Fiscal Note
There is currently $100,000 in the Fresh Food Development Projects fund within the 2015 Capital Budget.
Title
Authorizing city staff to request applications for healthy food retail access improvements through the City of Madison Healthy Retail Access Program and authorizing the Madison Food Policy Council to evaluate proposals, and the Director of Food and Alcohol Policy to negotiate with applicants and issue grants up to $100,000.
Body
WHEREAS, access to an adequately healthy and affordable meal is an issue that too many Madisonians struggle with in order to provide for themselves and their families; and
WHEREAS, while food insecurity is a symptom of poverty, a main component of that food insecurity is the challenge several neighborhoods in Madison face in terms of reasonable access to healthy food retail; and
WHEREAS, many other cities have developed programs and incentives to promote development of full-service or alternative permanent healthy food retail in underserved neighborhoods; and
WHEREAS, the Mayor and Common Council adopted a fund for Fresh Food Development Projects in the 2015 Capital Budget that would support and create healthy retail opportunities in underserved neighborhoods through incentives for existing business to improve healthy retail space, planning for new retail projects, and/or training and technical assistance for existing retailers; and
WHEREAS, the Healthy Food Retail work group of the Madison Food Policy Council spent the past seven months reviewing programs from other cities, developing criteria for the program, and evaluating factors to determine areas of focus and priority; and
WHEREAS, under the direction of the work group, staff developed a food access “Areas of Focus” map to assist in the strategic investment in terms of food access, especially as it relates to improvements in healthy retail; and
WHEREAS, under the direction of the work group, and with the approval of the Madison Food Policy Council, staff...
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