Housing Department
DATE: December 7, 2023
TO: Council Neighborhoods Committee
FROM: Anna Reynoso, Housing Analyst II
SUBJECT: Review of 2023 Council Neighborhoods Committee Program
RECOMMENDATION
1. Receive the summary of the neighborhood program implemented in 2023.
2. Preview and provide any initial input on the Council Neighborhoods Committee meetings for calendar year 2024.
BACKGROUND
The Council Neighborhoods Committee (CNC or Committee) oversees two major programs: the Neighborhood Grant Program and neighborhood meetings. These programs continue to be popular and appreciated by the community based on feedback from neighborhood groups. This last Regular Meeting of the Committee is an opportunity to review the results of these programs over the past calendar year, receive a summary of the program enhancements made, and raise any areas for potential change, if needed.
NEIGHBORHOOD MEETINGS
There are seven neighborhood areas in the City (six neighborhoods and on e for mobile home park residents). Neighborhood meetings are held in each area every two years. During the pandemic, the meetings were held virtually.
At its December 1, 2022 meeting, the CNC requested staff evaluate the possibility of holding the neighborhood meetings in a hybrid format to provide both a virtual and in -person option for residents to attend the meetings. Staff contacted school sites as well as the City’s Information Technology Department to determine the feasibility of hybrid meetings. The evaluation identified key constraints to conduct hybrid neighborhood meetings. First, meeting sites lack the necessary on -site technology/equipmen t. Second, there is a of lack of portable technology options, especially options that would be logisti cally feasible for staff to implement and coordinate with each location on a site -to-site basis. Therefore, there is not the necessary Review of 2023 Council Neighborhoods Committee Program
December 7, 2023
technology or equipment on-site at meeting locations to make hybrid neighborhood meetings an option.
Therefore, the meetings returned to an in-person-only format this year in 2023. The Committee held three neighborhood meetings in 2023, as shown in Table 1. For the meetings held in 2023, dozens of questions were submitted by residents/attendees before and during the meetings, and approximately 82 community members in total attended the three meetings for an average of approximately 27 attendees per meeting.
Table 1: 2023 Neighborhood Meetings
DATE NEIGHBORHOOD AREA Attendance
May 18, 2023 Moffett Whisman Neighborhoods 22
June 1, 2023 Central Neighborhoods 13
October 5, 2023 Springer Cuesta Phyllis Neighborhoods 47
SUMMARY OF 2023 NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT PROGRAM AND APPLICATION PROCESS
The Neighborhood Grant Program aims to support neighborhood groups financially to carry out programs and activities that encourage participation, strengthen the neighborhood, and improve neighborhood conditions. Qualifying activities include block parties, holiday celebrations, and other social events . Many also utilize funds for newsletters, website domains, and Zoom subscriptions. “Neighborhood groups” can be formal neighborhood associations and informal neighborhood groups if their grant proposal builds community and enhances the neighborhood.
On April 12, 2023, the Committee awarded the neighborhood grants to 20 neighborhood groups based on the tiers outlined in the Fiscal Year 2023-24 Neighborhood Grant Program Application Guidelines. On June 27, 2023, Council approved the Fiscal Year 2023-24 budget, which included increasing the CNC grant amount to $40,000 on an ongoing basis due to increased demand for the grant funding and the interest to provide additional resources to facilitate neighborhood activities. The funding amounts approved in April 2023 and the tier maximums were updated proportionally to reflect the increased grant budget. The grantees and their final total award amounts are shown in Table 2 below, along with the increased tier and maximum eligibility limits based on the new grant program budget.
Review of 2023 Council Neighborhoods Committee Program
December 7, 2023
Table 2: Fiscal Year 2023-24 Neighborhood Grants
NEIGHBORHOOD
GROUP
TIER AND
MAXIMUM
ELIGIBILITY
TOTAL GRANT
AWARD AMOUNT
(2023-24)
Blossom Valley Neighborhood Association Tier A, $1,000 $ 1,333 Community Action Team Tier D, $2,500 3,333
Cooper Park Neighborhood Association Tier A, $1,000 1,333 Cuesta Park Neighborhood Association Tier D, $2,500 3,333 Dutch Haven Neighborhood Association Tier A, $1,000 1,333 Gemello Neighborhood Association Tier C, $2,000 1,467
Greater San Antonio Community
Association Tier B, $1,500 1,600
Hedgerow Group Tier A, $1,000 1,200
Monta Loma Neighborhood Association Tier C, $2,000 2,667 Moorpark Mobile Homes Tier A, $1,000 1,467
North Whisman Neighborhood
Association Tier B, $1,500 2,000
Old Mountain View Neighborhood
Association Tier D, $2,500 3,333
Rex Manor Neighborhood Association Tier B, $1,500 2,000 Santiago Villa Neighborhood Association Tier A, $1,000 1,333 Shoreline West Association of Neighbors Tier D, $2,500 3,333 Springer Meadows Neighborhood
Association Tier A, $1,000 1,333
Springer Tree Neighborhood Association Tier A, $1,000 1,467 Sunset Estates Mobile Home Owners
Association Tier A, $1,000 1,467
Varsity Park Neighborhood Association Tier B, $1,500 2,000 Wagon Wheel Neighborhood Association Tier C, $2,000 2,667 TOTAL $40,000
Preview of CNC Meetings in 2024
In 2024, in-person meetings will be held in the four remaining neighborhood areas as part of the two-year meeting cycle: Grant Road/Sylvan Park, San Antonio/Rengstorff/Del Medio, Monta Loma/Farley/Rock Street, and the Mobile Home Park Residents.
If feasible, staff recommends the CNC consider holding its kickoff meeting earlier than in previous years. Starting the Committee’s work sooner will allow the neighborhood meetings to be more spread out between months and throughout the year. Logistics for each meeting include Review of 2023 Council Neighborhoods Committee Program
December 7, 2023
significant upfront preparation and coordination (internal and with each meeting sit e) prior to each meeting as well as follow-up and wrap-up after each meeting.
An overview of the schedule is provided below and will be finalized at the first CNC meeting to discuss and set the work plan. As soon as the composition of the Committee is determined, staff will contact Committee members to schedule the work plan meeting and discuss the calendar for 2024.
• Work Plan Meeting: Early to mid-February 2024 or sooner • Grant Application Process: March 2024
• Neighborhood Meeting, Grant Road/Sylvan Area: May 2024 • Neighborhood Meeting, San Antonio Area: June 2024
• Neighborhood Meeting, Monta Loma-Farley-Rock Street: September 2024 • Mobile Home Parks: October 2024
• Year-End Summary: November 2024
This past year, the social/networking event took place before the Committee conducted its business of awarding grant funding to the neighborhood groups. To ensure the networking event does not interfere with or influence the approval of the grant awards, the Committee will hold the CNC meeting, make grant awards, and conclude the meeting prior to the networking event.
The social/networking event will begin after the CNC meeting. Further details will be discussed during the February work plan meeting.
Staff looks forward to working with Committee members in 2024 on all the items mentioned above. Thank you to the Committee for all your hard work in making the CNC a success.
AR/6/HSN
844-12-07-23M