Round Up – Wednesday 3/25/19

Alder, elections and Homeless Services Consortium Round Ups, Metro Driver with COVID-19, police stations close, democratic process shut down concerns, housing and homeless updates and much more. 

NON-CORONAVIRUS

VOTING TO GET SPECIAL INTEREST MONEY OUT OF POLITICS

Seventeen Communities to Vote to Reclaim Democracy from Moneyed Interests

Madison, WI (March 25, 2020) – On Tuesday, April 7th, Wisconsin residents in Seventeen communities will vote on whether to amend the U.S. Constitution to clarify that only humans should have constitutional rights and that money is not the same as speech and political spending can be limited to allow all Americans to participate in the democratic process.

Voters will cast ballots in the following cities and towns:

Cities: Rhinelander, Eagle River

Towns: Wescott (Shawano); Newbold, Crescent, Pelican, Woodruff, Pine Lake, Hazelhurst (Onieda); Arbor Vitae, Presque Isle, Winchester, Boulder Junction, Phelps, Lac du Flambeau, Plum Lake, Manitowish Waters (Vilas)

If all vote in favor, 163 Wisconsin communities will have called for the We The People amendment. Nationwide, 20 state legislatures have done likewise, as have more than 820 towns, villages, cities, and counties.

“We cannot solve any of the pressing issues in front of our country as long as our politicians do not represent us, and they won’t until we get the big money out of politics,” said Hazelhurst resident David Barnhill.

Multiple polls show over 90% of Americans, regardless of party, think special interest money has too much influence in American political campaigns.[1]  Numerous polls show that Money in Politics is a top issue for voters. [2]

Rhinelander resident, Jackie Cody said, “The people’s voices and desires are strangled by the glut and acceptance of campaign cash by elected officials.”

Former State Senator Dale Schultz summed it up well. “We’re talking about billionaires turning this country into a Russian-style oligarchy, where there are two dozen billionaires who buy the whole political process… we are awash in money because of Citizens United, and it puts good people in both parties in a difficult situation.” [3]

One volunteer, Jan Koch of Shawano, expressed frustration: “Citizens in 146 Wisconsin communities have passed resolutions calling for an amendment. We need state legislators to put it on a statewide ballot, but they won’t even let the bills have a public hearing!”

The roots of the problem run deeper than Citizens United. Over a century ago Robert M. La Follette spoke out against corruption wrought by the “concessions and privileges” given to corporations by legislators. “Why,” he asked, “in a government where the people are sovereign, why are these things tolerated?”

United To Amend is a non-partisan, grassroots movement. For more information: wiuta.org

Background material can be obtained here: pdf1, pdf2 and pdf3.

Link to this press release.

Photos: photo1, photo2 and photo3.

[1] https://mayday.us/data/20150925_gop_polling_results.pdf

https://mayday.us/data/20150925_dem_polling_results.pdf

http://www.texansunitedtoamend.org/uploads/5/0/8/1/5081028/representus_analysis.pdf

[2] https://wiuta.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Money-In-Politics-Polls.pdf

[3] Senator Dale Schultz presentation, March 7, 2014 at the L.D. Fargo Public Library, Lake Mills, WI.

CORONAVIRUS

COUNCIL ROUND UP WEDNESDAY 3/25/20

From: Obeng, Kwasi
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2020 10:06 PM
To: All Alders
Cc: Crawley, Katie
Subject: Daily round up for 3/25/20

Good evening Alders,

Please see a round of updates from today.

From Council Leadership Meeting with the Mayor:

Council Leadership met with the Mayor this afternoon. The Mayor and Council President discussed what the Mayor will present at CCEC.  The Mayor will:

• • • Give an overview of the Covid19 mitigation activities
    • She will discuss the EOC, how information flows and how issues and concerns are being prioritized
    • The Mayor will discuss how the City’s EOC is engaging with other emergency command centers like the county and UW
    • The Mayor will discuss both the staffing challenges and the struggles to procure supplies.

The Mayor informed us that some of the issues being tackled by the EOC are homelessness, staffing challenges, the requests for a sabbatical on evictions, delaying property taxes, business assistance loans and grants etc. The Council President mentioned that there is an interest among alders to know what their role should be during this crisis and that it would be a discussion item at CCEC.  Some of the roles discussed included pushing information out to residents such as volunteer opportunities and resources.  It was mentioned that the United Way and Food Pantries are seeking volunteers.

From CDD:

The City and County are collaborating to protect residents that are without housing, most of whom are served through the shelter system. As of 3/25 we have placed about 225 people into local hotels, removing them from the shelter system and reducing their exposure to risk of transmission to the coronavirus.  They include 37 families (140 people); the rest single men and women.  Efforts to secure safer settings have prioritized families with children, singles who are more vulnerable to the disease, and people who are symptomatic.  Staff have identified approximately 60 more people for hotel placement and we are working on finding accommodations for them. We have also made good progress but need to do still more to ensure that persons relocated to hotel venues have the necessary support services they need – everything from food to laundry to light case management/emotional support.

On another front, we are taking steps to expand shelter capacity at additional locations to provide room for greater physical separation and safer environments for shelter users. Toward this end,  we expect to open at least one new site before the end of the month.

 Street outreach staff are also working to assist persons unable or unwilling to use the shelter system.  Those meeting the at- higher-risk criteria described above are being moved into hotels. We are also placing hand washing stations at 6 locations around town near the Salvation Army, the Beacon, Safe Haven, Peace Park, Central Library and the Top of State Street.

Currently, the biggest challenge is finding staffing resources sufficient to meet the wide range of needs at the hotels and the new shelter sites. We will face continuing challenges to provide adequate transportation, find and furnish shelter venues, and locate and maintain sufficient staffing resources.  And as this situation progresses, we face the prospect of more people becoming housing insecure, and the need for assistance rising further.  Therefore, we are beginning to think beyond our immediate needs and preparing for even greater challenges that could lie ahead.

From IT:

Cyber scammers are taking advantage of fears surrounding COVID-19. They’re setting up websites to sell fake products, and using phishing emails, texts, and social media posts to facilitate scams and distribute malware. These cases continue to rise as more and more employees are teleworking. As the first line of defense, we all need to practice good cybersecurity hygiene.

What You Can Do

• • • Avoid clicking on links in unsolicited emails and be wary of email attachments. See Using Caution with Email Attachments and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Scams for more information.
    • Use trusted sources—such as legitimate, government websites—for up-to-date, fact-based information about COVID-19. You can also visit the City of Madison Coronavirus page for local COVID-19 updates.
    • Do not reveal personal or financial information in email, and do not respond to email solicitations for this information.
    • Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations. Review the Federal Trade Commission’s page on Charity Scams for more information.
    • Review CISA Insights on Risk Management for COVID-19 for more information.

From Public Health:

COVID-19 Information Update 3/25/20

Main Messages:

• • • Public Health Madison & Dane County announced the first Dane County death related to COVID-19.

• • • We urge everyone to follow the Safer at Home orders issued by the Governor that went into effect today. We also issued an order to adopt the state’s Safer at Home order. With our order, we show support for Safer at Home and local enforcement responsibilities.
    • We created a Safer at Home 101 flyer to help people understand what they can and can’t do under the order.

 From the Clerk’s Office:

The City of Madison has reserved four parking spots on Martin Luther King, Jr. Blvd. outside the City-County Building and the Madison Municipal Building for curbside voting starting Friday, March 20th. Voters who are high-risk for COVID-19 can register to vote and/or cast their ballot from their vehicle. High-risk populations include older adults and people with chronic health conditions. Curbside voting will be offered 8:00am – 6:00pm, Monday – Friday, March 20th – April 3rd.

The Clerk’s Office is open to the public. We recommend voting by absentee ballot if possible. You can request an absentee ballot by mail or email. In-person absentee voting locations are changing frequently, be sure to check locations and hours.

If you plan to vote on Election Day, please check MyVote WI on Election Day to verify your polling location, as many locations will change for this election.

View all impacts to City service on the City’s COVID-19 website.

Kwasi K. Obeng, Chief of Staff

Common Council Office

HOMELESS SERVICES CONSORTIUM UPDATE

Hi HSC Members-

Below is my update for today.

1. 1. 1. Hotel Updates: 140 individuals in 37 families are in hotels, 84 single adults are in hotels with 14 of them being in medical respite. (please note that numbers may be slightly off due to the rapid nature of move ins and changing information), plan to move more individuals into hotels tomorrow, working to secure additional rooms, working to secure additional space for the men’s shelter. People can still access shelter, including families.
      2. Mail pick-up at the Job Center

Homeless Mail may be picked up by appointment only.  Mail pick-up will be restricted to critical mail only such as: Quest or Medical Assistance cards, Checks, Debit & ID cards.  Please call 608-242-7429 to leave a message to schedule an appointment.  Each appointment is just for the person who calls and does not include additional family and friends.

1. 1. 3. Safer At Home 101 Flyer. Public Health Madison & Dane County put together a flyer that gives a general overview of Safer at Home.
      4. State Capitol will be closed to the public beginning tomorrow at 8 AM.

Please let me know if you have any questions.

Thank you to everyone for all of your hard work!

Thanks, Torrie

This note was sent with the Mayor’s blog on homeless services – written about in more detail here.

Attached is an announcement from Porchlight that address the anticipated opening date for Warner Park, intake hours and updates on the 90-day limitations. PLEASE NOTE: City of Madison is working with Porchlight to ensure there is direct metro transit from a downtown location to Warner Park daily. Once that information is confirmed we will notify Homeless Services Consortium.

Plus this update on how to access the program that gets persons without homes into housing – it’s called the “Coordinated Entry” system:

I would like to provide a quick update on how participants can access Coordinated Entry (CE):

Coordinated Entry Homeless Services

• • • The Beacon: To connect with CE Homeless Services staff who are normally at The Beacon, participants should leave a message at (608) 826-8019 or complete the CE Contact Form on the HSC website.  Calls will be returned within 24 business hours.  VI-SPDAT assessments will be conducted over the phone.
    • The Salvation Army: Women and families who are accessing emergency shelter will be contacted by CE staff to schedule a time to complete the VI-SPDAT assessment over the phone.
    • Porchlight: Men who are accessing emergency shelter can meet with CE staff at Grace Men’s Drop-in shelter in the evening to complete the VI-SPDAT assessment.

Eviction Prevention Coordinated Entry

• • • Tenant Resource Center is closed for walk-ins.  To connect with Eviction Prevention Coordinated Entry, participants should leave a message on the Eviction Prevention CE line at (608) 257-0006 ext. 7.  Calls will be returned as quickly as possible.

The attached flyer serves as a reminder for how to access CE Homeless Services at The Beacon during this time.  The flyer is also available for download on the HSC website:www.danecountyhomeless.org/coordinated-entry.

PEOPLE LIVING IN HOUSING FOR FORMERLY HOMELESS CAN NOW GET SECTION 8 VOUCHERS

Here’s the email about the program for families, singles info not yet available:

I just wanted to make sure that you all are aware of the Mainstream Voucher Program (MVP) that will be accepting applications starting tomorrow March 26th, 2020.

Important Dates:

Applications Available: March 26th 2020

When 1st vouchers ill be given: Set for May 2020 (this could change)

When participants are able to lease up: Set for June 2020 (this could change)

Please note that I am coordinating the family portion of these vouchers and that there will be an email with more information regarding the singles portion later. 

This program is a Section 8 Voucher Program through CDA with special eligibility requirements.

This program is designed to help participants who have a disability (any adult family member) and are currently living in either a Permanent Supportive Housing Program or Rapid Rehousing Program.

Attached to this email I have included all of the eligibility requirements (for families) as well as other FAQ’s.

Coordinators will need to verify disability by having an SSI/SSDI award letter or the attached form before an application can be filled out.

Please note that there is not a large list of eligibility requirements. This was done on purpose to allow more participants the ability to apply. With that being said, here are some things to consider when talking to your participants about applying for this program:

1. 1. Our number one priority is keeping participants’ stably housed. So it is is important that participants understand the risks of enrolling in a section 8 program.

       -If a participant loses their voucher there is a high chance of re-entering homelessness without the support of any housing program. Meaning they would most likely have to start over with getting their name back on the priority list.

1. 2. Successful rent payments are very important. Late rental payments could result in losing a voucher.
   3. Constant Police contact could also result in losing a voucher (regardless of eviction)
   4. Other lease violations such as too many guests, high traffic, constant disruption, etc could also result in a loss of voucher
   5. Please take a minute and pause to think about the process of this program and whether or not a participant would succeed with a section 8 voucher. Although you cannot deny a participant’s right to apply (assuming eligible) you are able to have an open and honest conversation about what having a section 8 voucher entails and if it is likely to be a long term solution for the participant.

Another note: At this time electronic signatures are not allowed. Please do your best to follow social distancing protocols at this time while helping families fill out applications.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions/concerns you may have!

Justin Burton, CAPSW, MSW

Moving Up & House-Ability Housing Specialist

The Road Home Dane County

UNOFFICIAL HOMELESS SERVICES UPDATE

Focus Counseling has been “assigned” to hire and staff the hotels where the homeless people are staying, they are in charge of hiring and have one week to do get the program started.  $15/hour, 24 hour shifts.

ALDER UPDATE ON METRO DRIVER WITH COVID-19

Good Afternoon,

In the next day we would like to send you an update regarding the actions taken by Metro Transit to address COVID-19 over the past 10 days.  They have included social distancing, rear-board entry and exit, enhanced evening cleaning, and scheduling buses so they are not shared between drivers.  The update will elaborate on our response.

We have heard from public health last night that a Metro Transit operator has tested positive for COVID-19.

The attached communication has been sent to Metro Transit employees.  I wanted you to have a copy of the communication.  I am happy to respond to questions, but please do not reply all.

I will be following up later today with a general update about Metro Transit’s COVID-19 response.

Best Regards,

Natalie Erdman, Interim General Transit Manager.

Metro employee update

Wednesday, March 25, 2020

RE: Important Employee Update

Last night we were informed by Public Health that a Metro Transit Driver tested positive for COVID-19. They are not able to identify the operator. The operator is not required to disclose their identity. We’ve been told by public health that it is unlikely that the driver contracted the virus from a passenger. What they can tell us is that the operator last worked on March 17, 18, and 19 on a split shift. If you were working on those days and happened to be in close contact with the operator, you may have been exposed.

While we don’t know the identity of the driver, we are hoping that they know that Emergency Paid Leave and EAP are available. We also hope that they will recover fully and quickly.

What should you do?
The web site below is very helpful in identifying what you should do if you are exposed to someone showing symptoms or testing positive for COVID-19.
https://publichealthmdc.com/coronavirus/what-to-do-if-you-are-sick-or-possibly-
exposed

We want to stress again that it is imperative that we all do the following:

• • • Maintain social distancing of 6ft or more if in contact with someone for more than 10
      minutes.
    • Do not congregate in groups of more than 10 people.
    • Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds or more.
    • Cover coughs and sneezes with an elbow or tissue and dispose of the tissue.
    • Refrain from touching your face.
    • Stay home and contact your supervisor if you are showing symptoms such as fever, dry cough, or shortness of breath.

What is Metro doing?

In addition to limiting the capacity on buses, going to rear entry and exit, and reducing service to limit the number of drivers exposed to the public in any given week:

• • • I will be walking the garage and staff areas today to identify how we can support and
      enforce social distancing.
    • We will be establishing a daily call with the Teamsters 695 to take input on and
      implement additional procedures so that we can continually improve on our safety
      measures.
    • With the help of operators that have been redeployed we are wiping down 40 buses per day, fogging 52 buses per day, and thoroughly cleaning 46 buses each day. All buses that are assigned to a driver have been fogged or cleaned.
    • The new schedule has each route pulling out from the garage and returning to the
      garage so that no buses have more than one driver in a day. We will continue with this type of scheduling to eliminate having two drivers sharing the same work space without having the driver space disinfected in between.

I am open to discussing other ideas to improve the safety of our drivers and passengers. Unfortunately, we have limited abilities to gather with groups of employees. Please share your concerns or ideas with your unit steward, Teamster Business Agent or unit manager. We may not have an immediate answer, but will take them up in our daily call. We will continue to communicate our response in writing.

For today, if you have questions about the information contained in this letter, you are welcome to contact your unit steward, Teamsters Business Agent, or unit manager. In addition, I will be in the service lane with a Human Resources representative starting at 1:30 to take questions.

Best Regards,

Natalie Erdman
Interim Transit General Manager

A WORLD WITHOUT PARTICIPATORY GOVERNMENT – SOUTH SIDE GROCERY

More to come on this, but the voices on the South Side have been sidelined.

ELECTIONS

POLICE DEPARTMENT CHANGES TO SERVICE WITH NEW ORDER

As most of you are likely aware, yesterday the State Department of Health Services issued a new emergency order to address the COVID-19 pandemic.  The full order is available here:

https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/WIGOV/2020/03/24/file_attachments/1409408/Health%20Order%20%2312%20Safer%20At%20Home.pdf

The order puts additional restrictions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19 in our community.  Residents are required to stay at home unless they are engaging in essential activities or work.  There are reasonable exceptions in place, like to go out for groceries or for health care needs.  However, if you don’t have a need to go out – if one of the exceptions does not apply – please stay home.  The order specifies that it is enforceable by law enforcement, and that violators are subject to arrest or citation.  However my focus, like that of all involved in responding to this crisis, is the health and welfare of our community.  I want MPD officers to be focusing on other things – like providing extra patrol to the many businesses required to close unexpectedly – rather than enforcing this order.  The Madison community has done a fantastic job so far of complying with the orders that have been issued.  These efforts will pay off…please keep it up!

The new order will also result in some additional changes to MPD services:

• • • MPD district stations will be closed to the public, starting today.  The entryway to each district has a phone with a direct connection to the 911 Center that can be used to request an officer in case of emergency.
    • MPD will continue to take steps to minimize the likelihood of officers being exposed to COVID-19.  This could mean officers not responding to some minor incidents that we typically would, or handling some complaints over the phone.

The information provided below about some of the calls officers responded to is derived from notes provided by MPD Officers-In-Charge (OIC) at the end of their shifts. Most narratives represent early and preliminary information that was gathered by an OIC from those in the field who were actively working cases. The OIC is sharing what they were being told, in the moment. In many instances, facts and circumstances, even the type of crime listed, can change as officers, detectives and investigators continue their work.

From 6:00 a.m. on 03/24/2020 through 6:00 a.m. on 03/25/2020, MPD received 358 calls for service.  This number does not include parking complaints or 911 misdials.  A breakdown of the calls for service per district is as follows: Central (54), East (53), Midtown (51), North (55), South (35), West (58), and Other (52).  “Other” is used for calls that either do not have a sector or the sector is not in the City.  This would be used in the case of one of our officers assisting another law enforcement agency.

VOTING, ID’s AND “INDEFINITELY CONFINED DUE TO ILLNESS”

From Scott McDonell

I have informed Dane County Municipal Clerks that during this emergency and based on the Governors Stay at Home order I am declaring all Dane County voters may indicate as needed that they are indefinitely confined due to illness. This declaration will make it easier for Dane County voters to participate in this election by mail in these difficult times. I urge all voters who request a ballot and have trouble presenting an valid ID to indicate that they are indefinitely confined.

People are reluctant to check the box that says they are indefinitely confined but this is a pandemic. This feature in our law is here to help preserve everyone’s right to vote.

The process works like this:
• A voter visit’s myvote.wi.gov to request a ballot.
• A voter can select a box that reads “I certify that I am indefinitely confined due to age illness, infirmity or disability and request ballots be sent to me for every election until I am no longer confined or fail to return a ballot.
• The voter is then able to skip the step of uploading an ID in order to receive a ballot for the April 7 election.

Voters are confined due to the COVID-19 illness. When the Stay at Home order by the Governor is lifted, the voter can change their designation back by contacting their clerk or updating their information in myvote.wi.gov

Voters who are able to provide a copy of their ID should do so and not indicate that they are indefinitely confined.

DANE COUNTY HOUSING INITIATIVE UPDATES

NATIONAL HOUSING LAW PROJECT RESOURCES

We at the National Housing Law Project hope you and yours are safe and healthy. I wanted to send you a quick email to let you know about some great new resources on NHLP’s website. These new resources are dedicated to protecting renters and homeowners during this uncertain time. Highlights include: Model state law eviction moratorium to stop all five phases of the eviction process Coronavirus Eviction Moratoria: Considerations and Best Practices Database of COVID-19 Eviction Moratoria by State, Commonwealth and Territory (continuously updated) Federal Foreclosure and Eviction Moratoriums During COVID-19 Crisis: Who Is Protected, and Who Is Left Out? Coming soon: NHLP’s analysis of the upcoming federal $2 trillion stimulus deal. There is much, much more and, as you know, it continues to change. So please check out our website and let us know if there’s anything else you think we should add. I am so proud of our staff, the Housing Justice Network members, and all of our other housing, civil rights, and consumer rights partners across the country. Keep up the amazing work. Sincerely,

Shamus Roller

 

CDA PARKSIDE FAMILY WAIT LIST CLOSING

The CDA Parkside Family wait list that opened on February 10, 2020 will be closing tonight, March 25, 2020, at 11:59pm.

The CDA will still be accepting Parkside one bedroom applications for the elderly or disabled.

Thank you,

Kim

ALL CITY OF MADISON GOLF COURSES REMAIN CLOSED

In compliance with the Emergency SAFER AT HOME Order by Governor Tony Evers, through guidance from Public Health Madison & Dane County, the City of Madison Parks Division has the following update: All City of Madison Golf Courses are closed through 8:00am, Friday, April 24, 2020 or until a superseding order is issued. We hope to see you all very soon to enjoy another season with Golf Madison Parks!  Thank you all for your understanding and support as we continue to look forwarding to the opening again.

Sincerely,

Golf Madison Parks Staff

FEED THE PEOPLE, SAVE THE FARMS

Please check out this Feed the People and Save the Farms GoFundMe emergency food access appeal from Buy One For A Neighbor.  Our plan is to contract with local market farmers now for produce to distribute to struggling families all season long.

Farmers won’t have to worry if markets are closed or sparsely attended and we ensure low-income neighbors have access to healthy local food.  Please take a moment to read the plan on the site, donate if you can and forward this emergency appeal to all your friends and other contacts!

Your kindness and generosity is much appreciated in these difficult times.  Be sure to check back on the site for updates as the campaign grows!