Let's Raise the "Give a Darn" Factor in District 2

A couple of blogs back I wrote that, "we need to expect more… from ourselves and from everyone around us. It's time to stop selling ourselves short and settling for second best. It's time to roll up our sleeves and work hard and become the city that everyone else wants to live in and everyone else wants to copy".

The Neighborhood Housing Task Force will help us reach that goal, but here's how we're going to start the process...we're going to make District 2 the cleanest and best kept district in all of Wyandotte County.

We're going to raise the level of "give a darn" in our little corner of the city!

Are you kidding me??

We CAN NOT tolerate scenes like these
in our neighborhoods any longer!!

Unfortunately, now that the snow has melted, we can clearly see the trash and debris that are scattered around and stacked up in our neighborhoods.

Enough!!

We all know how much better we feel when things are neat and clean, so let's make it happen. We're going to put our collective feet down and take a stand against a low level of "give a darn".

It all kicks off on Saturday, May 11

with "District 2 Spring Cleaning Day"

(9:00 a.m. start)

I'm going to distribute much more detailed information shortly, but I want everyone to mark May 11 on your calendar. That's the day we start to make our stand.

Many, many thanks to
Community Policing officer Ryan Parker
for leading the effort to collect all this trash on Saturday, March 23!
One little patch of District 2 looks better now!!

We want this effort to include every home and every business in District 2 (oh, what the heck...you can participate even if you don't live in District 2).

A map showing District 2 (click to enlarge)
This is where we're going to make a difference!!!

Here are three simple ways that you can get involved on May 11...

• At the very least, pick up any trash that's in your yard and encourage your neighbors to do the same.

• At the next level, you can pick up the trash that is in the "public right-of-way" around your house. Get a couple of friends and a trash bag and pick up any trash you find from the sidewalk to the curb and out to the street.

• If you really want to get ambitious, get a few friends together and tackle and alley behind your house.

Don't pick up anything that is dangerous or harmful, and be very careful that you don't trespass on anyone's private property while you are picking up trash. We want to respect folks' privacy even while we are encouraging them to join our cleanup effort.

Besides just picking up trash, another thing that we'll do on May 11 is start a list of places where we need a more concentrated cleanup effort.

If you notice any places that have a lot of trash or have large and heavy items or have trash on private property that can't be cleaned up, I want you to drop a note in my Suggestion Box and give me details. We'll assemble all of the locations into a master list and start organizing volunteer groups to tackle the problem spots one by one.

I'll post more information in a week or so telling you where you can pick up some trash bags and where we will establish our various "headquarters" locations for the cleanup day.

Stay tuned for that, but, in the meantime, get ready to make a difference on May 11.

Oh, yeah, baby...we're going to be all clean and beautiful.  :-)

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Forget the Groundhog - Let's Garden!

I have to confess that gardening is the last thing on my mind this morning with 6+ inches of snow on the ground and more flakes falling (anyone seen that dang groundhog lately?).

Ultimately, though, this is just a little speedbump at the start of the spring growing season. The snow will be melting very soon and the moisture it leaves behind will help jumpstart the growth of everything green.

We've had some great community gardens sprout in the last few years... e.g., the Bhutanese garden in the Prescott neighborhood and the Crosslines garden in Armourdale along with smaller gardens created by the Strawberry Hill, St. Joseph/St. Benedicts and Cathedral Neighborhood Groups.

Whether tended by the community or a single family, gardens enrich neighborhoods, improve health, benefit the environment and can even help raise property values.

While community gardens are tremendous, everyone can have a patch of fresh fruits and vegetables in their own back yard. Kansas City Community Gardens (KCCG) has everything you need to be successful. Here is some information from a flier they published this spring.

= = = = = = = = =

KCCG has received special funding to help expand and improve gardens in Wyandotte County.

Here's how we can help you with your garden:

Tilling

• For a low cost ($8 - $25.00 depending on the size of your garden) a tilling contractor will come to your backyard or community garden site and till up your garden plot.
• Tilling is done on a first-come, first-served basis and tilling funding is limited. Cali now to have your garden tilled in the spring.
• Tilling service is reserved for households that qualify as low-income and for community groups.

Reduced Cost Seeds and Plants
A $2.00 or $10.00 KCCG membership (fee determined by income) entitles you to:

• 10 free packs of seeds
• Free 10lb bag of organic fertilizer or 5Ib bag of standard fertilizer
• Low cost seeds - $.20 or $1.00 per pack (depending on your membership type)
• Low cost plants - $1.00 or $2.00 per 6-pack (depending on your membership type)
• Subscription to KCCG's newsletters, which are full of gardening tips, news from gardens around the KC area and list of events and workshops.

Garden Planning and Construction Assistance for Community Gardens

• Garden site visit and evaluation by KCCG staff
• Assistance with garden layout design
• Funding available to construct raised beds
• Garden planting plans and planting assistance
• Low cost gardening resources — straw, tomato cages, etc.

Seed and Plant Distribution and Gardening Workshops in KCK!
You don't have to drive all the way to Swope Park to access KCCG's services. Throughout 2013, KCCG will be signing up people for memberships and selling seeds and plants in KCK. We will also host a variety of different workshops.

All workshops will be held at the Bethany Community Center (1120 Central, Avenue Kansas City, KS 66102).

Workshops and seed and plant distributions are on Mondays. Space is limited. Please call 816-931-3877 to register.

Workshops:

March 25: 6:00-7:30pm
Early Spring Crops Workshop
Give-in to your spring gardening fever and get outside to plant a spring vegetable garden. Learn about
selecting, planting and caring for vegetables that thrive in the cool spring weather.

April 1: 6:00-7:30pm
Basic Vegetable Gardening Workshop
This workshop is helpful for beginning and experienced gardeners. Learn the fundamentals of successful vegetable gardening including: site selection, soil improvement and preparation, garden planning, planting techniques, variety selection, garden maintenance and harvesting.

April 15: 6:00-7:30pm
Raised Bed Gardening Workshop
Discover the many benefits of raised bed gardening. Learn how to construct your own raised beds and how to plant in them for maximum efficiency.

April 29: 6:00-7:30pm
Tomatoes, Peppers and Sweet Potatoes Workshop
Are you overwhelmed by the number of tomato varieties available? Are you confused about heirloom
tomatoes? Do your pepper plants not produce as many peppers as you would like? Are you disappointed when you dig up your sweet potatoes? Come learn how to choose, plant and care for tomatoes, peppers and sweet potatoes.

May 6: 6:00-7:30pm
Water and Mulch Workshop
Water is essential for healthy productive crops. We will talk about rain water catchment systems, water meters, and water conservation. Mulch is a gardener's best friend. Mulch prevents water from evaporating while discouraging weed growth. KCCG will be bringing straw bales to sell.

's

Seed and Plant Distributions:

March 25: 4:30-6:00pm
Cool Season Seed and Plant Distribution
Come by and sign up for your 2013 Kansas City Community Garden Membership while you pick out some cool season crops to plant in your spring garden. We'll have broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce and herb transplants as well as our full selection of seeds.

April 1: 4:30-6:00pm
Cool Season Seed and Plant Distribution
Come by and sign up for your 2013 Kansas City Community Garden Membership while you pick out some cool season crops to plant in your Spring garden. We'll have broccoli, brussels sprouts, cabbage, cauliflower, collards, kale, lettuce and herb transplants as well as our full selection of seeds.

April 29: 4:30-6:00pm
Warm Season Seed and Plant Distribution
Come by and sign up for your 2013 Kansas City Community Garden Membership while you pick out some warm season crops to plant in your summer garden. We'll have eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes and herb transplants as well as our full selection of seeds.

May 6: 4:30-6:00pm
Warm Season Seed and Plant Distribution
Come by and sign up for your 2013 Kansas City Community Garden Membership while you pick out some warm season crops to plant in your summer garden. We'll have eggplant, sweet and hot peppers, tomatoes and herb transplants as well as our full selection of seeds.

For more information, contact KCCG directly at:
Phone: (816) 931-3877
E-mail: andrea@kccg.org
Website: www.kccg.org

 Happy growing!!

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Task Force Works to Improve Neighborhoods

I'm pleased to share a short report today on how elected officials, Unified Government staff and community residents have formed what we are calling the Neighborhood Housing Task Force (NHTF) and are actively working together to make our neighborhoods the best they can be.

Although they may not use the same words that I do, almost every resident that I've talked to since taking my  on my Commissioner role has said that they want to live "in attractive and affordable housing in clean and safe neighborhoods".

And I don't think we're the only ones who want that. I'm sure this same discussion has been held in one form or other since the first time we humans set up camp back in prehistoric days.

While this particular structure isn't located
in Wyandotte County how would you like
to live next door to it?

The challenges, then, of creating attractive and affordable housing in clean and safe neighborhoods are not new. However, we need some new solutions and I've been privileged over the last several months to brainstorm with members of the Task Force who are working hard to create those new solutions to the old problems that bring down the quality of life in neighborhoods.

I had barely started my new odyssey as Commissioner when constituents began to approach me with concerns about housing in their neighborhoods. Here are a few of the concerns that they voiced:

• Contract for Deed property sales
• Although the contract for deed process is a legitimate way to sell a property, some people don't fully understand the process and may intentionally or unintentionally get taken advantage of along the way (whether buyer or seller).
• Rental properties
• Sometimes it's perception, sometimes it's reality, but rental properties are often the target for complaints from neighborhood residents.
• Irresponsible and/or absentee landlords
• Unfortunately, some landlords either aren't around or don't really work to take care of their tenants and/or their rental properties.
• Irresponsible tenants
• Even more unfortunate, some renters damage the rental houses/units that they live in which can cost landlords plenty of time, money and aggravation.
• Code violations
• Every city has a set of "codes" that set a minimum standard for how citizens are to maintain their property and any structures built on that property.  Some people are either unaware of the code requirements or choose to disregard them. In either case, it can result in unsightly messes in neighborhoods. This has probably been the biggest source of complaint calls to me.
• Vacant lots
• Especially in the older parts of our city, abandoned lots can be eyesores as well as health and safety hazards.
• Abandoned and decaying structures
• Sometimes, the problem is worse when there is a decaying structure on an abandoned lot. Those structures not only pose health and safety hazards, but can also provide cover for people to engage in illegal activities. Complicating the matter is the fact that many properties and structures that are abandoned and creating blight are "out of reach" and not available for rehabilitation for too long a period of time (and then not salvageable when acquired by  a person or organization that wants to fix them up).

All of these factors work together in negative ways to create blight and depress neighborhoods.

By the looks of it, that fence
hasn't kept many people out of
this abandoned building and lot.

As a rookie Commissioner, I started reaching out to our Unified Government staff and asking for information and perspective on the issues being raised in the neighborhoods. Sometimes, the staff would fix the problem and all was good. Other times, however, the conversation went something like this: "Yes, we are aware of that problem. It's not a new problem, but it's a tough one and we've been working hard to correct it."

When I asked if there was anything new or different  that could be done about these tough issues, our staff always responded positively with some variation of, "Heck yes, we have some ideas…"

Pretty soon we started getting staff from different departments together and having brainstorming conversations on how to address the spectrum of housing issues in our neighborhoods. Before we knew it, we had a whole room full of people bringing their unique ideas, perspectives and experiences to the table and brainstorming possible solutions to our housing issues.

The new Neighborhood Housing Task Force now includes representatives from:

• Unified Government (UG) Commission
• Kansas House of Representatives
• Neighborhood Groups
• Community Development Corporations
• Neighborhood Business Revitalization organizations
• KCK Housing Authority
• UG Land Bank
• UG Neighborhood Resource Center
• UG Livable Neighborhoods Department
• UG Legal Department
• UG Community Development
• Wyandotte County Register of Deeds
• KCK Police Department
• Other interested parties...

While there are always concerns that large groups can be hard to manage or sluggish in their actions, this group has been very focused on taking concrete steps to make our neighborhoods the best they can be.  It's actually been very useful to have all of the different experiences and perspectives involved in our discussions.

Aw, come on...all it needs is a little touch up paint.

The group has come up with a short list of potential goals and is developing strategies and action plans to achieve those goals and improve neighborhood housing. Here's a very brief summary of the goals. I'll add more details in future blog posts.

Potential goals regarding vacant land and abandoned structures that are truly creating blight...

• Create a short and clear path to gain control of truly abandoned structures that are causing blight and/or abandoned, vacant land.
• Develop mechanisms to transfer land and/or structures that have been acquired to individuals or development companies for rehabilitation / reuse / repurposing.
• Create incentives for individuals or development companies to rehabilitate abandoned properties, blighted properties and/or vacant land.
• Develop strategies for promoting the sale (and occupation) of properties that have been rehabilitated.

Potential goals regarding structures where code violations are creating blight...

• Improve education of property owners as to minimum code requirements and expectations for maintaining property and structures.
• Improve enforcement of minimum code standards and do a better job of holding people accountable for their responsibility.
• Increase the availability of resources and support to help homeowners take care of code violations if they lack the necessary resources.

Potential goals regarding rental properties...

• Educate tenants on ways to protect their interests in rental situations.
• Educate landlords on ways to protect their interests in rental situations.
• Improve oversight of rental properties (including better communication with absentee landlords).

Members of the Task Force presented a status report to the Board of Commissioners and dozens of staff and interested residents in a Special Session on January 31. The response from all who attended was overwhelmingly positive and the Commission charged the Task Force with creating concrete action steps and bringing them back to the Commission for approval.

Despite the positive response, I believe we are going to have a slow, tough journey ahead of us and I predict there will be a few people who will say things like, "What's the use?  You're not going to make any progress.  It's going to be just like it always was."

My response to those folks is that not only can we succeed, but we will succeed because there is a lot of strength in our numbers, a lot of diversity in our skills and a lot of passion in our hearts to improve every neighborhood in our city.

I'm thrilled with what we've accomplished so far and I'm excited to continue working with the Neighborhood Housing Task Force to make a positive difference in our community. I'll post updates on the group's progress as they become available. Don't hesitate to share your thoughts with me in the meantime.

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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Time to Work Magic in Wyandotte County

Just a short post today to let everyone know that I'm not frozen in a snowbank somewhere… I'm still here even though there's been a long dry spell in blog posts.

I know it's strange to make a New Year's resolution on March 6th, but that's exactly what I'm doing today...

I'm resolving today to publish a new blog post at least every 7-10 days for the rest of this year. There are simply too many good stories to tell and too many good people to recognize to post any less frequently than that.

I'll start publishing genuine new content this coming weekend. Here's a short teaser with just some of the upcoming topics:

• First Annual District 2 Spring Cleaning Day on May 11 (get ready!!)
• Planting, growing and harvesting help from Kansas City Community Gardens
• Fighting blight with the Neighborhood Housing Task Force
• Making a healthy difference at Turner House Children's Clinic
• Encouraging small business success at the Kansas Black Chamber of Commerce

Cool stuff.

But before we get to those stories, let's briefly revisit a topic that we've discussed before… the importance of believing that we (together) have the power to make magic happen in our community. Not just thinking we have the power, or hoping we have the power, but absolutely believing with all our hearts that we have the power.

I had a very thoughtful and energizing conversation yesterday afternoon with a couple of long-time Wyandotte County residents who flat out challenged me and everyone in our government to step up and be leaders in making Wyandotte County (our home) a place that families and businesses flock to rather than a place that families and businesses flee from.

Fair enough… I'll take that challenge… but only if each and every one of you who read this blog take the challenge with me. I've said it before and I'll say it again, no one of us can do it on our own. And if anyone tries to tell you that they can, then they are deluded.

In his book "The Magic of Believing", author Vic Johnson asserts that, "What people expect is ultimately what they get."

If that's the case (and I believe it is), then my message to you today is that we need to expect more… from ourselves and from everyone around us. It's time to stop selling ourselves short and settling for second best. It's time to roll up our sleeves and work hard and become the city that everyone else wants to live in and everyone else wants to copy...the city where all neighborhoods flourish, all businesses thrive and all people succeed.

There is more than one barrier standing in the way of that goal. It's not going to be easy getting there. As a matter of fact, it will probably be dang hard and we're going to have to work some magic to pull it off. But "we the people" can do amazing things! Are you with me?

Here's my challenge to you… No matter how big or how small, do something concrete and positive to strengthen and build Wyandotte County before this day is over. Inside your business...on your block...in your neighborhood...it doesn't matter where and it doesn't matter what. Start small, but start today!

No matter what anyone thinks about us, no matter what anyone says about us, no matter what anyone writes about us, we have the power to make our humble city a sought-after destination in the Midwest.

Look for another blog post this weekend on one of the topics listed above. In the meantime, feel free to send an email or drop a note in my Suggestion Box (links below).

~ Brian

bmckiernan@wycokck.org
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