516 NATIONAL CIVIC REVIEW [October ~ ~ ~~

Citizen Action . . Page Elizabeth Bigetow, Editor

Neighborhood Plan for Twin Cities

Citizens League Urges Service Associations

A N early summer report in the Citizen’s League News (Minneapolis) describes

a strategy for dealing with the problems of older neighborhoods in the Twin Cities area. The three basic elements of the plan include: development of public policy which emphasizes rehabilitation and main- tenance on the basis of groups of blocks rather than individual homes; an effort to promote the organization of multi-block private cooperative groups that might be known as “neighborhood service associa- tions”; and reforming the housing services industry.

League study findings indicate that in the absence of assurances of adequate neighborhood upkeep the strength of many existing neighborhoods is threatened and that as long as there is a dependence on individual responsibility for such upkeep it is impossible to provide such assurances. I t says, “In effect the system for deliver- ing maintenance services for housing is expensive, inefficient and, all too often, not effective enough,”

A major conclusion states that the pro- vision of housing services must be carried out on a broad enough basis to allow economy of scale, proper area coverage and adequate performance.

I t is suggested that local government’s role can include establishing an office to service organized neighborhood associa- tions ; providing financial assistance ac- cording to needs in certain areas; using neighborhood associations as effective channels for distribution of limited re- habilitation funds and in planning and set- ting priorities for city improvements.

In order to facilitate maximum resident participation, the league recommends that the service associations encompass a small area with a maximum of between 200-300 homes. Organization format, it says, would be self-determined.

Another measure to stimulate neighbor- hood improvement the League notes, would be for the legislature to require municipalities in the seven-county metro- politan area to strengthen their housing code inspection procedures. Multi-family rental dwellings might be regulated by periodic licensing which would be grantcd on the condition that the units met code standards. Single-family dwellings would be inspected and required to conform to code at the time occupancy changes.

In terms of “city rebuilding,” the league stresses the need for city government in- itiatives in the redevelopment process. These include: drawing up a plan showing types of development desired and areas in the community in which the city would be receptive to private redevelopment proposals ; organizing and maintaining effective liaison with private developers, and making available a carefully de- veloped set of incentives for developers.

Such incentives should be financed with community revenue sharing funds since tax increment financing is too limited for a broad-scale rebuilding process.

The 53-page report was prepared by the Citizens League Committee on Rebuilding in the Central Cities (530 Syndicate Build- ing, Minneapolis 55402).

W.G.A.

Indiana Hosts Crime Fighters

The July LEAA Newsletter (Law Enforcement Assistance Administration, U. S. Department of Justice, Washington, D. C. 20530) reports that in mid-May,

1973 J NEWS IN

dozens of law enforcement and other pub- lic officials, and citizens from 25 cities and 15 states met in Indianapolis for discussion and implementation of the community crime prevention section of the report drafted by the National Advisory Com- mission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals.

The event, the first community-oriented follow-up meeting to the national confer- ence held in Washington, D. C., last January, was sponsored by the 50,000- member volunteer Indianapolis Anti- Crime Crusade in cooperation with Indiana Governor Otis R. Bowen, In- dianapolis Mayor Richard G. Lugar and the Indiana Criminal Justice Planning Agency.

The keynote speaker was former Dela- ware Governor Russell W. Peterson, who was chairman of the national advisory commission and is now chairman of the executive committee of the Commission on Third Century America. H e said:

If we are going to cut our crime rate in half in the next ten years, we must work together as citizens, dedicated to the belief that we are architects of change, lest we become its victims.

By 1983, the goal is to cut in half the annual number of murders, rapes, rob- beries, aggravated assaults and burglaries committed by strangers. We have the know-how and the resources. All we need is dedication.

H e discussed courts, police, corrections, juvenile problems, prosecution, probation, parole and the many facets of a total criminal justice plan. H e recommended the establishment of system-wide groups throughout the country.

Governor Bowen and Mayor Lugar paid tribute to the citizen effort which has helped to reduce crime in the state and city. Mayor Lugar noted:

A decrease in crime, the return to school of more than 2,000 dropouts, court reform, upgrading the police department and helping the corrections department to cut recidivism are some of the results of work by 50,000 women in Indianapolis.

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They did this by working with public officials and with the departments assigned to these specific areas. There is more co- operative effort in Indianapolis.

Delegates to the meeting received copies of the ‘kitizen action” material from the commission’s community crime prevention report. Delegates went on special tours of crime control programs in action. They rode in patrol cars and saw Indianapolis through the eyes of policemen. They also observed the Police Department’s success- ful three-year-old bail bond program. They saw the city’s mercury vapor street lights and learned that women volunteers helped get 12,000 of them in one year to help reduce crime and accidents. The visitors also went to the Police Department to observe line-up. They saw only seven persons charged with crime compared to 45 or 50 that were charged each morning before Indianapolis’ bail reform and re- lease-on-recognizance programs were in- stituted.

The guests also learned about India- napolis’ down-to-earth educational pro- gram on drugs; the police fleet pro- gram (take-home police cars); Crime T.R.A.P., which has achieved a highly successful drop in burglary; and the laws for juveniles program, which began 10 years ago through the work of the Anti- Crime Crusade. The visitors also saw the new group home for problem girls spon- sored by Indianapofis women.

Many participants became court watchers for a day. Presiding Judge William Creamer of the Marion County municipal courts explained the value of having a program in which at least two women or men sit in each court each day. H e esti- mated that some have watched as many as 200,000 court cases each. It took seven years to get court reform through legisla- tion, he said, but the participants had pa- tience. Among the court reforms effected were establishment of a presiding judge of municipal courts, provision for the rehabilitation of alcoholics and drug ad-

518 NATIONAL CIVIC REVIEW [October

dicts, a pilot program in bail bonding, a drastic cut in “judgment withheld” cases, and establishment of a permanent driver- iniprovement school.

Delegates heard how few youngsters who play ball at the Indianapolis Taber- nacle Presbyterian Church, which is re- ported to have the largest church youth recreation program in the world, ever get into trouble. The program, in which 140 volunteers assist, has involved 50,000 boys and girls. They saw community action at the storefront Citizens Forum, where two former school teachers, husband and wife, told how they helped organize more than 2,500 block clubs. Ways in which good citizenship prevents crime were discussed.

At the close of the meeting, participants were given a kit called “How to Begin a Working Crime Prevention Program in Your City.” This explains in detail all Indianapolis programs-how to light up a city, how to stop shoplifting, how to be a court watcher, how to teach laws to juveniles-in all, 25 successful plans.

Women of the Indianapolis Anti-Crime Crusade are anxious to assist other cities and towns in beginning a working pro- gram. They have a speakers’ bureau and have helped establish crime prevention programs in 50 large cities and more than 500 smaller cities and towns (Anti-Crime Crusade, 5343 North Arlington Avenue, Indianapolis 46226).

At least 35 states are planning work- shops, conferences or seminars to discuss recommendations made by the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals. The other 15 states will decide whether to hold conferences after they have received the commission’s full reports which will be published soon.

LWV Gets Cooperation on Voter Participation

The June-July Arizona Voter (League of Women Voters of Arizona, 1439 North First Street, Suite 202, Phoenix 85004) reports that Tucson L W president Pris-

cilla Kuhn and voting rights chairman Barbara Weymann have achieved success in trying to get Pima County cooperation on a project to encourage voter participa- tion. hfrs. Kuhn’s letter to the LWVUS and the LWVA reads:

After almost a year and a half of testi- mony, letters, calls to action, editorials, repeated visits to the county recorder’s, the introduction of an LWV election laws bill and a hotly contested race for the county recorder’s seat where the League had made obstacles to voting and Pima County’s low voter participation figure the issue, we are pleased to report to the Elections Systems Project a significant breakthrough.

We were able to convince the Pima County board of supervisors (in a 1%- hour study session presentation . . . com- plete with color-coded maps and charts, up-dated precinct-by-precinct VAP partic- ipation figures, a study of the Model Cities area, a manual for deputy regis- trars, a complete list of registration and election outreach priorities and an LWV recommended budget) to add $30,000 to whatever amount was turned in by the county recorder for the express purpose of increasing participation in the election process.

Although our request was for $37,000 (with a project-by-project outline) we consider $30,000 a victory.

In our previous contacts we had often been told our ideas were great but were too expensive, or that it wasn’t anything t!ie county could really solve, as it was a state problem, and the county recorder didn’t really agree with our analysis of the obstacles, let alone have the desire to do much about it.

Our months of work were geared to one end-budget time. And our presenta- tion was designed to tackle head-on the various reservations from elected county oficials.

The presentation was well received. W e had foreseen the board‘s questions and were prepared to document our answers.

[The] Pima County recorder, . . . who had already said no to our requests, was at a later date called in for a study session with the board to review the League’s re- quests. The conclusion reached was ap-

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proximately that (1) the county recorder should add $30,000 to her budget, (2) the funds should be spent .in keeping with the League’s recommendations, but determined by the county recorder, (3) the county recorder should contact the League to go over the line items and the county recorder could contract with the League for any of the projects if she so desired.

On Monday, June llth, we met with the county recorder to discuss which proposals she wished, if any, to contract with the League. After some figure juggling we jointly decided to pursue all but the Guides this year. (We can fund the Guides out of our own local League budget or go to the city.) We now know that $30,000 will be spent to encourage voter participation in Pima County and that LWV will play a major role.

Florida Citizens Initiate Multi-Purpose Center

The August Florida Municipal Record reports that Green Cove Springs officially opened its Neighborhood Facilities Center on May 6. This concluded many months of hard work and dedication by citizens and city officials.

The idea for such a center took shape in November 1968 when a group of citi- zens, feeling the need for a community center, organized into the Community Action Committee. The committee planned that the center would provide such ser- vices as day care for children 2 to 5 % years old, arts and crafts for children and adults, games and recreation for chil- dren, a meeting place for senior citizens, family counseling and a physical fitness program with a long-range goal of curb- ing and preventing juvenile delinquency, increasing the opportunity of the disad- vantaged to improve their total living en- vironment, and providing needed services to the aged.

In March 1969 the committee was able to acquire a recently closed high school owned by a local realtor and former state legislator who leased the building to them rent free. With a site to work from and a building to use as a center, the com-

mittee incorporated itself into the Clay County Opportunity Center (CCOC).

The idea of a neighborhood facilities center was presented to the city commis- sioners early in 1970 for their approval on purchasing and developing the former school site, utilizing federal funds. I t was approved unanimously, and on February 4, 1970, the city purchased the site for $30,000. The appraised value of the prop- erty was $240,000.

Acting under the guidance of the mayor and city commissioners, City Manager Richard C. Fellows spent almost two years in negotiations with federal offices in Jacksonville and Atlanta securing fed- eral approval for the project.

After the necessary funds were approved and received from the state housing and urban development office, the restoration of the property was started in September 1972. On March 1, 1973, the center opened its doors to the citizens of Green Cove Springs, and was formally opened on May 6, 1973.

Activities now housed at the center include: headstart and a neighborhood service center (operated by the Commu- nity Action Agency), adult basic educa- tion classes (sponsored by the Clay County school board), off-campus college courses (sponsored by St. Johns River Junior College), the senior citizens’ club and a teenage club (sponsored by the center), a year-round recreation program (operated by the center), and armed forces recruitment (recruiters from all branches are at the center on designated days each week).

‘Mission ’76’ Program Stresses Environment

The Lexington (Kentucky) Women’s Club and the Wauwatosa (Wisconsin) Junior Women’s Club have been named the national winners for their entries in the “Mission ’76” environmental improve- ment program co-sponsored by Keep

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America Beautiful (99 Park Avenue, New York 10016) and the General Federation of Women’s Clubs.

“Mission ’76” is a three-year coopera- tive program, currently in its first phase, to enhance and expand environmental edu- cation at the elementary school level. The program focuses attention on available community resources which can be utilized to develop students’ respect, reverence and sense of responsibility for their en- vironment.

“The volume of available environmental resource materials is immense,” Roger W. Powers, executive vice president of KAB, said while announcing the selection on May 31. “The extensive research done by these participating women’s clubs for their school systems is a highly significant public service because now many key school personnel have complete, updated lists of supplementary ecology resources available as teaching aids.“

Over 4,000 women’s clubs and junior women’s clubs participated in the pro- gram. The research guides developed for federation members are now available from KAB to any interested community group.

Community Groups Clean Up Detroit

A record number of Community or- ganizations and block clubs became in- volved in the Detroit Pride ’73 neighbor- hood clean-up and beautification campaign on May 19. A total of 402 organizations and clubs registered for the summer-long program, more than twice the 1972 num- ber. The program is sponsored by the Litter Prevention Committee of the Greater Detroit Chamber of Commerce (1.50 Michigan Street, Detroit 48226).

Clean-ups were one phase of the pro- gram. Pride ‘73 will also encourage beau- tification projects through the planting of

[October

new lawns, flowers and shrubbery, and general paint-up and fix-up activities.

The Michigan National Guard provided 50 trucks and 120 men for the program. They removed heavy items which could not be handled by the Department of Sani- tation. Department personnel and equip- ment worked an extra day to help kick off the program.

Seventeen Detroit Fire Department en- gine houses served as distribution centers for 225,000 plastic trash bags and 100,000 “Pride” buttons. The available supply of tools was supplemented by 3,000 rakes, brooms, shovels and heavy-duty gloves purchased for this event.

The Pride office in the Chamber of Commerce distributed 5,000 posters which neighborhood groups used to promote the program. The committee also attempted to familiarize the nearly 100,000 partici- pants with the procedures necessary to receive maintenance services from the city departments.

Light Your Streets The Street and Highway Safety Light-

ing Bureau (1212 Avenue of the Americas, New York 10036) has published a com- prehensive booklet, “How to Conduct a Campaign for Better Street Lighting in Your Community.” The 30-page pamphlet gives detailed guidelines for running a citizens’ campaign for better street light- ing, including five successful case histories (Louisville, Kentucky : Evansville, In- diana ; Savannah, Georgia ; Plainfield, New Jersey ; and Lake Dalecarilla, In- diana). The pamphlet emphasizes safety, particularly crime prevention, as a reason to run a campaign for adequate street lighting. There are instructions for setting up a citizen campaign, publicizing the issues and what to do-and not do-in public meetings. A sample press release and a sample speech are provided.