‘Pilot Program’ Will Help Neighborhood Councils ‘Tool Kit’ Contains Information, Suggestions To Help Organizations Become Stronger, More Viable

At West Central’s last neighborhood council meeting, descriptions flew furiously.

“Apathy,” “burned out,” “low participation,” “accessibility.” Members listed those as some of the neighborhood’s weaknesses. “Experience,” “strong leadership core” and “happy people” were among the strengths.

The weaknesses far outnumbered the strengths, but a new program aims to change that. Designed by the Office of Neighborhood Services, the Pilot Program aims to create stronger neighborhood councils.

The official name - “Strategic Planning Pilot Program” - has been scrapped because of the confusion it caused. The program has nothing to do with the city’s comprehensive plan as some mistakenly thought; instead, it focuses completely on the internal workings of neighborhood groups.

The goal is to provide neighborhoods with a plan, teach them how to organize and give them confidence.

“I hope the neighborhoods will find it a valuable experience for them,” said program facilitator Janet Davis, of the office of neighborhood services.

When neighborhood councils were first formed in 1996, Mayor Jack Geraghty appointed a council of 30 community members to figure out how to help the groups become viable, sustainable organizations.

The Pilot Program is the outcome.

About a year in the making, the two-year program will focus on six neighborhoods - three each year. Any neighborhood wanting to participate can fill out an application. Three are then chosen at random. The only requirement, Davis said, is that the trio contain one neighborhood above the median income level and one below.

For the first round of the program, 16 neighborhoods applied. All three chosen - North Hill, West Central and Whitman - just happened to be from the North Side.

“It’s a diverse group,” Davis said. “They all have different needs. They’re all at different places in their development.”

A major component of the program is a 400-page tome, referred to as the “tool kit,” which covers everything from conducting effective meetings and recruiting volunteers to arranging a press conference and applying for grants. It contains sample letters and fliers, and lots of suggestions.

“To the best of my knowledge, there’s no other program like this in the country,” said Davis, who serves as a guide throughout the program. She said people have already contacted her, wanting to buy the tool kit. But until the Pilot Program is completed, it’s not for sale.

“It’s a pilot program, so we expect problems with the tool kit,” Davis said.

Part of the neighborhoods’ job is to evaluate the tool kit - commenting on what needs to be added or omitted - as well as Davis’ role. They also decide how often to meet and how to proceed with each step of the program.

Once the councils identify their goals, Davis finds neighborhood resources to help them meet those goals.

For example, if a neighborhood decided it had communication problems and difficulty reaching its membership, members might decide to work on a newsletter. Davis would then find someone in the community - maybe a reporter, for example - who could help them. She might also ask a graphic artist to help design a logo.

But Davis’ job is only to help identify problems, list action steps and find resources for the neighborhood. It is up to the neighborhood members to follow through with the actual work.

Though the project has just begun, people have already formed ideas about the outcome.

“If we can get people working together, I don’t see why it can’t work,” said Carol Jones, co-chair of the Whitman Neighborhood Council.

As the newest council, Whitman is working hard on generating neighbors’ interest and getting people involved.

“We want to try to get people to think what’s important to them, and get them to participate,” Jones said.

Seasoned members of West Central’s neighborhood council are struggling with similar problems. But having been through strategic planning programs in the past, they are skeptical. How can people get excited about the Pilot Program if they don’t come to the council meetings to hear about it, they wonder.

Perhaps the tool kit chapter on “Building and Sustaining Neighborhood Commitment” will have some answers.