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6. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS AND CONSENT CALENDAR - CITY COUNCIL/ REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD Linda Jolley thanked Mayor Pierce for her email regarding her stated topic of ongoing police persecution of the homeless and she stated her appreciation of the Mayor's level of concern. She stated that she is currently trying to help two middle -aged women who are sick that have no housing or may lose their housing and that last week she phoned eight shelters in the area that are all full and overflowing. She stated that there was a recent court case of Jones v. the City of Los Angeles that cities cannot punish people for being out on the streets with no place to go and she stated that is the current situation here. She urged Council to immediately stop the police persecution of the homeless. Mayor Pierce stated that she was glad Ms. Jolley got the email and that homelessness is one of those issues where it is very difficult to find enough places for people and they would continue working on it. Donna Iverson read a statement about laws needing to be applied equally and how driving without rest can cause accidents. She stated that someone driving for four hours on a freeway is allowed to rest at a rest stop; homeless people need to rest and get adequate sleep after working; and, the law needs to be changed to accommodate homeless people so they have a safe and comfortable place to sleep in their vehicles. She asked Council to please consider an idea of a campground, supervised by the Redwood City Police Department. Council Member Ira asked Mayor Pierce about some of the awards the City of Redwood City has won for its assistance to the homeless. Mayor Pierce confirmed that the City is about to receive an award from Housing Our People Effectively (HOPE) for our homeless connect, which was a special effort that brought together homeless people county -wide. She stated that service providers brought people to the Red Morton Community Center so that people could find housing, get medical and dental care, and try to link up with services that they needed. City Manager Everett stated that our police officers do not hassle the homeless, but try to help them find alternatives. Mayor Pierce stated her understanding that it is difficult to find shelter; they will continue to look at this and find some additional locations. She asked Ms. Jolley to email her about the two women so that she can connect them with some of the service providers in the area. JOINT CITY COUNCIL /REDEVELOPMENT AGENCY BOARD MEETING SEPTEMBER 24, 2007 MEETINGS PAGE 3 MINUTE BOOK NO.61 Page No. 496