Design of Neighborhood Associations Faulty – April 8, 2003

During a meeting on April 8, 2003, the Rosemere Neighborhood Association Board provided the City with a list of twelve concerns to improve the outdated neighborhood ordinance. This list of concerns, entitled “Design of Neighborhood Associations Faulty” was shared directly with councilmembers, who also shared it with city staff. None of these important concerns were included in the recent draft revision of the ordinance, yet city staff proclaimed that neighborhood representatives had been involved in the revision process. The twelve concerns were as follows:

1. Bylaws of neighborhood associations (not the RNA) are currently in violation of City Code.
2. There is no liability protection for associations.
3. There is no legal service or legal protection provided for for associations.
4. There is no formal grievance process for associations.
5. The City is not accountable to associations.
6. Associations are vulnerable to false allegations.
7. Associations are vulnerable to takeovers from special interest groups. Such groups have agendas not appropriate to neighborhood business.
8. City staff has no jurisdiction in internal neighborhood business, epecially for those associations with 501 (C )(3) status.
9. The current ordinance for neighborhood associations has not been updated since the 1970’s.
10. The Office of Neighborhoods is incapable of addressing these issues.
11. Associations should be autonomous and independent from the City.
12. The neighborhood association ordinance creates conflict of interest.