Number
160319
Version
SUBSTITUTE 1
Reference
Sponsor
ALD. RAINEY
Title
Substitute resolution directing the Department of City Development to develop a Fresh Food Access Strategy to support full access to affordable, fresh foods for residents in neighborhoods throughout Milwaukee.
Analysis
This resolution directs the Department of City Development to examine and assess the local retail food market, food retail trends, food store financing programs, and other fresh food access initiatives such as farmer’s markets and urban agriculture, and to develop a Fresh Food Access Strategy that recommends strategies, including the attraction and retention of full-service grocery stores, to provide access to affordable, fresh foods to all Milwaukee residents. The resolution directs the Department to present a report to the Common Council within 120 days of adoption of this resolution.
Body
Whereas, The retail food industry has undergone tremendous change in recent decades, such that conventional supermarkets and grocery stores have lost market share to other outlets such as warehouse clubs, supercenters, gas stations, convenience stores and chain drug stores; and
Whereas, Some of these trends have created “food deserts,” geographic areas, typically in an urban setting, where affordable, nutritious fresh food - especially fruits, vegetables and other whole foods - is scarce or unavailable due to a lack of large grocery stores, farmers markets and other healthy food providers; and
Whereas, Residents of food deserts, especially those with low incomes or who lack automobiles, must often resort to buying the only food available in their neighborhoods - the heavily-processed, high-fat and sugar-laden foods that are available at small grocery stores, convenience stores and gas stations in their communities; and
Whereas, Due to lack of access to affordable, nutritious fresh foods, residents of food deserts are prone to obesity and chronic diseases such as diabetes and heart disease; and
Whereas, The City’s ReFresh Milwaukee sustainability plan calls for increasing the number of residents living within a ten-minute walk of healthy and nutritious food sources; and
Whereas, Organizations such as Milwaukee’s Hunger Task Force, PolicyLink, International Council of Shopping Centers, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and state and local government agencies around the nation have developed strategies to better connect underserved residents with fresh food options; and
Whereas, Illinois Facilities Fund (IFF) and Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), both of which serve the Milwaukee market, have developed grocery store financing initiatives; and
Whereas, The City of Milwaukee would benefit from greater understanding of the location of local food deserts, food access initiatives, market trends and available retail food facility financing programs in order to determine what strategies are appropriate locally to improve the access of local residents to fresh, healthy food; now, therefore, be it
Resolved, By the Common Council of the City of Milwaukee, that the Department of City Development (DCD) is directed to prepare a Fresh Food Access Strategy that recommends initiatives that will better connect residents of Milwaukee neighborhoods to healthy food sources; and, be it
Further Resolved, That the Department of City Development shall present its findings and recommendations to the Common Council within 120 days of adoption of this resolution.
Requestor
Drafter
LRB164911-2
Martha Brown: Jeff Osterman
06/20/2016