Scajaquada Creek is one of Buffalo-Niagara’s most degraded waterways, suffering from pollution, lack of public access, loss of habitat, and more. If you live in the Scajaquada neighborhood or simply care about restoring one of Buffalo Niagara’s natural assets to something resembling its former beauty, come to this meeting. To be discussed:
Reminder that tomorrow night, Tuesday, June 16, 2009 at 6 PM, the first monthly Practice Group meeting will be held at the Lafayette Tap Room (in the Meeting Room).
Address: 391 Washington Street
Free Parking/Food available at your cost
These meetings will be held on the 3rd Tuesday of each month
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at the Open Space Practice Group training, May 2009. See also the invitation . Issue: How to make Open Space a useful practice to facilitate issues in Buffalo? (Granville)
Is there a best way to consolidate similar invites? (Hreshchyshyn) Conveners: Granville and Hreshchyshyn Participants: David Granville, Yuri Hreshchyshyn, Kevin Hayes, Dale Martin, Rebekah Williams, Donna Berry, Bill Parke, Aaron Gilbee, Marion Deutschman, Norm Bakos, Larry Brooks, William Dei, Maria Granville, Michael Herman Summary of discussion, conclusions, and recommendations
Use technologies
Mail
Widespread communication/education
Efficient use of media
Set up regular time for open space
Use Channel 22 (government channel) and local newspapers
Co-conveners/Hubs
Idea engines (they exist, e.g. WNY Green Table project)
Use major community hubs/establish hubs
Don’t reinvent the wheel
Create hubs that are based on shared interest
How to use the simplest technology
Meet informational preferences
TV, media, SMS, paper
WNY Green Table: First meeting on June 10 at 3:30 at the Community Foundation
–Determine needs?
–Open Space invite: diversity, timeliness, confict and complexity
CASH Group Model funded by Oishei
–United Way contact Diane Bessell (Sp?)
–Combine strategic planning
–Schedule meetings
Buffalo ReUse
Buffalo Niagara Riverkeepers
Apply to single project like Skyway
Facilitate Sudanese immigrant communities
Do it!
Facilitate Open Space
–Use technologies
–Human resources - who will commit?
–Facilitate technologies
–Postal SNCC
Make the ring bigger
We will facilitate Sunday
Work with David Torke “Fix Buffalo” on website hand-off
Relay/Tag Team opening for Open Space to grow capacity (assign tasks)
Publicize immediately
–Open Space meeting: Issues & Opportunities for city residents and leaders to use OST to convene key stakeholders around critical, timely issues involing real conflict
Contact press
Set up room
How to grow more open space - issues and opportuniites for keeping the OST practice group going?
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at the Open Space Practice Group training, May 2009. See also the invitation . BEING AN OST FACILITATOR
Conveners: Mike Tritto +Michael Herman
Participants: Yuri, Bill, Catherine, Amy, Dale, Mike H, Debbie etc..
-Avoid promising as facilitator to meet others: facilitators disappear
after opening.
-Ring bells, stay at edge of circle to allow sponsor to take center.
-Avoid expressing your perspectives as facilitator.
-Listen to your intuition to pick up on what is happening in the group
-Normally, there’s no hand out in the opening - keep participants
focused on each other.
-Evening news - One word each in circle is a return to observing the
circle
-Balance, passion, responsibility collective
-Avoid organizing the wall - let the organic disorder be -
participants will search & find breakouts on their own
-Facilitators should explain issues on the wall process before
explaining principals & law.
-Facilitators begin circle from the perspective of the rewards /
success of this process
-Feel free to use the script as a facilitator in explaining process of
OST
-See users guide for voting / priorities
-After break outs are done: conveners post notes from sessions (poster
boards synopsis, or typed notes)
-Notes get posted on different wall whenever they are done
-Facilitator adds cover page to the assembled notes and gets
photocopied into books. (+table of contents)
-Facilitator makes gentle intervention by giving the group a choice if
someone become a “space invader”
-Talking stick helps to encourage shared flow in discussion.
-With small circles, do what you can do, either with break out
sessions or keeping group together.
-Facilitator adds participant list (if needed) & ballot. See
facilitators tab & Mike Herman website for ballot.
-Facilitator adds summary of the theme, place, host, how many
participants, breakout groups into book
-Voting priorities can have crushing effect on the open discussions of
breakouts - but management likes a priority list
-Alternative to voting is open discussion on continuance or
termination of topics, What are the next steps?
The following are the working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an Open Space training for city residents. See also the invitation.
ISSUE: Who will take responsibility for site stewardship? How can we use the Inviting Buffalo website?
CONVENERS: Michael Herman and Rebekah Williams
PARTICIPANTS: Kevin Hayes, Marilyn Gallivan, Al Brown, Catherine Gillespie, Laura Fitzgerald, Richard Caruso, Tremeeka Cummings, Sylvia Powell, Larry Brooks, Yuri Hreshchyshyn, Norm Bakos, David Granville, Donna Berry, Brian Ludwiczak, Aaron Gilbee
SUMMARY OF DISCUSSION
1. Online (International Contributions!!!) Support Group:
Subscribers = “Site Stewards” link: six levels of access
Administrators level is set other levels are needed
Bloggers cannot promote their own exciting thing – they need to ask someone else to post about their event.
Editing comments to blogs is necessary (discussions about whether a certain comment, type of comment or commentor should be banned – needs to happen on the listserve)
Aaron, Kevin and Rebekah will be first site administrator team.
What is posted? : Invitations, News Reports or notes (suggestion – if someone keeps coming with invitations and no notes – perhaps we should encourage notes before more invites are sent).
Other results (i.e. a workplace starts using OS for staff meetings, give “props” back to this group.
Historic Preservation in Buffalo: Issues and Opportunities for Preservation Leaders, Neighborhood Associations, and Individuals
You are invited to help develop planning and action steps to create a community plan for the benefit of our city as we prepare for the 2011 National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference to be held in Buffalo including…
Identifying resources and opportunities for preservation projects to showcase accomplishable “wins” for Buffalo for the 2011 conference and beyond.
Create a 24-month action plan to identify these projects and develop a strategy for their timely execution.
Identify ways the City, preservation organizations, neighborhoods, the business community, and others can work together in achieving these goals.
Assist the National Trust in identifying issues that will be explored in a city-wide Neighborhood Forum to be held in Buffalo later this year. The Forum will provide education and outreach on preservation funding and issues.
Join preservation leaders, activists, block club and neighborhood association leaders, and others concerned and passionate individuals who care about historic preservation in Buffalo and would like to join together to accomplish preservation successes as Buffalo prepares to showcase itself to thousands of preservation leaders, professionals and enthusiasts at the 2011 National Trust for Historic Preservation Conference.
You are Invited to Help Buffalo become Stronger Faster …by coming part of an ongoing Practice Group that will learn and work together, to host community meetings and invite community action, on all of the issues critical to the future of Buffalo, as local leaders in the practice of Open Space Technology.
We’ll kick off this special applied training on:
Friday, May 29th, 6PM to 9PM,
Saturday, May 30th, 8AM to 5PM and
Sunday, May 31st, 2pm to 6pm
This $1,000 course is being provided, for a small group of local leaders, by the Mayor’s Offices of Strategic Planning and Citizen Services and the Community Foundation of Greater Buffalo. Some pre-course study and a commitment to all three days is required.
Open Space Has Worked in Buffalo
Open Space is a simple, effective way of bringing people together to get important things done. We’ve tried out this meeting method 5 times in Buffalo and people universally agreed it was one of the best ways to get work done in communities. The working notes from these conversations are posted at www.InvitingBuffalo.com.
Let’s make more of this happen on all of the issues critical to Buffalo’s future. To launch this work, we’ve brought in an internationally recognized leader in the practice of Open Space. NOW, we want to develop a group of local practitioners and do it for ourselves.
Do you care about the future of economic development, the quality of neighborhoods, our impact on environment, kids and schools, arts & culture? Do you want to meet and partner with people who share your passion? Do you want more skills and support for bringing people together to address these issues? That’s what this Practice Group is for. Please join us!
Whether you want to learn to organize any community action in this simple, powerful way, or you want to invite and energize work on one or more specific issues, you are invited to join this group, take the training, and begin this work together.
Registration is required. Contact David Granville at 851-4296 or dgranville@city-buffalo.com not later than Friday, May 15th.
On Saturday, April 18th, the City of Buffalo hosted an all-day summit meeting for Block Clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders, to address issues and opportunities for working together to improve the quality of life in Buffalo’s neighborhoods.
Over 100 participants raised more than 40 issues, clustered and combined them into more than 20 working sessions, most of which are documented in this site, filed under Quality of Life. See also the invitation to this summit.
The summit was organized by City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning and Department of Citizens Services, with support from the Mayor’s Office and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: City Gardens – Maintenance
• Keeping City clean attracting viable businesses – pick up liter
• City need to provide more recycle totes
• School children are taught in school to pickup.
• Pride is missing!
• Media attention – help get message out
• Lovejoy – tire problem!!! City general
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: Tool Lending Library for Block Clubs and Property Owners
Summary of Discussion:
• Satellites throughout City
• Main HUB on Eaton
• Small deposit (to rent)
• Tool Donation/county wide drop-offs
• Adopt –a-Block Club for a day (for funding/BBQ)
• Borrowing large tools (Mowers, Ladders, Floor Sanders, Weed Wackers)
• Safety/training for tools
• Helping people improve quality property value
GM Power Train large trash
Erie County waste drop off
June 6th – bring tools
298 Northampton Street
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: Housing Rehab and Bad Housing
Convener(s): Matt Fisher
Participants: Theodore Bynes, Doris Corley, Joy McDuffin, Joseph Bologna, Matt Fisher, John Fell, Margaret Alfonso, Leslie Vishwarth
Summary of Discussion:
HOUSING REHAB
• Inspector response time – faster.
• Community involvement w/finding.
• Movement on sheriff sales for court fines/liens.
• Pursue existing legislation for distressed prop acquisitioned by City and quick turnaround.
• $16.5 million housing money to homeless prevention.
• Sweat equity for money.
• Use summer youth program to fix homes.
• More neighborhood resources money for rehabs and roofs.
• Job training/job creation programs to fix homes.
• Approach local legislation to take action.
• Priorite rehabs/target fines.
• Use GIS to determine inventory and demo prob home
• Less restriction for CHDOs.
• Treat owners and landlords differently.
• Homeownership training and maintenance training.
• Bring players together, council people, residents, neighbors, group, inspectors, and police for monthly meetings.
• More Grants for homeowners to fix houses
• Draw best practices of other Cities.
-Rochester – rehabs
-Philadelphia – vacant lots
-Bronx
-More CDBG money making it to the streets
BAD HOUSING
1. Absent owner/investment and more rehabs
2. Owner occupied – more Grants
Ideas:
• Approach local Legislators to take action.
• Prioritize rehabs by block vitality, prospects for a vital future.
• Geographic info systems to determine existing inventory (property info system), then determine condition.
• Long term resident retention.
• School improvement to draw young families.
• Acquisition – broader reach/less restrictions on which properties qualify.
• More money into neighborhoods.
• Neighbor works
• Inspector response time
• Community involvement with seed money.
• Habitat for Humanity.
• More pass through of Community Block Club money to grants/rehabs.
• Movement on sheriff sales.
• Pursuing existing legislation for distressed prop. acquisition by City w/quick turnaround
• $16.5 million housing money to homeless prevention.
• Sweat equity for money.
• Summer youth program workers (building trade apprenticeships.
• Homeownership training (i.e. “Buyers Club”, training on maintaining) and follow-up.
• Key player collaboration meetings monthly established system wide thru City (inspectors, Police, Councilmember, citizen’s concerned w/housing.
• Prioritizing housing needs to those responsible w/follow-up, accountability.
• Linking/networking between high/low income workers.
• Draw on “Best Practices” models from around the Country.
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issues: Community Gardens/vacant lots
Convener(s): Mike Tritto
Participants: Catherine Gillepre, Laura Fitzgerald, Evelyn Vossler, Jack Norton, Gayla Thompson, Darnell Jackson, Jacqueline Allen, Jennifer Falt, Amy Senger, Tim Riordan, Joyce D ’Christian, Charles Burgen, Anthony Armstrong
Summary of Discussion:
Vacant lots/Community Gardens Urban Farms
• Concern about soil contamination
• Need for raised bed gardening
• Linear parks – vacant lots strung together (greenway)
• Planful mapping of community gardens
• Added playgrounds
• Adjacent lots turn into neighborhood parking
• Grass roots gardens can offer soil testing
• Challenge of finding volunteers
• Buffalo B Team – youth volunteers
• Henry Taylor @ UB Urban Planning – source of volunteers
• Daemen College and private colleges – source of student volunteers.
• Need for networking between gardens to share tools, plants, and resources.
• Urban Roots – plant swap.
• Vegetable garden “Boot Camp” in May 2009 @ M.L.K. Park
• See: www.urbanroots.org also search: Grassroots Gardens web-site
• Reclaiming vacant lots for whatever neighborhood decides it wants Ground Work B see: www.groundworkusa.net
• Challenge of getting City of Buffalo’s permission and issue of liability insurance
• Need for City of Buffalo resource to clean up vacant lot. Contact Grassroots Garden @ www.grassrootsgardens.org
• Need for better communication between Livable Communities grant and Grassroots Gardens to get grant.
• There’s a need for an organized communication and check list for how to start a community garden through Grassroots Gardens.
• Need for guidance on where it’s safer to plant to avoid contamination.
• Niagara Frontier Food Terminal – John Perisi for advice and resources to create gardens.
• Need for better restrictions on building demolition so that vacant lots are cleaned and greened.
• See Dudley Street Initiative in Boston, MA.
• Need for collaboration between neighborhood groups and City government around demolitions.
• Need for smaller neighbor plans.
• Good neighborhood Planning Committee can be too big.
• Need for a city – level catalyst to bring block clubs together to plan.
• Need for more funding for Good Neighbor Planning Committee.
• Need to find someone in a neighborhood group who can do grant writing.
• Need for dedicated re-tree farm in each area of City.
• Need for better communication from the City on resources and public meetings on a timely basis.
• Need for more staffing in Good Neighbor Alliance.
• Need for city to attach neighborhood process to city budget process to dedicate funds.
• Need for Office of Sustainability in the City to coordinate resources for vacant lot improvement.
• Need to get your Councilman involved in advocacy.
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issues: Demolitions, empty lots, vacant housing and dumping in parks and vacant lots
Issues: (*Boarded Houses*), Empty lots, (*Demolitions*), Tires very bad and beautification. Old garage filled with garbage, no gutters, and water leaks into my basement when it rain. Need to be torn down. 350 Humboldt Avenue
Participants: Ray Walter, Theodore Bynes, Geraldine Minter and Sr. Mary Augusta Kaeser
Summary of Discussion:
• Board up houses, time frame for boarded up houses.
• Dumping in public park (vacant lots) – motion lights/cameras so public can Id
• Time frame for picking up tires; city pick up tires on regular times.
• Absent Landlords – Regulations and follow up demolition – what plans City has for them – propriety of City – reinforce fence
• Demolitions – are there other options available? Are there plans for the lot after the demo?
• Dumping of tires: The City should better publicize where citizens can take their tires.
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issues: Population loss – attraction and retention; how to identify and engage our expatriate community to grow and re-energize our City.
Convener(s): Marti Gorman, Kimberly Trent
Participants: Kat Massay, Kimberly Trent, Francine Valno, Veronica Hemphill –Nichols and Verline McLaughlin
Summary of Discussion:
• Leadership must empower the people to be ambassadors and effect change/ change image
• Media is part of the problem – only bad news, no community news/ success. Answer: Add alternative Media, community reporting, hyper local.
• Block Clubs have been “Bought by the City Block Club Grants, etc. Answer: Better Leadership/stronger leaders; look to expat community, (outside legal representation for Fruit Belt needed)
• Image is Everything
• How to engage/empower our ex-pats and all sectors of our community
(a) Leadership must empower people to be ambassadors
(b) Block clubs need more independence outside of City planning issues.
(c) Media (integrated) needs to promote/highlight people in positive lights
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issues: Vacant Houses and Lack of Money to Address… Including lack of improvement access money for more businesses, more financial support and money for home owners, eyesores business’s, who own these buildings? (Capital Improvements) side walk, pot holes, trees, etc.
Convener(s): Verline McLaughlin, Shirley Monroe, Erma Brown, Lisa Jo Schaeffer, Jackie Eckert, James C Clemons, Eugenia Poole and Christie
Participants: Good Neighbors Planning Alliance (GNPA), Tonawanda, NY
Summary of Discussion:
Part I – VACANT BUILDINGS/LOTS:
• Vacant building/Lots who owns these building/lots?
• Make accountable those who own those buildings/lots (City Wide Home Steading Policy) as to demolition, etc.
• Find tenants for vacant buildings (City Wide Home Steading Policy).
• Support and start businesses in these areas where vacant buildings exist.
• More financial support and moneys for home owners.
• Transparency for where money is going and how to access money (more equitable!!!)
• Capital improvements (Broken sidewalks, potholes, curves, signs, etc.).
• Incentives for businesses that already exist, and are kept up in the City.
• Stimulus money!!! How it does and can affect us and our community?
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Summary of Discussion:
Policies
- Responsible to ridership (NFTA)
- Survey Transit
- Suburban Commuters
- Services
- Jobs
- Smart Utilization
- UB link needs larger scope – community
- Design – low busses
- Keep houses near strategic routes!
- Niagara Section of 190
- More access
- Inform and Design Bikes
- Link to train now
- Gas prices, public transportation
Steps
- Improve image
—Shelters
—Safety
- Ridership numbers
- Consider Transportation in City Planning
—Transit Orientation
- Stagger big and small busses
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Convener(s): Pat Braun
Summary of Discussion:
- Need at UB, other local schools, community centers for innovation
- More connections between departments and community will spawn creative entrepreneurship
- Buffalo needs to be proactive to cultivate an entrepreneurial spirit
- Next Steps: Job Training
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
- 311 System about problems
- City is a slumlord by these standards, city needs to sell or demo
- Tenants vs. residents = empowerment responsibility vs. authority
- Screening training for landlords
- Create owner occupant and tenant mix neighborhoods
- Stop slumlords depleting neighborhoods be draining homes dry
- Aging population sells to investors, naturally occurring process
- Management issues, management database
- List for licensed property managers available to residents just like licensing for general contractors to increase property manager accountability
- Need neighborhood capital
- Green demolition, only private property at this time and do something after demolition
- City now has to give properties Public Art, Buffalo re-use competition what to do with land, have a grant put another jewel in the Queen City’s crown
Design
- Don’t have grant to run competition
- Don’t have money for implementation
- Need to spend time in neighborhood
- Question of assessment being too high, people don’t know the sale price at auction
- Pocket parks maintenance problem
- Kids buying in = no vandalism
- Art Space, have money for public art
- Commercial projects supposed to have 5% to have public art, needs to be used
- Buffalo re-use is great and needs support, has target area Main & Jefferson to Best
- Will support other projects because of grant, public parks and gardens
- Performance space near City Honors or performing arts school, need land
- Land lots for sale
Networking
- Buffalo Mural Arts
- Graffiti
- Bus stops Brad Wales – re-using parking meters for bike racks, roadside America web site, (5) listed in Buffalo
- Artistsinbuffalo.org should also list public art on web site; directory should add public art section
- Commercial street sculpture
- Copper gone before re-use gets to building
- How do we identify funding sources and how do we get it and utilize assets that DO exist
- Public Art creates image that stays with people when they come showcases local talent
- American Style designation
- Rational to find money
- City doesn’t have enough reason to find it at this time
- Tourists come in, people sticks with people
- Increase quality of life
- Heard about Buffalo Really good
- No funding for Visual Arts
- Photographer, hidden secrets of Buffalo LaSalle Park
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
2. BPD overworked – only dealing with “after the fact” crimes
3. BMH is sub-neighborhood of the city and has in depth problems that go beyond city planning
- Respect for authority better if they have their own security/police they feel comfortable with
- Need for “Preventative Policing”
- Better enforcement of “Quality of life” issues, Better enforcement of lease regulations
- Residents need to feel respected by authority
- Less infringement on Civil Rights; less use of brute force
- On-sight policing gives easy/better access to governing forces (might fix small things before they get bigger)
- Bigger issue is BMH needs to be pro-active and comprehensive in their property management
- Residents need to build/have pride in their “neighborhoods”
- Private Policy Authority might make people feel more secure about anonymity
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
- Need for welcome wagon website
- Block Clubs can be ambassadors to new residents
- Need to appeal to local College students to stay in WNY
- Need to engage church leadership
- Engage with schools, hospitals, and doctors to network with new residents
- Need to engage real estate agents to tour city of Buffalo to improve reputation with realtor working with new residents
- Realtor walk (tour) of city
- Home tours of city neighborhoods for prospective new residents
- Engaging new businesses to meet community
- Need for local colleges to do volunteer services learning for surrounding neighborhood
- Buffalo needs to offer tours of city for new college students
- A booklet or web-page needs to be given to new students to outline resources in Buffalo
- Perhaps Community Foundation of WNY could create a web-page or booklet for new residents/students
- Engage local celebrity/spots star to lead Buffalo Brush Up weekend, clean-up of city neighborhoods
- Need for ongoing engagement of new residents with a local ambassador (volunteer) as well as a web-site of resources
- Connect with the U.B. Community Initiative to promote student networking to city
- Need to work with U.B. Urban Planning department (Dr. Verma) to develop marketing resources
- Appeal to suburban empty nesters to consider moving back to the city
- City needs to welcome new residents who have relocated to Buffalo
- Block Clubs need to be engaged in welcoming new residents
- Block Clubs need a web-site to share news and welcome new residents
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Gentrification, Eminent Domain, Land Banking, Housing Violations
- C.D.C. of St. John’s, Land Banking, Homeowner hit with demo fees in Fruit Belt, want to buy property (36 Block of Fruit Belt)
- UB: purchasing McCarly gardens to build Research Center (20/20 Plan) – need housing, downtown living, move students and employees into Fruit Belt
- City Inspection coming to Fruit Belt, Homeowner & Tenant Council Meeting, get Fruit Belt citizens involved in Homeowner & Tenant Council
- Housing Violation, city program shut down, Stimulus money, block grants, money for repairs, where is stimulus money going?
- Block grant money, HUD pulled money, need to have Citizens to make city accountable for spending, generations of renters, why aren’t there programs to get them to buy homes?
- In reference to 20/20, Community Benefits Agreement, Neighbors, Contractors, and Owners
Solution: different neighborhood organizations come together, Ellicott, N.A.C., and Fruit Belt
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Convener: The Wellness Institute of Greater Buffalo & WNY, Room 607, City Hall, Phil Haberstro, 716-851-4052
Summary of Discussion:
Improving Citizens Health
- Questions about Environment & Impact on Health
- Relationship between Built Environment & Health
- Environment (grass, sprays, pesticides
- Impact of Business Activities on Environment & Health
- Environmental (Peace Bridge Expressway/Asthma
- Public Sector Activity may impact health (knowledge base)
- Lead in Houses/Lots
- Diet, food, nutrition, environment security
Health Improvement - Where Does Health Come from?
- Good Healthy Choices
- Education/Knowledge
- Community Support
- Environment – National Environment
- Business Market Place
- Genetics
Health
- 10% Medicine
- 30% Genetics
- 60% Behavior
(2 Trillion, 95% spent on Treatment & Cures, 5% Prevention & Health )
Environment – Personal Choices
Actions
- Clean & Safe Neighborhoods, Livable
- Public Policy – “Complete Streets”, Lights, Side, Bike, Cross Cut, & Trees
- Addressing – Food choices in neighborhood: (i.e. supermarkets, gardens, farmer markets)
- Farm to School/Corner Store choices
- Getting more people to be involved in Block Clubs, ECT…
- More recreational, inter-action, youth tourism ability
- Public Policy/Commercial Vehicles
- Public knowledge about Air, Water, and Land Quality
- Public knowledge about “place making”
- Knowledge about what is going on to improves health
Improving Personal Choices
Physical Activities
- Environment that supports streets/parks
- Block Clubs, safe neighborhoods “City work with community”
- Recreation Facilities
- Schools
- After School Programs
- Connecting people to resources (Marketing Program)
- Standard schedule for stressor
Nutrition
- School Cafeteria Bridgett – opinion, words
- Healthy Choices in neighborhood
- Stores
- Markets
- GIS
- Summer Program (Nutrition Value)
- Education/Tours
- Maps “Bus”
- Produce Health on Bus
- NFTA Program expand for prevention Stressors
- Taxes
- School
- Health
- Education
- BDN Advertising
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for block clubs and other neighborhood-level leaders to work on improving the quality of life in Buffalo. See also the invitation and forum report.
Convener(s): Christine Lovett-Schaus
Participants: Lisa, Christie, Pam, Ramona, Jackie, Marilyn, Joan
Summary of Discussion:
Block Clubs set up positive issues to discuss/meet about
Get to know each other – welcome
Garden Walk activity to get together – know each other
Coalition of Block Clubs & AmeriCorps meets to address issues at Bell Center
Work to Beautify West Side including LaSalle Park
Involve Children
Porch Parties – Children Parties
Park
Clean up in front of homes & corners
Survey – number of homes/apartments/repairs (look for help)
Measure “Social Capital”
Plan – GNPA – with Council Member
Email List – Communication
Phone Tree – Communication
Blog or Website – Face book Page
Historic Committee – Document House Tours
Long and Short Term Plans – invite Council Members & County Legislator to meetings
Issues and Opportunities for Block Clubs, Other Groups, and
Individuals Working on Neighborhood-Level Improvement
You are invited to help develop planning and action steps for 2009, related to…
Community Development Block Grants
Federal Stimulus and Restore NY linkages
Addressing Housing, Vacancies and Demolitions
Beautification, Reclamation and Reuse
…and other important neighborhood work!
• Join neighborhood activists, block club leaders, and other concerned and passionate residents who are about revitalizing Buffalo and ready to get together to get things done in the short term.
• Share ideas about initiatives that are working now and design even stronger, more flexible procedures and programs that might yield more value to Buffalo neighborhoods in the near future.
• Be part of a diverse community of implementers and doers working throughout the City.
Please Join Us…
Saturday, April 18, 2009
9:00 am to 3:00 pm
Buffalo Employment and Training Center
RSVP: Space is limited, so please reply by April 12, 2009 to the Mayor’s Call and Resolution Center by dialing 311 or (716) 851-4890. Complimentary lunch is provided.
The City of Buffalo is committed to:
• Helping committed groups develop neighborhood implementation plans for 2009-2010
• Sharing insight and gathering input on local grant opportunities and their community impact
• Compiling lists of Community Assets you identify
• Helping you organize the follow-up in your neighborhood so you can get work done faster
Organized by: City of Buffalo Office of Strategic Planning and Department of Citizens Services, with support from the Mayor’s Office and the Community Foundation for Greater Buffalo.
Thanks to Gloria Simpson for posting this invitation to other business leaders who attended the Commercial District Networking session earlier this month. New members welcome…
This is the meeting reminder for developing and promoting business stability and strenghthening our prospective communities within the city of Buffalo. This would be part two coming from the meeting that we had with Michael Herman on October 8, 2008. We were going to hold the meeting at the Merriweather Library, but I thought Khalil said he would secure the Apollo theater. He is out of town, but if the location changes from the info below, I will email all on Friday. Hope to see you all there.
In two evening sessions this week, about 50 people gathered at the Matt Urban Center, just down the street from the Broadway Market, to discuss the future of the building, the businesses and the community around the Market. Invitation posted here and working notes posted here.
One attendee, close to the Market, observed: “More participation and input from Broadway Market tenants than I can remember in the last decade.” A majority of tenants, and many members of the new Market Task Force group, attended the meeting. A good (re)start.
Starting with a clean slate, a big open wall, in the first hour or so, the group posted about 20 major issues and opportunities related to the future of the Market. They made some combinations and organized them into a two-evening, four-round, working agenda. Then they broke out into small working groups to address the first round of issues.
The notes from the working sessions will be posted here. The notes from the second night will be posted as well. And many ancillary and continuing conversations will no doubt be taking place outside of these meetings. If there are notes from those sessions, they can be posted here as well — as the conversations and the Market continue and expand. mailto:notes4posting@invitingbuffalo.com
Significantly, there was interest in using this “open space” format for neighborhood crime meetings and a city-wide art conference. Inviting possibilities.
UPDATE: Kristin Donnelly, WGRZ Channel 2, reporting on second night of the meeting:
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for tenants and task force members on the future of Buffalo’s historic Broadway Market. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: Tying in Market with Downtown Development
Convener: Melanie
Participants: Bob, Yuri, Bev, Melanie, Bobby
• Free Bus Trolley connect major attractions
• Initiate with office worker/connection free parking
• Parking lot as a positive
• Cooking contests
• Connection to religious institutions
• Connection to other Neighborhood Landmarks
• Save routes to the market
• Bike racks
• Annual events
Tying in Broadway Market with Downtown Development Free Trolley to connect major attractions. Initigrate with office workers, offer free parking or perhaps work out monthly parking rates to utilize upstairs parking space and encourage early arrivals and later departures fare less square for Broadway Market, put Market on City home Web page , flyers at Bflo. Visitation Center
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for tenants and task force members on the future of Buffalo’s historic Broadway Market. See also the invitation and forum report.
Convener: Peter Cammarata
Participants: Ben, Irena
Summary of Discussion:
• Transportation Issues
• Healthy Foods
• School Partnerships
• Indie Market
• Community Dining Kitchen
• Affordability is a key “draw” for the market (both neighborhood and regional).
• Vendors have unique knowledge of the neighborhood/relationships.
• Vendors know the customers “tastes”, but need to respond better to new tastes.
• Muslim and Asian community underserved (Task Force)
• Education, demonstration components.
• Community activity areas, socializing components (Senior Centers).
• Salon, cleaners, florist, Police sub-station, Day Care, fitness, dental, health care, professional services, tailor, shoe repair, craft.
• Neighborhood Business Incubator, Youth apprenticeship.
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for tenants and task force members on the future of Buffalo’s historic Broadway Market. See also the invitation and forum report.
Issue: Professionally-Qualified Director
Convener(s): B. McLein
Participants: Bob, Marlese, Bill Beverly
Summary of Discussion:
BA Marketing Economic Development, business, human relations planning. Familiarity previous experience with public markets, love of marketing, know who to go to for advertising, budgeting, grant writing, willing to collaborate, coordinate and ability to work w/others; implementation experience
The following are the rough, working notes from one of the breakout sessions convened at an open forum for tenants and task force members on the future of Buffalo’s historic Broadway Market. See also the invitation and forum report.
Convener(s): Michelle Griff, Irena Bran
Summary of Discussion:
• General Maintenance/Appearance – Direct existing crews w/specifics, have Carman in charge
• Ask Mike Kon – Social Services employment DW – for parking lot cleaning front end
• Matt Urban Center
• Better snow removal.
• Vendors should update to efficient equipment
• Vendors must improve their counters
• Interior lighting to dark
• Patch outer wall; planters have weeds services
• Windows filthy
• Dumpster must be cleaned regularly
• New exterior lighting
• Management Corp had Façade plan
• No empty vendors in front
• Tenants must clean own too
• Tap into Act Dept. Buffalo State (Arlene Franczk)
• Demos – Fillmore to 190 Broadway Bailey –Market
• Seniors @ South Park do mural? City kids? Youth centers
• Market retail storefront grants along B-Way; to market itself
