Human Relations Commission - March 13, 2025

Commission adds LifeMoves to human-services funding plan

The Human Relations Commission voted 6-0 to add LifeMoves to its fiscal 2026-27 Human Services Resource Allocation Process recommendations and forward the revised plan to the City Council Finance Committee. The change reduces the other recommended awards by 5% and directs the resulting amount to LifeMoves, expanding the list of recommended recipients from 20 to 21 organizations.

The proposed fiscal 2026 funding pool is $941,735, while the 21 applicants requested a combined $1,156,257. LifeMoves, which requested $108,000, initially received no recommended funding because its application lacked required financial details. The exact revised allocation to LifeMoves was not established in the meeting record.

Staff told commissioners that submitted applications could be clarified but not altered or supplemented after the deadline. Application completeness was one of 11 evaluation criteria, alongside factors including priority needs, service effectiveness, accessibility, organizational capacity and the number of Palo Alto beneficiaries.

Commissioners weighed accountability for the incomplete application against LifeMoves’ services for unhoused residents. Mary Kate Stimmler proposed the proportional reduction after concluding that completeness should be considered with the other criteria. Adriana Eberle and Katie Causey raised concerns about withholding all funding from a homelessness-service provider, while Michelle Kraus noted that she had dissented from the subcommittee’s initial decision to recommend no funding. Kaloma Smith moved the revised recommendation, and Kraus seconded it. Staff will update the allocation spreadsheet and report before sending the proposal to the Finance Committee for consideration.

Commission adopts work plan covering RV, rights and fraud efforts

The commission approved its updated 2024-25 work plan on a 5-0 vote, adding new areas of interest, marking completed work and removing priorities that had been set aside. The plan includes a Know Your Rights event, follow-up on needs identified in an assessment, housing programs focused on equity and access, continued involvement in local RV-dweller concerns and a community fraud-prevention presentation.

During the discussion, a commissioner urged the panel to keep RV-dweller concerns visibly prioritized. Stimmler clarified that the issue remained a high priority under housing, economic justice and development.

The commission plans an April 23 fraud-prevention seminar with participation from the Police Department and District Attorney’s Office; FBI participation remained unconfirmed. At its next meeting, the commission expects to hold a listening session about community child-care needs and review CDBG grants. Committee and project assignments, which were not part of the work plan, were expected to be revised by the end of March.

Primary sources

Watch the meeting on YouTube · Read the official meeting packet