The September meeting of the Fort Worth League of Neighborhood Associations was held on September 5 at University Christian Church.
The program was titled Revitalization of Neighborhood Associations and was presented as a panel discussion with League members sharing their experiences. The moderator was Belinda Fenter, our League Secretary and Program Director, who also offered her experiences within the Ridgmar Neighborhood Association. Joining her was Peggy Carr, VP of Western Hills North Neighborhood Association and a League Director, and Rita Vinson, Past President of Brentwood-Oak Hills Neighborhood Association and Past President of the League.
The panelists shared their motivations for organizing their Associations. Often the impetus was an event or crisis, frequently a crime or a zoning issue or an incompatible development. They covered outreach, geographic divisions, board size and organization, by-laws, meetings, events, and enticements. Many contributions were added by a large and involved crowd. Some really good ideas were shared like signs advertising meetings, popular gatherings and events, communication methods, welcome packets, and recruiting volunteers. The session was very informative, and everyone undoubtedly learned something they could apply in their neighborhood. It was encouraging to see the high level of involvement and passion demonstrated by this group of our city’s neighborhood leaders.
In addition to the program, we had nominations from the floor for the 2020 Board of Directors. Gayle Davis of Crestwood was nominated. A nominating Committee will be elected by the Board this month to prepare the slate for the December election. Also, the Board welcomed Kris Reynolds of Eastern Hills who was elected to fill one of the three vacancies.
Finally, we invited Bruce Miller to introduce a plan for an Independent Citizen Redistricting Commission. He and two members of their committee came to enlist the support of the League in an effort to get the City Council to commission a citizen group to redraw our eight council districts into ten after the census results are available.