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City of Lincoln Urban Development Department
Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable |
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Next Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable:
May 10, 2007 at 5:30 p.m.
To submit suggestions for future Agenda Items, contact Ann Harrell, Mayor's Office, at 441-7511.
Chairperson Tracy Lines called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M., Thursday, April 12, 2007, in the Mayor's Conference Room, County/City Building, Lincoln, Nebraska. Twenty-seven participants were in attendance:
| Tracy Lines, 40th and A Neigh. Assoc. | Rick Noyes, Downtown Neigh. Assoc. |
| Cherie Krueger, East Campus Community Org. | Doug Kerns, Havelock |
| Jane Mehrens, Hawley Area Neigh. Assoc. | Lois Haupt, University Place Community Org. |
| Scott Baird, Near South Neigh. Assoc. | J. R. Brown, North Hills Neigh. Assoc. |
| Gary Irvin, South Salt Creek Community Org. | Dianna Wright, Highlands Neigh. Assoc. |
| Shawn Ryba, Free to Grow | Tom Conrad, Heartland Optical |
| Casey Conrad, Heartland Optical | Harry Heafer, Health Department Dept. |
| Lynn Johnson, Parks & Recreation Dept. | Doug Srb, Lincoln Police Dept. |
| Bill Weddle, Parks & Recreation Dept. | Jason Hellmuth, Lincoln Police Dept. |
| Rock Krzycki, Public Works Dept. | Wynn Hjermstad, Urban Development Dept. |
| Nicole Fleck-Tooze, Public Works Dept. | Nancy Engel, Urban Development Dept. |
| Karl Fredrickson, Public Works Dept. | Opal Doerr, Urban Development Dept. |
| Jane Weddle | Ann Harrell, Mayor's Office |
| Mayor Seng |
WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Tracy Lines opened the meeting and thanked everyone for coming. She asked the participants to introduce themselves. A sign-in sheet was provided for check-in. The neighborhood participants indicated e-mailing the agenda and the minutes was working for them.
MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Seng presented Community Development awards to the Public Works Department and the Parks and Recreation Department for the Antelope Creek Stream Stabilization Project. She gave an award to Heartland Optical Center for their North 27th Street Redevelopment. The mayor also presented an award to the Lincoln Police Department for the Northeast Team Police Station. Mayor Seng pointed out these projects brought preservation, a great deal of redevelopment, and stabilization to these areas. Each case has been very helpful to the community. The awards were presented as part of Community Development Week. Projects were nominated and a Roundtable subcommittee selected the award winners.
Mayor Seng then presented the Key to the City to Wynn Hjermstad in recognition of all her efforts regarding community development in the City of Lincoln.
NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH
Officer Jason Hellmuth (LPD, Community Services Unit) presented the Neighborhood Watch program. The program began in Lincoln in 1981. Currently, approximately 1,400 groups are active and another 1,600 are intermittently active. Approximately 16,000 houses are active within the City of Lincoln which he commended as a good percentage. The whole idea of Neighborhood Watch is to condense the city into a "small-town" of one block wherein neighbors know neighbors. This familiarity leads to knowledge of normal activity and recognizes abnormal (possibly criminal) activity. Neighborhood Watch removes the opportunity for criminal activity a side of the Crime Triangle (desire and criminal capability are the other two sides).
Neighborhood Watch and Crime Stoppers has been very instrumental because people pay attention in their neighborhood. National averages show about 20% less crime in areas where Neighborhood Watch is active. In the City of Lincoln, Neighborhood Watch can also address loud party houses, public intoxication, and narcotics traffic. He thanked the Neighborhood Watch Coordinators and the neighborhood association participants. Coordinators deliver "The Eye" four times a year and crime trend letters as needed. They also hold meetings (monthly or every other month) including National Night Out - scheduled for August 7, 2007 (5 PM - 8:30 PM) more to follow upon LPD Press Release. Neighborhood Association officers may contact Officer Hellmuth at 441-7261 to find out the Neighborhood Watch Coordinators within their neighborhood.
Officer Hellmuth also leads the McGruff House Program. Currently there are approximately 205 McGruff Houses in the City of Lincoln. It is a safe house in the neighborhood. An application and criminal background check are required. Once approved, a sign will be placed in the yard. Then the occupant responds to children who knock for assistance. Officer Hellmuth will make a presentation on the McGruff House Program to neighborhood associations. Call him at the number above.
Mayor Seng encouraged participation in National Night Out. She attended several block activities last year and really enjoyed meeting the participants and seeing neighbors having an evening together.
Nancy Engel can make presentations to neighborhood associations about the graffiti program. Call her at 441-5658.
MAY AGENDA
A good discussion ensued proposing agenda items for up-coming meetings. Suggestions included: coordination between multiple neighborhood-based programs (Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable, UCIP, Neighborhood Clean Up, Lincoln Neighborhood Alliance,
etc.) to promote cohesion so all 60 neighborhoods may participate; parking enforcement on city streets for special events; parking regulations and enforcement transition as a neighborhood transforms from residential to urban; working with neighborhood schools; and, Community Learning Centers.
The next meeting of the Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable is scheduled for May 10, 2007, 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor's Conference Room, 555 South 10th Street, 2nd floor. The May agenda will include a presentation and discussion about Community Learning Centers.
ADJOURN
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:10 p.m.
Submitted by:
David G. Ensign
Urban Development Department
Urban Development
Community Development Division
Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable