Strategic Planning Meeting, Session 2

Notes from Session Two
November 1, 2014, 11:30 am – 1:30 pm
Woodside Church

Present: Joe King, Kathy McGaughy, Brenda Hussey, LaVerne McGowan, Chris Zowala, Clarence Campbell, Carma Lewis, Mark Baldwin, Tanya Meeks, Audrey Martini, Chris Frye, Freddie Turner

1. IDENTIFY GROUP ASSETS
• At the beginning of the regular meeting, members were given a handout with instructions to provide their name, organization and 1-3 assets they are willing to share with FNU
• Assets were defined as either tangible (places to meet, money, internet resources) or intangible (knowledge, experience, networks, passions)
• They all had to be something the member had full control over
• Asset spreadsheet is attached
2. VISIONING
• Question 1: What would you like to see FNU accomplish in the next 3-5 years?
  Response:
• FNU will be known as the “go to” group that has the ability to get the job done (regardless of what the job is).
• Working Collaboration of communities that maintain a clean, safe, healthy city
• The “go to” group for all of citizens concerns—whether it be blight, police protection, fire protection to answer all questions
• Literally become united, not in word but in deed
• A place where every neighborhood group in the city share their ideas, resources, energy to FNU and the entire city
• More protection for the community; closer involvement with police; more enforcement push from us to the powers that be to get the party stores in line (i.e. single cigarettes)
• Bridge to information and skills; (capacity)Identify and reach out to communities that are not organized
• After discussion the response was narrowed to:
  The “Go To” group for (Neighborhood) Resources, Communication and Organizing
• Resources include information and training
• Question 2: Do the current focus areas of Blight, Party Stores, Newspaper, Communication and Court Watchers get FNU where it wants to be?
  Response:
• The group agreed to remove Court Watchers as a focus area
• If it is the larger group wants to continue this area, FNU would connect them to other community organizations engaged in this work (i.e. YWCA, League of Women Voters)
3. 3-5 YEAR GOALS
   For the remaining focus areas the following vision and goals were established:
BLIGHT
• Vision – A city with no blight (as defined by neighborhoods)
• Goal 1: Create a culture of pride in Flint
• Develop block leadership that encourages cleanliness by:
• Creating model for how to do…
• Provide/participate in training (for FNU members and neighborhoods)
• Create and administer attitudes about blight
• Linking needs to resources
• Organizing clean-ups
• Mobilizing for community events
• Measurable Objective – As a direct result of FNU efforts, the city will be able to reduce the number of trash bags distributed by Keep Genesee County Beautiful and Diaper giveaways.
• Goal 2: Reestablish Blight Court (long term)
• Research the previous Blight Court
• Also look at successful Blight Courts in other communities
• Learn about and offer training on
• Absentee landlords
• Renter Licenses
• Neighborhood rights
• Measurable Objective – As a direct result of FNU efforts, a city Blight Court will be reestablished
PARTY STORES
• Vision – Residents feel safe going to neighborhood party stores (A city where party stores are an active part of the community and contribute to the health and safety of the neighborhoods in which they operate)
• Goal 1: Reduce the crime adjacent to neighborhood party stores (MEASURABLE GOAL)
  • Set benchmarks
  • Collect crime information related to party stores
  • Establish relationship with city representatives
  • Work with zoning efforts to impact change
  • Identify problems by neighborhoods
  • Work with representatives in that area to create strategies to address problem
COMMUNICATION
• Vision – Everyone in the city will have access to information relative to neighborhoods
• Goal 1: Create a comprehensive communication strategy, where each component reinforces the other components (MEASURABLE GOAL)
• Combine communication into one work group
• Assess the capacity of the communication workgroup
• Do you have enough people doing the work?
• If yes, examine the work output
• If no, why not? Recruitment
• Increase consistency in efforts by utilizing the assets of FNU
• Establish consistent messaging on ALL FNU communications
• Goal 2: Assess the effectiveness of each communication element
• Collect and share the data on social media usage
• Develop a survey to determine “how” people hear FNU messages
• Adjust communication strategy to reflect information collected
OPERATIONS
• Vision – FNU is a community based organization that operates in a professional way
• Goal 1: Establish operating guidelines that support the efforts of FNU
• Adopt and adhere to parliamentary procedures for FNU (including workgroups)
• Revised versions of Robert’s Rules of Order are strongly recommended
• Distribute and Review the adopted procedures with FNU membership
• VOTE
• Adopt procedures and develop by-laws that support them (as specified by procedures)
• Goal 2: Grow the membership of FNU
• Review current active member organizations
• Contact non-active members
• Get a list of active block clubs and neighborhood watch groups
• Determine who is NOT present
• Create a plan to recruit
4. NEXT STEPS
• Debrief meeting is Wednesday, November 5; 10:00am at Salem
• Session 3 is Saturday, November 15; 9:00-11:00am at Woodside Church