RESOLUTION NO. 250232
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Sponsors: Councilmembers Johnathan Duncan, Wes Rogers, Crispin Rea and Mayor Pro Tem Ryana Parks-Shaw, Andrea Bough
RESOLUTION - Directing the City Manager to issue a Request for Qualifications/Proposals for the design of a Community Resource Center within sixty (60) days.
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WHEREAS, in October of 2022, Pulitzer/Bogard & Associates and SFS Architecture submitted a final report with recommendations for a Community Resource Center; and
WHEREAS, the purpose of the Community Resource Center (“CRC”) is to successfully transition justice-involved individuals into the community by establishing a continuum of care, treatment, and services at a central location in collaboration with private and public social services in partnership with the municipal court; and
WHEREAS, the proposed site for the detention facility will make it difficult for the CRC to achieve its purpose due to potential contract issues and transportation concerns; and
WHEREAS, the Council previously adopted Resolution No. 240896, which directed the City Manager to analyze the feasibility of developing City-owned parcels in close proximity to the municipal courthouse for the purposes of a Community Resource Center; and
WHEREAS, after reviewing city-owned parcels and engaging stakeholders from the municipal court, the parking lot adjacent to the courthouse at the southwest corner of Cherry and 11th Street was identified as a viable option for a Community Resource Center; and
WHEREAS, in 2015, SFS Architecture previously envisioned a courthouse expansion into this lot in the Municipal Courthouse Comprehensive Facility Assessment; and
WHEREAS, providing space for a comprehensive array of services at one location adjoining the courthouse will eliminate many of the barriers that justice-involved individuals and struggling community members face in accessing mental health treatment, social services, and housing support; and
WHEREAS, many of Kansas City’s most vulnerable residents struggle with mental health and substance abuse issues, houselessness, and extreme poverty, which can contribute to a high frequency of contact with law enforcement for low-level offenses and an elevated recidivism rate; and
WHEREAS, quickly and efficiently connecting the most vulnerable residents with proper care, treatment, and meaningful help can reduce recidivism and address root causes of unlawful behavior while ensuring accountability; NOW, THEREFORE
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF KANSAS CITY:
That the City Manager is directed to issue a Request for Qualifications/Proposals (“RFQ/P”) in sixty (60) days for the design of a Community Resource Center facility to house a variety of non-custodial treatment and support services, operated by community-based service providers and organizations and designed to provide a full continuum of care to individuals with mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders, and houselessness, that are diverted from the criminal justice system, with adaptive community re-entry. The CRC facility design shall include a public lobby, intake and assessment, crisis stabilization, non-custodial and custodial treatment and support, food service and laundry, and social services encompassing all the needs of Kansas City’s most vulnerable residents.
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