Toledo City Council Community & Administrative Services Committee Meeting - September 23, 2026

The Toledo City Council Community and Administrative Services Committee met on Wednesday, September 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM in City Council Chambers. The meeting focused on updates from the Office of Community Services, including youth workforce initiatives, Save Our Community (SOC) violence intervention programs, and a capacity analysis of the city's Community Violence Intervention (CVI) ecosystem. Presentations were delivered by Dr. Tiffany Whitman (Chief Impact Officer), Dr. Stephanie Covington (Commissioner of Educational Engagement and Workforce Development), Raymond Campos (Commissioner for Save Our Community), and researchers from Bowling Green State University. Staff from the MONSE (Mayor's Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement) program were introduced. No votes were taken, but several referrals and budget planning items were discussed.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Staff Introductions: MONSE staff members introduced themselves, including Josh Davis (Commissioner of Recent Motion in MONSE), Summer (violence interrupter at Waite High School), Roshni Ashik (C VIP Academy Coordinator), Sierra Webb (C VIP Academy Outreach Specialist), Diana Vasquez (Outreach Specialist), and Christopher Matthews (Violence Interrupter, LeGrange Corridor).
• Sierra Webb (Outreach Specialist): Expressed gratitude for council's attention and urged continued engagement and collaboration beyond presentations, emphasizing the need to hear community ideas for the CVI Academy.
• Unnamed community leader: Thanked for attending and acknowledged.

Discussion Items

Youth Workforce Initiatives (Dr. Stephanie Covington)

• Comprehensive Case Management Employment Program (CCMEP): Funded through WIOA dollars, the city served as a worksite for youth ages 14–24 in departments such as parks and recreation, urban beautification, and finance.
• Junior Achievement 5th Year Program: A gap-year initiative for high school graduates; the city hosted four interns this year (two in the Office of Community Services, two in Code Compliance). Visits by the 5th Year students to city hall are scheduled for November 17 and December 15, 2026.
• Youth Employment Initiative (Pilot): An 8-month program for youth ages 16–24, starting with a workforce readiness institute (30 hours of classroom training from mid-October to December), followed by up to 300 hours of paid work experience (January–May). 300 applications were received for 20 slots, with emphasis on youth in NERSA areas. Selection has been completed; participants will be notified this week.
• Hustle to Success Workshop (Pilot): A youth-centered lunchtime engagement initiative in partnership with SOC, targeting 45 students per week over six weeks (2nd and 4th Tuesdays and Thursdays). Launch planned for late October/November, school partner yet to be finalized.
• Councilman Serantu suggested reviving a former program for youth to mow vacant lots, potentially in partnership with Local 7. Dr. Whitman noted the existing mobility program as a related pilot.

Save Our Community (SOC) Update (Commissioner Raymond Campos)

• SOC is a community violence intervention and prevention program focusing on youth and young adults (14+) at high risk of gun violence, using credible messengers from focus areas.
• Key Statistics (as of September 16, 2026): 188 incidents of violence identified; coordinated responses completed for 105 incidents; 57 interventions (mediations, restorative justice circles, ceasefires, non-aggression agreements).
• Healing and Compassion Fund: Administered by United Way, providing financial assistance to victims and families (memorial support, grief support, household needs, temporary relocation).
• Youth Engagement: Includes "Intercepting Violence, Passing for Peace" flag football event (planned again for this year), summer outreach at all city pools (no incidents reported), MOUs with Lucas County Juvenile Court for referrals, weekly presence at Glass City Academy (downtown and East Toledo campuses), and attendance at TPS athletic events.
• Mobility Aid Program: A paid youth workforce initiative for neighborhood beautification, run with Goodwill Industries and local businesses. Two cohorts in 2025 (18 total participants, 9 per cohort) provided free lawn care for older adults and residents with disabilities, focusing on LMHA properties.
• Neighborhood Outreach: "Peace Over Pain" ceasefire event on July 4, 2026—no fatal gun violence incidents reported that day. Ongoing canvassing and public space engagement.
• Councilwoman McPherson asked about response to a recent gun violence incident in the Old West End; Campos confirmed SOC attended public meetings, offered the Healing and Compassion Fund, and attempted to connect with all impacted individuals.
• Councilman Serantu inquired about non-aggression agreements (not necessarily gang-related, but also school conflicts) and confirmed SOC was involved in mediating an incident at Myron Duhart Park (Frederick Douglass Center) involving a young girl attacked by other youth, successfully conducting a restorative justice circle.
• Councilwoman Kramer praised the team's visibility and confirmed the flag football event will be planned again; she noted 25 residents attended her first community meeting and invited SOC to future meetings.

CVI Capacity Analysis (BGSU Researchers Dr. Justin Rex and Dr. Nicole Pfeiffer, with Dr. Roshni Ashik)

• Background: Part of a Department of Justice grant, this landscape assessment was recommended by the Peace in Motion plan to benchmark Toledo against best practices in community violence intervention.
• Data Trends: Since 2020, fatal and non-fatal shootings have been cut nearly in half. Gun violence deaths among Black men have declined by more than half. In SOC target neighborhoods (Junction and Englewood), homicides dropped from 78 in 2020 to 26 in 2025.
• Ecosystem Mapping: Categorized organizations into Core CVI (primary mission, e.g., MONSE/SOC—less than 1% of the ecosystem), Growing CVI (emerging organizations), Support Services (wraparound services—largest share), and Infrastructure Partners (data, funding, policy). The core CVI workforce is very small (less than a dozen people), carrying a heavy load.
• Strengths: Dedicated organization (MONSE), strong community trust and engagement, large support services network.
• Challenges: Workforce capacity (funding, burnout, turnover), uneven coordination and referral pathways, varied understanding of CVI, and community conditions (trauma, economic disruptions).
• Opportunities: Build and professionalize the workforce via a CVI Academy (curriculum drafting underway, first cohort expected within six months), establish shared standards and language, improve coordination and referral infrastructure, secure sustainable multi-year funding, and enhance data sharing.
• Geographic Gaps: No dedicated CVI presence on the east side (though Waite High School has a violence interrupter). Need for expansion into Greenbelt Parkway and Weiler Homes areas.
• Dr. Whitman emphasized that sustainability requires multi-sector partnerships beyond city funding; budget discussions for 2027 will include potential large-scale changes.

Key Outcomes

• Referral: Councilwoman McPherson requested updated information on the Healing and Compassion Fund to be provided to council.
• Budget Planning: Dr. Whitman noted that expansion of SOC to the east side and other areas will be part of the 2027 budget discussions, pending council action.
• Next Steps for CVI Academy: Microgranting program and learning community to be launched in tandem with the academy; RFPs for technical assistance are being developed.
• Community Engagement: Councilwoman Kramer will share her community meeting schedule with SOC; further outreach to faith-based communities was suggested and will be explored.
• No formal votes were taken during the meeting.