Letter from the Mayor
Dear Neighborhood Association Leader,
Neighborhoods. What would our cities be without them? In a most dramatic and sad example it is New Orleans post-Katrina. Through the United States Conference of Mayors, I was able to visit New Orleans in May 2006. Many of the neighborhoods are gone, literally, and many are waiting to be re-built. During this time the people who inhabited the neighborhoods live in other cities, awaiting the time they might be able to move back to their “homes.” Of course, in this too-long interim, businesses are without employees who formerly worked at these businesses and many have “Help Wanted” signs in their windows.
Also in other examples we see neighbors coming together in tough times such as tornados, floods and the like, to help one another and this is good. An unspoken and unwritten “contract” with each other builds communities stronger than any government program could ever do.
So, moving away from disasters (finally), neighborhoods are a very positive component of a livable community. Rochester has been recognized often by the national media as a most-livable community. It is well-known that vibrant neighborhoods are safer, homes are more valuable (sale and re-sale) and become a place of pride. Walk-friendly and bicycle-friendly neighborhoods are also more environmentally friendly.
I and the Rochester City Council have adopted the National League of Cities initiative: “Welcome. We are building an inclusive community.” I believe our neighborhoods play an integral part in living out this initiative. I have proclaimed the year 2007 as the Year of the Family in Rochester. Other than our biological families there is perhaps no other place or institution that supports families better than neighborhoods.
I can remember being a youngster and getting into trouble with my parents, and within hours the entire street knew what I had done and was sure to keep me in line after that. As Rochester is quickly approaching a population of 100,000, it is more important than ever that neighbors work together to keep alive that close-knit feeling of community in our city. RNeighbors is leading the way and providing tools to our neighborhoods. Neighborhood Associations, run by volunteers, serve to bring neighbors together to work on local issues, plan events, and form crime watch groups. I commend you for taking the initiative to be leaders and hope this document will be a useful tool for organizing your neighborhood.
Sincerely,
Ardell F. Brede, Mayor
City of Rochester
201 4th Street SE – Room 281
Rochester, MN 55904-3782
Phone: (507) 328-2700
Fax: (507) 328-2727
