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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCouncil Packet - 11/6/2023CITY OF %�64TERLOO IOWA THE CITY COUNCIL OF WATERLOO, IOWA WORK SESSION TO BE HELD AT Harold E. Getty Council Chambers Monday, November 6, 2023 4:40 PM RULES FOR WORK SESSION PUBLIC COMMENT Iowa Code Chapter 21 gives the public the right to attend council meetings, but it does not require cities to allow public participation except during public hearings.The city council shall not receive any public comment during a work session. Roll Call Agenda, as proposed or amended Approval of Minutes of October 16, 2023 as proposed or amended. 4:40 p.m. Discussion recommendations from Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission. Submitted by: Jonathan Grieder, Ward 2 Council member ADJOURNMENT Kelley Felchle City Clerk Page 1 of 8 CITY OF %�64TERLOO IOWA THE CITY COUNCIL OF WATERLOO, IOWA WORK SESSION TO BE HELD AT Harold E. Getty Council Chambers 4:25 p.m. Monday, October 16, 2023 4:25 PM RULES FOR WORK SESSION PUBLIC COMMENT Iowa Code Chapter 21 gives the public the right to attend council meetings, but it does not require cities to allow public participation except during public hearings.The city council shall not receive any public comment during a work session. Roll Call. Approval of agenda, as proposed or amended. Approval of October 2, 2023 Minutes as proposed or amended. 4:25 p.m. 4:40 p.m. Discussion of an amendment to the snow removal ordinance. Submitted by: Martin Petersen, City Attorney Update from University of Northern Iowa Center for Energy and Environmental Education. Submitted by: Mayor Hart ADJOURNMENT Kelley Felchle City Clerk Page 2 of 8 Data Collection Process Guiding the work of the Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission was a commitment to hearing, and being guided, by the voices and concerns of Waterloo citizens and to bring forth recommendations that are supported by evidence and that are actionable for Waterloo. A multi -tier approach was developed and implemented to provide opportunities for Waterloo stakeholders to share their thoughts and concerns. Meetings of the Commission occurred monthly to process the information being shared. This approach entailed: • Conducting 8 town hall meetings in Waterloo. These were held at the Waterloo Public Library or the Jubilee Freedom Center. Members of the Commission attended these sessions to hear from residents their concerns and thoughts on how to address community violence and create safer neighborhoods and communities. These listening sessions were advertised in advance on social media as well as press releases. • Print and electronic anonymous surveys were utilized to collect information on the extent to which residents were exposed directly or indirectly to various forms of violence. Open ended questions sought input on actions that could be taken to create safer communities as well as community resources to this end. Print copies of the survey were made available in key locations around Waterloo and links to the survey were distributed. Approximately 300 individuals responded to the survey. • The Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission partnered with the Public Science Collaborative (PSC) at Iowa State University to design neighborhood safety strategies. The PSC conducted an extensive data scan to understand Waterloo assets and risks, including environmental risks and social determinants of health. The PSC created a Social Determinants of Health Dashboard and an interactive Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Initiative Dashboard that allowed for an exploration of gun violence, alcohol outlets and the social determinants of community safety. Utilizing the data derived from their analyses, a public forum was held in which PSC presented the data and worked with the attendees through a process in which recommendations from the data emerged. A final step in the approach was to explore approaches and models to addressing community gun violence, and the prevention thereof, that are found to be evidence based or successful in practice. This exploration involved a review of the scientific/professional literature and/or discussions with key personnel implementing such models in other communities. Page 3 of 8 Recommendations The Waterloo Safe Neighborhoods Commission was charged with establishing a series of recommendations to combat gun violence and the societal problems that feed violence in some areas of our community. This is not an issue only for some neighborhoods, or for some folks, this is an issue that impacts all of us from safety and well-being to economic vitality and opportunity. Through thoughtful consideration the commission puts forth the following recommendations to the City of Waterloo, the public, and partner organizations in the Cedar Valley. These recommendations represent tremendous effort and mark a new chapter in ensuring the Waterloo is a community of opportunity for all. Recommendations • Per feedback for the ISU data team Waterloo Planning and Zoning department develop a public notification program for alcohol licenses sought in already densely present areas. Alcohol Outlet Density (AOD) monitoring is essential to ensuring that density does not rise in some areas due to the impact on other health factors in the community including violence. • Continue and expand, where possible, the Neighborhood Patrol Officer Program to continue to build community trust and awareness of Waterloo PD's presence and role in community safety. • Establish and begin to implement a Minimum Lighting Safety Threshold for neighborhoods. Studies have shown; here and here, show that increased street lighting has a statistically significant impact on reducing crime in the area at night. The City should work with neighborhood associations and residents to identify areas that need more light. The City of Waterloo should work with the appropriate partners, including but not limited to MidAmerican and grant programs to defray the cost. • Prepare and request an RFP for the creation of the Office of Community Connections within the Waterloo City government. This Office shall be charged with connecting residents, nonprofit organizations, city services, and greater Cedar Valley partners to help residents navigate the challenges they may face including but not limited to issues of housing, transportation, societal reentry, youth activities, and job opportunities. This Office shall also be the chief liaison with the Common Cause Waterloo Coalition. • Begin and establish the Common Cause Waterloo Coalition, modeled after the Empower Omaha 360 group, more information can be found here. This Coalition should be broad including partners from the City of Waterloo, Black Hawk County, Waterloo PD, Black Hawk County Attorney and Sheriff's offices, MET, faith leaders, business leaders, Waterloo Community School representatives, nonprofit leaders, formerly incarcerated, Page 4 of 8 and residents to develop an evidence -based long-term plan to keep focus on violence and the causes of violence. This organization should meet regularly and scheduled time accessible to residents to plan and make recommendations to stakeholders within the community. It is the Commission's belief that beginning with an examination of evidence -based practices and contacting partners in Omaha would be good first steps. It is also recommended that this group look at CDC Youth Violence Prevention Resource and the Department of Justice Community Violence Intervention Checklist as starting points after training in evidence based practices. • Begin the process of establishing a Community Violence Intervention Program (CVIP) through an RFP. CVIP have been shown in a variety of cities, resources found here, here, here, and here, to be effective violence deterrents if established with community buy -in and feedback. Waterloo's program should employ folks who know the community and have the necessary skills and background to be legitimate interventionists within the community. • Establish a cooperative relationship with the Patricia A. Thomson Violence Prevention Center. These recommendations are not all cost free and the Violence Prevention Center can be an incredibly useful partner in grant application and working towards ensuring the long term financial sustainability of these efforts. • Council and Community Buy in is essential for this to succeed. There is an appetite for addressing this issue among residents of Waterloo as seen by the survey data and resident participation throughout this process. As City leaders it is critical that we fund and raise awareness of these issues lest future councils have to deal with the same challenges. Page 5 of 8 Waterloo Safe Neighborhood Task Force Potential Funding Sources for Community Partnerships Waterloo/Cedar Valley o Otto Schoitz Foundation o Mission: "The mission of the Otto Schoitz Foundation is to improve the health and wellbeing of the Cedar Valley community and its individual members by funding grants ". State Level Funding o Iowa Office of Drug Control Policy o State Crisis Intervention Program (SCIP) ■ "...Grant funding can be used to support a broad range of community activities to address gun and violent crime issues". • Announced 9/21/23---Deadline 10/31/23 ■ https://odcp.iowa.gov/press-release/2023-09-21/scip-news-release Federal Grants: Dept. of Justice Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention o OJJDP FY 2023 Enhancing School Capacity to Address Youth Violence (0- OJJDP-2023-171658) ■ Program Objectives: • Improve school capacity to prevent and intervene early to incidents of violence. • Enhance and expand partnerships between school systems and community -based organizations to address school violence • Expand opportunities for family engagement with school personnel to mutually address risk factors for violence • Improve communication between home and school to enhance protective factors for student success ■ 3-year funding period; maximum of $1,000,000 o OJJDP FY 2023 Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success (O-OJJDP-2023-171851) Page 6 of 8 ■ Program Objectives: • The Building Local Continuums of Care to Support Youth Success initiative will provide funding to state and local jurisdictions that have high rates of youth incarceration to develop a continuum of care that includes a focus on positive youth development, prevention, diversion, and treatment services. This continuum of care will enhance communities' abilities to meet the needs of youth involved in or at risk of entering the juvenile justice system through community -based strategies, thereby reducing reliance on deeper system involvement to access resources. ■ 18-month funding period; maximum of $1,500,000 o OJJDP FY 2023 Youth Violence Prevention Program (O-OJJDP-2023-171718) ■ Program Objectives: • Project sites are expected to use funding to develop and implement violence prevention strategies targeted toward middle and high school age youth who have multiple risk factors for violence. Specific objectives include: Increase protective factors to prevent violence and delinquent behavior by youth. Implement data -driven, evidence -informed, and community -led approaches. Develop and/or enhance direct service programs for youth with multiple risk factors for violence. ■ 36-month funding period; maximum of $1,000,000 o OJJDP FY 2023 Strategies to Support Children Exposed to Violence ■ Program Objectives; • The overall goal of the program is to build the capacity of families and communities to help children exposed to violence. ■ 36-month funding period; maximum 970,000 Dept of Justice Bureau of Justice Assistance o BJA FY 2023 Preventing School Violence: BJA's STOP School Violence Program (O-BJA-2023-171666) o Program/Focus Areas: • Develop and operate technology solutions ■ Develop and implement multidisciplinary behavioral threat assessment (BTA) and/or intervention teams. ■ Train school personnel and educate students on preventing school violence, including strategies to improve a school climate. ■ Provide specialized training or create specialized nontraining policies for law enforcement who work in schools and/or with school -age populations as such. 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