Neighborhood Association Meeting
Greetings, Multnomah neighbors! I am delighted to be writing my first column as chair. Our meeting this month had a great turnout. Almost 40 people showed up to hear City Commissioner Sam Adams discuss sidewalks and streets, sewers and stormwater. One of the more promising ideas from the commissioner was the notion of making sure that arterial streets between neighborhoods, such as Capitol Hwy and Dosch Rd, are lined with bike lanes and sidewalks to improve safety. We hope to continue to have engaging speakers in future meetings.
I would like to take this opportunity to present to you my goals for the neighborhood association for the coming year. First, I want to increase attendance at our monthly meetings. Second, I would like to improve the relationship and interaction between us and our schools. And third, I want the association to become more proactive, less reactive.
The attendance at our monthly meetings is very inconsistent. In order for the neighborhood association to have validity with the city, we need to have a representative group of people at each meeting. I can hear you saying, “But I’m busy, why should I come?†The answer: We need your input! We will be addressing a variety of topics over the next year, from bikes and businesses, to shopping and schools.
Speaking of schools, we’ve all heard about the fix our public schools are facing, not enough money, shortened school year, etc. I want our neighborhood to support our schools from the grassroots level. We won’t be able to write a million-dollar check, but we can help our schools with an hour of our time or a donation of supplies. Schools are a major part of the foundation of any community and good schools increase property value, improve the local economy, and help lower crime rates. When we support our schools, our quality of life improves.
Finally, I’d like to see the neighborhood association become more proactive in how we deal with local issues. It seems to me that most meetings are focused on responding to land use “problems,†which is one part of our responsibilities. I would like to see neighbors educating each other and to promote rational discussion over heated topics, such as flag lots. I think that we should also be more involved in other community events, like Multnomah Days and maybe put on an event of our own!
The message I want to convey is that the neighborhood association is a tool, your tool, to create a community that embraces the values that are important to you. To make that happen, we must all come together in frank and respectful discussions about those things that are important to us. That’s one of the best aspects of our meetings, the chance to socialize, to make new friends and to share ideas. See you next month!
Brian Russell, 503-869-1632, barusse@hotmail.com