City meeting to review Neighborhood Advisory Councils

Frederick leaders to meet later this month to discuss changes to initiative

‘‘We have not met with the administration since [the mayor] took office,” said Truby LaGarde, a member of NAC 11, which includes a majority of downtown. ‘‘We know he has had his plate full, so this is the first opportunity we’ve all had to meet. I personally want to know his thoughts on what the [councils] should be.”

Created in 2002, the initiative divided the city into 12 sections, each with an appointed committee of residents to address unique neighborhood issues. The goal is to improve two-way communication between city officials and residents.

The city has sponsored large meetings for all council members with Holtzinger in attendance. The goal of the Aug. 27 meeting will be to discuss the current status and future of the initiative.

Kelly Russell of NAC 9, which lies in between U.S. Route 15 on the west and Bentz Street on the east, said the informal meeting is a good time for the mayor ‘‘to put his signature” on a program established by his predecessor.

Both she and LaGarde are from active councils that have steady attendance at monthly meetings and residents involved since the outset of the program. They both had praise for city officials, from police to planners, who come and interact with residents freely on any concerns.

Holtzinger said he likes the idea of the councils and that many in the city have done outstanding work on neighborhood issues, from working alongside police to combat crime to holding events to unify the area.

He admitted his schedule has kept him from attending recent meetings, but said ‘‘I would like to do more.”

While an advocate of neighbors coming together to address issues, the mayor said his main concern is that they don’t become ‘‘overpoliticized” and influenced by groups outside of the neighborhood.

‘‘I don’t want them turning into little political action committees. I don’t think that is good,” Holtzinger said. ‘‘...We need to be careful that one or two viewpoints are indeed the neighborhood’s views on an issue.”

Members of the mayor’s staff have been working since December on changes to the initiative, following input at a citywide council meeting.

Stephanie Davis, community outreach specialist for the mayor’s office, led that meeting and said that attendance at council meetings varies. Some councils can have over a dozen residents, while other scheduled meetings go unattended besides city staff who show up to hear concerns.

‘‘[Participation] is issue-driven,” she said. ‘‘So some of the councils are very strong and some are weak.”

To help streamline the process, Davis and the mayor’s executive assistant, Ron Tobin, plan on presenting several ideas to the council’s leadership later this month.

These ideas include consolidating some councils, changing meeting frequency, and getting residents involved sooner in the development process. Tobin said the city might ask developers to go to council meetings at the initial phases of their projects to collect feedback that could impact the end product.

Developers attend council meetings when already involved in hearings with the planning and historical preservation commissions.

After pitching the initial ideas to council leaders on Aug. 27, the city is planning another large-scale council meeting this fall to get more input on potential changes.

‘‘[The councils] help us get a feel for the needs and requests of the neighborhoods ... versus sitting on top of the mountain and saying ‘do this’ and ‘do that,’” Tobin said. ‘‘Different neighborhoods have different needs, so this gives us diversity and a better understanding of those needs.”

Russell, who works part-time for the Frederick Police Department, called the councils ‘‘absolutely critical” and looks forward to the upcoming session with city officials.

‘‘This is an innovative and visionary way to involve the community with government and use their knowledge and expertise ... to make the quality of life in Frederick the best it can be,” she said.

Josh Bokee, a member of NAC 1 representing the north end of the city, said the program is working, but agrees with his colleagues and City Hall that change never hurts.

‘‘Overall, the system is a good one, but everyone realizes there needs to be improvements made,” he said. ‘‘The challenge is how do to that and what needs to be done so the system is more effective.”

Know your NAC

In 2002, the mayor and Board of Aldermen created the Neighborhood Advisory Council (NAC) system. The city is divided into 12 quadrants, each with a council of residents. The goal is to identify and solve issues in their communities and offer feedback to city officials on topics from crime to neighborhood development through monthly meetings.

For more information on the councils and to locate your NAC, visit www.cityoffrederick.com. Under the ‘‘Other Information” banner on the left, select ‘‘Neighborhood Advisory Council.”