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SYNDICATE CONTENTHealthy, Sustainable Communities Group - May 5
A City That Works - May 5
Healthy and Sustainable Neighborhood Discussion Group at Holy Innocents
What does this goal mean to you?
• Getting to know my neighbors makes for a livable community
• Working together makes neighborhoods safer and more beautiful
• I want to feel safe walking home alone at night
• Better enforcement of laws and codes would help the community
• Positive alternatives for youth would help the health of the community
• I want to have a sense of pride living here
• Neighbors helping each other is a core value
• We need to recognize that there is a transient element to the area.
Performance measures - I will know that there is:
→ there is an increase in enrollment in sponsored activities.
→ there are more volunteers engaged to staff the activities.
• A cleaner neighborhood, if
→ there are more public trash receptacles.
→ there is increased trash collection (more than once a week) in public areas – around businesses, in parks, etc.
→ there are fewer broken glass bottles in parks – perhaps through a ban on glass bottles.
→ there is evidence of uniform enforcement of the recycling policy
♦ documented increase in the collected tonnage.
♦ provision of larger containers for collection.
♦ a simpler system for fining violators.
→ I see city workers enforcing existing ordinances on property maintenance (keeping lawn cut, trash out of yards, etc.).
→ there is an increase in the number of clean streets – perhaps through programs that encourage cleaner streets – e.g., engage local community groups to give awards to clean streets and publicize this to encourage others to follow.
→ my neighborhood looks like
• Better use of abandoned properties, if
→ 50% are converted to a beneficial use within a year.
→ neighbors are given the tools to enable them to contact the property owners directly and engage them in bettering their properties.
• Increased safety, if
→ I see curfew enforcement increased.
→ there is a discernable decrease in the crime rate, particularly crime that affects the viability of small businesses.
→ El stops are improved through increased lighting and development as business locations to make them more people friendly who would otherwise avoid public transportation for going to events like Phillies games.
→ I see more police on foot or on bicycles in the neighborhood.
→ there is an increase in the number of Town Watch programs.
→ there is statistical information available to me showing the location of safe, crime-free houses, not just a focus on the crime areas.
• Increased vitality in the neighborhood, if
→ there is an increase in the number of new small businesses, not just business turnover.
→ there is an increase in the number of block captains.
Customer-service standards
• I am able to speak to a person in a language that is comfortable for me.
• I am talking to a real person, not a voice mail, and there are no hang-ups.
• They tell you how many other people have called about the same issue/problem.
• They send a responder team within a specified time period.
• I get a call back acknowledging my call and telling me how the problem was resolved or will be resolved, if nothing was able to be done immediately.
• They ask me to call back if I do not see evidence of any action on the issue.
• They let me know if my call led to some action against the person(s) I believed was the perpetrator.
• They have available referral information that could connect me to non-governmental groups that may be better able to help me with my problem.
• I have the option to call a designated person at my Council person’s office, not just 311.
• They post on a web site a “done list” of all the actions taken within the previous week.
• They say “thank you” for calling.
