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 developed the Healthy Retail Access Program, termed Fresh Food Development Projects in the 2015 Capital Budget, that will solicit proposals for a range of city assistance; and
WHEREAS, the range of city assistance will include grants for physical improvements to retail space to increase accessibility to healthy retail and technical assistance associated with the improvement to ensure the sustainability of the project; and
WHEREAS, city staff will additionally offer technical assistance to a limited number of proposals in the form of business planning, marketing planning, and/or grant writing as a part of the program; and
WHEREAS, healthy retail access is one component of the City's larger strategy to address food access issues, which includes attracting new permanent grocery to certain neighborhoods, supporting community gardens, incubating small businesses, providing incentives for FoodShare participants, and issuing micro-grants to small food access projects; and
WHEREAS, as food insecurity is a symptom of poverty, the City must also continue to address issues relating to poverty including healthy and affordable food access, adequate education and out-of-school time, affordable housing, transportation, and job access and training; and
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Common Council hereby creates the City of Madison Healthy Retail Access Program as described herein; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Director of Food and Alcohol Policy to issue a call for applications for healthy food retail access improvements through the City of Madison Healthy Retail Access Program; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Common Council authorizes the Madison Food Policy Council, through the Healthy Retail Access work group, and with the assistance of city staff, to review applications, and make recommendations to the Madison Food Policy Council; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Madison Food Policy Council is authorized to make selections to the Healthy Retail Access Program and the Director of Food and Alcohol Policy is authorized to negotiate with the selected applicants and to issue grant funds to recipients totaling up to, but not greater than, the authorized amount of $100,000 in a form approved by the City Attorney; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Mayor and City Clerk are authorized to execute, deliver, accept, and record any and all documents and take such other actions as shall be necessary or desirable to accomplish the purpose of this resolution in a form approved by the City Attorney; and
BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED, that city staff will report the selections and recipients of the 2015 Healthy Retail Access Program to the Common Council no later than November 1, 2015.