Reform Requested for Neighborhood Associations
The questions below were submitted to the Board of Greater Des Moines Neighbors in order to facilitate reform of neighborhood association bylaws to ensure a democratic process of representation for residents in Des Moines, Iowa. HOWEVER, the City's Neighborhood Revitalization Board reviews and manages neighborhood association bylaws. Des Moines Neighbors has no authority or control of individual neighborhood associations.
--To be a member of a neighborhood association, is payment for membership required?
--To be a member of a neighborhood association, is it required that one live within the boundaries of the said neighborhood association? Can a person live outside the boundaries and still be a member?
--To vote on an issue concerning a neighborhood must one live within the association's boundaries?
--To vote on an issue concerning a given neighborhood association, must one pay membership fees to vote?
--Are some members allowed to vote more than once by paying more?
--Is there a delineation between a neighborhood resident association and the business association (if a business district exists within the boundaries of a neighborhood association).
--Are the same people allowed to sit on boards of both neighborhood associations and business associations?
--How many committees can a neighborhood association have; can the same people sit on all boards?
--Are the members of steering committees of neighborhood associations easily identified with notice of their meetings made public?
--Are steering committees necessary at the neighborhood association board level? If so, why?
--As a resident of a given neighborhood association, must one be a paying member to be represented, or are all residents of neighborhood automatically included as members of their association?
--Can a neighborhood association disallow residents from its neighborhood to present, distribute, or publish concerns to publications, board meetings, neighborhood association meetings?
--Are publications of neighborhood association clearly identified as being official publications of a given neighborhood association?
--In the case of censorship of a neighborhood association publication, what are the avenues a resident has in order to prevail in free speech?
--Are neighborhood associations required to poll their residents on issues concerning their neighborhood?
This is not a finite list of question concerning this issue of reform.
--To be a member of a neighborhood association, is payment for membership required?
--To be a member of a neighborhood association, is it required that one live within the boundaries of the said neighborhood association? Can a person live outside the boundaries and still be a member?
--To vote on an issue concerning a neighborhood must one live within the association's boundaries?
--To vote on an issue concerning a given neighborhood association, must one pay membership fees to vote?
--Are some members allowed to vote more than once by paying more?
--Is there a delineation between a neighborhood resident association and the business association (if a business district exists within the boundaries of a neighborhood association).
--Are the same people allowed to sit on boards of both neighborhood associations and business associations?
--How many committees can a neighborhood association have; can the same people sit on all boards?
--Are the members of steering committees of neighborhood associations easily identified with notice of their meetings made public?
--Are steering committees necessary at the neighborhood association board level? If so, why?
--As a resident of a given neighborhood association, must one be a paying member to be represented, or are all residents of neighborhood automatically included as members of their association?
--Can a neighborhood association disallow residents from its neighborhood to present, distribute, or publish concerns to publications, board meetings, neighborhood association meetings?
--Are publications of neighborhood association clearly identified as being official publications of a given neighborhood association?
--In the case of censorship of a neighborhood association publication, what are the avenues a resident has in order to prevail in free speech?
--Are neighborhood associations required to poll their residents on issues concerning their neighborhood?
This is not a finite list of question concerning this issue of reform.
More Specifically
The following questions are respectively submitted to the Board of Des Moines Neighbors in order to clarify the purpose, mission, form, function, and accountability of neighborhood associations in Des Moines. HOWEVER, the City's Neighborhood Revitalization Board reviews and manages neighborhood association bylaws. Des Moines Neighbors has no authority or control of individual neighborhood associations.
The intent is to raise awareness of neighborhood association in relation to democratic representation by these groups on issues important to the tax-paying citizens of Des Moines, whom they are meant to represent. Thus, all questions, whether or not explicitly stated, are meant to focus on the city of Des Moines and DMPS board; the neighborhood groups therein, public officials, business associates, special interest groups, individuals, and any and all groups that interact with neighborhood associations in Des Moines. These questions were formed in response to the role the neighborhood association played in the development of Rice Field in Beaverdale of Des Moines, Ia. For background on this issue, please refer to http//ricefield.weebly.com
Neighborhood Associations in Des Moines
- What is the established purpose and mission of neighborhood associations in Des Moines? What is the scope and history of neighborhood associations in the city? What has remained the same? What has changed, and why?
- How many neighborhood associations currently exist? Where are they located, and how many citizens are represented by each association?
- What is the process for establishing a neighborhood association?
- What role do neighborhood associations play in supporting local government and furthering the goals of government officials in Des Moines?
- What oversight exists for the creation and/or revision of neighborhood association bylaws? When and by whom may the bylaws be amended? How are citizens involved in the process? If not, why not?
- What are the requirements for membership within neighborhood associations in Des Moines? Are these requirements uniform? If not, why not?
- What protections are in place to ensure that citizens’ voices are being heard and represented fairly and honestly by their neighborhood associations?
- What are the established rules regarding the democratic process of voting in neighborhood associations? Are these rules uniform? If not, why not?
- How do neighborhood associations insure that the voices of all residents in the neighborhood are counted in the voting process?
- What methods are neighborhood associations required to use in order to collect input from the citizens that they represent?
- What neighborhood association rules, procedures, and oversight are in place to ensure a democratic process during the casting and counting of ballots when electing representation on neighborhood boards, steering committees, and all other committees?
- What neighborhood association rules, procedures, and oversight are currently in place to guarantee that a democratic process will occur when making important decisions regarding neighborhood issues?
- What recourse is there when a neighborhood association withholds important information from neighborhood residents, ignores critical surveys, polls and petitions, and does not support the will of the majority when making decisions that will impact the neighborhood?
- What recourse is there when a neighborhood association ignores important information, surveys, polls, and the petitions of neighbors and speaks contrary to this documentation when representing the neighborhood at school board and city council meetings?
- How many petitions are considered “enough” for neighborhood associations, the school board, and city leaders to “warrant taking another look” and changing direction in decision making? What are the rules regarding petitions?
- What delineations exist between neighborhood associations and business districts? Neighborhood associations and business coalitions?
- What are the rules governing interaction between neighborhood associations, business districts, business coalitions, politicians, individuals, and/or other special interest groups?
- What are the rules regarding the ways in which neighborhood associations can interface/interact with business districts and business associations within the geographical boundaries of the shared neighborhood? Who is responsible for overseeing these interactions and protecting the best interests of residents and residential neighborhoods in the area?
- What are the rules regarding how neighborhood associations can interface/interact with business districts and business associations outside the established geographical boundaries of the neighborhood? Who is responsible for overseeing these interactions and protecting the best interests of businesses, residents, and residential neighborhoods in the area?
- Why are the opinions of business representatives, individuals, and other special interest groups located outside of a neighborhood area taken into account regarding what they think is “best” for a neighborhood, especially when it goes against the will of the majority residing in the neighborhood?
- What are the organizational rules governing neighborhood association boards and committees, and who is responsible for overseeing these groups?
- What rules govern and prevent conflict of interest by those serving on neighborhood association boards and committees, such as personal interest/monetary gain, employment/business connections, political connections, involvement on other boards and committees, associations with special interest groups, etc?
- What are the organizational rules regarding board and committee work such as: length of service, time and length of meetings, location of meetings, agenda, etc., and who is responsible for overseeing board and committee work?
- How many committees can a neighborhood association have? What are the recommendations, guidelines, and/or requirements for committee designations? What are the rules for notification of neighbors regarding time and meeting place of these committees?
- What are the guidelines for assigning neighborhood association representatives to steering committees? How is the public involved in the selection process and notified regarding details of such meetings?
- What are the rules and procedures regarding the determination of agenda items, timing of placement on agendas, and the dissemination of information for neighborhood association meetings?
- What are the rules and procedures for securing placement of an item on the neighborhood association meeting agenda in order to discuss issues pertinent to and affecting the neighborhood?
- Who/what determines whether an item is worthy of being placed on a neighborhood association meeting agenda?
- What rules and oversight are currently in place to ensure that neighborhood associations are providing access to ALL citizens in the neighborhood through the diverse dissemination of association information in a timely manner?
- What is the express purpose of a neighborhood association publication? What identifies a piece of print as an official publication of a given neighborhood association?
- What are the rules and procedures for sharing important information in a neighborhood association publication? What recourse is there when censorship occurs and neighbors are denied free speech on critical neighborhood issues?
- What are the rules governing the presentation, distribution, or publication of citizen concerns regarding neighborhood association publications, board meetings, committee meetings, and/or neighborhood association meetings?
- What methods are neighborhood associations required to use in order to determine citizen views on issues concerning quality of life, free speech, and other issues impacting their neighborhoods?
- What established rules and oversight are currently in place to ensure that neighborhood associations are providing opportunities and forums for free speech to ALL citizens wishing to publicly express their views on neighborhood issues, interests, and concerns?
- What are the rules and requirements for neighborhood associations guaranteeing that issues relating to quality of life, free speech, and other opinions concerning their neighborhoods are openly and honestly expressed, discussed, and debated in public neighborhood association meetings? What happens when citizens are denied free speech by their neighborhood associations? City leaders?
- What authority do neighborhood associations, board members, and committee members have over their neighbors within the geographical boundaries of the neighborhood? What happens when a group such as this tries to limit the free speech of others in the neighborhood?
- Who is ultimately responsible for overseeing Des Moines' neighborhood associations, and what type of process is currently in place to guarantee that this happens in a timely and objective manner?
- What process is currently in place to ensure that the work of neighborhood associations, boards, and committees are open and transparent?
- What process is currently in place, for citizens who are unhappy with their neighborhood associations, to air grievances and receive free public assistance for mediation, arbitration, and/or legal representation? If there is no such process in place, why not?
- Who is responsible for overseeing and addressing questionable behaviors of neighborhood associations, their board members, and committee members?
- Who is responsible for overseeing and mitigating problems that occur when neighborhood associations ignore their responsibilities to neighborhood residents and work in conjunction with private businesses, government entities, individuals and/or others working to further their own special interests at the expense of the community? If no one is responsible, why not?