To: Board of Supervisors
From: Dr. Ori Tzvieli, Interim Health Services Director
Report Title: Council on Homelessness Appointment
☒Recommendation of the County Administrator ☐ Recommendation of Board Committee
RECOMMENDATIONS:
APPOINT Bessie Marie Scott, Manager of the City of Antioch, to the City Government representative Seat on the Council on Homelessness for a term ending on December 31, 2025, as recommended by the Family and Human Services Committee.
FISCAL IMPACT:
There is no fiscal impact for this action.
BACKGROUND:
As an Advisory Board of the Board of Supervisors and to the Continuum of Care, the Council on Homelessness (COH) assists and provides guidance in the development and implementation of long-range planning and policy formulation of homeless issues in Contra Costa County. recommendations in the past.
The City Government representative seat was vacated early when the seated representative left their qualifying employment. There was an extensive recruitment process to solicit applicants for the open seat and a total of 4 applications were received. A nominating panel, created of non-conflicted Council on Homelessness members, reviewed the County and Supplemental applications for each applicant, and following a strict rubric, made recommendations to the Council. The Council voted, at the June 5, 2025 meeting, to recommend Bessie Marie Scott, City Manager for the City of Antioch for the City Government Representative seat.
The attached “COH City Government Seat Applicant Roster 2025” document provides information about the applicants, including city they are representing and the home city/town in which they live, if given. The “Applications of Recommended Applicants 2025” document includes the County and Supplemental applications for each of the recommended applicants. The attached “2024 FINAL Nominating Scoring Rubric” shows the scoring tool used by panelists reviewing the applications.
The term of the newly appointed representative will expire on December 31, 2025, as originally scheduled. Should this recommendation be accepted, there are no predicted vacancies on the Council on Homelessness for 2025. The Board of Supervisors has approved all recommended Council on Homelessness candidates to date.
CONSEQUENCE OF NEGATIVE ACTION:
It is essential to complete the appointment process so that the Council has adequate representation from City Government in the work of the Council on Homelessness. Failure to appoint will reduce public participation in advising policy development.