Neighborhood Programs - Public Meeting
The City of Ottumwa will be hosting a meeting to discuss a number of programs designed to improve neighborhoods and the quality of life in Ottumwa. All interested members of the community are encouraged to attend the meeting on Thursday, October 9th, 7:00 PM at Bridge View Center. The City's goal is to work with residents on strategies to improve their neighborhoods through programs like Neighborhood Watch, Adopt a Block, and a new community improvement award.
The meeting will feature a guest speaker Gerry Schnepf, Executive Director of Keep Iowa Beautiful. Mr. Schnepf will be giving a presentation on the Broken Windows concept. Broken Windows, from an article with the title, is a community strategy for preventing vandalism and crime. The approach is to address problems when they are small. Repairing a broken window quickly shows a commitment to the property. Leaving it unrepaired sends a signal that the property is not worth fixing, and that vandalism is acceptable; thus inviting more damage and other disorder.
The meeting will also feature information about the Neighborhood Watch program. Neighborhood Watch gives residents a teamwork approach to dealing with crime and disorder on their block. Roughly one third of residents responding to a recent survey felt that Ottumwa was not a safe place to live. It is hoped that residents can apply Neighborhood Watch tactics to help increase safety and well being of neighborhoods citywide.
Information will also be presented about the Adopt A Block. Make Ottumwa Shine has been involved with cleaning up litter and improving the appearance of Ottumwa for several years. Organizers hope to encourage residents to take that step at the neighborhood level, creating cleaner, safer neighborhoods in the process. A new Community Improvement Award will be discussed as well. The Awards are designed to highlight improvements within the community, to recognize the people involved with making Ottumwa better and to inspire others to make improvements to their properties.
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