Memorandum 14-118 Green Dot Training for City Employees

Memorandum 14-118

TO:                      Mayor Wythe and Homer City Council

THROUGH:      Walt Wrede, City Manager

FROM:                Katie Koester, Community and Economic Development Coordinator

DATE:                 July 23, 2014                  

SUBJECT:         Green Dot Training for City Employees

The purpose of this memo is to update you on the City of Homer’s participation in the community violence prevention movement, Green Dot. As you recall, the City Council has contributed $3,500, half of the required local match for bringing the program to Homer. The Council also passed Resolution 14-052, A Resolution of the Homer City Council Proclaiming Homer to be a Green Dot Community.

Green Dot offers 4 hour trainings to the public and employers to teach bystander intervention skills with the aim to change the culture around violence and acts that may lead to violence in our community. Many employers in Homer have trained their staff or are committed to training staff to some level including Haven House, Public Health, Sprout, The Center, Kachemak Bay Family Planning Clinic, Two Sisters Bakery, and South Peninsula Hospital. City Manager Wrede has committed to training all City of Homer staff in Green Dot. This is a huge demonstration of the City’s support of violence prevention. Trainings are four hours long and I am working with directors to come up with a calendar that will work for the different schedules and time demands of City employees. Green Dot trainers will offer up to 6 trainings at staggered times of the month and week over fall and early winter and departments will cycle in their employees. With careful planning, the City should be able to keep overtime hours to a minimum.

By training all City staff, the City of Homer will be named as a Gold Standard Green Dot employer with various forms of recognition. More importantly, the City acting as a leader in this community wide effort will spur even more participation by employers and help prevent violent acts in our community.

Trainings will commence in September and I will keep the Council updated in the progress.  The goal is to have 90% of City of Homer’s 106 permanent employees by the end of the calendar year. More information on Green Dot can be found at www.greendothomer.org.