Title
To Recognize and Honor the service of Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown to the City of Columbus
Body
WHEREAS, Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown was selected as a member of Columbus City Council in January of 2016, and following his reelection in November of 2019, he has served residents of Columbus on City Council for six years; and
WHEREAS, During his time on Columbus City Council Mitchell Brown served as chairman of the Public Safety, Veterans, and Senior Affairs Committee, dedicating himself to ensuring every Columbus resident had a safe, clean neighborhood to call home; and
WHEREAS, Councilmember Brown invested in enhancements to Columbus's public safety response. For the Division of Police, he focused on transparency, accountability, and community engagement; ensuring the body-worn camera program, Safe Streets Initiative, and Narcan distribution received the funding it needed to be successful; and
WHEREAS, Councilmember Brown invested in life-saving innovations for the Division of Fire, including dedicated vehicles for the Rapid Response Emergency Addiction and Crisis Team (RREACT), the launch of the Mobile Stroke Treatment Unit, and additional resources to increase efforts around prevention through gun lock distribution and community instruction on Hands-only CPR; and
WHEREAS, As a veteran of the United States Air Force and a senior, Councilmember Brown was intimately aware of the challenges facing our community's seniors and veterans. A tireless advocate, Councilmember Brown distributed funding to organizations such as Age-Friendly Columbus, Central Ohio Area Agency on Aging, and Clintonville-Beechwold Community Resources Center to support older adults as they age in place. In service to our community's veterans, Councilmember Brown provided support to organizations such as Save a Warrior and Volunteers of America to ensure those that served had access to resources. Through partnership with the Downtown Development Corporation and the late Senator John Glenn, Councilmember Brown championed efforts to locate the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus; and
WHEREAS, In addition to great triumphs, Columbus experienced immense challenges during Councilmember Brown's tenure. A global pandemic and substantial increases in violence have left an indelible mark on our community. Where some saw only hardship, Councilmember saw an opportunity to engage the community in solutions. He partnered with End the Violence, Columbus Next Generation Corporation, and other grassroots community organizations to develop programs focused on engaging and employing youth susceptible to engaging in violence. Through these programs, Columbus youth have been exposed to positive influencers, opportunities in the construction trades, and recreation activities that have kept them out of harm's way; and
WHEREAS, Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown's leadership centered on kindness and collaboration. As a strong proponent of the Columbus Way, Councilmember Brown subscribes to the philosophy the managers do things right, while leaders do the right thing; now, therefore
BE IT RESOLVED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF COLUMBUS:
That this Council does hereby recognize and honor the service of Councilmember Mitchell J. Brown