Santa Monica Council OKs $41,000 for Needy : Homeless: The stopgap measure barely squeaks by. It is criticized as both not enough and too much.

After a six-month study of the homeless in Santa Monica, the City Council on Tuesday adopted what amounted to a $41,000 stopgap measure to deal with some aspects of the increasingly controversial issue.

In a stormy session Tuesday night, the council squeezed through the measure on a 4-0 vote--the minimum number of yes votes needed for passage. Councilman Herb Katz was absent, and Councilman William H. Jennings and Councilwoman Christine Reed left just before the vote.

Among the provisions adopted are hotel vouchers for disabled homeless who have difficulty getting to other shelters, increased policing of liquor stores, the establishment of an advisory group of homeless people and the creation of a task force to study the problem.

The city staff also recommended that the city adopt more substantial programs, such as creating more homeless shelters, policing parks, and providing more health and social services for the homeless.

“Some people are disappointed that (the adopted plan) doesn’t offer a major structure, but we have to be realistic,” said Barbara Stinchfield, the city’s community development manager.

While some council members were concerned that the measure did not reach far enough, others said it went too far. Councilwoman Christine Reed walked out of the meeting and denied the council the fifth vote needed to fund the measure under the normal budget procedure.

“I walk in Palisades Park five days a week, and I see (homeless) people urinating over the bluffs,” Reed said during the meeting.

Councilman Bill Jennings also found fault with the plan, saying that it discourages productivity among the homeless. “You’re letting people just sit around, and that doesn’t strike me as accomplishing anything that is useful,” he said.

Jennings also ended up leaving before the vote, prompting the remaining four members to circumvent the five-vote requirement by approving the funds from a different budget category requiring only four votes for approval. City Atty. Robert M. Myers stepped in to voice support by donating $5,000 from the city attorney’s fund to help establish the homeless coalition.

Despite the council’s approval of the measures, some homeless advocates said the plan still fell short.

“I have a strong belief that we can do a lot better,” said Robert Segal, chairman of the Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce homeless task force. “(The plan) feels kind of like a box of Band-Aids.”

The plan will add $41,000 to $1.2 million already budgeted by the city for homeless services.

Contingent on additional funds becoming available throughout the year, the city staff also proposed that the city continue to support the Regional Emergency Cold Weather Shelter Program, which makes shelter available to all homeless people when temperatures drop below 40 degrees, and adding four new park rangers to patrol city parks frequented by the homeless, which would cost $220,000.