Proposed Neighborhood Conservation Project Selection Process

A proposed new process for selecting new Neighborhood Conservation projects for Aurora Highlands was presented at the April Aurora Highlands Civic Association (AHCA) meeting.  The new process would provide a transparent approach to selecting projects that balances both the desires of neighbors and the potential benefits for the entire community.  Please note that this process applies to Aurora Highlands only.  The process will be voted on at the May AHCA membership meeting.  The proposed process is outlined here; a PDF version is also attached below. If you have any questions, feel free to contact David Litman at david.litman@verizon.net

Proposed NC Project Approval Process

Timeline

• May
  • Call for projects in May newsletter and at the May meeting
  • Proposed projects for the Fall funding cycle to be submitted by May 30.

• June
  • Board reviews applications for acceptability (i.e., application is complete, project consistent with NC Plan, etc.).
  • Acceptable applications are presented by the proposer at the June membership meeting. Presentations will also be posted on AHCA website and Next Door.
  • At the June meeting, members present vote for their top 3 projects. Members not present are given until June 30 to vote by e mail.
• September
  • Board evaluates and selects top 3 projects to be recommended for approval to the membership.
  • Board publishes its decision in the September newsletter and on the AHCA website and Next Door.
  • Board presents recommended projects for vote at the September membership meeting.
• January
  • Proposed projects for the Spring funding cycle to be submitted by December 31.
  • Board reviews applications for acceptability (i.e., application is complete, project consistent with NC Plan, etc.).
  • Acceptable applications are presented by the proposer at the January membership meeting. Presentations will also be posted on AHCA website and Next Door.
  • At the January meeting, members present vote for their top 3 projects. Members not present are given until January 31 to vote by e mail.
• March
  • Board evaluates and selects top 3 projects to be recommended for approval to the membership.
  • Board publishes its decision in the March newsletter and on the AHCA website and Next Door.
  • Board presents recommended projects for vote at the March membership meeting.

Applications

• Applications for NC Projects must include the following:
  • Description of project
  • Impact/benefit to the community
  • Project organization (e.g., block captain and alternates)
  • Level of approval by neighbors immediately affected by project
  • Applicants are encouraged to consult with the AHCA Neighborhood Conservation coordinator and the County’s program manager for AHCA NC projects prior to submitting an application.
• Applications will initially be screened for acceptability:
  • Are they complete?
  • Do they qualify as NC Projects?
  • Are they included in the approved NC Plan?
• Projects may be proposed by individuals, groups or the Board.

Evaluation and Selection

• The AHCA Executive Board will evaluate the application and recommend their top 3 to the membership. The Board will consult with the County NC program manager for Aurora Highlands as part of this evaluation.
• Applications will be evaluated on the following criteria (not necessarily in this order):
  • Scope of project impact (i.e., does it have an AHCA-wide impact, affect an entire street, or just a single block)
  • Benefit to community (i.e., how does it meet the AHCA goals such as safety, security, quality of life, and beautification of our neighborhood).
  • Feasibility (i.e., how likely is the project to successfully pass through the County’s NC process).
  • Community support (i.e. how did it fare in the membership voting)
• Membership will vote on each of the Board’s recommendations.
• If the membership does not approve all of the Board’s recommendations, members may propose to ask the Board to reconsider one of the projects not recommended.
• It will be at the Board’s sole discretion whether to include a project recommended for reconsideration in the final submission to the County.

A PDF copy of this proposed process is available here.

Category: Take Note