Any homeless people living outside and all food programs from them are being moved to the City-County Building, says the Mayor. Administrative action, no public input. No public input whatsoever. None.
I obviously don’t agree with him, at all. Several troublesome issues here, but for now, just sharing.
From: Mayor
Sent: Friday, April 24, 2015 2:05 PM
To: All Alders; Dept Division Heads
Subject: Recent Downtown Behavioral IssuesApril 24, 2015
In the past two weeks there has been a serious increase in the number of drifters in downtown Madison. Those of us who regularly use the front entrance of the City County Building noticed a number of new arrivals. In addition, new encampments were established including one on Frances Street between State Street and Langdon Street.
The Frances Street situation rapidly deteriorated last week.
1. On Saturday, a number of individuals were clearly under the influence of narcotics occupying the benches near Urban Outfitters and the steps of Frances Street.
2. On Tuesday over a half dozen hypodermic needles were found in the grassy area alongside The Towers.
3. On Wednesday the area was littered with food and other debris
4. On several occasions last week clothing was littering the area including feces laden pants.On Friday at 3:00 am, city park crews went into the area and power washed the block. The improvement was significant but it is not expected to keep the area safe and healthy if the behavior reoccurs (Those encamped were told of the cleaning in advance and found other locations to bed down on Thursday night.)
Including this location and the City County Building, encampments exist at Union Corners along the Yahara River at Burr Jones Field, alongside MG&E property by E. Wilson, as well as sporadically near Monona Terrace. They all present continual health threats because of the lack of proper sanitation practices as well as continued intravenous drug use – syringes are regularly found in grassy areas around the Square.
This is not a homeless issue. It is a matter of public health and safety since there are restroom facilities adjacent to the City County Building. If there were a day shelter and enough housing, these activities would continue.
This is not a homeless issue –there were several active placements of chronically homeless that failed. Without compromising confidentiality and HIPA requirements let me simply say that available housing is being refused and in several instances homeless individuals have sabotaged their placement. Several individuals, feeling coerced, accepted housing placements only to act in such a manner as to leave management no alternative than to throw them out.
Downtown Madison belongs to all the people of Madison and our visitors. It represents $100’s of millions in public investment not to mention the private commitments.
In the coming weeks I am going to use all of the administrative solutions available to me to force the dangerous behavior to stop. I know that in defense of the homeless, some will consider these measures draconian, but enough is enough. The combination of City and County policies that encourage drifters to come to Madison, and the concerted efforts of others to send them here has reached an intolerable level.
The following measures will be taken:
1. All illegal outdoor living and encampments will be stopped, and individuals who wish to live out doors will be given an opportunity to go the City County Building or shelters.
2. Madison Police will be in touch with shelters to make sure there is available space as they force drifters out of unsanitary public spaces.
3. We will request that all services that provide free food only do so at the City County building. If that is not heeded I will request adoption of an ordinance to give us greater control – we will not ban free food, we will control where it is distributed for health and sanitary reasons.
4. I have asked the City Attorney to research legislation to designate all of State Street and the Capital Square a public park. That will give us greater control of behavior.
5. I will request adoption of an ordinance that limits occupation of public benches to one hour – they are to be shared and used by everyone.
6. The health department will patrol the area and assist in citing those who are drug users endangering all by their careless use of needles.We are losing control of our city because of the overly indulgent behaviors tolerated at the City County Building. Because of those behaviors, the situation is spreading to a wider area. While I have little influence on those who manage and control the City County Building I will not abdicate my responsibility and will use the resources available to the city of Madison to bring safety and sanity back to our downtown. I encourage all Madisonians who agree with me, to contact their City and County representatives on the Council and County Board and indicate their support.
Again, my apologies, to my co-workers who also have offices at the City County Building and to the public that uses the building. My efforts to bring some sense of safety have failed. Nevertheless, while the situation deteriorates there, I am not going to stop trying to preserve the health and safety for all of us in Madison.
Attached is a photo of Frances Street after the excellent work by City staff to power wash the area which was contaminated by urine, feces, drugs, food, and liquor.
Mayor Paul R. Soglin
City of Madison
210 MLK Jr. Blvd
Madison, WI 53703
608-266-4611
www.cityofmadison.com
mayor@cityofmadison.com
Your disingenuous apologies offend, Mr. Mayor. You and your office manager type personalities and no you don’t have to do a personality test on an office manager type (control freak, autocratic, superiority complex) make up the type that show up on television to feel sorry for themselves that they have a job.
Your stereotyping the homeless with the behavior that describes someone who may in fact have mental health concerns and your unwillingness to dialogue with community agencies to find creative solutions so how sour you have become.
Are you going to have them name the elitist park after you, Soglin Park (the red zone of the state building and state street).
Furthermore, your drama is getting old and you lack the ability to be bold in your thinking.
Never realized just how powerless you are.
Hey, in the electronic age, many people do not even go to government buildings for their business. Why not put cameras up? I mean hell they have them in my apartment and you and the FBI know about that.
The problem is that people projected their best part of themselves onto you and your not worthy of the projection.
But you are better than the former mayor, but that’s not saying much.
Just never realized what an ego maniac you are.
Turning State Street into a public park would be a nightmare to regulate. So many people go in and out of the area throughout the day by city bus. People regularly hang out in the various sidewalk cafes. Are they really going to police the area by telling the college students, commuters and other patrons to move on from the bus stops & sidewalk cafes?? I doubt it. So it will show who’s being targeted, the “down and out.” Those who aren’t “down and out” may take offense and raise a political stink.
Also what will happen to things like the Tuesday evening meal on State Street that has been serving the homeless for 13 years? There used to be a few Madison police officers in favor of it. Are they going to kick everybody out?
It could be said that people who can’t stand the homeless in society have a mental illness.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/04/20/what-happened-when-this-feisty-woman-got-fined-2000-for-feeding-the-homeless/