St. Catharines needs a vehicle whereby the City can maximize our social capital in positive, meaningful ways to better enable us to fulfill the objectives of this city - council and staff. Rochester's Neighbors Building Neighborhoods (NBN), a citizens participation process is a successful model to which I direct your attention.

NBN was recently introduced to those in attendance at the 2004 Smarter Niagara Summit. Following the Summit, I made Rochester's material available to a number of councillors and spoke with various staff who attended the Summit regarding NBNs profound impact on Rochester's community and economic developments. All with whom I had spoken viewed NBN as a viable method for engaging residents and neighbourhood associations in community development and planning issues. I see such a model playing a defining role in the Official Plan Review, as well as establishing a participative budget process, which in Rochester, it has. This would contribute towards fulfilling Councilor Kushner's expressed desire to involve the public in deciding the city's operating budget.

To those ends, I suggest that for January's Strategic Planning Session, the Governance Committee introduce the idea of establishing a Citizens Community Development Committee (CCDC). In essence, the intent of this committee would be to work with staff in defining and initiating a made in St. Catharines NBN program. I would further suggest that material from NBN be obtained and made available for informational purposes to all senior staff and council well before Januarys meeting.

If so requested, I would be happy to make a more formal presentation at January's session prior to council addressing the matter of forming a CCDC. This of course, would precede an open-mike session for whoever else might attend and wish to speak to that issue.

Meanwhile, here are some answers to Who? What? Where? When? Why? and How (much)?

What:

A Citizens Community Development Committee, in collaboration with Staff, would be responsible for exploring ways and means of communicating with, and engaging residents in community development, smart growth and intensification issues.

• The CCDC would become familiar with the principles and concepts of public engagement, smart growth, intensification and the St. Catharines Communities Initiatives
• The CCDC would study Rochester's model and report and/or make recommendations through staff, or directly to council, how the model would be adapted within our City. This would depend on matters extending beyond any empowerment granted to staff or the CCDC.
• The CCDC would liaise between staff and council, and residents and neighbourhood groups in realizing a Neighbours Building Neighbourhoods type model for the City.
• The CCDC would be a vehicle by which other municipal departments, aside from Planning, would best engage a broader public.
• CCDC meetings would be open to the general public for observation and input, although formal motions would be moved and voted upon by CCDC members only.
• A budget would be provided for training, the creation of a stand-alone website and the purchase of reference and reading materials, which would eventually be donated to the Library, or relevant community groups.
• The Library would be requested to display for loan, materials likely to lend themselves to local government and civic engagement, particularly issues pertaining to the committee's objectives.
• Application for candidates for the CCDC can be made in response to invitations to the general public, including post-secondary students.
• If deemed necessary by the CCDC, the committee could establish focused workgroups. Workgroups would comprise CCDC members, non-committee members drawn from non-elected candidates to the committee, and anyone else the CCDC chooses to invite if they think their participation would benefit the aims of the workgroup.

 

Who:

Other than appropriate staff (below), CCDC will comprise of resident citizens to be chosen from amongst applications submitted in response to requests for candidates from the general public, including post-secondary school students. The suggested structure is as follows:

• Six citizens, initially selected by the Mayor and a committee of three councillors chosen from council by the Mayor
• Mayor (or other elected official designated by the Mayor)
• CAO (or other senior staff representative designated by CAO)
• Director of Planning (or designated representative)
• Recording secretary

 

Following the initial establishment of the CCDC, three additional special members (volunteers) will be elected to the committee, by the CCDC. Special members would include an experienced past councillor, a developer, a professor, or any such expert as the CCDC chooses to invite to join the committee. Such members may also be chosen from amongst the initial applicants.

 

Where:

The CCDC would meet in a room at the Central Library. This location places resources, including library patrons, immediately at hand. Workgroups, if formed could meet at either City Hall, or the Library.

 

When:

Initially, the CCDC will meet bi-weekly for 2-3 hours, after which the committee will gauge for itself meeting schedules and timelines.

 

Why:

There are countless North American communities that acknowledged sometime ago, the need for strengthening their democratic systems, relevant to the changing face of our modern societies. Those that have adopted models for civic engagement within the past few years seem to be on a solid track for urban renewal and/or recognized as communities of value. Rochester is one such community.

"Neighbors Building Neighborhoods [] has helped broaden citizen participation while promoting trust, accountability, and efficient use of human and financial resources. […] As we continue to harvest the ideas and efforts of area residents, as well as reap the fruits of our labor, we can all be proud of our commitment to a shared vision and the thriving community that it ensures." ~ Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr. in NBNs 2001 Progress Report.

"Cities are sources of potential conflict, between government and citizens, between one citizens group and another, and between citizens and business. Recent studies have shown that greater citizen participation in public affairs can reduce all of these sources of conflict. In particular, it can prevent the firestorms associated with changes brought about by growth and renewal. [...] Political scientists describe our system of voting every few years but otherwise leaving everything up to government as weak democracy. In weak democracy, citizens have no role, no real part in decision making between elections. [...] Active citizens can help to create a sense of community connected to place. [... W]e can reverse the steady decline in social capital [as reflected within Robert Putnam's book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community] if we can find effective ways to nurture civic engagement and increase the number of active citizens" ~ The Troublemaker's Teaparty: A manual for Effective Citizen Action; Charles Dobson; New Society Publications, 2003.

Greater insight into the benefits and impact the NBN model has had on the City of Rochester can be gained through the following articles:

• Planners Network: Rochester: The Path Less Traveled by Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr. http://www.plannersnetwork.org/htm/pub/archives/148/Johnson.html
• Competitive Communities: Linking Planning, Smart Growth & Economic Development by Mayor William A. Johnson, Jr.; 2002 APA National Planning Conference, Chicago, IL http://www.planning.org/legislation/johnsonspeech.htm
• Council Albany Neighborhood Associations, New York: Keynote http://councilalbanyna.tripod.com/keynote.htm

 

How much

One suggestion would be to set an initial operating budget of $15,000 for a six-month period. That budget would only be increased for the next phase of the committee pending the value placed on results of the first stage. Any budget should allow sufficient funds for:

• Website with database, discussion forums, and or blog which would appear totally independent from the city website. This component would fulfill the communication needs as discussed at Strategic Planning Committee meetings. Websites appearing independent of governments and bureaucracies create an appeal to those who might otherwise avoid it due to mistrust or suspicion.
• Research material and information
• Overnight field trip to Rochester for up to 4 CCDC members.
• Marketing and advertising
• Training and Workshops
• Special public events
• Misc. expenses
• Minimal refreshments (or could be made available at cost)

 

Bernie Slepkov
1-213 St. Paul Street
City, L2R 3M6

Phone: 905.984.3493