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

Chairperson Tracy Lines Corr called the meeting to order at 5:35 P.M., Thursday, October 11, 2007, in the Mayor's Conference Room, County/City Building, Lincoln, Nebraska. Twenty-three participants attended.

Tracy Lines Corr, 40th & A St. Neigh. Assoc.	Jeff Schwebke, Arnold Heights Neigh. Assoc.
Gloria Eddins, Clinton Neigh. Org.	Rick Noyes, Downtown Neigh. Assoc.
Cherie Krueger, East Campus Com. Org.	Pat Anderson-Sifuentez, Everett Neigh. Assoc.
Paula Rhian, Everett Neigh. Assoc/ Nebr. Dept. of Econ. Dev.	Ruth Johnson, Hartley Neigh. Assoc.
Dorothy Ebner, Hartley Neigh. Assoc.	Mike Dennis, S 48th St Neigh. Assoc.
Gary Irvin, South Salt Creek Com. Org.	Gail Anderson, University Place Com. Org.
Bill Vocasek, West A Neigh. Assoc.	Larry Frisch, Witherbee Neigh. Assoc.
Russell Miller, Lincoln Neigh Alliance	Michael Snodgrass, NeighborWorks®Lincoln
Shawn Ryba, NeighborWorks®Lincoln	Lynn Fisher, REOMA
Mike Merwick, Bldg. & Safety Dept.	Rick Hoppe, Mayor's Office
Nancy Engel, Urban Development Dept.	Wynn Hjermstad, Urban Development Dept.
Mayor Beutler

WELCOME AND INTRODUCTIONS
Ms. Corr opened the meeting and asked the participants to introduce themselves. A sign-in sheet was provided for check-in.

Rick Noyes, Downtown Neighborhood Association, announced an Urban Design Workshop, Saturday, October 27, 2007.

MAYOR'S COMMENTS
Mayor Beutler mentioned the Community Health Endowment has provided a grant dealing with the methamphetamine problem and engaging the Lincoln Action Program and the Lancaster County Substance Abuse Coalition to conduct surveys and other background work on how we can address the methamphetamine problem in a comprehensive way – to deal with prevention, children, law enforcement, and education. The study has been completed. The City will support the Community Health Endowment to formulate some solutions to the problem and some coordinated efforts.

QUALITY OF LIFE AND PROBLEM PROPERTIES
Lynn Fisher, Real Estate Managers & Owners Association (REOMA), and Pat Anderson-Sifuentez, Neighborhood Service Exchange/Everett NA, presented information to help neighborhoods rectify problem properties. It is a neighbor-to-neighbor approach making a positive offer initially followed by more specific prodding, if needed. The effort focuses on problems they can address on a neighborhood basis and do not rise to the level of the Problem Resolution Team. The program concentrates on properties that generally cause a decline in the quality of life in the neighborhood. Also, the plan attempts to relieve the burden on the city/county departments that already have a sizeable caseload.

Everett Neighborhood is conducting the pilot stage of this effort. It involves a letter writing campaign to landlords of properties identified by the neighborhood association. The strategy is three-pronged.

1. The carrot: a letter to the landlord encouraging business development by offering resources on how to be a better landlord, and identifying the specific problem on the property (trash, police calls, abandon cars, etc.) including pictures.
2. The stick: if the landlord has resolved the problem, a thank-you letter is sent. If the problem persists, a second letter states the property is being referred to the appropriate city or county department. Then the neighborhood reports the problem.
3. If the landlord has not rectified the problem still, the neighborhood follows-up with the department recounting the effort made to date and asking for specific attention to this problem property.

The time between letters is about a month to allow time to fix the problem. Neighborhood Service Exchange, REOMA, LPD, and a representative of the neighborhood sign the letters. Multiple signatures remove the stigma of the nosey neighbor and provide the landlord with a range of resources. Everett Neighborhood contains 86% rental property so this pilot stage has centered on landlords. Obviously, a neighborhood can tailor this program for owner-occupied properties as well. Another approach is telephoning the owner to make direct contact. This method has proved successful too.

Lynn also provided a registration form for Landlording Done Well, a seminar sponsored by REOMA and the Lincoln Journal Star. Lynn and Pat fielded questions from the Roundtable during a lengthy discussion. Mike Merwick, Director of Building and Safety Department, answered questions and participated in the conversation.

For further information, contact Lynn Fisher, 432-2386.

SET NOVEMBER AGENDA
The next meeting of the Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable is scheduled for November 8, 2007, 5:30 p.m., in the Mayor's Conference Room, County/City Building, 555 South 10th Street, 2nd floor. The November agenda will include a presentation by Michael Snodgrass, Executive Director of NeighborWorks®Lincoln.

ADJOURN
There being no other business, the meeting adjourned at 6:37 p.m.

Submitted by David G. Ensign
Urban Development Department

Urban Development Community Development Division Mayor's Neighborhood Roundtable

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