I think one of the things that's gotten us (as a City) into financial troubles is the fact they we still end viewing neighborhoods as somewhat autocratic/seperate entities. It should be remembered that neighborhood boundaries in principle, were drawn-up partly, to help govern and administer. Maybe it's time we looked at these boundaries and see if they still make sense?
WM: The NRP was designed to get each of the 81 (then) neighborhoods to consider what improvements were needed in each specific area. The plan was to last 20 years, giving each neighborhood one generation to begin and follow through with innovations, infrastructure, etc.
The 20 years in not up yet. Since the money, $20 million/yr for 20yrs. was never going to solve all the problems, those who were in it from the beginning looked on it as organizing neighborhoods.
Mayor Rybak wants us to reroute that plan away from neighborhoods and toward the city's overall infrastructure. It will defeat much of the purpose of the NRP to change horses at this point and will be darned tricky to do. There are contracts upon contracts outstanding, there are papers signing on all partners for the duration (state, county, city, library, park ....)
This rose out of the so-called "neighborhood movement" (the term tries to be descriptive, but isn't) and came about through neighborhood groups meeting with each other and trying to get enough clout to make infrastructure improvements. The cry was "all the money gets spent downtown!" Meanwhile, the school in the neighborhood is gone or empty, the community library is a disgrace, and the gym doesn't have enough programming money to work. Vacant/ boarded houses were standing empty in great numbers, and on and on.
Personally, I would like to see the NRP run it's course. Neighborhoods are in Phase II, or soon entering Phase II, and they have spent their time overseeing Phase I. I think we owe it to them to follow through. Ten years really isn't enough length to give a proper evaluation of the whole dream.
This is the second time Rybak has tried to make an end run around the NRP, I think. He's already made off with a bunch of NRP money for the police department. While I don't begrudge the police the money, I really don't like the way RT looks at the NRP with such greedy eyes.
WizardMarks, Central ________________________________
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