Council hears lengthy public plea and staff updates on Clean Slate laundry program; city offers limited reimbursement funding

Robert Frazier and other community members described the operations and community need addressed by a local laundry program, asking the Committee of the Whole to support and expand the service.

Frazier described the program’s direct impact on people who lack steady access to laundry and urged the city to help underwrite costs. He told the committee the service had grown rapidly and that volunteers and community partners had carried much of the program’s startup burden.

Director Amy (city staff) told the committee the city had worked with Frazier to design a reimbursement arrangement that fits existing grant rules: "As much as we can believe in the program and want to support the efforts and the mission that his services offer, we are garnered by that grant to stay within certain perimeters of what we can pay for," she said. She said documentation requirements limit which costs can be reimbursed and confirmed the current available reimbursement pool for documented soap and employee expenses is just over $30,000.

Chief Scarlet of the Springfield Police Department described a parallel effort in his office and said the department had submitted an amendment request to the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) that, if approved, could supply up to $50,000 to help Frazier’s operation. "We have recently submitted an amendment… The hope is that we can get Mr. Frasier and his laundry service $50,000 to help with his efforts," the chief said.

Council members repeatedly acknowledged the program’s benefits while warning that the city’s unrestricted general-fund resources are constrained. Alderman Gregory, Alderman Donlon and others praised Frazier’s persistence and pressed staff about how residents and others could sign up to testify in larger numbers. Director Amy and aldermen encouraged residents to provide documentation and to use available signup processes; staff said the reimbursement agreement would be executed using available grant funds and that staff are continuing to pursue additional grant sources.

Council members and staff clarified that Clean Slate Advocates (the not-for-profit referenced in discussion) is separate from any for-profit laundromat operations that provide services at the site; Frazier and staff stated the organizational difference on the record.

Why it matters: Frazier’s program provides a basic, recurring service (access to clean clothes) that members characterized as directly tied to public health and dignity for households living in poverty or experiencing homelessness. The committee heard that modest, targeted municipal support is possible now via reimbursement for documented costs, and that additional state grant funding is being sought to expand support.