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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-01-25 - AGENDA REPORTS - SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS (2)CITY OF SANTA CLARITA AGENDA REPORT NEW BUSINESS City Manager Apprc Item to be presented DATE: January 25, 2000 SUBJECT: SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBORHOODS DEPARTMENT: City Manager's Office RECOMMENDED ACTION Pulskamp_ 1. Direct Staff to begin the Pilot Program for improving City-wide neighborhood relations, utilizing one neighborhood from each of the four communities in the City. Report back to Council after the pilot program for further direction. 2. Direct Staff to initiate a pilot program for neighborhood relations and prepare a block party kit for use by any City neighborhood requesting it. (Estimated cost for the kits is $8,000) BACKGROUND Last year, the City Council adopted a "Sustainable Santa Clarita" action plan, which included five Sustainability Concepts, including "community/belonging." Two of the goals of sustainability are to reach a balance of issues and to develop a strong community. Through balance, Santa Clarita can ensure its high quality of life. As one of the fastest growing cities in Los Angeles County, it is a continuing challenge to maintain a "small town" atmosphere, while providing services for thousands of newcomers every year. Thirty years ago, people knew who their neighbors were. They talked with them, shared information and socialized. Neighborhoods were a better place because people knew one another and looked out for each other. Today, with two parents working and single parent households, neighborhood cohesiveness has eroded. The goal of this program is to bring about more of a neighborhood feel to neighborhoods in 2000. In an effort to enhance neighborhood relations, bring about beautification and increase communication, the City has worked extensively over the last several years to organize and empower our local neighborhoods. This has resulted in the "Canyon Country Better Than Ever Continued To: �� r,3' , � re Committee," the newly formed "Saugus Neighborhood Committee" and the Newhall Revitalization Committee. Existing neighborhood coordination also occurs through the Sheriffs Neighborhood Watch Block Captain program, the SECURE (Santa Clarita Educated Communities United in Response to Emergencies), and response to neighborhood requests, whereby staff works with homeowner associations and individual neighborhoods on specific issues of interest. A recent mail survey to the current Neighborhood Watch Block Captains yielded a 20% return. The survey sought to learn how active the neighborhood watch block captain programs are; the number of meetings held per year, the number of people who attend the meeting; if the captains are interested in receiving other information about the City or becoming more involved in City issues and how they would like to receive information from the City. The survey results (attached) basically tell us that the block captain program is not very active, although the captains have been in place an average of five to 15 years. We learned that about half may be interested in becoming more involved in other areas of interest in the community, and that their areas of interest are (in order): emergency preparedness, neighborhood relations, community safety, roads/traffic, and school/education. Their preferred method to receive information is through direct mail. In an effort to take neighborhood relations to the next level, staff is suggesting a pilot program for four neighborhoods; perhaps one from each of the City's four communities. The pilot program, with a working title of `B.E.A.C.O.N." (Building an Effective American Community On Neighborhoods) would target a few interested neighborhoods in the City, which would participate in a program designed to bring about better neighborhood communication, problem - solving and possibly issue resolution. Through this pilot program, we would work with neighborhoods to develop opportunities to connect with their neighbors. The result would be improved safety and emergency preparedness, cohesion, improved community involvement and better communication with the neighborhoods. Some ideas to bring this about include: City officials attending homeowner association meetings; a neighborhood newsletter; helping neighborhoods to host block parties, which might include the City's parkmobile, tree planting program, printed materials containing a variety of information about services the City provides, and any other assistance the City can provide which will result in the neighborhoods working together, communicating and hopefully getting to know their neighbors and talk in a neutral area, in a fun setting. If the pilot program is successful, we suggest possible creation of a "Block Party Kit" which would be offered to all neighborhoods. The "Kit" would provide current information, free and cut-rate coupons for services and block party supplies, key phone numbers, emergency preparedness and other important information desired by neighborhoods. NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH BLOCK CAPTAIN SURVEY RESULTS 1. How long have you been a block captain? 0-2 yrs. 11 2-5 yrs. -16 5-10 yrs. 17 10-15 yrs. 22 over l5-4 2. Is your program active? Yes -23 no -46 3. How many mtgs. Does your area have per year? 0-43 1-2 /yr. 18 2-4/yr. 3 over 4/yr. 2 4. About how many attend? 0-5-19 5-10-18 10-20-9 over 20 —4 5. How many homes in your neighborhood? 5-20 homes 41 20-40 homes 17 40-60 homes 4 60-80 homes 3 80-100 homes 0 100-150 homes 1 over 150 4 6. Are you interested in becoming more involved in other areas of interest in the community? Yes 11 no 27 maybe 31 7. Other areas you are interested in receiving more info or becoming more involved in the City? Roads/traffic 16 Parks/rec 11 Schools/Ed. 16 Community safety 17 Emerg. Prep. 22 Transp. Issues 2 Beautification 11 Neighborhood relations 19 Water quality/Environmental Issues 7 Other: rat control, area growth, infrastructure, bridal trails Would you like to be open to receiving info about what's going on in the City? Yes 65 no 3 How would you like to receive info about what's going on at the City? Rated 1-5 by preference: #1 and #2 were direct mail; #3 -public meetings; #4 telephone #5 Dail News tied with telephone Others: Signal, Daily News, Our Times, City Web Site, email, Direct Mail, phone, public meetings Would you be interested in hosting or helping to host a neighborhood barbecue or block party? Yes 26 no 19 maybe 20 If the city helped 14 NEIGHBORHOOD WATCH BLOCK CAPTAIN SURVEY Please take a few moments to complete this important survey and return it in the enclosed business reply envelope. 1. How long have you been a Neighborhood Watch block captain in Santa Clarita? ❑ 0-2 years ❑ 2-5years ❑ 5 - 10 years ❑ 10 - 15 years ❑ over 15 years 1.A) Is your program currently active? ❑ yes ❑ no 1.13) How many meetings does your area have per year? ❑ 0 per year ❑ 1 - 2 per year ❑ 2 - 4 per year ❑ over 4 per year 1.C) About how many attend? 110-5 ❑5-10 ❑ 10-20 0 over 20 2. Approximately how many homes would you estimate are in the neighborhood for which you are a block captain? ❑ 5 - 20 homes ❑ 20 - 40 homes ❑ 40 - 60 homes ❑ 60 - 80 homes ❑ 80 - 100 homes ❑ 100 - 150 homes ❑ over 150 homes 3. Would you be interested in becoming more involved in other areas of interest in the community? ❑ yes ❑ no ❑ maybe 4. Please check the areas of interest you may be interested in receiving additional information and/or becoming more involved with in the City. (check as many as apply) ❑ roads4raffic ❑ beautification/aesthetics ❑ parks/recreation ❑ neighborhood relations ❑ schools/education ❑ water quality/environmental issues ❑ community safety ❑ other (please specify) ❑ emergency preparedness ❑ transportation related issues (carpooling, etc.) 5. Would you be open to receiving information about what's going on in the City? ❑ yes ❑ no 6. Please rate (1 being the best, 5 being the least) how you would like to receive information about what's going on in the City. ❑ The Signal ❑ email ❑ The Daily News ❑ direct mail (newsletter, postcard, etc.) ❑ Our Times (LA Times) ❑ telephone ❑ City's web site ❑ public meetings (www.santa-clarita.com) 0 other (please specify) 7. Would you be interested in hosting (or helping to host) a neighborhood barbecue or block party? ❑ yes ❑ no ❑ maybe ❑ if the city helped Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey. (optional) Name: Address: City/Zip: Phone: Email: Grfwatchsur.dmIc BRIEFING: Wacky Wachs? Continued from B1 share information," Bergman said. ee much happier when I live in a compound or a neighborhood, no matter how wired [by computer] I might be." Bergman has his serious public - policy side too. He graduated from Yale andhas taught economics. But, does the decision to hire a comedian mean we will soon see a more wacky Wachs? No. The councilman plans to leave the one-liners to Mayor Rich- ard Riordan. You can't be something you aren't," said Greg Nelson, Wachs' top aide. POST TIME: Rep. James K Rogan (R -Glendale) is scheduled Saturday to gather with volunteers in Glendale to officially kick off his reelection campaign. This will not be a normal cam- paign for a third term in the House. . Not since Rogan won the adula- tion of Republicans and ire of Democrats for his prominent role in the unsuccessful impeachment pro- ceeding against President Clinton. That this will be a contest of national interest is clear from Ro- gan's early lead in fund-raising over Democratic challenger Adam Schiff, a state senator from Burbank Rogan has collected about $2.5 million, compared with about $1.1 million raised by Schiff. The incum- bent has about $1 million in the bank. Much of the money is coming from Republicans living outside California who are rallying behind Rogan, who has been targeted by Democrats. It's a combination of people who. dont like Clinton and those who respect Jim for standing up for the law at his own political peril," said Jason Rae, a spokesman for Rogan. And the general election is still 10 months away. SLOWDOWN SHOWDOWN: City Councilman Hal Bernson of Granada Hills has waited patiently during the last three months as the city Planning Commission mulled a complex package of charter changes that include creation of a system of regional planning commissions. But his patience is at an end. On Tuesday, Bernson announced that he has asked the city attor- ney's office for an opinion about whether the City Council can take up the charter changes, even if the Planning Commission has not made a recommendation. "He is just concerned that they weren't moving the changes along, and the deadline [for council ac- tion] is looming;" said Greig Smith, Bernson's top aide. Bernson is chairman of the coun- cil's Planning and Land Use Man- agement Committee, which must make its own recommendations in time for the council to adopt the changes by July 1. Planning officials said Wednes- day that the threat was unneces- sary. The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the charter changes at its Jan. 13 meeting. Commissioner Robert Scott, a San Fernando Valley attorney, said some of the delay can be attributed to a disagreement over the number of regional planning commissiohs. City Planner Con Howe has proposed six commissions, includ= ing one for the north San Fernando Valley and one for the south Valley: But Scott said that he and others would like to see many more com- missions created, believing the smaller the area coveredby each commission, the better residents will be able to have a say in local planning issues. Bernson's threat to have the council grab the issue from the commission is "highly unusual;', according to one city planner. But ironic too, some noted After all, the purpose of the new, - City Charter is to give the public,. through its planning commission -7 ers, more say in how the city handles planning matters. !!^�'—' q l^ O C 'O •a q q VV U 9 y w W mo « y q C C$ O ." j '� seA eEo a9 ^� o d NO3A rel C•2 ' 2 yin a' N N N y V. N C N' N 46 m ami 0 d ?C q op..�1 S A .s •E '°. .v X gFN,em�y �dNo P� �s�•go�•dNI-•v q, wsw �s ® q u o It g. VJ F q m.ElO q itl °'y ^� r® N.O. 00 LAY w a� >C N I ols" _ 0- ec i3 .® Na uw c•os i�w N> v �+ �> q .0 N�C o=T�v:GMuaCcoold •< GN�d ,,.E>. • �y 0 N F = N 0 NTq'1- Q 'G Z CO3 w A o 40 C u e G g >> tC y j3> VI g tptl 9 g � Sp� N �C�j 2 q U N O M- �c ct r„ �" F q BRIEFING: Wacky Wachs? Continued from B1 share information," Bergman said. ee much happier when I live in a compound or a neighborhood, no matter how wired [by computer] I might be." Bergman has his serious public - policy side too. He graduated from Yale andhas taught economics. But, does the decision to hire a comedian mean we will soon see a more wacky Wachs? No. The councilman plans to leave the one-liners to Mayor Rich- ard Riordan. You can't be something you aren't," said Greg Nelson, Wachs' top aide. POST TIME: Rep. James K Rogan (R -Glendale) is scheduled Saturday to gather with volunteers in Glendale to officially kick off his reelection campaign. This will not be a normal cam- paign for a third term in the House. . Not since Rogan won the adula- tion of Republicans and ire of Democrats for his prominent role in the unsuccessful impeachment pro- ceeding against President Clinton. That this will be a contest of national interest is clear from Ro- gan's early lead in fund-raising over Democratic challenger Adam Schiff, a state senator from Burbank Rogan has collected about $2.5 million, compared with about $1.1 million raised by Schiff. The incum- bent has about $1 million in the bank. Much of the money is coming from Republicans living outside California who are rallying behind Rogan, who has been targeted by Democrats. It's a combination of people who. dont like Clinton and those who respect Jim for standing up for the law at his own political peril," said Jason Rae, a spokesman for Rogan. And the general election is still 10 months away. SLOWDOWN SHOWDOWN: City Councilman Hal Bernson of Granada Hills has waited patiently during the last three months as the city Planning Commission mulled a complex package of charter changes that include creation of a system of regional planning commissions. But his patience is at an end. On Tuesday, Bernson announced that he has asked the city attor- ney's office for an opinion about whether the City Council can take up the charter changes, even if the Planning Commission has not made a recommendation. "He is just concerned that they weren't moving the changes along, and the deadline [for council ac- tion] is looming;" said Greig Smith, Bernson's top aide. Bernson is chairman of the coun- cil's Planning and Land Use Man- agement Committee, which must make its own recommendations in time for the council to adopt the changes by July 1. Planning officials said Wednes- day that the threat was unneces- sary. The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the charter changes at its Jan. 13 meeting. Commissioner Robert Scott, a San Fernando Valley attorney, said some of the delay can be attributed to a disagreement over the number of regional planning commissiohs. City Planner Con Howe has proposed six commissions, includ= ing one for the north San Fernando Valley and one for the south Valley: But Scott said that he and others would like to see many more com- missions created, believing the smaller the area coveredby each commission, the better residents will be able to have a say in local planning issues. Bernson's threat to have the council grab the issue from the commission is "highly unusual;', according to one city planner. But ironic too, some noted After all, the purpose of the new, - City Charter is to give the public,. through its planning commission -7 ers, more say in how the city handles planning matters.