07-08-19 Residential Neighborhoods

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CITY OF SOUTH BEND I OFFICE OF THE CLERK coming up, but membership is down. There is a lot of interest in the neighborhood, but the challenge is trying to get them engaged. We definitely need some help and support with that. Ms. Aldridge replied, We are hoping the incentive structure we build helps and will provide some context for neighborhood associations like that. So, you're barely hanging on? We've got some money. We want them to organize and mobilize. We know there are a lot of issues and concerns that people are worried about right now. We want to be able to communicate with people about where they are about those things. I think I share with you a while back, we wanted to do a Neighborhood Steering Committee. Now that Dr. Milon is here, I think she has written a letter to the Mayor about a Community Advisory Board and what that could look like.We are really pulling together the structural pieces for the communication between the Council and the NRC, those are the next steps here. Councilmember Jake Teshka stated, Thank you, Alkeyna. And it is great to meet you, Dr. Milon. As it has been pointed out,it has been tough in the fifth(5th)district and the south side where there were zero (0) neighborhood associations and we've got a group now. The NRC puts in hard work and the neighbors are replicating that. I want to replicate that at least three (3) times over in my district but I think this work in the neighborhoods, with these associations and organizations, is really the antidote to a lot of what ails us right now. Whether it is the misinformation that goes out on the internet, or the fact that people just aren't talking, all those things,there is just such a social benefit of vibrant neighborhood organizations.For us as Council Members,we need to disseminate good and true information to those groups. So,thank you for the work you all are doing,and I look forward to continuing the work with NRC in the fifth(5th) district. Committeemember Jo M. Broden stated, Thank you and welcome. Thank you for your work on this and for your Department. I am really excited about the potential that has been presented here today. I think all of these districts have these gap areas, and then, you know, some fly fairly well and independently. So, I'm actually curious about the technical assistance component and what all that will entail. I know from experience in working with the neighborhood groups that communication capacity within a neighborhood has some generational challenges within it. There may be people interested and willing to serve, but then some difficulties, right? I also think there is leadership turnover capacity issues. A component, too, I think in terms of technical assistance, one (1) of the groups in the fourth (4th) district is just sort of the capacity for resiliency and the responsiveness in emergency situations. We need to come up with plans in regard to what the emergency is. I think we are most in tune with floods but flood, tornado, whatever. I think we, as a Council,just maybe a month ago saw a plan on the county level. There are responsibilities there, but I don't think it is intergraded. I think from my experience and the experience of my neighbors, it is not robust at all. I think those are the things most challenging for us as a community, so if there are ways to help pull that along and help advance it through technical assistance, I think it will be meaningful for individuals as we are impacted by change. You talked about asset-based, and going up from that. I think this gets to vulnerabilities that are very obvious and challenging for some neighborhoods. I look forward to working with you. With no further business,Committee Chair Karen White adjourned the Residential Neighborhoods Committee meeting at 4:00 p.m. EXCELLENCE ACCOUNTABILITY I INNOVATION I INCLUSION I EMPOWERMENT 455 County-City Building i 227 W.Jefferson Bvld',South Bend,Indiana 46601 i p 574 235 9221 i f 574.235.91731 TD 574.235.5567 iwwe.southbendin.goy 6