Neighborhood Meeting April 16, 2013

Just wanted to update my neighbors on what I experienced at the neighborhood meeting on Tuesday April 16, 2013 at Mt View School at 7 PM. Click on the link to hear the meeting and read the summary.

April General Meeting Notes

Approximately 15 neighbors attended this meeting.  Why didn’t  you attend?

Is our neighborhood safe?  The leadership of our neighborhood admit they feel it is unsafe to walk up to the doors of our neighbors.  This is more reason for us neighbors to come  together to get our neighborhood safe.  The neighborhood needs your help!

What are the issues that concern our neighbors?  When do the neighbors who have paid their dues get the opportunity to share how they feel about the issues that concern our neighborhood?

Why do we as neighbors pay dues to be a part of the neighborhood association and we are excluded in the final decision making process?  

If there are neighbors who are experiencing difficulty, there are programs out there to help!  Lets get our neighbors who need some assistance some help.  Everyone needs a little help every now and then.  Lets work together to identify those programs as well as the neighbors who would benefit from these programs and get it to the neighbors who need a helping hand.  

There is concern because when board members begin and continue to use their own funds to move a project forward, over time this can lend itself to feelings of possession.  When possession is present and not ownership, it makes it hard to change.    Even when the change would be in the best interest.  Because change is more difficult the trend tends to be stagnation not growth.  I suggest that the leadership limit the use of their own money to move neighborhood projects forward; and in its place find sources to fund what the neighborhood needs to accomplish.  Such as grants, donations, and sponsorships. This creates ownership.  If the neighbors take ownership in the neighborhood and the activities; the neighborhood will flourish.

What do you neighbors think?

The question what does the neighborhood association do?, was not answered.

Neighbors! What do you want your neighborhood association to do?

Merriam/Webster defines viable as:

capable of growing or developing <viable seeds> <viable eggs>

capable of working, functioning, or developing adequately <viable alternatives>

capable of existence and development as an independent unit <the colony is now a viable state>

having a reasonable chance of succeeding <a viable candidate>

financially sustainable <a viable enterprise>

Does our neighborhood fit this description? If not, neighbors how do we work together to help our neighborhood fit this description?

Is this a topic for a meeting?

We know we have neighbors who care about the neighborhood because in March, June, & Sept of 2012 you came out in record numbers to learn about what is going on in the neighborhood. Speak Out Neighbors! We want to hear what you think!

Neighbors what do you think?

Thanks!  dgb