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Regular City Council Meeting <br />Monday, October 10, 2016 <br />Page 24 <br />gage those leaders and encourage a broader role, or through using a variety of so- <br />cial media tools already in place. Councilmember Laliberte opined that the bones <br />of that block club program were good, and there was room for building trust with <br />that; and noted even though it basically ran itself now, it could use more focus. <br />Councilmember Laliberte noted that the program currently worked on a project- <br />related response based on need (e.g. code enforcement or crime alerts), and as <br />noted by Mr. Yunke, the attempt was to deal with situations as they arise beyond <br />the annual Night Out efforts and annual training event coming up soon. Coun- <br />cilmember Laliberte suggested making sure that training by asking involved block <br />captains, already proven leaders, how they considered ways to ramp up their <br />neighborhood's involvement in and with the community. <br />Councilmember Laliberte advised that she had also learned from Mr. Yunke that <br />the Police Foundation had funded an intern to audit the current neighborhood <br />watch program and assess those contacts still engaged and where new contacts <br />were needed. Councilmember Laliberte suggested that the city follow that lead to <br />identify neighborhood teams versus those with only one person or contact (e.g. <br />such as co-captains or block teams). Councilmember Laliberte noted this would <br />help recruit some new captains to take up the mantel. Based on GIS special map- <br />ping applications, Councilmember Laliberte noted that, even though approximate- <br />ly 60% of the city was covered by current and active leaders, there remained areas <br />of overlap or gaps. <br />Councilmember Laliberte spoke in support of the CEC recommendation to create <br />a tool kit providing tips or suggestions to build a cohesive neighborhood as a good <br />place to start, such as the 12-tip document model included in packet materials. <br />While recognizing the merit of the fuller presentation by the Task Force and CEC, <br />Councilmember Laliberte questioned if the City Council had sufficient answers to <br />move forward today. Councilmember Laliberte suggested initial staff needs may <br />be needed before making those decisions (e.g. copying costs and frequency for <br />mailings). Councilmember Laliberte also noted the lack of many neighborhoods <br />in finding meeting space, and suggested that was another opportunity for the city <br />to assist with public meeting space. <br />In conclusion, Councilmember Laliberte suggested the City Council needed more <br />discussion and decision-making before moving forward with other recommenda- <br />tions; noting the steps she outlined above would provide a good starting point. <br />Councilmember McGehee <br />Councilmember McGehee opined that tonight had proven an example of how the <br />city works and works well, with the Wheeler Street neighborhood working with <br />staff for over five years, resulting in a good resolution. <br />