What are Neighborhood Councils?
What's Happening in your Council
A neighborhood council is a gourp of volunteer residents within a specified geographical area. These residents form a core of active individuals who help all residents in the area work to improve their neighborhoods. Neighborhood councils are separate from local government agencies and have no special legal status. However, by organizing themselves and working with the city and other agencies neighborhood councils can solve many problems facing their neighborhoods.
What is the purpose of a Neighborhood Council?
Neighborhood councils fill five specific roles:
- Partner with city to solve neighborhood problems
- Communicate with city officials
- Help residents access information
- Facilitate communication between other groups (neighborhood watch groups, Ogden City School District's community councils, etc.)
- Plan neighborhood activities
How does a successful Neighborhood Council function?
- Have leaders selected by residents. The primary job of a neighborhood council leader is to coordinate the activities of the council and to ensure that information gets to those who need it. In order to be most effective, council leaders should be selected by the volunteer residents who make up the neighborhood council. To avoid burnout and keep the neighborhood council open to new ideas, it is recommended that council leaders serve for only a given period of time (ex. 1 year). Nevertheless, council leaders may serve for as long as they and their neighborhood council wish.
- Conduct regular meetings with an organized agenda. These meetings may take place in a home, a school, a church, or any facility near the area. In order to ensure that meetings are always effective, council leaders should follow an organized agenda. This agenda should specify what topics will be discussed and how any assignments or plans will be made. By following an agenda organized around specific issues, council leaders will help keep residents interested in ongoing participation.
- Involve a large amount of people. The more people are involved -- through assignments, committee positions, and other means -- the more a neighborhood council can accomplish without burning out its participants. For more information about generating widespread participation, please see Keys to Ongoing Success.
- Plan and carry out solutions to neighborhood problems. Many people participating in neighborhood councils do so because they have concerns about the state of their neighborhoods. Whenever someone voices a concern, council leaders must be proactive about addressing them. Neighborhood councils cannot solve all problems at once, but they can make sure that the next step to solving a problem is assigned and completed by the time of the next meeting.
- When appropriate, invite city personnel to attend neighborhood council meetings. Many problems facing your neighborhoods can only be solved through partnerships with city personnel. When addresssing one of these issues, you are welcome to invite community police officers, fire personnel, ordinance enforcers, or other city officials to attend your meeting. When you do, please let them know the reason for the invitation so that they can be prepared to assit you council most effectively.
- Maintain positive relationships with city personnel. Even though neighborhood councils are not a part of the city government, they will best accomplish their goals by working with the city. Ongoing, regular communication between city personnel and council leaders will ensure that their partnerships are effective and positive.
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