Two Resolutions Introduced At 08/16/2023 Common Council Meeting – First Supports Mental Health Awareness And Services, Second Requires Additional Shared Revenue To Be Spent Only On Infrastructure And Public Safety

Two resolutions were introduced during the Common Council meeting on 08/16/2023.

Resolution 9-R-23, submitted by Alderperson Nate Wolff (District 12), is a Resolution Supporting Mental Health Awareness and Services in the City of Appleton.

If passed as written if would require the city of Appleton to

• Recognize the importance and impact of mental health.
• Conduct education campaigns to promote mental health awareness and reduce stigma associated with mental illness.
• Encourage the expansion of mental health services and indicate a general support of increased access to mental health services.
• Continue to work collaboratively with local mental health organizations and other stakeholder to identify gaps in mental health services and develop strategies to address those gaps.
• Encourage employers and schools to provide mental health resources to their employees and students.
• Encourage state and federal policy makes to increase funding for mental health services and research.

If passed, a copy of the resolution would be sent to Mayor Woodford, local mental health organizations, the state legislature, and Wisconsin’s members of congress.

[The city has awarded grants to local mental health organizations. Mayor Woodford has issued proclamations about mental health. The Police and Fire Departments both have implemented internal programs to promote employee mental health wellness. The Police Department also runs a school resource officer program to work with troubled youth in the public schools and has brought on a clinical therapist to help the department respond to crisis calls. Clearly, the city is already doing a lot. I’m curious if there is any sort of end-point at which the mental health related programs and services we are funding are considered to be sufficient. It goes without saying, our budget is not limitless, and, additionally, the city has many other priorities that need to be funded.

I think it would make sense to perhaps gather some data and put some metrics in place to determine how effective and beneficial our current mental health programs and expenditures have been, what if any future programs would be necessary, and what we specifically expect to get out of future programs and expenditures. It would also make sense to clearly lay out what the scope of the city’s role in promoting, funding, and participating in mental health resources.]

That resolution will come before the Board of Health for deliberation and a vote.

Resolution 10-R-23, the Resolution on Appleton’s Allocation of New State Shared Revenue Aid, was submitted by Alderpersons Chris Croatt (District 14), Williams Siebers (District 1), Kristin Alfheim (District 11), Sheri Hartzheim (District 13), and Chad Doran (District 15).

If passed as written it would direct the additional approximately $2 million the city will receive in increased shared revenue from the state to be allocated entirely “to offset borrowing for public works and utility infrastructure and/or public safety projects.”

Additionally,  it would require the mayor to include a supplemental document in the 2024 proposed budget that would detail “the proposed use of the new state aid funds for the sole purposes of citywide project for infrastructure and/or public safety.”

[After the lack of shared revenue has been pointed to as a major structural issue impacting the city’s ability to fund basic municipal operations, I would hope 100% of the new funds would go to infrastructure and public safety.]

This resolution was referred to the Mayor’s Office and the Legal Services Department and will eventually come before the Finance Committee.