TysforSupervisorBlog

All the candidates are talking about how we need to be 'neighborhood focused'... we need community policing, we need to hold onto our neighborhood character, we need to support the small neighborhood businesses... all of which is exactly true.

Which is why I have been working at the neighborhood level for more than 5 years now, doing on a volunteer basis what all these new candidates suggest should be done.

I've worked to support new restaurants and bars in my community, doing everything from presenting in front of the planning commission, writing letters, creating PR for businesses through newsletters, to testifying to a judge at a hearing at the Alcohol Beverage Control for 3 hours straight.

I've also worked to keep chain stores out of the neighborhood, and worked with developers on housing projects to keep the neighborhood 'look and feel' as much as possible. I've also been one of the leads on the 'follow up' with developers, since the City doesn't have any sort of enforcement or checkup system when a developer makes promises to the neighbors, someone has to be vigilant and a good communicator to continue that relationship.

I've also worked with the police, extensively-- to the point I have a very strong relationship with a number of officers and sargents in the two stations in D5. I've worked on specific criminals, general 'hot spots' and worked with the community and the police on identifying trends.

I've worked on expanding a large network of volunteers in our community to help clean up trash and paint out grafitti. When the city wasn't able to keep up with the grafitti, I found private money (from a developer) to PAY homeless teenagers in a jobs program to help keep our area looking better.

And I've worked with many other community organizations in the district, helping them build their networks and get a better understanding of how to work with and represent their community.

I've run meetings for years that help inform the public about what the city is up to and what they can do about it. I've brought in city agencies to answer tough questions from neighbors about service, and then helped that agency and that neighbor find a solution and come to a conclusion. I'm still doing that as president of NOPNA.

I'm currently working on signage at a dangerous intersection, trying to negotiate with the DMV to get the parking lot opened again, helping a bar get it's full liquor license, planning a neighborhood block party...oh, and trying to create a training program for neighborhood disaster preparedness... and running a campaign and getting married next week. So... I'm not too busy.

If we're going to follow through on all these great ideas about community and neigbhorhoods, we'll need someone who understands the current sitaution, and who understands how to recruit, train, and support community leaders.

I feel that district 5 can't wait around for another politican to learn how to deal with the communities in this district. We need someone who's already to go. I'm that guy.