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HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda Packet 9.18.23CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Community Engagement Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue AGENDA September 18 2023 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: B. ROLL CALL: Cooley-Kistler____ Ebbesen____ Lindstrom____ Stockford____ COUNCIL LIAISON: Councilmember Wehyee___ STAFF PRESENT: Van der Werff___ C. PRESENTATION: D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. July 17, 2023 Community Engagement Commission Meeting Minutes E. AGENDA: 1. Neighborhood Liaison Handbook and List 2. Human Rights Day F. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT G. ADJOURNMENT: 1 BLANK PAGE  2 CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS Community Engagement Commission City Hall 2077 West Larpenteur Avenue MINUTES July 17 2023 at 6:30 P.M. A. CALL TO ORDER: 6:50 PM B. ROLL CALL: Cooley-Kistler__X__ Ebbesen_X___ Lindstrom__X__ Stockford__X__ COUNCIL LIAISON: Councilmember Wehyee___ STAFF PRESENT: Van der Werff_X__ C. PRESENTATION: D. APPROVAL OF MINUTES: 1. June 5, 2023 Community Engagement Commission and Parks and Recreation Commission Joint Meeting Minutes Cooley-Kistler motions to approve the meeting minutes, approved 4-0 E. AGENDA: 1. Ideas for Outreach Van der Werff introduces the topic and wants the commissioners to discuss ideas for outreach to the community to get more commissioners. There are currently three vacancies for the Community Engagement Commission and one vacancy for the Planning Commission. Staff has included commission applications along with a “Welcome to Falcon Heights’ letter that gets send out to new Falcon Heights residents every month. It has also been promoted it in the newsletter, Facebook and on the website. Ebbesen had the idea of writing a small article to include in the newsletter regarding what the Community Engagement Commission entails and what they all participate in. To show that it is more fun than people might think. Cooley-Kistler and Stockford suggest creating a poster with a collage of all the events the commission has helped organize and showcase this at the upcoming Ice Cream Social event. 3 Commissioners discussed community involvement for National Night Out and the idea of having commissioners go around and visit block parties if they are not hosting a party themselves. 2. Neighborhood Liaison Van der Werff states that the goal of the Community Engagement Commission is to review and update the Neighborhood Liaison Handbook. The current online version was last revised on May, 2020 and is due for an update. Commissioners discussed reviewing the handbook and list and bringing feedback to the next scheduled meeting. The idea is to revise it and make it more comprehensive. They also discussed if the idea of having formal neighborhood liaisons is still up to date. Stockford mentioned that there will always be people in the neighborhood that are a direct point of contact for neighbors, who are more in the know of what is happening in the city, but they may not be formally listed on our website as a neighborhood liaison. 3. Human Rights Day Van der Werff would like to have the commission start a preliminary discussion about this year’s date, location and theme for Human Rights Day. A tentative Date was set for Thursday, December 7, 2023. Human Rights Day will be celebrated on Sunday, December 10 2023. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights turns 75 this year. Cooley-Kistler shared we could possibly partner with the International Institute of Minnesota. Ebbesen shared an idea for a theme; Racism in Medicine. Commissioners chose to have the location of the event be at the Falcon Heights elementary school again. The date will remain Thursday, December 7, 2023, sometime in the afternoon. For this year it will be important to promote it more than last year to get more attendance. One idea that was brought up, was to have a Flu Shot Clinic. Commissioners will also be reaching out to their network to see if any interesting guest speakers would like to speak at the event. F. INFORMATION/ANNOUNCEMENT Commissioners discussed volunteer assignments for the upcoming Ice Cream Social event on July 20, 2023. G. ADJOURNMENT: 8:03 PM 4 BLANK PAGE  5 Item Neighborhood Liaison Description The goal of the Community Engagement Commission is to review and update the Neighborhood Liaison Handbook. The current online version was last revised on May, 2020. The Neighborhood Liaison List on the Falcon Heights website was last updated on March, 2020. Staff has reached out to the list to confirm who is still interested in being a neighborhood liaison and received an answer from 1/3rd of the list. Budget Impact N/A Attachment(s) Neighborhood Liaison Handbook Neighborhood Liaison List Online Action(s) Requested Review and identify needed updates of the Neighborhood Liaison Handbook and Neighborhood Liaison List Meeting Date September 18, 2023 Agenda Item E1 Neighborhood Liaison Handbook and List Attachment Neighborhood Liaison Handbook Neighborhood Liaison List Submitted By Elke van der Werff, Administrative & Communications Coordinator 6 NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON HANDBOOK CITY OF FALCON HEIGHTS 7 Table of Contents NEIGHBORHOOD LIAISON HANDBOOK CONTENTS........................................................................................ 1 What is a Neighborhood Liaison. .................................................................................................................... 2 Community Engagement Commission (CEC) Role in the Neighborhood Liaison Program. .......................... 2 How we Define Neighborhood ........................................................................................................................2 History: Where did the idea of Neighborhood Liaison come from? ............................................................... 3 Neighborhood Liaison Roles. ........................................................................................................................... 4 Neighborhood Liaison Sub Divided Groups. ..................................................................................................... 4 Information Liaison ..................................................................................................................................... 4 Social Organizer Liaison ............................................................................................................................... 4 Communication Liaison ............................................................................................................................... 4 Information Liaison ........................................................................................................................................ 5 General Description .................................................................................................................................... 5 Basic Information ....................................................................................................................................... 5 Optional Information .................................................................................................................................. 5 Neighborhood-Specific Information ........................................................................................................... 5 How to Collect Information ........................................................................................................................ 6 Social Organizer Liaison .................................................................................................................................. 6 General Description .................................................................................................................................... 6 Block Party Planning ................................................................................................................................... 6 Easy ................................................................................................................................................................ 6 Average .................................................................................................................................................. 7 Advanced ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Steps in Organizing Successful Events ............................................................................................................. 8 Communication Liaison .................................................................................................................................. 9 General Description.................................................................................................................................... 9 Liaison Resource Page ..................................................................................................................................... 10 Falcon Heights City Map ................................................................................................................................. 11 Falcon Heights Neighborhood Map ................................................................................................................ 12 How To Build Community. .............................................................................................................................. 13 8 What is a Neighborhood Liaison? A Neighborhood Liaison is an extension to the Community Engagement Commission that formalizes a more localized outreach community engagement effort. They will provide a more familiar point of access to the assigned neighborhood community, while building and strengthening relationships. They will spend their time in the community talking with people, collecting suggested ideas, and forming relationships to keep the community connected. Roles among the different sub divided groups are easily overlapped and can be carried out by one person or a number of different people. Community Response Team members (CERTs) complete a training program through the Ramsey County Sheriff’s office, and in Falcon Heights they are included under the Neighborhood Liaison umbrella. Community Engagement Commission Role in the Neighborhood Liaison Program: The Community Engagement Commission (CEC) promotes opportunities for residents to be involved by endorsing and facilitating community outreach events. They will act as a human-bridge, defining ideas and activities that help to connect Falcon Heights City Council to the people they serve. The Commission shall serve as the city’s liaison with the neighborhoods, and may make recommendations to the City Council regarding changes to the Neighborhood Liaison Program. The City Strategic Plan will be used to guide the commission’s direction Emphasis shall be placed on the following activities:  Recruit and retain neighborhood liaisons  Identify areas with no liaison and focus recruitment efforts there.  Update and distribute a neighborhood liaison handbook  Implement appropriate Neighborhood Liaison training  Provide suggestions on how to best communicate with the residents to keep our neighborhoods connected  Act as a resource for neighborhood activities  Provide regular reports to the City Council on the Neighborhood Liaison Program  Attend Neighborhood Liaison training sessions.  Plan, implement and evaluate city-wide events to promote community building.  Begin including Falcon Heights businesses in community engagement efforts. How we Define Neighborhood The word neighborhood, in this handbook, will simply refer to a group of people living near one another; a community. The Neighborhood Liaison will coordinate with the City to define the neighborhood they represent. Some neighborhoods may include specific blocks on a street, one or more buildings, or one floor in a larger building complex. However, you define your neighborhood, the role of liaison will be similar. 9 History: Introduction Where did the idea of Neighborhood Liaison come from? The idea of Neighborhood Liaison was defined in 2002, but was the culmination of many years of community-minded efforts by Falcon Heights residents. 1. Early 1990’s -- The Neighborhood Watch program was initiated by a dedicated resident volunteer. Falcon Heights was the first city in Minnesota where every block in the city had a Neighborhood Watch volunteer! 2. 1995 -- The city council began a group called Keeping Connected to brainstorm and implement ways to keep resident and neighbors connected, in addition to fighting crime. 3. 1997 -- Keeping Connected sponsored an intergenerational dialogue to develop recommendations for improving the quality of life for all ages of Falcon Heights' residents. Fifty- one residents ranging in age from 11 to 81, suggested (among hundreds of other ideas): • Have kids organize welcome parties for other kids. • Encourage informal block “lemonade on the front lawn”, BBQ, or potlucks. • Encourage individual initiatives such as sharing meals, block caretakers, and phone contact to check on the welfare of the young and elderly. • Expand opportunities to match volunteer mentors with children and teens. 4. 1999 -- In response to concerns over potential computer problem (Y2K), the city sponsored an Emergency Preparedness meeting, developed recommendations for neighborhoods to keep them sustained in any type of emergency. Their long list of suggestions for each generation included: • Develop neighborhood “maps” which include names of residents, equipment owned and special needs. • Encourage people to exchange names and numbers of family members at the annual neighborhood meetings. • Organize “Citizen Emergency Response Teams” in each neighborhood. 5. 2001-- The city council sponsored an Intergenerational Dialogue, which brainstormed ideas for citizens to feel as prepared as possible for any situations in their own neighborhoods. Among the many: • Make a neighborhood phone tree with home, work and emergency phone numbers. • City Council to create a Neighborhood Security Task Force to develop materials for use by block leaders and formalizing this group into a permanent Neighborhood Commission, to oversee the training and recruitment of Neighborhood Liaisons. 6. 2015 – The Neighborhood Commission merged with the Human Rights Commission to form the Community Engagement Commission (CEC) 10 Neighborhood Liaison Roles: A Neighborhood Liaison may fill several roles and responsibilities: ➢ Welcome new residents ➢ Actively participate in training opportunities sponsored by Community Engagement Commission (CEC). ➢ Promote neighborhood meetings and/or block parties. ➢ Use this Neighborhood Liaison Handbook as a guide. Submit handbook suggestions and improvements to the CEC. ➢ Keep neighborhood data current. ➢ Distribute collected data only with neighbors.  If part of the Community Emergency Response Team (CERT),complete required training with Ramsey County Sheriff's Department Neighborhood Liaison Code of Ethics:  Respect your neighbors.  Maintain a positive attitude and image.  Maintain local privacy of collected data.  Be a community builder. Neighborhood Liaison Sub Divided Groups Information Liaison Engage with assigned neighborhood by gathering block directory information from your neighbors. Providing this information is voluntary. Welcome new neighbors and provide them with the collected information so they may get familiar with their near community. Social Organizer Liaison Responsible for coordinating activities for the assigned neighborhood, such as block parties, potlucks, and Night to Unite (National Night Out), book clubs, or a kids’ holiday parade, just to name a few potential ideas. Create group activities designed to promote community togetherness. Communication Liaison Communicate activities defined by the Social Organizer Liaison and other activities that may be sponsored by the Community Engagement Commission (CEC). This may include phone calls, emails, door knocking, letter writing or social media communication. 11 Information Liaison General Description The liaison updates information (name, address, contact information) on your block. Then the information is distributed to each resident. Please do not ask for more information than people are willing to share. As new neighbors arrive, provide them with collected information about the neighborhood residents in their area. As a community builder it is important to know your neighbors. BASIC INFORMATION 1. Name 2. Address 3. Preferred contact information OPTIONAL INFORMATION Other information may be collected if it is useful and residents want to share it. Examples may include other means of contact, number of people living in household, pet names and characteristics, emergency equipment available for use (chainsaw, extension ladder, generator), or if someone in the home would need more help in an emergency due to medical problems. ADDITIONAL OPTIONAL INFORMATION 1. Neighborhood Newsletter editor 2. Alley-plowing contact(s) 3. Is anyone willing to snow shovel or baby-sit? 4. Does anyone provide services, free or for a fee (e.g., gardening advice, taxes, etc?) 12 How to Collect Information A primary consideration for the collector of a neighborhood’s information is privacy. Many neighborhoods in Falcon Heights have block directories and several have completed neighborhood surveys, with no issues arising and with no one objecting to giving this information to their neighbors. People in the neighborhood should know that the information asked of them is voluntary and will only be seen by others in the neighborhood. Consider asking the resident in person, for they may be more receptive to providing information. • The liaison may drop a questionnaire at each home and ask people to return them by a certain date. • The liaison may put a questionnaire out at a party and ask people to fill in the information. • Ask for information in person. • The liaison may ask a CEC member for assistance. Social Organizer Liaison General Description Coordinate activities for your block, such as block parties, potlucks, bridge night and Night to Unite (National Night Out) get-togethers. Block Party Planning Block parties do not need to be elaborate affairs. Depending on the amount of time you have and the amount of help you want to plan the party, you can take one of several approaches: Easy 1. Plan the date, time, and location. • To request the following, fill out form through Ramsey County website: https://bit.ly/24bTm80 ▪ Law enforcement and squad car • To request the following go to www.falconheights.org ▪ Street barricades 13 Remember, there is no right or wrong way to plan or conduct a block party. The most important things to keep in mind are the needs and personality of your block and its residents! ▪ Fire fighters and fire truck ▪ City Council or Commissioners 2. Distribute flyers announcing the date, time, and place of the party. 3. Invite neighbors to bring a dish to share and their own table service. Average 1. Plan the date, time, and location. • To request the following, fill out form through Ramsey County website: https://bit.ly/24bTm80 ▪ Law enforcement and squad car • To request the following go to www.falconheights.org ▪ Street barricades ▪ Fire fighters and fire truck ▪ City Council or Commissioners 2. Distribute flyers announcing the date, time, and place of the party. 3. Have neighbors contact you regarding what they’ll bring, or circulate a sign-up sheet. 4. Arrange for table service, tables and chairs, and games for kids. Advanced 1. Distribute flyers inviting neighbors to attend a planning session for a block party. 2. At the meeting: • Select a date, time, and place. • Decide who will bring what. (Make a list.) • Select a spokesperson to contact the city. • Plan additional related activities, such as games, entertainment, decorations, or inviting the Crime Prevention Liaison to make a presentation. Neighborhoods in Falcon Heights have done parties at all of these levels. Some have simple ice cream socials where they send out a note with a date and everyone volunteers for paper supplies, ice cream and toppings. The leader makes sure there are tables and garbage cans. Another neighborhood has combined several blocks, raised money, solicited donations from local businesses for door prizes, and hired ponies for rides for the kids. Following that fun is a potluck meal. It depends on how much energy, volunteer help, contacts, and imagination you have. The page that follows takes you through the steps for planning any type of event. 14 Steps in Organizing Successful Events I. WHY: Define the Purpose of the Event (Why hold the event? What need should it fill?) Will your event inform, improve community relations, welcome new people to the neighborhood, etc…? Be sure to recognize if one of the purposes is to have fun. It’s much easier to involve volunteers in a cause or need if you can make it fun. II. WHAT: Choose the Right Event (pot-luck, picnic, ice cream social …) A. Remember your goals B. Who are your participants? (young, old, interests, schedules, …) C. What is your neighborhood interested in or what have they done in the past? Ask around to see what people would be interested in doing. D. Do you want to extend your event beyond your own neighborhood? Involving other neighborhoods can contribute more resources and broaden the audience. E. How much will your event cost? Very little, if it’s a potluck. Talk to others who have tried a similar event in the past. Were there any hidden costs? F. What are your resources? Who are your volunteers? Are there any businesses that would help sponsor your event? Is there someone in your neighborhood who could make a contact? III. WHEN/WHERE: Set the Date and Location A. Check the calendar to avoid conflicting community events B. Choose the location and get confirmed reservations Most neighborhoods in Falcon Heights have used barricades to block off their street and just use the street itself. Some smaller groups have used city hall or alleys. If you decide to rent a space, be sure to plan ahead, get enough room, and have something that fits your budget. Considerations include requirements for deposits, insurance, and cleanup as well as facility features like floor plan, seating, lighting, electricity, and restrooms. And be sure to get any agreements in writing. IV. HOW: Planning and Organization A. Leader Informs others of process, delegates responsibilities to persons/committees, coordinates activities of different committees, sets time limits, settles disputes, praises progress B. “Committees” defined and staffed, as needed (many will have only one member!) 15 Decorations, Entertainment, Refreshments/Concessions, *Publicity, Budget/RSVP List, Donations, Clean-Up If the Committee is larger than one, the members should hold scheduled meetings at set places. Specific agendas help provide logical steps for attacking tasks. Written descriptions of individual responsibilities help to avoid duplicating effort, chronologically order tasks, and clarify time requirements and deadlines. Always give praise to individuals meeting deadlines. * Publicity types can include: group e-mail, phone calling tree, posters, balloons, sidewalk chalk, door hangers, mailings, plywood corner signs, t- shirts, city newsletter, website, … V. POST EVENT A. Follow-up Return any borrowed items. Write thank you notes to recognize volunteers and donors. B. Evaluation What went right? What went wrong? Record each step for future reference. Determine the true cost (consider donations) and true benefit. Should it become an annual event? File it away in a folder for future reference. C. Begin preparing for next year Communication Liaison General Description Communicates activities defined by the Social Organizing Liaison or the Community Engagement Commission (CEC). Includes:  Organizes communication within and between blocks  Liaison to the Community Engagement Commission (CEC) and assigned neighborhood  Community news from city website Types of communication:  Email  Phone  Door Knocking  Social media 16 Liaison Resource Page City Information Falcon Heights Elected Representatives Mayor Randy Gustafson 651-642-9694 Council Member Melanie Leehy 651-646-8113 Council Member Mark Miazga 651-252-5833 Council Member Kay Andrews 651-647-0237 Council Member Yakasah Wehyee 612-802-2239 Community Engagement Commission (CEC) Chair Kim Johnson Council Liaison Yakasah Wehyee Georgiana May Katie Kohn Dena Larrabee Karen Kistler Andrea LaDouceur Staff Liaison Nalisha Nandkumar Neighborhood Liaisons Names of Neighborhood Liaisons can be located: City Hall 651-792-7600 City Website www.falconheights.org City Hall City Administrator Sack Thongvanh 651-792-7611 City Hall 651-792-7600 City Website www.falconheights.org Police Department (Ramsey County Sheriff) Fire or Medical Emergency 911 Non-Emergency Dispatch 651-767-0640 General Questions Ramsey County Sheriff 651-266-7300 https://www.ramseycountysheriff.us Falcon Heights City Calendar City Hall 651-792-7600 City Website www.falconheights.org Additional website information: Night to Unite Registration (Ramsey County): https://bit.ly/24bTm80 Night to Unite Party Planning Guide: https://bit.ly/2PGD3A6 ***Always reference Falcon Heights website for current information*** 17 18 19 Karen Kerney/SCW Community SCW © 1998 20 First Name Last Name Address Phone Email Neighborhood Reached out to confirm on 6/28/23 Andrea LaDouceur 1776 Albert st n 2197795570 andrea.ladouceur@gmail.com Northeast Quadrant yes Barbara Brokopp 1849 Holton Street (651) 307-1490 bbrokopp@gmail.com Northeast Quadrant Beth Mercer-Taylor 2231 Folwell Ave 646-2925 bethmt@umn.edu University Grove yes Bruce Mielke 1506 Crawford Ave 651-492-3918 bruce.mielke@comcast.net Northeast Quadrant yes Cari Kokotovich 1896 Sheldon street (651)408-5677/ (651)406-5061 cmkokotovich@gmail.com Northeast Quadrant Carol A Johnson 1530 Larpenteur #105 644-7621 cjohnson19174948@gmail.com Falcon Heights Town Sq. courtney billing 1457 Iowa Ave West 6512712756 courtney.billing@gmail.com Northome Darla Burbach Lindquist 1847 Simpson Street (612)889- 8113/(651)646-1413 darlakbl@gmail.com Northeast Quadrant Dena Larrabee 1358 Larpenteur 651-226-8298 dena.r.larrabee@gmail.com Northome Don Pitlik 1841 Arona St (612)201-3585 dcharles4@me.com Northeast Quadrant Erin Kaufenberg Reichelt 1759 LINDIG ST (612)396-1515 erin.reichelt@gmail.com Fairview-Lindig-Tatum Geogriana May 1477 California 651.792.6558 gmay@umn.edu Northome yes Jane Bykowski Jill Bartyzal 1791 Tatum St 6123666037 Jilleo@gmail.com Fairview-Lindig-Tatum no I actually moved and no longer live in Falcon Heights, so unfortunately I am not a good fit anymore. I did start a neighborhood Google group for Tatum street using this gmail account and would love to figure out a way to transfer ownership of it to someone new. Let me know if you find someone. Julie Stegman 1860 Snelling 920.676.3758 julie.kaye.stegman@gmail.com Northeast Quadrant Karen Kloser 1596 Northrop Street 643-0876 klose004@umn.edu University Grove Maybe Kari Kilbride 1522 Idaho Ave W 644-2379 karikilbride@mac.com Northome yes Katie Kohn 1929 Summer 651.276.2586 kathryn.kohn@gmail.com Falcon Woods Kim Johnson 1359 Iowa 612.597.9318 kdj763@gmail.com Northome Kris & Tom Grangaard/Prather 1777 Simpson Street 647-4419 ktbd4@comcast.net Northeast Quadrant Linda Barnes 1828 Moore Street 644-0758 lindabarnes7880@yahoo.com Falcon Woods yes Marva Ballentine 1893 Snelling Ave 651-646-4485 Snelling West Michael Baker 1530 Larpenteur #314 612-280-0584 Mdb_991@outlook.com Falcon Heights Town Sq. Michele SWANSON 1901 ARONA ST Northeast Quadrant Michelle Vojacek 1915 Arona St 651-324-3338 Vojacek4939@msn.com Northeast Quadrant Michelle Cone 1907 Snelling Ave tacone430@gmail.com Snelling West Mike Tracy 2007 Garden Ave 795-8023 Falcon Woods Mona McGarthwaite 1412 Idaho Ave W 646-2188 mehowley@hotmail.com Northome yes Pamela Becker 1905 N. Albert ST 651-894-4998 pjbecker55113@yahoo.com Northeast Quadrant Peter Lindstrom 1505 Idaho Ave W 917-2977 plindstr@umn.edu Northome yes Rice'Davis 1407 California Ave W 644-4602 mimosamom@aol.com Northome yes Rick Wagner 1595 Northrop Street 644-1202 wagne003@umn.edu University Grove Roger Aiken 1589 Hollywood Court 644-8318 rogeraiken@creedproject.org Hollywood Cout Sallee Dawson 1864 Simpson St 612-868-2454 salleedawson@centurylink.net Northeast SHERI LANGEVIN 1865 Holton St Northeast Quadrant Stephan Kistler 2211 FOLWELL AVE (651)895- 6203/(651)645-7706 stephanfkistler@gmail.com University Grove Sue Majerus 1381 Iowa Ave W 917-9544 surejam2000@yahoo.com Northome Active 21 Item Human Rights Day Description The Community Engagement Commission started conversations about this year’s Human Rights Day at their previous meeting on July 17, 2023. The theme selected is “Racism in Medicine”. This year’s location is the Falcon Heights Elementary School. Staff has reached out to FH Elementary to reserve the location. The CEC will continue planning the Human Rights Day Event and determine a general timeline, possible speakers and other organizations. Budget Impact TBD Attachment(s) N/A Action(s) Requested Continue discussions about this year’s Human Rights Day Event. Meeting Date September 18, 2023 Agenda Item E2 Human Rights Day Attachment N/A Submitted By Elke van der Werff, Administrative & Communications Coordinator 22