HomeMy WebLinkAboutHFB Minutes 090226 and 091026Cityof port
Townsend
DRAFT
MINUTES
HOUSING FUND BOARD
Special Meeting - Wednesday, September 2, 2026 at 2:00 p.m.
Commissioners' Chambers, Jefferson County Courthouse
1820 Jefferson Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 (Hybrid)
C A L L T O O RDER: Chair Dudley-Nollette called the Joint Jefferson County/City of Port Townsend
Housing Fund Board (HFB) to order after establishing a quorum.
PU B L IC C O M M E N T P E R IO D : Chair Dudley-Nollette called for public comments, and no comments
were received.
D IS C U S S IO N re: D ep a rtm en t of C om m erce to p resen t on th e C on tinuum of C are (C oC ) L ead
resp on sib ili ties an d related fu n din g op po rtu n ities: Washington State Department of Commerce
(DOC) Homeless Assistance Unit Program Manager Sam Schroeder explained how Jefferson County
fits within Washington's Balance of State Continuum of Care (CoC) and clarified the relationship
between local CoC responsibilities and federal HUD-funded projects. He emphasized that becoming the
CHG/CoC lead would not automatically transfer existing federal CoC grants from current providers to
Jefferson County. Existing projects operated by organizations such as OlyCAP and Owl360 would
generally remain with those providers unless a grant were voluntarily transferred or reallocated through
the federal process. Some other CoC duties include Point in Time Count, system planning, and
participation in the Balance of State steering committee.
DOC Homeless Assistance Unit Program Manager Sara Ihmoda reviewed the Consolidated Homeless
Grant (CHG), explained the funding structure, eligible uses, performance measures, and administrative
responsibility that Jefferson County would assume if it became the lead grantee. She noted that the
County could serve primarily as the administrative lead, while contracting direct services to community
providers, rather than providing those services itself. Becoming the lead would require the County to
manage subgrantees, oversee Coordinated Entry and HMIS compliance, monitor performance, and
more. Also discussed was the anticipated 2027 application timeline. It was noted that Commerce can
provide technical assistance if the County decides to transition into the lead role. Counties are asked
every two years if they would like to opt in or opt out as CHG lead. The next decision point is expected
around January 2027.
OlyCAP Director Holly Morgan explained that OlyCAP is willing to step aside as the Continuum of
Care lead, and support a transition to the County or other entity. She noted that if the County or other
entity are not willing to serve as lead, OlyCAP would apply rather than allow the community to lose the
resource. 8-10% is charged to the CHG administration for administrative costs, but OlyCAP stated that
they spend closer to 18% for administration.
APPROVAL re: Meeting minutes: Member Sonntag moved to approve the following meeting
minutes: May 28, 2025, July 23, 2025, August 27, 2025, September 24, 2025, October 29, 2025,
November 4, 2025, December 8, 2025, January 28, 2026, February 25, 2026, March 13, 2026, March
25, 2026, April 22, 2026, May 27, 2026, June 24, 2026, and July 22, 2026, as presented. Member
Brotherton seconded the motion. Member Cochrane abstained. The motion carried.
Housing Fund Board - Special M eeting Minutes of September 2, 2026 DRAFT
DISCUSSION re: RFP funding priorities/scoring criteria: Chair Dudley-Nollette shared the draft
RFP online and made changes in real time. Discussion ensued about the County and its availability to
fund the Emergency Shelter, and a suggestion from Finance Director Judy Shepherd noted that she
would prefer that the funding for the Emergency Shelter be set aside. Member Cochrane moved to set
aside $162,000 for the Emergency Shelter from the 5386 funds (Fund 149) funds. Member Brotherton
seconded the motion. After discussion, Member Cochrane withdrew her motion. The motion failed.
DISCUSSION re: 2027 RFP Application and timeline: Tabled until the Special Meeting on
September 10, 2026 at 11 :00 a.m.
DISCUSSION re: Committee updates, 5-Year Plan progress update, and creating a Workforce
Committee: Member Sonntag reported that in affordable subsidized housing, living conditions have
deteriorated, and tenants are being intimidated and harassed. The City of Port Townsend has been asked
to include people with lived in experience as part of their selection process for the Evans Vista property.
Nor'W est and Bishop Park - the owner has narrowed down to two potential buyers, with one being
local. Further committee updates were tabled for a future meeting.
NEXT STEPS/CLOSING REMARKS: Chair Dudley-Nollette announced that the Diaper Drive is
being held September 1-30, 2026.
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT: Chair Dudley-Nollette adjourned the meeting at 4:27 p.m. until the
next regular meeting or special meeting as properly noticed.
Respectfully submitted by:
Carolyn Gallaway, Clerk of the Board Date
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Cit\'of po rt . ~
Townsend
MINU TES
HOUSING FUND BOARD
Special M eeting-T hursday, September 10, 2026 at 11:00 a.m.
C om m issioners' C ham bers, Jefferson C ounty C ourt house
1820 Jefferson Street, Port T ow nsend, W A 98368 (H ybrid)
CALL TO ORDER: C hair D udley-N oll ett e call ed the Jo int Jefferson C oun ty/C ity of Port Tow nsend
H ou sin g F un d B oard (H FB ) to order aft er establi shing a quoru m .
PUBLIC COMMENT PERIOD: C hair D udley-N oll ett e call ed fo r publi c com m ents, and no com m ents
w ere receiv ed.
APPROVAL OF MINUTES: There w ere no m inutes to appro ve.
DISCUSSION re: RFP funding priorities/scoring criteria: H FB m em bers discussed how to set
fu ndin g pri ori ties in a shrinking fu nding enviro nm ent w hile m aintaining equ itable access to lim ited
doll ars. M em bers genera ll y support ed revised RF P language that requests op era ting pro gra m s to
dem on stra te how they preserve existing services and/or serv e underserv ed populations or populations
not served elsew here. T he intent w as to avoid fr am ing cert ain populations as m ore "deserving" than
others, and in stead give appli cants a w ay to explain their unm et needs.
A large port ion of the discussion centered aro u nd the E m ergency Shelter lo cated at the A m erican
Legio n , and w hether or not it shou ld receive a set-aside or explicit scori ng preference. Som e H FB
m em b ers stated the shelter is a C ounty com m itm ent, lacks alt ern ative fu ndin g, and therefo re should be
prioritized . O ther H FB m em bers beli eved that sett ing aside fu nds fo r on e pro vider or serv ice could
create in equ ity and prefe rr ed relyin g on the com petitiv e R FP pro cess.
A bro ader policy question fo r fu ture discussion aro se: Wh ether em ergency sh elt ers should prim ari ly be
support ed th ro ugh C onsoli dated H om eless G ra nt/C ontin uum of C are fu ndin g ra ther than thro ugh the
H ou sin g F u n d B oard's m ore lim ited local fu nding sour ces?
M em b er N elson joined the m eeting at 12:0 5 p.m .
A ft er th e discussion, C hair D udley-N oll ette opened the floor to all ow fo r pu blic com m ents, and three
com m ents w ere received.
DISCUSSION re: 2027 RFP application and timeline: C hair D udley-N ollette review ed the dra ft R FP
and m ade changes during the m eeting. A ft er review of the R FP and tim eli n e, M em ber Sonn tag m oved to
accep t th e w hole R FP and in cl u de the revised tim eli ne w ith the changes discu ssed. V ice C hair M orfo rd
second ed th e m otion. C hair D udley-N oll ett e opened the fl oor to all ow fo r pu bli c com m ents, and no
com m ents w ere received. Sh e call ed fo r a vote on the m otion. The m otion carr ied.
M em b er S on ntag excused herself fo r the rem ainder of the m eeting at 12 :54 p.m .
Housing Fund Board - Special Meeting Minutes of September I 0, 2026
DISCUSSION re: Committee updates, and 5-Year Plan progress updates: This topic was tabled for
a future meeting, since there was no more time for discussion. Members were asked to consider options
for a dedicated 5-Year Plan Implementation Subcommittee to monitor tasks and support implementation
and report back to the full board, or reserve time at least quarterly for the full Housing Fund Board to
review implementation progress.
NEXT STEPS/CLOSING REMARKS: Continued CoC discussion and potential 5-Year Plan progress
subcommittee.
NOTICE OF ADJOURNMENT: Chair Dudley-Nollette adjourned the meeting at 12:55 p.m. until the
next regular meeting or special meeting as properly noticed.
Respectfully submitted by:
Carolyn Gallaway, Clerk of the Board Date
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