Served in the picnic grove, surrounded by trees dedicated to the memory of former NLB residents, attendees had the opportunity to meet new people and chat with neighbors and friends from throughout the community.
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Gathering in the park Social Hall, the group of a hundred or more, was welcomed by Councilman Neal, listened to a presentation on community engagement by Rex Richardson, Neal's Chief of Staff and an update on redevelopment activity in the District from Tony Foster, North Project Officer with the LB Redevelopment Agency.
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During Neal's presentation, he noted that he had set a series of goals for his office involvement in the community...1000 one-on-one conversations with district families in the first year, recruiting of 200 new volunteers and one district house meeting/coffee per month.
Richardson educated residents on the principles of "community engagement". He pointed out the difference between "community organizing" (pulling together for the common good) and "grassroots organizing" (building groups from scratch and developing new leadership).
Foster's presentation on redevelopment projects generated a number of questions from the audience that allowed him to point out that while the Agency funds can be used to build new streets and other public infrastructure such as Fire Station 12, they cannot be spent for maintenance such as filling potholes. He announced that the Agency will be holding a community meeting at Jordan High School on October 2nd from 10 a.m to noon to discuss the project changes for the North Village Center (Atlantic and South).
The "Imagine the 9th District" discussion was centered around three main topics: ecomomic development, public safety and neighborhoods.
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Economic Development
Residents were in agreement that they wanted more businesses and jobs in the area, They wanted jobs and job training for youth including training in how to handle money. It was suggested that the "Mom and Pop" businesses in the area need help and training in marketing their business and they could definately use a facelift--facade improvement--so that they look like successful businesses. They were also concerned about how to entice people and business to locate in NLB.
Public Safety
When asked what their priority was for public safety, one resident answered that she wanted to feel safe when walking in her neighborhood. Another said he was concerned about the response time from "local authorities." A third resident said that streets around Butler and Artesia were full of trash and "we need to have it cleaned up."
Various residents pointed out that people need to be involved--they need to assist their neighbors, not look the other way when something happens. One woman noted that she had lived in the area for 16 years and they had never had a block party and didn't know how to go about having one.
Neighborhoods
Several residents voiced concerns about landlords and property management companies needing to do a better job of both screening tenants and property maintenance. Others said that since there are a large number of rental properties, the tenants need to be welcomed to the community and invited to participate in the community organizations. Residents also wanted more programs for youth, especially after school.
A final comment summed it up..."We have to believe in ourselves -- see our neighbors as the future -- take care of ourselves -- we are the change!"
