Hello everyone, We're immensely grateful to those of you who've already taken the time to speak out for Madison PD - whether by contacting your city officials, writing letters to local newspapers, or attending community-based hearings & meetings. This is what grassroots activism - and being a good citizen - is about. Stepping outside of your comfort zone and doing something for the good of the community of which you are a part, is a virtue. Know that your efforts have not been in vain. Your voice IS being heard. But we still have a lot of work to do . . . . one of our goals is to ensure Midtown gets built. This is where you come in . . . again. We ask you to contact Mayor Soglin and Common Council members, urging them to approve funding for Midtown as well as additional police officers. My friend, avid police advocate, and member of our grassroots group Dave Glomp has perfectly articulated the issue. With Dave's permission, I'm re-posting his plea, below. ------------ Once again for the third straight year the Madison City Council and Mayor must approve Capital Budget funding for the construction of the previously approved MidTown Police Station on Mineral Point Road, on the site of the former Mt Olive Church and parsonage. Additionally, this year they also need to approve funding in the Operating Budget to hire 7 new police officers to fill out the complete compliment of officers for the station to operate 24/7, 365 days a year. The majority of the overall staffing will come from officer transfers from the current West, South, and Central Districts. When Midtown opens the current five Districts will be reconfigured into six more equally geographic and population based areas. This should greatly improve citywide police response times especially in the current huge West District, as well as the South and Central Districts. This will be especially critical as a huge additional area of the Town of Madison becomes part of Madison through annexation. To insure that the MidTown a Station finally becomes a reality funding of both construction and staffing take place and the Council and the Mayor make these budget provisions law and the ensure that prompt construction and staffing take place! No more delay can be allowed since the public has spoken in support three years in a row! The City Council voted unanimously last year, yet the Mayor seemed to impede and delay any action other than a building plan from occurring! The Mayor and all council members must hear once again from citizens saying enough is enough with the delays. The message is clear, “Fund construction and staffing of MidTown NOW, and NO delays in moving this project forward”. Please call, send an email, letter, or other communication before Nov. 9th, to all City Council Members and the Mayor! If you wish to testify in person in support, you can attend the Budget deliberations on Monday Nov.14th and Tuesday Nov. 15th at the Council Meeting which will be held this year in Exhibit Hall B, in the Monona Terrace Convention Center starting at 5:30 pm. You can make a difference with your actions! Thank You! Dave Glomp, a concerned citizen dedicated to Public Safety from the Meadowood neighborhood. ----------- Please let me know if you have any questions or comments. All the best. --Paula Fitzsimmons