Chapter 04 – Getting Started

Various factors help a neighborhood to gain a sense of identity and a reason to band together as a group. A well-balanced Association will arrange social activities, cooperate to combat crime, and work with Olmsted County Commissioners and Rochester City Council members on issues in their neighborhood. Each neighborhood has common threads that make it a unique place to live; it is these attributes that bring neighbors together to accomplish like goals.

Step One: Developing the Core Group
To get started, you will need an organized group of neighbors who are interested in forming an association. Look for people who are committed to the neighborhood and have specific issues about which they care. Talk to leaders in your neighborhood, such as faith or education centers and similar organizations, and ask if they know people who may be interested in assisting to organize neighbors.

Some examples of groups to be represented are:

Homeowners
Business owners
Apartment residents, managers, owners
Church leaders
School staff
Tip
An ideal size for your core group is 3-6 neighbors. If the core group gets too large, it could become unmanageable and result in low productivity, more effort, and possible failure of your start-up effort.

Step Two: Set up an Organizational Meeting for Your Core Group
Your core group acts as a temporary steering committee and leadership until you are ready to hold a general membership meeting. Set up a meeting at a comfortable place such as in someone’s home. Keep up the positive momentum. Do this as quickly as possible, before your contacts lose interest.

One good way to start the meeting is to ask the committee members to respond to a few basic questions:
Why should we organize?
What are the issues that need to be addressed?
How do we want to improve our neighborhood?

Ground Rules for Effective Meetings
There will be times in your neighborhood that not everyone will agree on topics; it is healthy and okay to disagree. An effective group leader needs to avoid conversations and debates turning into heated arguments that can tear apart a group. Sometimes this is challenging work, but laying out guidelines in the beginning will give you a framework for this.

The following rules should be agreed upon by all core group members at the beginning of organizational meetings. These rules should also be displayed at Neighborhood Association meetings and agreed upon by participants, possibly even displayed at each meeting.

Every discussion will move us toward our goals.
Meetings will start and end on time. We will stick to the agenda, meeting only when necessary.
Meetings will be relevant; involving learning, decision-making and action steps.
We will create a safe environment at meetings where criticism and disagreement are acceptable, as long as a constructive idea or alternative is offered.
Everyone will be provided an opportunity to contribute at meetings.
No one will be permitted to dominate the meetings and participants will not let themselves be dominated.
We will say what we think and be honest.
We will ask questions when we don’t understand.
Everyone’s opinion is respected.
Diverse perspectives, risk-taking, innovations and a sense of humor are encouraged.

Step Three: Developing a Neighborhood Plan
Each neighborhood would like to be viewed as a permanent home for families and businesses and as a continued valuable investment. The health and vitality of a neighborhood depends on the ability to plan. An Association needs to be proactive, creating a framework for future decision-making with measurable goals.

A plan will not only give your group a roadmap, but it will keep your Association’s membership strong. People are more inclined to join and participate in a group that has a clear mission and is accomplishing important things for your neighborhood.

A neighborhood plan contains broad statements about what the residents would like to have happen (goals) and principals they would like to see followed (policies). It also contains suggestions for strategies on how to reach goals. Keep in mind that the initial plan that is put together is only a start. After the general neighborhood meeting occurs new ideas and projects may be suggested. A strong and effective plan contains input from many stakeholders including neighbors and business representatives, so all feel invested.

Step Four: Establishing Boundaries
An important step at the beginning of a neighborhood plan is to determine its boundaries. Roads, natural features along the border of the neighborhood, existing Crime Block Watch sections may determine typical boundaries. A review of the city map and a tour around the area may suggest logical boundaries for a manageable sized area. A map (current at this printing) of Rochester’s existing neighborhood associations is included in the back of this document. Keep in mind that these boundaries are a general guideline that can fluctuate if neighborhood interest is generated. Current Neighborhood Block Watch locations are available through the Rochester Crime Prevention office.

Tip
Designate your neighborhoods group’s boundaries by using natural and physical boundaries. Don’t try to include too large of an area at the start. It is better to have a solid organizational base that is not spread too thin and expand later.

Step Five: Embrace the Grassroots Process
Although flyers and yard signs are valuable means of communicating neighborhood events, do not discount the importance of seeking people out and conversing with them. The most effective way to build trust and start relationships is through casual one-on-one conversations. An easy way to start up a chat with your neighbor is by finding common ground, even if it means talking about the weather or your pets. Remember, you do have at least one thing in common—your neighborhood.

Here are some helpful questions to get a conversation started.
How long have you lived here?
Why did you choose this neighborhood?
What are some of your favorite things about this neighborhood?
Do you see value in working together as a neighborhood?

Step Six: Delegating Responsibilities to the Core Group
As your neighborhood organizes, keep in mind that each of your neighbors has unique talents and interests. As a leader, it is your challenge to harness these resources for the betterment of your neighborhood, while at the same time not exhausting any one member to the point of burnout.

Giving people a specific responsibility is the most effective way to get volunteer tasks completed. The following are examples of possible volunteer roles.

Neighborhood Asset Inventory
An inventory is a collection of facts about the area including population, housing, land use, and other elements unique to the neighborhood. This would include any historic information that may be useful in promoting or preserving the uniqueness of the area.

Issues & Concerns
Issues and concerns can be identified through surveys (see attached sample survey) sent to the residents or through a series of neighborhood meetings. The concerns may deal with crime, physical improvements, traffic, preservation of unique features, rezoning, social concerns, or other special interest concerns such as neighborhood renovation.

Meeting Plan
The time, location, and special topics for the upcoming meetings can be delegated to others, freeing you to prepare the agenda or general management meeting.

Social Events
A healthy neighborhood needs a balance of safety, meetings, and fun. Don’t discount the importance of gathering as neighbors to simply be social. Like the old saying goes “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” There are usually members of your Association who are social butterflies and will enjoy this task. Events do not need to be big elaborate affairs. A potluck in a neighbor’s yard takes only a small amount of time to organize, costs relatively nothing, and serves the purpose of joining neighbors in conversation.

Communications
Notifying the membership of meetings, social events, concerns, and work projects are key to your success. Flyers, signs, newsletters, and door-to-door notification are some of the ways this committee can significantly help your organization.

Review Neighborhood Goals
The draft neighborhood plan should be reviewed and changed as you continue to form. It is helpful to have one person who is the watchdog of the plan so it does not get written, then forgotten.

Review and Evaluation
Progress of the plan must be monitored and evaluated on a regular basis to ensure its success. Periodic evaluations should be done to recognize successes, detect problems, and suggest improvements in the program.

Previous: Chapter 03 – Reasons to Form a Neighborhood Association

Next: Chapter 05 – Your First Neighborhood Association Meeting