Proposed 9th Ward Goals – (2012 – 2013)

Reduce Violent Crime, Property Crime and Quality Of Life Crime

a. Tenant Advocacy Groups to promote understanding of unique challenges related to multi-family rental
b. Youth Task Force targeting middle and grade school students; Establish youth and resident sports leagues in parks and recreation centers
c. Aggressively target and fine absentee property owners…if they don’t want to keep up their building someone else will

End Equal Distribution of HOME & CDBG Funds

a. All wards of St. Louis do not face affordable housing issues and the preservation of it the same. Find way to better measure.
b. Identify improper / poorly planned uses and misuses of funds and highlight those areas banking funds.
c. If Alderperson is unable or incapable to properly allocate funds perhaps a development associate or better ties with CDA need to be established.

Reduce the Number of Aldermatic Postions in the City of St. Louis

a. Reduce the number of aldermatic positions to effect greater change with less bureaucracy.
b. Increase the competition for ward leadership with better skilled leaders with experience or training in neighborhood development.
c. Work to streamline the structure of City Government.
d. Move spring elections to the fall to save money and to better align city leadership candidates and initiatives with those of communities around us.

Attract and Preserve Small Business

a. Identify, promote and provide incentives to existing small businesses, use neighborhood funds to support marketing
b. Support vacant commercial property owners and commercial real estate professionals to share tenant opportunities rather than losing tenants to neighboring wards.
c. Improve the License Collector process for new businesses, market existing opportunities to micro-enterprise and offer incentives for 1st year lease subsidies.
d. Make sure business owners with expiring commerical leases over 5000 square feet are visited by city leadership…to both support and understand their unique issues and concerns.

Preserve Existing Stock of Affordable, Historic Housing and Promote Development of New, Green Affordable Housing in Ward

a. Perform census of existing buildings and units to understand scope of challenge and grade building on some scale.
b. Assist interested micro-developers in applying for and understanding NPTC and green rehab/new construction
c. Any new construction supported by CDBG or HOME funds will require some level of green certification subsidized until 2012.

Preserve and Promote Green Space, Parks and Recreation

a. Identify current gaps/deficiencies in service and areas in need of improvement and work to implement existing plan developed by former group where possible.
b. Host design charette to determine 2020 vision for green space & recreation and pursue funding for upkeep of Benton Park and neighborhood pocket parks.
c. Promote and encourage use of parks and green space with regular events (Blues & Jazz Concerts, children’s activities, horseshoe & tennis tournaments, etc.)
d. Host monthly workshop on how to green up your home, install native plantings, weatherize your home, make your HVAC more efficient, etc
e. Create neighborhood stakeholders with email/neighborhood meeting polls to determine how funds should be spent and what amenities they would like to see.

Promote Health in Ward & Establish Anti-Smoking Laws in City At-Large

a. PR campaign around successful healthy & non-smoking cities
b. Offer incentives to existing and new businesses that go smoke-free
c. Explore options/concerns to pass city-wide smoking ban by 2012.

Re-Evaluate Existing Development Opportunities and Make Sure Planned Use Is in Line With Goals of neighborhoods

a. Review existing planned zoning for 9th Ward and GIS overlay existing uses to determine mismatch and opportunities
b. Begin with large, visible parcels and require 180 day project start timelines for existing developers.
c. Preserve existing use of structures to avoid vacancy with tax and license breaks.
d. Organize existing neighborhood 9th Ward developers and identify prospective developers.

Develop a More Bottom-Up Approach to Encourage Residents to Become More Active in Neighborhood with a Heightened Sense of Ownership

a. Measure attendance at neighborhood meetings and help neighborhood staff attract members.
b. Track, measure and coordinate outreach to ward residents via website, email and blogs.
c. Offer email, phone and personal communication to residents and solicit feedback and input via ward blog & website.

Form Monthly/Quarterly Neighborhood Communication Group to Increase and Improve Interaction between Neighborhoods in Ward

a. Identify and market/PR events around successful existing events
b. Coordinate existing and new event partnerships between neighborhoods
c. Regular meetings of neighborhood leadership to share successes/challenges