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Date
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June 8, 2009
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Agenda
Item No. 23 Roll
Call No. 09-
Communication No. 09-363 Submitted by: Larry Hulse, Community Development
Director |
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AGENDA HEADING:
Approving recommendation from the
Neighborhood Revitalization Board (NRB) regarding removal of the Gray’s Woods
and Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood Associations from the list of Recognized
Neighborhood Associations.
SYNOPSIS:
Recommend
approval of recommendation from the NRB regarding removal of the Gray’s Woods
and Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood Associations from the list of Recognized
Neighborhood Associations. Leadership from the Gray’s Woods and Kirkwood
Glen Neighborhoods have notified City staff that they
are no longer active and no longer wish to be Recognized Neighborhoods.
FISCAL IMPACT: NONE
Amount: N/A
Funding
Source: N/A
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
On
May 24, 1993, by Roll Call No. 93-2026, the City Council approved the
Neighborhood Recognition Policy. This
policy sets guidelines for the formal recognition of neighborhood associations
by the City of Des Moines. This formal
relationship makes it possible for recognized neighborhoods to act as advisors
to the City on issues impacting their neighborhoods.
Neighborhood
organizations must meet the requirements of the Neighborhood Recognition Policy
to obtain, as well as maintain, recognition by the City of Des Moines. The Community Development Department, with
the oversight of the NRB, conducts an annual survey of the neighborhoods. The
purpose of this survey is to ensure that neighborhood organizations are active
and representative of their neighborhood.
It is also an opportunity to update the City’s neighborhood contact
database with any board changes that may have occurred over the year. This
year’s survey was mailed January 22nd, 2009, and was due March 3rd,
2009.
Fifty-one
of the fifty-four Recognized Neighborhoods have responded to the annual survey,
which is required to maintain their Recognized status. The three neighborhoods that have not
returned their survey are Gray’s Woods, Kirkwood Glen, and Westwood.
The
Gray’s Woods Neighborhood is no longer active and has notified City staff that
they are no longer interested in being recognized. Linda Adamson, Gray’s Woods President,
indicated in a letter dated February 26, 2009 that the GWNA board had voted to
disband, effective January 1, 2009.
The
Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood has also notified City staff that they are no longer
active and no longer interested in being a recognized neighborhood. Mary Wennerstrum, Kirkwood Glen President, stated that she has
attempted to recruit new members by going door to door, but this effort has
been unsuccessful. The inability to recruit new members is preventing Kirkwood
Glen from growing as an organization and limiting the representation of
neighborhood residents. Because of this, the Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood
Association is asking that they be removed from the list of Recognized
Neighborhoods.
At
their June 3rd, 2009 meeting, the NRB granted the Westwood Neighborhood
an additional 30-days to return their survey. If the
survey is not returned within this 30-day period, the NRB recommends that City
Council remove Westwood from the list of Recognized Neighborhoods.
In
accordance with the Neighborhood Recognition Policy, the NRB voted on June 3rd,
2009, to forward a recommendation to City Council that the City of Des Moines
no longer formally recognize the Gray’s Woods and Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood
Associations.
PREVIOUS COUNCIL ACTION(S): NONE
BOARD/COMMISSION ACTION(S): Neighborhood Revitalization Board
Date:
June 3, 2009
Roll
Call: N/A
Action: Forward recommendation to the City Council to
remove the Gray’s Woods and Kirkwood Glen Neighborhood Associations from the
list of Recognized Neighborhood Associations.
ANTICIPATED ACTIONS AND FUTURE
COMMITMENTS: NONE
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,