Following weeks of contentious negotiations, a group of Madison alders appears to have reached an agreement with local nonprofit leaders to provide $50,000 in short-term funding for peer support services aimed at reducing gun violence in the city for the summer.
Following a rash of shootings last year, Mayor Paul Soglin and alders committed $3 million to implement a 15-Point Plan put forward by a team of alders and community leaders, including members of the Focused Interruption Coalition. Soglin allocated $400,000 in the 2017 budget for that purpose, but the City will not start collecting proposals for violence prevention contracts until fall, frustrating some community leaders who want more urgent action.
The City has already announced that it will make $25,000 available for emergencies related to gun violence, including alternative housing, funeral services, and related expenses for victims and their families in the immediate wake of a shooting.
The City had also verbally committed an additional $50,000 to contract with Nehemiah Urban Development Corporation. Previous versions of the authorizing resolution, however, put forward by Soglin, did not mention the 15-point plan, did not recognize Focused Interruption coalition, did not acknowledge the Boys and Girls Club of Dane County as fiscal agent and did not require written measurable goals.
Boys and Girls Club CEO Michael Johnson indicated earlier this week that the coalition would not accept that resolution, and would instead turn to the private sector for funds.
But Friday morning, City of Madison Community Development Director Jim O’Keefe emailed Nehemiah CEO Rev. Alex Gee with the outline of a new resolution that would satisfy the nonprofit coalition.
Soglin’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment. O’Keefe wrote that his team had “shared the details of our agreement with the Mayor’s office and … believe we have the authority to move forward.”
“I am pleased with the resolution that is presented by Alderman Maurice Cheeks and applaud the many alders that support this resolution,” Johnson said. “It’s refreshing that our elected officials are bringing this issue to a potential resolution. Our community can’t afford for us not to be prepared and I am happy to see we are making progress. The Focused Interruption Coalition, Boys & Girls Clubs and Nehemiah and our partners are committed to helping children and families facing hardships during difficult times and together we will develop outcomes with the City of Madison and MPD so the public understand the role of the response team during a community crisis. Thank you alders Maurice Cheeks, Matt Phair, Marsha Rummel, Shiva Bidar and Mark Clear for your leadership and appreciate the staff from CDBG and others for countless discussions over the last few weeks. I am confident the content of this work will help change and prevent lives from being lost.”
The resolution will be introduced on Tuesday. The Finance Committee will debate and vote on June 12, and then the full council on June 20.
