Duluth City Council tables discussion of new outreach position for now

DULUTH – A proposal to hire a downtown street outreach worker with federal pandemic relief money has met resistance from City Council members and the local NAACP.

"We have people relying on us to make it perfect, and it is not perfect," Council Member Derek Medved said at Monday night's meeting. "We should be 100 percent ready to own it, and I'm not."

Other council members urged fast action given the need for the position — increased mental health crises and safety issues that the pandemic has exacerbated.

"People are sleeping in the skywalk, defecating in doorways," said Council Member Roz Randorf, who represents downtown. "If we don't have this, businesses will close. ... Let's not let perfect become the enemy of good."

The council tabled the proposal Monday and will take up the issue again at its Sept. 13 meeting.

The three-year pilot program would cost a total of $300,000, paid for with the $58 million the city received through the American Rescue Plan. The Greater Downtown Council would work with Block by Block, the company that staffs and manages the eight-person Clean and Safe Team, to hire and manage the street outreach worker.

"It's a very proactive position, and it's really about building a rapport with individuals on the street," said Kristi Stokes, president of the Greater Downtown Council. "This is exactly what these funds are for. We've seen more individuals facing crisis during the pandemic, and this is hopefully our way of connecting with them and giving a hand up."

The proposal came from city administrators after meeting with downtown business and property owners in recent weeks. City Attorney Rebecca St. George told the council last week that "whoever takes this position will be working closely with the police, but the idea behind it is that rather than policing people and rather than criminalizing some of the behavior that's happening is recognizing that people need more resources."

Some community members took issue with money being diverted from a citywide crisis intervention pilot program that is still being developed. The City Council previously increased that pot of money from $1.5 million to $2.1 million.

"I'm concerned this position will serve to move our homeless and poor people away so our tourists don't have to see them," community activist Henry Banks said Monday. Duluth NAACP President Classie Dudley added: "We have to make a point that the decisions that are made for us are made by us."

City Council Member Janet Kennedy, a former vice president of the Duluth NAACP, said both the citywide and downtown-specific approaches can be taken, especially as more of the issues being seen downtown are appearing in her western Duluth district.

"It's about people we see on the street who need services today," Kennedy said. "This isn't about us. You get to go home every night and sleep in your bed."

Duluth has 155 shelter beds and between 280 and 600 people who are undersheltered or experiencing homelessness on a given night, according to Council Member Zack Filipovich.

If approved, the downtown outreach position may not be filled until the end of the year. There is no timeline yet for the citywide crisis intervention program. Council Member Gary Anderson, who is part of those discussions, signaled his support for both approaches: "We have to take new risks and do new things."

Brooks Johnson • 218-491-6496