Wood County’s domestic violence agency is hoping Bowling Green Council will potentially consider them as the city determines how to use funding from the American Rescue Plan Act.
“Over 33% of the survivors that we serve are Bowling Green residents,” Kathy Mull, director of the Cocoon. “(The city has) been such a wonderful and generous community to us.”
Mull said that in 2019, the Cocoon saw a 15% increase across the board in requests for services from survivors.
Since the advent of the pandemic approximately 18 months ago, she said that increase has continued to rise. When the pandemic restrictions began to lift, Mull said that there was a large increase in sexual violence reports. Their emergency shelter, she said, is almost always at capacity and, due to the pandemic, not all of the available space can be used.
“Unfortunately, this year alone we already had to relocate 40 requests for services,” Mull said.
In 2020, Cocoon served 747 survivors of domestic and sexual violence. As of Oct. 31 of this year, they have already served 725.
About 95% of survivors, Mull said, are also struggling with the work-based impact on them from domestic and sexual violence.
“The work that we do is really critical in supporting survivors in that journey,” she said.
Mull said that in the last two years, Cocoon has lost over $300,000 in funding from the federal government. Though they have so far been able to keep up with the increase in requests for services, Mull said they expect it will continue to rise. They are working, she said, with about 100 survivors a week.
As the city looks into how to use some of their ARPA funds, Mull said the Cocoon should be considered.
“We hope that you will also consider the needs of domestic and sexual violence survivors,” she said.
Also at the meeting, council:
• Heard from resident Linda Lander, who expressed concern about what she said were inaccurate comments made by another resident during a May 17 council meeting. Those comments concerned a racially-charged 2019 incident at the city’s Waffle House location. ”There should be no attempts to contradict and undermine the thorough investigation of our very fine Bowling Green Police Department,” Lander said. “There should have been no contradiction of the felonious activity of the attackers or their use of racial slurs.” Lander, in additional discussion of the issue, also addressed the recently-passed ordinance concerning decorum at public meetings, suggesting that it should be reexamined and potentially added to.
• Heard an update on the zoning code work from Municipal Administrator Lori Tretter. She said the revised document is over 100 pages long, with many of the items based on community experience with the current zoning code, issues brought up in planning documents, and best practices and changes in how zoning is approached by communities in the current decade. She suggested that council break down their review of the document into several sections in order to, among other things, foster discussion and hear public input. She suggested another joint meeting of council and the planning commission be held in February, with further meetings on the different sections of the code to follow.
• Heard from Fire Chief Bill Moorman concerning the Bowling Green Fire Division’s procedure for when area hospital emergency rooms go on bypass. “Bypass” occurs “when a health care facility informs local emergency medical services that its beds are full and cannot take new patients,” according to a release issued at Monday’s meeting. The release stated that, in the case of a bypass, “when responding to a 911 call, paramedics will consult with the On-Line Medical Control Physician to determine if the patient requires transportation to an emergency room or not. If the patient does not require transportation, paramedics will communicate this decision and educate the patient of their options for seeking care. These options may include the patient’s personal physician’s office, alternate care sites, or urgent care.”
“We will still be responding to anyone who calls 911,” Moorman said. “We’re just trying to assist with our hospitals” to prevent them from becoming overwhelmed.
• Heard from Mayor Mike Aspacher, who noted that the Bowling Green Police Division recently completed the first iteration of a civilian outreach program. “I got really good reports from everybody,” he said, noting that 16 community members took part. “I just wanted to take a minute to say thank-you to members of our police division who took a great deal of time organizing the event, presenting the event,” Aspacher said. Councilman Greg Robinette, who participated in the program, called it “outstanding,” saying “it was a very positive experience.” He encouraged other council members to also take part in the program when it is offered again.
