The council approved an amendment to the existing First Last Mile contract on Aug. 4, 2025, allowing the nonprofit to reallocate existing contractual funds to cover startup costs and implement a pilot program providing transportation services to persons experiencing homelessness.

Nut graf: The amendment does not increase the contract total; it restructures spending to allow First Last Mile to provide initial startup services while Public Health and Human Services will administer eligibility and coordinate referrals with community partners, with an initial pilot focused on providers serving people experiencing homelessness.

Rebecca Roslett, Public Health Director, said the amendment restructures spending within the contract so that more of the funds are available for startup and early outreach for the program without changing the contract ceiling. The city’s Public Health and Human Services staff will handle eligibility screening similar to other social‑service programs and will pilot referrals beginning with agencies that serve people experiencing homelessness.

Roslett said program partners and referral pathways are being developed and that the pilot is expected to begin quickly, with staff and First Last Mile working to implement operational details and data collection for program monitoring.

Ending: The amendment authorizes a reallocation of existing funds to start a pilot transportation program for vulnerable clients; staff will report implementation timelines and performance metrics as the pilot proceeds.