(A) The city intends that its relationship with the neighborhoods be one of partnership. This partnership will mobilize resources within the city and seek additional resources external to the city to find and apply solutions to problems and to make other improvements identified by neighborhood associations.
(B) The city encourages neighborhood residents to form such associations and will empower those associations once formed through the Department of Planning and Redevelopment pursuant to the recommendations of the Greater Richmond Progress Committee’s Task Force on Neighborhoods. Said Department of Planning and Redevelopment will facilitate efforts to:
(1) Identify potential sponsors for associations and make city resources available to those sponsors for start-up purposes;
(2) Utilize city departments, other governmental bodies, not-for-profit organizations and businesses to generate interest in neighborhood associations; and
(3) Create incentives for the establishment and maintenance of associations.
(C) The city recognizes that the newly established associations must have the tools for achieving success. Through the Greater Richmond Progress Committee’s Task Force on Neighborhoods, the Department of Planning and Redevelopment will facilitate efforts to:
(1) Establish a neighborhood association training program to provide emerging association leaders with communications and organizational skills as well as essential information about the community;
(2) Establish communication links between all governmental and non-governmental entities and the neighborhood associations to ensure a coordinated and cooperative approach to addressing neighborhood problems;
(3) Support, promote and recognize neighborhood associations; and
(4) Require consultation with neighborhood associations in the course of planning city-sponsored projects which affect the neighborhoods and encourage other governmental entities to consult with the associations prior to making decisions which significantly impact the neighborhoods.
(Prior Code, § 162.40) (Ord. 40-1993, passed - -1993)