Sonoma County Continuum of Care Quarterly Membership Meeting

Date/Time
Date(s) - 12/07/2020
2:30 pm - 5:30 pm

To attend this public meeting:

Via Zoom: https://sonomacounty.zoom.us/j/94440178961?pwd=SlZNN0JZMU0wNzQ4bDJzdS85ZG5JUT09

By phone: 1-669-900-9128
Meeting ID: 944 4017 8961
Passcode: 080484

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This memo dated October 29, 2020 from Karissa White, Continuum of Care Coordinator, describes the process for choosing elected representatives to the Continuum of Care (CoC) Board at the December 7th, 2020 CoC Quarterly Membership meeting, and includes a list of eligible voters, a Nomination Form, and a designation of Proxy form. [The full packet soliciting nominations (PDF 175 KB) can be downloaded HERE.]

The Sonoma County Continuum of Care Governance Charter describes the makeup of the CoC Board who is eligible to vote, and who may be nominated to serve on the CoC Board. This memo describes the Elections process for 2020.

The Continuum of Care Board is the decision-making body of the Sonoma County Continuum of Care. Its meetings are open to the public and anyone may speak, but the developing charter governance establishes voting seats. The 15 voting seats include:

1. 3 seats appointed by the HUD entitlement jurisdictions of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and the Sonoma County Urban County.
2. 2 seats filled by senior management representatives appointed by the Sonoma County Departments of Health Services and Human Services.
3. 2 seats filled by representatives of the two largest homeless services agencies, as measured by total number of shelter, transitional housing and permanent housing beds cataloged in the current CoC Housing Inventory. The Executive Directors of these two agencies will appoint themselves or a qualified senior manager as designee to serve. If these seats are not filled for any reason, they will revert to at-large seats to be elected as described in section (4)d) below.
4. 8 seats to be elected by the CoC Voting Membership. These seats are intended to ensure geographic and homeless subpopulation representation, as well as diversity (e.g., the criminal justice system, housing development or property management, business interests, private hospitals or health agencies). Elected seats are designated as follows:
   1. 2 seats for individuals with recent homeless experience: 1 for an individual representing homeless transitional age youth ages 18-24; and one for an individual of any age whose homeless experience was within the past 2 years.
   2. 1 seat for a representative of a local private-sector homeless, health or human services funder.
   3. 1 seat for a representative of a homeless advocacy organization.
   4. 4 seats are “at-large,” to be filled by a majority vote of CoC Voting Members. These may be persons serving in either the public or the private sector.

Nominations are hereby invited for eight (8) seats to be chosen by eligible CoC voters at the CoC Quarterly Membership meeting on December 7, 2020. Seats available for election are listed below.

For each category of elected seat, the nominee receiving the highest number of votes will be elected to a full two-year term. Should one-year seats be open, the person receiving the second highest number of votes will be elected to a one-year term. There are no term limits and indefinite reelection is allowed, provided the person is still eligible for that category of elected seat. CoC Board meetings are scheduled monthly (2021 dates to be determined). With occasional cancellations, the time commitment is normally about 8 meetings per year. In addition to being the CoC’s governing body, serving on the CoC Board counts toward an organization’s voting eligibility the same as any other CoC working group.

SEATS AVAILABLE FOR ELECTION (December 7, 2020)

Eight (8) seats are available:

1. Seat for transition aged-youth ages 18-24 with homeless experience in last two years. The last Board member in this seat, Bella Ortega, is no longer eligible for this seat.
2. Seat for an adult with homeless experience in the last two years. The last Board member in this seat, Rick Cafferata, is no longer eligible for this seat.
3. Seat for a representative of a local private-sector homeless, health, or human services funder (Vacant)
4. Seat for homeless advocate. The last Board member in this seat, Gale Brownell, will seek re-election.
5. At-large seat last held by Tom Bieri. Mr. Bieri will seek re-election.
6. At-large seat last held by Dan Schurman. Mr. Schurman will not seek re-election.
7. At large seat (Vacant).
8. At large seat (Vacant).

WHO CAN VOTE?

CoC VOTING MEMBERSHIP has been established as follows:

• Participation in more than 50% of the CoC Quarterly Membership meetings in the eligible period since the previous annual election and
• Participation in 50% or more of any single CoC working group’s meetings, in the eligible period since the previous annual election.

Note to those considering running in this election: serving on the CoC Board counts toward this eligibility requirement.

The 2017 list of voting members is attached to this memo. Designation of proxy voters may take place until December 4, 2020.

NOMINATIONS

Under the CoC charter, nominees are not required to have voting rights, or even to have been regular participants in CoC activities, if they provide the needed representation for the designated seat. Attached to this memo is a nomination form for this purpose. Nominations will be accepted until December 4th at 5pm.

In making nominations, please give consideration to geographic representation, representation of various homeless sub-populations, and diversity—including the criminal justice system, housing development or property management, business interests, private hospitals or health agencies. Newly elected members are expected to be seated at the December 9, 2020 (from 2:30-5pm) CoC Board meeting, thus nominees should save this date.

For your information as you consider nominations, the CoC Coordinator confirmed the following representatives for appointed seats:

• Tom Schwedhelm, Kevin McDonnell, and Lynda Hopkins will represent the HUD entitlement jurisdictions of Santa Rosa, Petaluma, and the Sonoma County Urban County.
• Angela Struckmann will continue as the senior management representative appointed by the Sonoma County Human Services Department. The seat for a senior management representative from the Sonoma County Department of Health Services will be filled by Bill Carter.
• Jennielynn Holmes and Chuck Fernandez will serve 1 year terms in Catholic Charities’ and COTS’ respective designated seats as Sonoma County’s two largest homeless housing providers. Should either agency not designate a representative in future years, these seats will revert to at-large, elected seats.