COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (KMTV) — Council Bluffs Mayor Jill Shudak is directing city employees to scale back their work with other departments and organizations on homelessness efforts, following the city council's rejection of her proposal to hire a homeless coordinator.
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Shudak had proposed using money from the Iowa West Foundation to cover the cost of hiring a homeless coordinator to work with nonprofits, city departments, and other cities — including Omaha — to help people experiencing homelessness and improve neighborhoods.
After some council members balked at the proposed six-figure salary, the council could not find a compromise and voted down the measure.
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In an email to Katrina Markel, Shudak addressed what she says is a higher workload taken on by city employeers in the absence of a dedicated coordinator.
Included in Shudak's email: "Over the past several years, many city employees across multiple departments have stepped up to assist with homelessness-related coordination efforts well beyond the scope of their assigned duties."
The mayor says the police department's current homeless outreach program is not affected by the directive. She also said she remains hopeful the city council will reconsider the homeless coordinator position.
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