City Council Highlights – February 6, 2023
Last updated on February 06, 2023
City Council Update 2.6.23
AWARDS AND RECOGNITIONS
Black History Month Proclamation
Each February, our community celebrates Black History Month, recognizing the contributions that Black Americans have made to our nation, state and city. We want to thank the city staff on our Black History Month Planning Committee, who have helped coordinate a variety of events that celebrate Black heritage and support our continued efforts to create an inclusive, equitable city for all.
GENERAL ITEMS
Police Accountability – Tyre Nichols
We want to start our update on a serious tone. Many in our community were saddened and furious to learn about the killing of Tyre Nichols in Memphis. There are no words we can say to ease the pain, anger and trauma that many of us are experiencing.
Tyre Nichols should be alive today and we can all agree that the officers responsible for his death must be held accountable.
His murder is another call for continued police reform, and in Orlando we remain focused on proactively taking action to ensure the fair and equitable treatment of every person the Orlando Police Department encounters.
Each day we're grateful for the courage and commitment of our officers and we thank them for playing a key role in these efforts.
In 2020 we invited the Bowman Group to review department policies and practices and recommend reforms and actions that we could take. Today, we’re working to implement many of those recommendations through the department’s Office of Constitutional Policing, which was created as recommendation from that review. We’re also growing our Community Response Team so trained behavioral health professionals can respond to some 911 calls, instead of officers.
We’ve made progress, but our work to increase transparency and professional standards must and will continue.
Shannon Fitzgerald Orange Appeal - Woman of the Year
We also want to take a moment to recognize one of our community leaders and city employees, Shannon Fitzgerald, for her efforts in expanding the cultural experiences at our world-class art Menello Museum of Art. Shannon was recognized as Orange Appeal's 2023 Women of the Year at the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts last week. Shannon – congratulations on this recognition and thank you for your hard work in strengthening the museum's outreach, programming, exhibits and collections that contribute to the cultural and economic prosperity of our community.
ITEMS OF NOTE
D#1 – FPR - Summer Youth Program
Moving on to items of note, once again we are partnering with CareerSource to provide paid summer internships to our city’s youth. Last summer, the Youth Employment program helped employ more than 660 youth with more than 200 of those being offered continuous employment at the end of their internship. This year we hope to expand our partnerships in the areas of hospitality, green energy and technology.
F#1&2 - Housing – HUD Rapid Rehousing Funds and Cares Act Funds
Also on the agenda are critical items that involve meeting the needs of some of our most vulnerable residents, those experiencing homelessness.
With ESG-RUSH funds, we’ll work with the Christian Service Center to rapidly shelter and house residents experiencing homelessness and living on the streets of Orlando by providing short-term rental assistance and wrap-around services to help change the lives of 20-40 unsheltered homeless residents and help them on the road to self-sufficiency.
This opportunity will allow us to further a strategy developed over the past year by the Homeless Services Network Task Force on the Unsheltered, which was convened by the direction of Commissioner Hill.
We want to thank you - Commissioner Hill – for your leadership on this and your compassion for addressing this very complex challenge.
Rapid rehousing is a strategy we know works and the city’s response is active and on-going in these efforts.
Additionally on the agenda we’ll provide ESG-CV funds to JUMP Ministries to provide engagement, case management, transportation and emergency health and mental health services to connect those who are homeless with day services. Preliminary data demonstrates that more than 60% of those receiving day services took the next step toward ending homelessness. We want to help ensure their basic needs are met and they receive the kindness and dignity they deserve, to encourage them to take that next step to become housed.
By investing more than 715,000 dollars with partner organizations that play a key part in our local response, we’re strengthening our commitment to helping the members of our community find shelter, housing, employment and support, while fostering hope, well-being and empowerment.