DEPARTMENT: Neighborhood and Housing Services
DEPARTMENT HEAD: Ver?nica R. Soto, FAICP, Director
COUNCIL DISTRICTS IMPACTED: City-Wide
SUBJECT:
Neighborhood Engagement Strategy
SUMMARY:
The Neighborhood Engagement Unit has developed a Neighborhood Engagement Strategy focused on improving communication and increasing engagement opportunities with residents and neighborhoods.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
On January 7, 2021, staff provided a briefing to the Culture and Neighborhood Services Council Committee (CNSCC) on the Neighborhood Engagement team that works with neighborhood associations and community organizations to strengthen relationships, improve communication channels, and provide training and resources to build organizational capacity. Staff shared preliminary community engagement concepts developed to address the need for improved communication with residents and neighborhoods.
The Neighborhood and Housing Services Department hosted three facilitated virtual Community Input Sessions and provided a survey in December 2021 to better understand the neighborhood communication and engagement needs. The response received from residents and neighborhoods highlighted the need for alternative communication methods for our residents. Stakeholders shared concerns about not receiving information from the City because their association is not on the Neighborhood Registry or the inability for a neighborhood association to distribute the information in a timely manner. Some of the feedback received included the need for communication to all residents regardless of association participation.
The proposed community engagement concepts presented to CNSCC were developed into a Neighborhood Engagement Strategy to address the communication and engagement deficiencies from current City efforts expressed by residents and neighborhoods. The development of the Neighborhood Engagement Strategy was informed by residents and neighborhood leaders who were selected to par...
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