The Moreno Valley City Council last month voted against creating a new ad hoc committee focused on addressing homelessness in the city at this time.
“I’m not opposed to this,” Councilmember Ed Delgado said at the Aug. 20 meeting. “What I would like to see, though, and I would motion right now, is we don’t vote on it tonight, that we wait until we have a representative from District 3.”
The committee, which both Mayor Ulises Cabrera and Mayor Pro Tem Cheylynda Barnard have been working to establish guidelines for since March, would focus on finding ways to address issues caused by homelessness brought up by residents to the council while also looking for solutions to the underlying problems that lead to homelessness.
“We met multiple times and developed the scope and characteristics as outlined In the resolution itself,” Assistant City Manager Brian Mohan said. “If approved tonight by this body, then item two in the recommendations would be to appoint two council members to serve on the ad hoc subcommittee for the rest of the calendar year.”
Those who spoke at the meeting were largely in favor of creating an ad hoc committee to address the issue.
“We need to put this thing on a fast track,” resident Bob Palomarez said. “I mean, we’re not as bad as a lot of cities, but for the size and, you know, what we could be doing, we’re failing right now.”
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Delgado said that he wanted to support the creation of the committee, he wanted it to be done after the election so that the newly elected District 3 council member would also have an opportunity to be appointed to the committee.
“I know Bob said, ‘Let’s fast track this,’ but I’d like to see a continuance on this until we get a full council,” he said. “This is so important for the entire city.”
Cabrera, who disagreed with waiting, made the motion to establish the committee with the intent to revisit the committee’s appointments in January. However, the motion failed with a 2-2 vote, clearing the way for Delgado’s motion to hold off on creating the committee to pass on a 3-1 vote with Cabrera voting against.
“We’re not doing ourselves any favors, waiting another three or four months until the next council member is seated,” Cabrera said ahead of the votes. “We’re just waiting. We’re sitting ducks while the problem is getting worse.”
A full recording of the meeting can be found here on the city’s YouTube channel.
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