Community Engagement report and meetings

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The Community Engagement Task Force I worked so hard to form has drafted a report detailing its recommendations for improvements to the City's Community Engagement processes.


I have decided to hold my October roundtable discussion on the topic of Community Engagement, using the report as a starting point for a larger conversation about the broad topic of how the City can better activate, support and empower its increasingly diverse populations.

This meeting, specifically focused on Second Ward residents, but open to everyone, will be held:

Monday, October 15, 7-9pm
Augsburg College Christensen Center
Minneapolis Room, 2nd Floor
22nd Ave S & 7 ½ Street

There will also be a series of more general City-hosted public meetings to discuss the report:

Tuesday, October 9, 6:30-8:30 pm
Windom Park Recreation Center gym, 2251 Hayes St NE

Wednesday, October 10, 6-8 pm
North Commons Park gym, 801 James Ave N

Tuesday, October 16, 11am-1 pm (open house format)
Central Library board room, 300 Nicollet Mall


Wednesday, October 17, 6-8 pm
Nokomis Park Recreation Center gym, 2401 E Minnehaha Pkwy

Thursday, October 18, 5:30-7:30 pm
MLK Park Recreation Center multipurpose room, 4055 Nicollet Ave S


Please take some time to review the report and let me know what you think.

Comments

Anonymous said…
Whats your view on fully funding NRP and using the Neighborhoods originations as a communication resource, as a city growth mechanism and as the means to engage the community?
8:46 PM
Anonymous said…
I am wondering about your feeling on fully fund NRP and using the neighborhood org. as the source to engage the the residents that they as a volunteer base serve so dedicatedly? I have been searching you blog and can find no mention of your feeling or stance on NRP, its funding, and engaging the community thru a existing means
10:11 AM
Anonymous said…
You had a chance to read my question. You claim to use this as a forum to communicate with citizens of Minneapolis but when a question comes up you choose to bury it under two posts about produce. Again what is you position on fulling funding NRP and using the neighorhoods as a resource for communication?
5:55 PM
SHERYL'S LIST said…
At the Community Engagement meetings last winter the general feeling was that we want to strengthen and expand the NRP (our existing, award winning community engagement and empowerment program) so that more people will be engaged in their communities, and be empowered to improve their neighborhoods. The time is now for city council to fund the NRP to 2029 and beyond.
7:41 PM
Cam Gordon said…
I am a strong and long time supporter of neighborhood organizations and NRP. Throughout my time here as City COuncil Member finding ways to continue NRP, improve civic participation and strengthen our system of neighborhood organizations are among my highest priorities.

Furture funding for NRP and the fate of the program after 2009 are very much in question. If we should be unsuccessful in saving NRP it will be a hgreat lose for the city. It will also mean we will need to do more to support of neighbordoood organizations in other ways.

I do want to note that it took me until last year to even get my colleagues to agree to a framework to face the critifcal issues of community engagement and the future of NRP head on. Now that we have a framwork the City COuncil has agreed to it is essential that residents and others pay attention and get involved if they care about these issues.

Since I have been in office I am more convinced that ever that healthy, effective neighborhood organizations are vitial to the overall health of our city. The shjould be supported, strengthened and assisted.

This community engagement report is one step in that direction. Others include the background inofmration I expect to be provided by city staff in the months ahead.

I plan to write more at length on this in the near future. I hope this helps for the time being.
11:37 AM
Anonymous said…
Thank you for responding to the question so your answer is that your dedicated to full funding NRP now and long into the future. With out funding the neighborhoods would not be able to befit the city the way they do now. Funding is the important part of the question. Having your support of NRP is of great comfort and I hope that you are for advocating its befits to you colleagues on the Council
8:56 PM
Cam Gordon said…
I don't want to mislead anyone, and I don't want to confuse my support for NRP....but....I am not sure what "fully fund" means. Finding the dolors to meet the orginal commitment of 20 million a year for 20 years (ending in 2009) appears to be virtually impossible at this point.

I am committed to fight for more funding for phase 2 and for more funding after 2009. I will also work for more resources and support for neighborhood organizations outside as well as inside of NRP. How much that can be and will be will surely be a matter of much debate. In terms of NRP I also think that if we are to preserve the multijurisdictional focus of sharing oversite, control and coordination we probably ought to make sharing the funding a focus as well.
10:17 AM
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