Item C: Council Goal Update - Neighborhood Empowerment

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ECC UGENE ITY OUNCIL AIS GENDA TEM UMMARY Work Session: City Council Goal Update - Neighborhood Empowerment Meeting Date: December 8, 2008 Agenda Item Number: C Department: Library, Recreation and Cultural Services Staff Contact: Renee Grube www.eugene-or.gov Contact Telephone Number: 682-5067 ISSUE STATEMENT This work session will provide an update to the council on the Neighborhood Empowerment Council Goal. BACKGROUND The City Council first identified a “Neighborhood Initiative” as a council goal at the 2005 Council Retreat. The support for this initiative was renewed at the 2007 Council Retreat and renamed “Neighborhood Empowerment.” In May 2007, the City Council approved an updated Neighborhood Empowerment Action Plan (Attachment A) that reflected direction from the 2007 Council Retreat, as well as input from Neighborhood Associations, the Neighborhood Leaders Council, and the 2007 Neighborhood Summit. To build strong neighborhoods by The focus of the Neighborhood Empowerment goal is: developing community leadership and working collaboratively with residents to achieve the delivery of City services and neighborhood priorities. This focus is further defined by three key objectives: ·Enhance effective public engagement activities. ·Support neighborhood involvement by empowering all neighborhood associations. ·Focus service delivery to better meet neighborhood-identified needs and priorities. A committee of City staff (representing numerous departments) and neighborhood representatives (appointed by their respective neighborhood associations and coordinating with the Neighborhood Leaders Council) meet on a monthly basis to advance the work of the Neighborhood Empowerment Action Plan. The focus of the committee’s work is summarized below and highlighted in the Action Plan Update (Attachment B). Action Plan Status Twenty-three specific items in the Action Plan were prioritized by participants at the 2007 neighborhood summit. The top three prioritized items include: 1.Shift involvement of neighborhood associations to be earlier in the land use process. 2.Review standards for regulating and focusing infill. Use Opportunity Siting as a primary strategy for achieving density in mixed use centers. 3.Increase ongoing support for neighborhood associations. In order to increase the participation levels and effectiveness of neighborhood associations, the City and neighborhood associations should recognize the needs and strategize ways to provide more ongoing support to them. Z:\CMO\2008 Council Agendas\M081208\S081208C.doc