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City of Lincoln Urban Development Department Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable Meeting Summary: February 2007

1. Welcome and Introductions
2. Mayor's Comments, Coleen J. Seng
3. Neighborhood Graffiti Issues

Joy Citta, Lincoln Police Department
Lin Quenzer, City Ombudsman
Shawn Ryba, Free to Grow
4. UNL Big Event Information
5. Roundtable Chair-discussion and possible action
6. Next Meeting/March Agenda
7. Adjourn

This special meeting of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable was called to order by Mayor Coleen J. Seng, at 5:30 p.m., on Thursday, February 8, 2007, in the Mayor’s Conference Room at the County/City Building, Lincoln, Nebraska. Twenty-nine participants were in attendance.

Ann Harrell asked participants if they would prefer to receive meeting notices by e-mail. There was consensus of the group to receive e-mail notification and that notification will only be sent to the President of the Neighborhood Organizations or their designated representatives. If anyone needs to be notified by another method, they should contact Ann at: 441-7511. Ann asked if it was ok to share e-mails with other Roundtable participants, or if they prefer only Roundtable staff have that information. There was general consensus that e-mail notices are preferred, e-mail addresses should be confidential, and notices should be sent with that information protected. There will be more discussion at future meetings about setting up a forum for neighborhood associations to talk to each other on-line.

UNL BIG EVENT
Laine Norton provided information about the UNL Big Event which will take place March 31st. Neighborhood organizations are asked to complete a Job Site Request Form. The Big Event is coordinated and sponsored by UNL Student Involvement and ASUN. Groups of volunteers will be assigned to job sites. The Big Event aims to help Lincoln by placing UNL participants throughout the community. For more information contact: Emily Snodgrass, (402) 525-7670, Emily.Snodgrass@gmail.com or go to the Web site: thebigevent@unl.edu.

NEIGHBORHOOD GRAFFITI ISSUES
Joy Citta, Lincoln Police Department, provided information on the Graffiti Abatement Act , effective December 1, 2006. Joy explained this ordinance makes it unlawful for any person to apply graffiti to any natural or man-made surface on any public or private building or structure without authorization of the owner.

If you are the victim of graffiti, please contact the Lincoln Police Department, 441-6000, to report this crime. If you are reporting graffiti on someone else’s property or on public property, please contact the City Ombudsman at the Mayor’s office, using the graffiti report form. Once a determination has been made that this is unwanted graffiti, a letter is sent to the property owner giving them fifteen days from their receipt of the notice to remove the unauthorized graffiti. If the graffiti is not removed by that time, the Mayor is authorized to have the graffiti removed at the property owner’s cost. The property owner does have a right to appeal this order. Given that right and other factors, removal by the City may not take place immediately following the end of the fifteen day period.

Joy noted that the graffeti must be visable to the public, the complainant must have the exact address when making a graffeti complaint. It is important to provide a good description of the graffeti. Lincoln Police Department will search a database to ensure there are no duplicate reports made, the Mayor’s Office will then begin the process with a Notice to Remove to the property owner. Similar to abandoned vehicle ordinance, abatement of Graffeti is a civil law, placing graffeti is a criminal law. Complainants are not confidential.

Joy reported that between January 1, 2007 and February 8, 2007 there have been 160 unduplicated graffeti complaints, 45 residential, 39 on vehicles, and 28 on commercial property (this includes inside graffeti, e.g., school bathrooms). The average graffeti complaints per year are about 400.

Fred Freytag commented that Witherbee Neighborhood Association will contribute funds to CrimeStoppers to assist in solving some of these crimes, and challenges other Neighborhood Associations to do the same.

Lin Quenzer reiterated the process: after LPD verifies the complaint and assigns an ID number, an Order and Notice to abate will be sent to the property owner by Certified Return Receipt, if the property is not cleaned up 15 days from receipt of the Notice, the City may contract to have it cleaned up and will bill the owner. Lin reported that a VISTA position to coordinate response to graffiti complaints will start on February 13, 2007.

Gary Irwin asked if there would be any extensions available in the event of inclement weather. Lin responded that the Mayor will have the authority to extend the period for compliance, but in no case shall any extension amount to a total time of more than twenty-five days.

Harry Heafer noted that there are resources available for neighborhood and youth organizations for graffiti abatement at the Web site: www.graffitihurts.org.

Shawn Ryba, Lincoln Action Program, reported that he has been working with the Free to Grow program in the Clinton Neighborhood for over four years. Free To Grow connects Clinton neighborhood residents with each other and with public and private partners to develop neighborhood leadership and cohesion, support property improvements and reduce crime. Free to Grow works at three levels:

1. Improving the physical environment
2. Strengthening social capital, building informal leadership and connection between residents and
3. Strengthening families, providing resources for basic needs, mental health, and substance abuse issues.

Lorene Bartos asked if Channel 5 could do a show regarding graffiti, the ordinance and process. Steve Schwab asked if Diane Gonzales could prepare a news release for neighborhood association newsletters, in a format they could copy and paste. Mayor Seng will talk with Diane about this.

ROUNDTABLE CHAIR ELECTION
Through consensus, the group indicated they would like to elect a Chair at the next Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable. Rick Noyes nominated Tracy Lines for Chair. Additional nominations will be taken from the floor at the next meeting.

NEXT MEETING
The next meeting of the Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable is scheduled for March 8, 2007, 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor’s Conference Room, 555 S. 10th Street, 2nd floor. The agenda will include an update from the Problem Resolution Team, and election of a Chair for The Mayor’s Neighborhood Roundtable. The group also asked that information regarding Neighborhood Watch be included in the list of future agenda items.

ADJOURN
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:40 p.m.

Respectfully submitted by:
Diana Cruz, Urban Development Department

Urban Development Community Development Division Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable

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