Community Engagement meetings tonight
There was some chatter here earlier this month about the role and effectiveness of neighborhood organizations. That issue is also one piece of a city-wide discussion just underway about how officials involve citizens in decisions at City Hall. A pair of public meetings tonight kick-off the community engagement conversation in Northeast.
A major funding source for the nearly 80 neighborhood organizations in Minneapolis is due to run out in 2009. Meanwhile, the City Council is taking a new look at how the city interacts with the community. The months-long debate is expected to help define and clarify which boards, departments and organizations have what authority on various issues like zoning or planning.
Currently, the city has several methods for engaging citizens. They include neighborhood organizations, advisory boards, resident surveys, community planning activities, formal public hearings, and others, all of which will be included in the public discussion. The Neighborhood Revitalization Program is circulating a survey due back by Feb. 8. You can also download a copy of the city’s report on community engagement here.
Both meetings are 7-8:30 p.m. tonight. Residents in Audubon Park, Bottineau, Columbia Park, Holland, Marshall Terrace, Logan Park, Northeast Park, Sheridan, Waite Park, or Windom Park should attend the meeting at Firefighters Hall and Museum, 664 22nd Ave. NE. Residents in Beltrami, Nicollet Island/East Bank, St. Anthony East, or St. Anthony West should attend the meeting at Marcy Open School, 415 4th Ave. SE.
Also, speaking of community engagement, Cindy Schulte of the Audubon Neighborhood Association wanted me to pass along a note about Council Member Paul Ostrow’s new office hours in Audubon Park. He’ll be at the association’s office at 2848 Johnson St. from 8:30-11:30 a.m. the first Monday of every month starting Feb. 5.
When’s the last time you tried to make your opinion known to city officials? What was your experience like? Do you think your voice was heard? Are there ways the city could have made it easier? And is anyone planning to attend tonight’s meetings? What are your thoughts and concerns? Click ‘comments’ below to join the conversation! Dan Haugen
Email This Article
Print This Article
Filed under: Audubon Park, Beltrami, Bottineau, City Hall, Columbia Park, East Bank, Holland, Logan Park, Marshall Terrace, Mid-City Industrial, Nicollet Island, Northeast Park, Sheridan, St. Anthony East, St. Anthony West, Waite Park, Windom Park
Did anyone make it to the Community Engagement meeting last night at the Firefighters Museum? If so, how did it go?
I got stuck late at work and couldn’t be there.
The main action point of the evening occurred when the large group broke into small groups to share how what people’s thoughts about what currently works and what doesn’t work with the current model of Minneapolis’ community engagement.
My group laid out the following three points for how the city can best engage its citizens:
1. Improve Communication: Communication needs to be clearer and more user friendly (311 and less reliance on insider acronyms). Designate liaisons from city to serve as main point for neighbors to ask questions.
2. Keep small neighborhood system: Use the current structure and build up from there. If a larger discussion needs to occur, start with the neighborhoods and build larger coalitions.
3. Involve neighborhoods early in planning process: Use neighborhoods to help set priorities instead of just okaying a decision that has already been made.
The other groups that met had similar points. Keeping neighborhood size small (current) was the resounding cry from each of the groups.
Doron Clark
Windom Park
I wouldn’t say that it was a resounding cry. I think, ideally, people like the idea of the smaller groups, and, as is usually the case, only those who control the current system, and largely benefit from it, were at that meeting beating their drum.
But, in reality, as I alluded to at the meeting, the current neighborhood organizational structure is rife with incestuousness, exclusivity and power-grabbing.
There needs to be an intermediary body holding the neighborhoods accountable to the residents and to each of the other neighborhood groups. That intermediary body would be comprised of representatives from each neighborhood and members-at-large. The intermediary group would have the responsibility to make sure that the decisions being made within the various neighborhoods are of a benefit to all residents of Northeast, not just the handful that of people that see themselves as the kings (and queens) of Northeast.
I, for one, would like to know what constitutes incestuous, exclusive behavior on the part of neighborhood associations. Such inflammatory verbiage is not constructive. Back it up with specifics or keep it to yourself.
If the neighborhood residents are interested they have to step forward and make their voices heard. You can’t force them to be interested. Also the neighborhood associations have to answer to their members, the city, NRP, auditors etc. If there are only some people making themselves heard maybe the rest do not care enough to find out what is important. I don’t think another layer of a few interested people makes anything more out in the open or efficient. Also what about the NECDC or NECP, who over sees these organizations? Just askin’.
I’m just jumping in here to politely encourage people to use your real, full name when posting comments. I think we’ll have a much higher quality of dialogue in this space when everyone knows who they’re talking with. Thanks!
I’m basing my characterizations on my own personal experience as a board member on my neighborhood council, as well as the observations I’ve made at the dozens of other neighborhood meetings I’ve attended over the past three years. These are my opinions, and I’m entitled to them.
While serving as a board member, I witnessed some absolutely hair-raising behavior and comments. Not all of the board members with whom I served were bullies, screech owls or ostriches, but the others just learn to keep their mouths shut so as not to become targets of the bullies and screech owls themselves.
As for the other neighborhood organization meetings I’ve attended, I’d say there were about two or three that actually seemed to operate in a respectful manner, although the attendance is always pathetically low given the number of residents living in any given neighborhood.
I’ve attended a multitude of other community meetings, where it’s always the usual suspects in attendance (some of whom are the aforementioned bullies and screech owls – but every neighborhood has their own, also). The behavior displayed by these people is what drives everyone else away from participating. It’s embarrassing. It’s unproductive. And it simply should no longer be tolerated.
I like y’all’s postin’ and such!