Lei Ann Larson believes Manteca is about to make a $16 million mistake.

And it’s a “mistake” that going forward has the potential to divert more than $1 million annually  that will further compromise the city’s ability to pay for other services  running the gamut from street repairs to police staffing.

The mistake is the $16 million homeless navigation center.

And while Larson — who along with incumbent Ben Cantu and Councilman Gary Singh is running for mayor on Nov. 8 — has been criticized by some for being a one-issue candidate, she notes how the city is proceeding with the navigation center  is symbolic of what ails Manteca in terms of how municipal government overall is operated.

*Not clearly identifying ongoing costs of new projects nor identifying the source of funding.

*While repeatedly saying the city lacks adequate staffing, advances an initiative that requires more staffing — specifically police — in order for the navigation center to be effective at addressing homeless problems in neighborhoods and commercial areas.

*Dragging out putting solutions in place that end up taking much longer than in surrounding communities and costing more due to the delay.

*Failing to enforce existing laws.

*Changing course and then contending the solution the city is pursuing had ample community input.

Larson notes that the more than three years the city spent searching for a site for a facility to address homeless concerns started out as a bid to locate a drop-in shelter.

As such, the experts the city hired to draw up the criteria for determining locations that would be the most effective were very specific — close to where the homeless congregate, close to services, and close to public transportation among others.

Over time the city shifted toward a navigation center model.

It wasn’t until late in the game — after they zeroed in on the Carnegie Court site in the Manteca Industrial Park — that it was clear the navigation center model the city wanted to pursue would not be a drop-in facility but rather one where the homeless are driven there after committing to working to get off the streets.

As such, it meant the city wasn’t limited to the Carnegie Court site as being the best when things such a proximity to schools, neighborhoods, and such were taken into account along with the location given a navigation center doesn’t need to meet the same site criteria a drop-in shelter requires in order to be effective.

A navigation center that wasn’t operated as a drop-in site could, as Larson points out, have been located on city-owned property adjacent to the wastewater treatment plant.

Given the $16 million in state funds the city has secured is site specific, the location can’t be switched as Manteca wouldn’t be able to use the funds to construct a navigation center instead of relying on the general fund and other local sources.

Failing to enforce

existing laws

Manteca was forced to take specific steps in dealing with the homeless after settling a class action lawsuit in 2015.

Four years later, the city joined other jurisdictions in submitting an amici curia brief in support of Boise, Idaho’s effort to persuade the United States Supreme Court to review a 9th District Court ruling on the homeless. When that was rejected by the high court, it was clear what Manteca and other cities in the 9th District’s jurisdiction had to do.

If they wanted to enforce illegal camping ordinances they needed to have available beds at a shelter where homeless — when ordered to “move on” by law enforcement — could go.

It is the driving force behind the city building a navigation center.

Larson, however, has asked an obvious question: Given the city has had a drop-in shelter in place in the form fo a tent since December 2019 with beds that were never 100 percent full, why hasn’t the city started enforcing the illegal camping ordinances?

“The city has admitted that they could have enforced the laws.” Larson pointed out.

The city not doing so underscores another point Larson has about the navigation center and the city overall: It has inadequate police staffing.

That means if the city builds the navigation center and spends $1 million plus year to operate it, there is a high likelihood the city’s anti -camping ordnance — the biggest “stick” the city welds to address quality of life issues the homeless create in Manteca providing the city has bed space available — can’ be used.

The city currently lacks police staffing to apply consistent pressure to force the homeless to use available beds at the temporary shelter. And, as Larson points out, that means the city will still lack adequate staffing to do so when the navigation enter is built.

“When the city says they can’t do something they always say it is because of a lack of staffing,” Larson said. “People are tired of hearing that excuse.”

 As such, from Larson’s perspective Manteca will spend $16 million plus another $1 million or so ongoing on an annual basis and nothing will change. The homeless who willing are ready to get off the street will continue to do so. The hardcore homeless — the ones that create the bulk of the quality of life problems in Manteca and elsewhere — will continue to essentially do what they want.

The city also hasn’t offered even a rough estimate on how much it will cost to operate a homeless navigation center on an annual basis.

It will at least be $800,000 as that is the annual cost of running the temporary shelter in a tent at 555 Industrial Park Drive.

But the navigation center will have more fixed costs plus offer more services and shelter options including tiny homes for transitional housing.

As such Larsen believes the annual budget to operate a navigation center will be much higher than $1 million annually.

The city, for its part, has no steady source of income to finance the operations except the general fund that underwrites police, fire and other day-to-day municipal services.

To date, however, the city has been able to use federal and state pass though funds to cover most of the emergency homeless shelter tab.  

Manteca leaders — elected and otherwise — have repeatedly said it is too early to zero in on annual operating costs as they do not yet know the size of the facility or the scope of services that will be offered.

Larson said that is akin to buying a house and not having a full grasp of ongoing operating costs such as PG&E expenses, maintenance costs, insurance, taxes, and such before locking yourself into a 30-year commitment.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com