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City of Lincoln Urban Development Department Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable Meeting Agenda and Summary: May 2007

1. Welcome and Introductions

2. Community Learning Centers
   Presenters: Lynn Johnson and Bess Scott
3. Next Meeting/Agenda
4. Adjourn

Chairperson Tracy Lines called the meeting to order at 5:30 P.M., Thursday, May 10, 2007, in Room 206, County/City Building, Lincoln, Nebraska. Twenty-three participants were in attendance.

Tracy Lines, 40th and A Neigh. Assoc.	Jeff Schwebke, Arnold Heights Neigh. Assoc.
Rick Noyes, Downtown Neigh. Assoc.	Cherie Krueger, East Campus Community Org.
Nick Hernandez, Havelock Neigh. Assoc.	Doug Emery, Havelock Neigh. Assoc.
Ed Patterson, Malone Neigh. Assoc.	Scott Baird, Near South Neigh. Assoc.
Robin Eschliman, Pine Lake Heights Homeowners Assoc.	Jan Jensen, South 48th Street Neigh. Assoc.
Gary Irvin, South Salt Creek Community Org.	Gail Anderson, University Place Community Org.
Lois Haupt, University Place Community Org.	Steve Schwab, Witherbee Neigh. Assoc.
Larry Frisch, Witherbee Neigh. Assoc.	Joyce Jensen, Health Department
Bess Scott, McPhee Community Learning Ctr.	Ryan Mohling, Everett & Lakeview Community Learning Ctr.
Ann Harrell, Mayor's Office	Nancy Engel, Urban Development Department
Lin Quenzer, Mayor's Office	Wynn Hjermstad, Urban Development Department
Mayor Coleen 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 Seng was presented a farewell poster signed by the neighborhood association representatives. Then, Chairperson Tracy Lines Corr presented Mayor Seng a plaque of appreciation for her service to the City and the neighborhoods.

ITEMS OF INTEREST

• Proposed ordinance on vacant/delinquent/neglected buildings. Tracy suggested discussing this issue within the neighborhood associations for support when it comes before the City Council. Desire is for a results-based ordinance.
• Proposed Landmark District designation for Havelock Business District (a portion of Havelock Avenue from Engine House Cafe to Mistys -- 6000 to 6200 block) requested by the Havelock Business Association. This designation is essentially comparable to what is in the Haymarket in terms of a business district. The proposal goes before the Historic Preservation Commission on May 17th; then, to the Planning Commission on the first available date following the Historic Preservation Commission action, most likely in late June 2007; then, to the City Council probably in July 2007. Application and guidelines are available on the City's Planning Department web site under the Historic Preservation Commission's April 19th Agenda. If you have questions, you are encouraged to call Ed Zimmer or send him an e-mail.
• The naming of Rosa Park Way is scheduled for Saturday, May 12th, at 10:00 A.M., in front of the County/City Building.

MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Seng said she was in the midst of packing and moving out of her office in preparation for the next mayor's arrival on Monday, May 14th. The mayor-elect is busy working on the budget while this administration is busy trying to finish everything. She signed three pieces of legislation just today relating to minority contracts. A task force has been working on this issue trying to overcome the burdensome language of the City Charter to increase minority participation in the contracting process. This is a real step forward which has been under way for some time. Mayor Seng indicated she does have plans for the future, but not this summer. She said transition happens in all organizations including city government. Change is always difficult, but is good keeping everything moving better, but is tough while it happens. For herself, she will be celebrating.

COMMUNITY LEARNING CENTERS
Ryan Mohling (Everett & Lakeview CLC Coordinator, Parks & Recreation Dept.) and Bess Scott (Principal, McPhee Elementary School) provided a presentation and handouts on Community Learning Center (CLC) program. The CLC program began in Lincoln around 1998. The first grant was written by the Foundation for Lincoln Public Schools. The City's commitment is two Parks and Recreation Department full-time employees devoted to this effort considered community- center type directors. Currently, there are 23 sites involved in this initiative. CLC's are guided by the philosophy that schools and communities must work together to provide what children and youth need to be successful. They are about increasing the opportunities for neighborhood youth, parents, and residents. Nine lead agencies and many partners come together to make this effort possible. While each site has a site coordinator and staff engaged in before-school and after-school activities, each CLC is unique to meet the particular needs of their location. They also have family nights and neighborhood activities like Community Conversation events. The CLC initiative goals include strengthening and engaging neighborhoods.

CLC Operating Principles include:

• Collaboration: Working for and with families, neighborhoods, and one another to ensure local strengths and needs are considered.
• Integration: Connecting and purposefully coordinating with school and community to assure an efficient and respected use of partners' expertise and resources.
• Lifelong Learning Culture: While promoting learning opportunities for the children, not forgetting the families and neighborhood residents.
• Outcome Focused: Service effectiveness is measured by improvements in student learning and development, stronger families and healthier neighborhoods.
• Community Leadership: Sharing the accountability and acting as stakeholder to take part in School/Neighborhood Advisory Committees sharing in decision making as to what is done in CLCs; or, volunteering for the activities.
• Neighborhood Based: Each neighborhood is unique; adapting services and opportunities to optimize neighborhood capacity.

McPhee is an example of a CLC. We call ourselves a Community Learning Center School rather than a school which has a CLC. Because we desire to offer a safe, supervised learning environment we open at 7:00 A.M. and close at 6:00 P.M. and have a sliding-fee scale. We sponsor Family Nights which provide opportunities for "good, old-fashioned" fun; hearing the laughter of adults and children having fun together is delightful.

CLCs support academic achievement and strengthening families. "What is a Community School?" It is a belief system about partnerships that will benefit kids, families, and neighborhoods dealing with everything from academic and family support to health and social services to youth and community development. Research shows resilience is an innate quality that is developed by families, schools, and communities through three protective factors caring relationships, high expectations, and opportunities to participate and contribute. Schools are selected to become a CLC by evaluation of free- and reduced- lunch assistance for the greatest need. Many of the schools are termed "Title I" by the federal government meaning more than 50% of the families are at or below the poverty line.

CLCs desire to grow in neighborhood commitment and vision and seek the involvement of neighborhood associations to do so. McPhee is committed to improving their block as an example to the community changing the pebble, concrete jungle to grass for the benefit of the community children. Before the transformation, the closest area for children to play on grass was across 9th and 10th Streets at Cooper Park. Children traveling to that area had few controlled crosswalks for crossing those busy streets. Typically, kids will traverse that area in a straight line which does not include those controlled intersections. Part of the goal of the green-space project at McPhee is to be a park for the neighborhood kids. We seek neighborhood ownership to value the equipment being made available to the children. Our experience has been very positive contrary to some negative predictions. The McPhee green-space has received $2,000.00 from the PTA along with $6,000.00 in grants plus about $5,000.00 in-kind donations and is currently in Phase 2. The challenge for neighborhood associations is how to partner with their local school which has a CLC to start on the school block and move up. The McPhee green-space will be dedicated Thursday, May 17th, 5:30 P.M.

One of McPhee's neighborhood initiatives is to help our families (1) become better renters, (2) become more assertive with landlords when they need to be, and (3) develop the job skills needed to allow them to become first-time home buyers. We would love for our neighborhood to be where they buy their first home. McPhee does not have a "sister school," but their biggest partner is First Presbyterian Church which provides more than 150 adult volunteers who contribute more than 3,000 hours. These volunteers develop strong, powerful relationships with the students.

CLC Framework for Results includes the impact of neighborhoods becoming desirable places to live. Promotion of involvement in civic and social activities along with family well- being and peace aims at this result. An increase in the number of owner-occupied versus renter-occupied housing is a measure of this result. The school becomes the hub of service with partners to provide these opportunities. Neighborhood associations may have a booth at the Open House prior to the Fall school term. Here they could become acquainted with and engage neighborhood people. Last year, Everett and Lakeview Open Houses included city agencies along with other partners. Contact can be made with either the CLC Site Supervisor or the school principal.

JUNE AGENDA
The next meeting of the Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable is scheduled for June 14, 2007, 5:30 p.m. in the Mayor's Conference Room, 555 South 10th Street, 2nd floor. The June agenda will include an open conversation with Mayor Beutler.

ADJOURN
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:31 p.m.

Submitted by David G. Ensign
Urban Development Department.

Urban Development Community Development Division Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable

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