Homelessness a top priority as S.J. Supervisors OK $1.8B budget

STOCKTON — If there was any doubt homelessness is now viewed as San Joaquin County’s most urgent issue, it probably disappeared after two days of hearings that culminated Wednesday with the Board of Supervisors’ unanimous approval of the $1.8 billion budget for the 2019-20 fiscal year.

One day earlier, District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar and Supervisor Chuck Winn lengthily discussed the pros (in Winn’s case) and the cons (in Verber Salazar’s case) of arresting or detaining homeless individuals for trespassing or petty crimes.

Near the end of Wednesday’s meeting, which lasted nearly six hours, County Administrator Monica Nino presented a proposed policy titled “Addressing and Limiting the impacts of homelessness in San Joaquin County.”

“As part of the 2019-20 Budget process, the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors is establishing homelessness as an operational priority for all County departments,” the proposal said, in part. “Homelessness affects everyone, regardless of socio-economics. San Joaquin County is committed to developing and implementing solutions to this pervasive problem.”

“This is a really powerful policy statement,” Supervisor Kathy Miller said. “I am very hopeful that it will help direct priorities all the way through our organization because it really is an issue that is impacting all of us.”

Supervisors’ support for the proposed policy was unanimous, though one of them, Tom Patti, suggested the county should “create a countywide code that establishes no-camping zones and/or times as allowable by the law.”

It might be easier said than done. Right now, officials are keeping an eye on an anti-camping ordinance passed in Boise, Idaho, that aimed to ban sleeping outdoors. Legal challenges ensued, and to this point courts have ruled the ordinance unconstitutional if it affects people who have nowhere else to go.

Assistant County Counsel Richard Flores said before enacting such a law, officials must ensure “it complies with the Boise case.” He added, “Certain present laws may not be enforceable unless you have the housing for individuals that are homeless.”

The proposed policy presented Wednesday will go before supervisors for further discussion and possible approval at their July 23 meeting. The Sheriff’s Office, the District Attorney’s Office, and the county’s health services and community development departments would lead the county’s efforts.

As for the budget, supervisors’ approval came with only two changes from staff’s original proposal.

• After listening to a plea from Judge Barbara Kronlund, supervisors increased the allocation of funds to Veterans Court from $24,455 to $67,980. The added funds will enable the drug court to monitor and drug test 20 veterans rather than only five, Kronlund said. It was the only change to proposed list of proposed allocations to county-based organizations.

• Supervisors granted their approval after Assessor/Recorder Steve Bestolarides’ impassioned and lengthy plea for the addition of a manager to his office focusing on upgrading the department’s technology.

County officials said the two changes to the proposed budget will cost a shade more than $198,000. The budget as originally proposed set aside $5 million for the county’s reserve for contingencies. The money for the two budget changes will be subtracted from the allocation to that reserve, Nino said.