in the charter.
 
Second, the temporary staffing recommendation had to be discussed and approved/not approved.  The CEO needs to have some temporary budget for the hiring of some initial positions within the first five months of his/her hire. This gives the CEO funding for these few positions.
 
Reddy wanted to know if the five positions mentioned are fixed, and the answer was no.  This was just a suggestion to put together a budget for approval purposes.
 
Odom said that the hiring needed to be equity-based and based on the Theory of Change.  Flor said that this was in their hands as the Implementation Board to direct the CEO to hire in this manner.  Also Odom felt it important to hire an ombudsman at the start.
 
Chelminiak wanted to know if this included salaries and benefits, what size organization was being considered and how many months did the budget cover.  The salaries and benefits covered approximately five positions for five months.  The size of the organization long-term is open but was expected to be around 60 or so.
 
Quinn reiterated Odom’s point about the importance of hiring an ombudsman as one of the first hires.
 
A vote was put forth to approve the temporary staffing/budget recommendation with the priority to hire an ombudsman as one of the first hires.  It was approved unanimously.
 
Public Comment
The meeting was opened to public comment for ten minutes.  There was one public comment - again from a man who spoke at the last meeting saying that the regional committees feel disconnected from the Implementation Board.  They have no idea what is going on.  The regional committees are out on the front lines dealing with COVID-19, winter shelter, and vehicle homelessness and need to be brought in the loop as to what the Implementation Board is doing.  There was discussion from the Board with this public person for ten minutes as there was no other public comment.  All agreed the Board needed to be accountable to the Public.  They will determine the best way to communicate out to these groups - maybe with some formal monthly communication.  There needs to be ongoing dialog back and forth.  Trust dissipates quickly without connection and the Board needs to be wary of this.
 
RHA Implementation Board Chairs
Next on the agenda was the structure for the Implementation Board - a subject continuing from the last meeting.  Should they have co-chairs, vice chairs, etc.  It was agreed that they should have two co-chairs, with at least one having lived experience.  The rest of the executive set up - whether they would have vice chairs, a secretary, treasurer, etc would be decided at a later date.  The vote was unanimous for the two co chairs.  The staff will ask all Board members if they are interested in a co-chair role and these names will be presented at the next meeting.
 
The next meeting of the Implementation Board is being rescheduled due to Veterans Day.  The next meeting will be on Tuesday, November 10 from 4 - 5:30.
 
An additional meeting is being held with the Governing Committee on Thursday, Oct 15 from 10 - 12.  The subject of this meeting is a facilitated dialogue about centering equity and the Theory of Change in the work that these groups are doing. This references the Theory of Change created by community and adopted by the King County Continuum of Care board last year.  The Theory of Change will be discussed during Thursday’s meeting: If we create a homelessness response system that centers customer voice, then we will be able to focus on responding to needs and eliminating inequities, in order to end homelessness for all.                                            

Members present: Helen Howell, Paula Carvalho, Simha Reddy, Gordon McHenry, Adrienne Quinn, John Chelminiak, Nate Caminos, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, Juanita Spotted Elk, Harold Odom, and Professor Sarah Rankin
 
Members absent: Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson
 
Intro and Welcome
Attendance taken and all present except for Rev. Anderson.
 
Public Comment (1 of 2)
Meeting opened for Public Comment but no one there. Will try again later in the meeting.
                                                           
Grounding Question
Started the meeting with a get to know each other question - all answering how they got their name/the origin of their name.
                                                           
Theory of Change/Equity-Based Decision Making
Then there was discussion/review on the theory of change. This revolved around equity-based decision making where the solution centers around the customer’s voice. Equity-based decision making revolves around policy and strategy, business operations, and hiring operations. This board’s focus was around business operations, specifically in the areas of 1. Participatory budgeting, 2. Complete and equitable RFP framework and 3. Contractor selection that involved lived experience in the decision making.
                                                           
Continued RHA Start-Up Discussion
Next the six key decisions needed for the Board to continue operating and to move forward with the CEO hiring process were discussed and voted on.

1. Insurance - It was agreed to purchased insurance through a risk pool for a maximum of 12 months. To be reviewed and possibly changed after the CEO and CFO were on board. This was unanimously approved.
2. Payroll Services - Using ADP for a maximum of 12 months. To be reviewed and go through an RFP process. 11 ayes, and 1 abstained.
3. Accounting Services - Agreed for 12 months to be reviewed and go through an RFP. Unanimously approved.
4. Health Care Benefits - Agreed for 12 months to be reviewed. Unanimously approved.
5. Retirement System Participation - Agreed for 12 months to be reviewed. Unanimously approved.
6. Social Security - Agreed for 12 months to be reviewed. Unanimously approved.

                                                                                                             
Implementation Board Officers
Next was discussion of the Board Officers makeup - chair and vice chair, two co-chairs, etc. No decision was made. They will decide at October meeting. Need more info and need to get to know each other better.
                                                           
Public Comment (2 of 2)
Public Comment was opened again with one comment. The gentleman was asking the Board to make sure they stay connected to the Regions. People outside of the work that they are doing do not know what is happening at the meetings. The Board needs to reach out and share more.
                                                           
Board wanted to add this comment to the Agenda for the next meeting so it is addressed. Next meeting is Wed, Oct 2, 2 - 3:30pm. 

Members present: Helen Howell, Paula Carvalho, Simha Reddy, Gordon McHenry, Adrienne Quinn, John Chelminiak, Nate Caminos, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, Juanita Spotted Elk, Harold Odom, Professor Sarah Rankin, and Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson
 
Intro and Welcome
Attendance taken and all present. Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson was introduced - last Board member to join the group. Team being surveyed to determine best meeting time.
                                                           
Public Comment (1 of 2)
Public comment opened for 10 minutes but since no one there they will open again later in the meeting.
                                                           
Grounding Question
Discussion followed on ideas to get to know each other to better work as a group. They want to work as a cohesive team, but many folks don’t know each other/have not worked together before. Some ideas included:
. Asking about how each person was doing - general well being
. Asking about the origin of their name
. Having small break out groups for 10 - 15 mins to have more intimate discussions
. Determining the values of the Board
. Having a retreat (virtual)
. Sharing a story from your life that taught you about leading, or managing, etc.
. Talking constantly about how we bring racial lens to the body
. Agreeing on principles and outcomes and norms for engaging with each other
. Sharing a meal if possible
                                                           
Public Comment (2 of 2)
Then opened for public comment again. One person on the line. Thanked the Board for the hard work again but asked them to work as quickly as possible. There are unsheltered homeless out there every day. Half of them live in vehicles. These people must be remembered. Hoping that the lived experience coalition can be a strong voice for these people.
                                                           
KCRHA Start-Up Decisions
Materials were sent out last week covering six key decisions the Board had to make to enable the KCRHA to operate, the CEO to get hired and the CEO to immediately hire a few key people to get going. A PowerPoint was shared on these key items which included:
1. Insurance
2. Payroll Services
3. Accounting Services
4. Health Care Benefits
5. Retirement System Participation
6. Social Security.
 
Key comments were that the package should be no less than what city and county offer now; and that there must be a way to carefully track where the money goes. Also the Board wanted to know how long they would be locked in to any decision before they could make a change if it was so desired. Voting on these six items will take place at the next meeting.
                                                           
Officer Nomination and Voting
They then talked about the structure of the Board - whether they should have a Chair and Vice Chair; a Chair and Co-chair; Secretary, Treasurer or some other mix of leadership. The ILA gives them flexibility in how it is set up. It was agreed that inclusion of lived experience people is important.
                                                           
Spotted Elk nominated Odom for a co-chair position. It was decided to determine the structure before they start to fill the positions. Also, they don’t really know each other yet, so it is hard to know strengths of the group and who might be better suited for each position. It was agreed to let the staff come back with options for the structure. It was also agreed to have the staff set up some type of digital retreat.

 Members present: Executive Dow Constantine, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Kirk McClain, Zaneta Reid, Councilmember Regan Dunn, Councilmember Joe McDermott, Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, Councilmember Andrew Lewis, Mayor Angela Birney, and Councilmember Ed Prince
 
Members absent: Mayor Nancy Backus
 
Members who sent a proxy: Johnathan Hemphill
 
Welcome, Roll Call, and Agenda Overview
Ed Prince ran the meeting.
 
Update on Racial Equity and Anti-Oppression Training
McClain spoke on the equity training that this committee and the Implementation Board would have.  Details to be worked out but that it was in progress.
 
Approval of Minutes
The July 16 minutes were approved unanimously.
 
Public Comment
Then the meeting was opened for public comment for 10 minutes.  Fifteen different people spoke, all with similar comments - the committee needs to keep power at the homelessness level; solutions are found closest to the problems so need to move power toward these folks; response needs to be centered around the customer voice, need to have policies that lift up rather than dehumanize, trust and listen to the lived experience people on the committee, vote yes for amendments C&D in today’s meeting, bring honor and grace to lived experience group, lived experience people should not be marginalized.  In addition to all the comments being in support of keeping the lived experience people in leadership roles that are really given a voice - and not just ticking a box; one comment was that there was no representation for veterans on the Implementation Board.
 
All were given an opportunity to speak.  Public comment did not end until all had spoken.
 
Consideration of Implementation Board Appointee
Next it was stated that twelve people were seated to the Implementation Board at the July 18 meeting and they had one more seat to fill today.  Michael Ramos was put forth.  It was unanimously approved.
 
Staff Update on CEO Hiring Process & Timeline
Jason Johnson introduced Christine from Hawkins Co who was retained for the CEO search.  Christine spoke and said she would be reaching out to many for their input. The Hawkins Co did a similar job search for the Los Angeles Housing Authority recently and they have worked with King County and the City of Seattle in the past.  Johnson reminded all that a fair amount of work has already been completed on what they are looking for - a job description has been drafted, so Christine would hot be starting from scratch.  The goal is to hire a CEO in November.
 
Johnson then discussed a change to the initial staffing plan.  The CEO is given 60 days to present a staffing plan, but he will need a few new staff immediately to do this work.  This authority for the CEO to do some initial hires before the 60 days was voted on and approved - 3 abstained, 8 in favor.
 
Tess Colby (staff at Mayor Durkan’s office) presented an overview of the Bylaws for approval. The bylaws discuss how the Committee will operate.   The group who drafted the bylaws met four times.  Most of the bylaws were agreed on, however, there were 5 amendments to be discussed at the meeting today as there was not consensus.
 
Amendment A asked for alternates for Constantine and Durkan in the case of an emergency.  This was voted 8 ayes, 3 nays.

Amendment B asked for a higher voting threshold (8 vs the current threshold of 2/3rds of members present) only for specific changes requested to budget, goals, policies or plans.  This was voted 7 ayes, 4 nays.

Amendment C spoke to the term limits and alternates allowed for lived experience persons.  This was voted 10 ayes, 1 nay.

Amendment D requires the CEO provide meeting materials seven days in advance of meetings for proper review and preparation. This was voted 11 ayes.

​Amendment E asked for a four member co-chair committee.  There were 3 abstentions, 4 ayes, 4 nays.  The motion failed, and it was decided to bring this up at a future meeting.
 
It was stated that the next meeting would be September 17, and then the meeting was adjourned.

Members present: Helen Howell, Paula Carvalho, Simha Reddy, Gordon McHenry, Adrienne Quinn, John Chelminiak, Nate Caminos, Dr. Damien Pattenaude, Juanita Spotted Elk, Harold Odom, and Professor Sarah Rankin

​Members absent: Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson

Other presenters: Leo Flor
 
Meeting highlights: I watched a recording on September 7, but I believe the time was late afternoon, 1 1/2 hours long.
 
The purpose of the meeting today was to introduce the Board members to each other and to get background on the Board’s mandate.  In summary their mandate is to oversee policy, funding, and services for people experiencing homelessness county wide.  Their focus is to better coordinate services and funding across the entire county and reduce the disproportionate number of people experiencing homelessness  based on racial/ethnic disparities.  Ultimately, their goal is to eliminate homelessness.
 
Background: As background, previous and current efforts to solve the homelessness issue in King County have been 1. fragmented and 2. inequitable.  To rectify this situation and in doing so better solve the homelessness issue, during the past year a unified regional governance approach has been initiated with the goal of being pro-equity and person-centered.  This new approach has resulted in the establishment of the King County Regional Homelessness Authority (KCRHA), formed by an Interlocal Agreement in December 2019.
 
The KCRHA will focus on unifying and coordinating the homeless response system for all of King County.  This will include outreach, diversion, shelter, much of the region’s prevention efforts, and services for rapid re-housing, transitional housing and permanent supportive housing.
 
First a Governing Committee was established and included: Jonathan Hemphill, Kirk McClain, and Zane Reid all representing leaders with lived experience; Executive Dow Constantine King County; Councilmembers Reagan Dunn and Joe McDermott, both representing the King County Council; Mayor Jenny Durkan, City of Seattle; Councilmembers Lorena Gonzalez and Andrew Lewis, both representing the Seattle City Council; and Mayor Nancy Backus, City of Auburn, Mayor Angela Birney, City of Redmond, and Council member Ed Prince, City of Renton, all representing Sound Cities Association.
 
This Governing Committee then established a KCRHA Implementation Board.  This Implementation Board met for the first time at this meeting.  The Board consists of 13 members representing people with lived experience of homelessness as well as experts from fiscal oversight, physical and behavioral health, affordable housing, equity, business, homelessness services, labor unions/workforce, youth services, and child welfare services.
 
Implementation Board member biographies: The meeting was moderated by Jeannie Macnab, the acting project manager for KCRHA.  After a brief overview she invited each member to introduce themselves in no particular order.  I am, however, grouping the Board members so that the reader can understand the area they represent:
 
Seattle Mayor Appointees:
Helen Howell - over 30 years of public, policy and advocacy and leadership experience, including roles at the federal, state and local levels.
Rev. Dr. Carey Anderson - (not present) Senior Minister of FAME, Seattle
 
Seattle City Council Appointees:
Paula Carvalho - Raikes Foundation program officer on the youth homelessness strategy, Director of Youth Programs at the Mockingbird Society. Lived experience in foster care and homelessness.
Simha Reddy - Primary care physician working in the field of homeless health since 2012.
 
King County Executive Appointees:
Gordon McHenry - President and CEO of the United Way, King County.
Adrienne Quinn - Teaches at the Univ of Washington Evans School of Public Policy and Governance.  Was Director of King County Department of Community and Human Services.  Has family members dealing with homelessness.
 
King Count Council Appointees:
John Chelminiak - recently retired Bellevue Mayor and City Council member, involved in the initial legislation setting up the KCRHA.
Michael Ramos - (still to be approved, listening in at the meeting) Exec Director of the Church Council of Greater Seattle.
 
Sound Cities Association Appointees:
Nate Caminos - Director of Government Affairs for the Port of Seattle.  Strong connection to the business community. Experienced food insecurity and poverty as a child and has a close family member who experiences homelessness.  Also is a foster parent.
Dr. Damien Pattenaude - Superintendent of the Renton School District.
 
Lived Experience Leaders Appointees:
Juanita Spotted Elk - member of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe.  Mother of five children who has survived domestic violence and homelessness.  Serves on the Executive Committee of the Lived Experience Coalition.
Harold Odom - experienced homelessness for over a decade.  He currently lives in the Tiny Home Villages in Georgetown and is a huge advocate for those experiencing homelessness.
Professor Sara Rankin - Founder and director of the Homeless Rights Advocacy Project (HRAP) at Seattle Univ.  HRAP engages students, staff, faculty and allies in research and advocacy to advance the civil, constitutional and human rights of people experiencing homelessness.
 
Public comment: After all introductions were completed there was available ten minutes for public comment. No public comments were made in the first few minutes so they moved on to the next part of the agenda.
 
Main presentation: Leo Flor, Director of King County Department of Community and Human Services gave a powerpoint presentation providing a bit of background on why the KCRHA was formed, what the role of the Authority Board is and some immediate next steps.
 
He led with the main goal - Unified Governance with Equity, Efficiency, and Accountability.
 
Management now is fragmented.  There is inequality in services and funding across the County.
 
The Authority Board has no elected officials and no current service providers.
 
One of the Board members asked about getting more background info from filed reports, consultant work, etc., and  Flor said he would provide links to different reports to the Board after the meeting.
 
The Authority Board is expected to meet a minimum of 6 times per year but were expected to meet more frequently in the next few months to organize for 2021.  A note would go out after the meeting to determine a definitive Board meeting schedule that worked best for all.
 
The next meeting would focus on how they would work with the Governing Committee and other groups.  Also, there will be discussion on how the funding responsibility would be transferred to the Board, establishing operating logistics, etc.  The control of contracts would have to be transitioned over with the goal of new RFPs being issued by the Authority Board starting the second half of 2021.  The Board Authority will also have to focus now on recruiting a CEO in the next few months.
 
After Flor’s presentation and some brief discussion of next steps, the meeting was adjourned.  No public comment opportunity was provided at the end of the meeting.

Members present: Executive Dow Constantine, Mayor Jenny Durkan, Johnathan Hemphill, Kirk McClain, Zaneta Reid, Councilmember Regan Dunn, Councilmember Joe McDermott, Councilmember Lorena Gonzalez, Councilmember Andrew Lewis, Mayor Nancy Backus, Mayor Angela Birney, and Councilmember Ed Prince
 
Welcome, Roll Call, and Agenda Overview
Zaneta Reid was moderator for this meeting.  She opened thanking all for being committed to racial equity/social justice throughout the process.  She then went over the rules for asking questions, etc.
 
McClain provided an update on staffing support for lived experience leadership and said it was in process and should be complete by August.  In the interim they had two volunteers helping out.  He also said he would have a training proposal for racial justice, anti-oppression training at the next meeting.
 
Reid briefly went over the meeting agenda and then called for approval of the minutes. 
 
Approval of the Minutes
The minutes were unanimously approved.
 
Public Comment
Then the meeting was opened for public comment for up to 20 minutes.  There were five public comments.
 
Commenter one: Thanked all for their commitment and work but asked that they remember the vehicle residents who often are missed. It was said that 1/2 the homeless are vehicle residents and they need to get in the system.
 
Commenter two: It was stated that many folks in tax credit housing cannot stay there long-term.  People need long-term stable housing, not short-term fixes where they end up homeless again.
 
Commenter three: It was said that we need to remember seniors who have tremendous rent burden and also suffer homelessness.  They felt there was no one on the Implementation Board nominees that represented this group.
 
Commenter four: Another person also echoed the need to have seniors represented and said it was good to see Reid moderating this meeting.
 
Commenter five: The last comment was about the youth and reminding all that they needed to also have representation.
 
Hemphill responded to public comments, saying we will not forget vehicle residents, apologizing for not having good data on seniors and disabled and will be mindful of this going forward and that we will be remembering the youth in our work.  He said one of his goals is to bridge the gap between the Governing Committee and the community.
 
McDermott said that there were a number of minority communities overrepresented in the homeless population and that the slate had to work together to represent all groups.
 
Staff Update
Jason Johnson said the bylaws are in progress and would be presented at the August meeting for approval.
 
Bobby Hume said that negotiations with the recruiting firm, Hawkins Co., was starting.
 
Leo Flor said the overall timeline was still valid and that the three level management groups (the Governing Committee, Implementation Board and Advisory Group) were all being organized as planned.
 
Consideration of Implementation Board Members
Deana Dawson gave an overview on what the Implementation Board would look like as described from the ILA (interlocal agreement).  There would be 13 members, no elected officials.  12 were being presented today for approval. 1 was still being identified.  8 of the 12 reside in Seattle, and 4 are from outside of Seattle.
 
Hemphill presented an overview of the slate (although all had received the information ahead of the meeting).  Their terms would range from 3 to 5 years.
 
Hemphill then made a motion to discuss one name - John Chelminiak.  Hemphill felt that Chelminiak had made statements in the past indicating that lived experience people should not be on the Boards.  He felt Chelminiak  should not be selected because of this reason.  It was important that all folks on all the Boards/Committees believe in equity and social justice and that lived experience people are central to solutions.
 
Backus said we should have respect for each group’s recommendations and trust their vetting processes.  She said it is important to have difficult conversations and that she believed John had changed his view on the makeup of the Boards/Committees.
 
Gonzalez appreciated this being brought to everyone’s attention.  She wanted to know what the ILA said about recent elected officials.
 
Dunn and Dawson said that the ILA referred only to current elected officials being barred from the Implementation Board.
 
Hemphill said that he understood that Chelminiak had changed his view of lived experience leadership but that it really had come too late.  He said Chelminiak had been in public office for quite some time and should have come to this realization much earlier.
 
Birney said she would support all names put forth.  She trusted the process and the people who did the vetting.  She was very involved in the ILA language.
 
Gonzalez said that diverse thinking is good.  Still she felt the ILA language was vague and questioned if someone who was an elected official as recently as Chelminiak should be considered.
 
Backus said that Chelminiak was the only person from the Eastside and that he brought a lot of experience to the group.
 
Lewis said it was good to have this detailed conversation.  He shared Gonzalez’s concerns.  He thought that perhaps we had the right public servant in the wrong place - that maybe he would have been better on the Governing Committee.
 
McClain said we had to weigh his work experience against his commitment to work with a racial equity lens.  He said it was very important to avoid institutional racial policies and that putting Chelminiak on the Implementation Board put this at risk.
 
Hemphill said he and McClain did speak with Chelminiak.  He just did not feel he could trust him to work through an equity lens.
 
Durkan said she appreciated the honesty and openness of all.  She said Chelminiak’s concern was that government needed to be accountable to the voters and that was why he felt only elected officials should be on the Boards.  His thinking has since changed.  She has worked with him on and off over several years and she felt he was equity-focused.  She also said that if the ILA also excluded “former” elected officials it would eliminate many qualified people.  She also said this discussion proves how important it is to have this mixed committee.
 
Hemphill said he still felt another person would be better, that we should start with the absolute best slate and he did not think Chelminiak was the best person for the work needed.
 
Hemphill made a motion to remove Chelminiak from the slate.  There was discussion.  
 
Prince did not support this and said we need to operate with a level of trust between all the groups.
 
Reid said we do need to deal with disagreements and keep the theory of change in mind.
 
Hemphill said he did not think it was a matter of trust, but that they could find a better person for the position.
 
The vote was 5 ayes in favor of removing Chelminiak from the slate and 7 nays.
 
Dunn urged support for the entire slate.
 
Gonzalez thanked all for the robust conversation and supported the full slate.
 
Lewis also was supporting the entire slate.  He said it was good that there was only one person that required discussion and that in that discussion we were all respectful of each other.
 
Hemphill wanted to note for the record that he did not support Chelminiak.
 
The slate was then voted on and unanimously approved.      
 
Birney made a motion to have a staff person stand at the first Implementation Board meeting since the Governing Committee did not have a chair at this time,  All agreed.
 
The next meeting date is August 20, 10 - noon.
 
The meeting was adjourned.