Council
Communication

Office of the City Manager

 
 

Date

March 24, 2008

 

Agenda Item No.       24

Roll Call No.              08-

Communication No.  08-142 

Submitted by:  Larry Hulse, Community Development Director

 

 

AGENDA HEADING:

 

Approving Recommendation from the Neighborhood Revitalization Board regarding Removal of Fairground Neighbors for Community Improvement from the List of Recognized Neighborhood Associations.

 

 

SYNOPSIS:

 

Recommend approval of recommendation from the Neighborhood Revitalization Board (NRB) for removal of Fairground Neighbors for Community Improvement (FNCI) from the list of Recognized Neighborhood Associations. Fairground Neighbors for Community Improvement has submitted a letter to City staff indicating that it will not follow the stipulations laid out by the City Council at its January 28, 2008 meeting in order to maintain its status as a Recognized Neighborhood Association.  Therefore, the Neighborhood Revitalization Board recommends that FNCI be removed from the list of Recognized Neighborhood Associations.

 

 

FISCAL IMPACT: NONE

 

 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:

 

On November 19, 2007, by Roll Call No. 07-2227, the City Council requested that the Neighborhood Revitalization Board mediate the dispute in the Fairground neighborhood regarding the denial of membership and subsequent voting privileges to approximately 30 people at the November 13, 2007 FNCI meeting. In response to this request from Council, the Neighborhood Revitalization Board appointed a subcommittee to mediate the conflict.  The subcommittee members included Frank Owens, Tim Hielkema, Kimberly Hansen, and Nadine Hogate.  The subcommittee met four times (November 26th, December 12th, December 19th, and December 21st) in order to gather information, hear from participants, and draft a recommendation to Council.  At their January 9, 2008 meeting, the NRB voted to forward the subcommittee’s recommendation to the Council.  The City Council approved this recommendation at its January 28, 2008 meeting by Roll Call No. 08-150.

 

In order for the FNCI to have retained its status as a Recognized Neighborhood Association, Council required that the association:

·        amend its bylaws to clarify membership and voting privileges;

·        remove the requirement that its members join a secondary organization;

·        and hold new elections for officers pursuant to the amended bylaws.

 

The January 28, 2008 Council action required that FNCI submit a letter to the City by February 29, 2008, regarding its intentions related to these stipulations.  A letter, signed by the members of FNCI and dated February 12, 2008, was received by staff; it indicated that FNCI had chosen not to follow the recommendations set forth by the Neighborhood Revitalization Board. This letter has been attached to the roll call.

 

Because FNCI has decided not to follow the stipulations required for maintaining Recognized status, the Neighborhood Revitalization Board recommends to City Council that FNCI be removed from the list of Recognized Neighborhood Associations (see attachment to roll call). A new neighborhood association representing the Fairground area, however, is in the process of being organized. It is anticipated that the required paperwork will be submitted to staff within the next week, so that the association could be formally recognized at the April 21, 2008 City Council meeting. Staff intends to continue the Neighborhood Based Service Delivery (NBSD) and SCRUB programs in this neighborhood in the interim.

 

 

PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S):

 

Date:  January 28, 2008

 

Roll Call:  08-150

 

Action:  Recommendations from Neighborhood Revitalization Board regarding Fairground Neighborhood mediation.  (Council Communication No.  08-044)  Moved by Meyer to adopt.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

Date:  November 19, 2007

 

Roll Call:  07-2227

 

Action:  Request from Council Member Brian Meyer to speak regarding the Fairground Neighborhood Association.  Moved by Meyer to receive and file the petition and comments, and refer the matter to the Neighborhood Revitalization Board to mediate the dispute between the two groups.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

Date:  February 21, 2000

 

Roll Call:  00-504

 

Action:  Changes to Neighborhood Recognition Policy regarding Standards for Neighborhood Recognition. (Council Communication No. 00-066).  Moved by Hensley to adopt with the deletion of Item 3 in the roll call.  Motion Carried 7-0.

 

 

BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S):    Neighborhood Revitalization Board

 

Date:  March 5, 2008

 

Roll Call:  N/A

 

Action:  Approval of staff recommendation to remove Fairground Neighbors for Community Improvement from the list of Recognized Neighborhood Associations and authorization to forward to Council.

 

 

ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE COMMITMENTS:

 

It is anticipated that a new neighborhood association representing the Fairground area will submit an application to become a Recognized Neighborhood Association within the next week.  If this occurs, Council will be asked to recognize this association at the April 21, 2008 City Council meeting.

 

 

 

 

For more information on this and other agenda items, please call the City Clerk’s Office at 515-283-4209 or visit the Clerk’s Office on the second floor of City Hall, 400 Robert D. Ray Drive.  Council agendas are available to the public at the City Clerk’s Office on Thursday afternoon preceding Monday’s Council meeting. Citizens can also request to receive meeting notices and agendas by email by calling the Clerk’s Office or sending their request via email to cityclerk@dmgov.org.