Organizing Neighborhood Associations
WHAT IS A NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION?
A neighborhood association is an organization of individuals who live near one another in a defined geographic area and have the primary purpose of working to maintain or improve the overall quality of life for all individuals within those boundaries.
Each neighborhood association in Mason City defines its own purpose, determines its goals and strategies, and develops its own neighborhood plan.
WHY START AN ASSOCIATION?
Neighborhood associations are usually formed for the following reasons:
- To create a sense of community among residents
- To identify and resolve neighborhood issues in an organized and timely manner (crime, zoning, parks, code compliance)
- To provide a united voice to governmental entities.
HOW TO GET STARTED
Neighborhood Services can assist you in starting your neighborhood association.
From establishing boundaries to determining goals, we have the resources to get you started, including sample agendas, minutes, by-laws, and much more included in a handbook for starting and managing a successful neighborhood association.
Neighborhood Services can also help in the organization of your neighborhood association by providing these services:
- Facilitate neighborhood planning efforts to identify neighborhood short and long range goals
- Coordinate meetings between neighborhood representatives and City staff or elected officials concerning issues of interest to specific neighborhoods
- Attend neighborhood association meetings as needed to discuss common problems and to exchange information
- Manage the Neighborhood Matching Grant Program which allocates $3,000 per year for neighborhood improvement and enrichment projects such as enhanced street lighting, landscaping, and neighborhood clean-up efforts
For more information on Mason City's Neighborhood Services contact us at:
Development Services Department
Steven Van Steenhuyse, Director
10 - 1st St. NW
Mason City, IA 50401
641-421-3626
[email protected]