President’s Message
by Patty Nelson, BWNA Board President
BWNA’s mission statement focuses on enhancing livability in our neighborhood. For our board, that means maintaining open lines of communication and acting as a liaison between the neighborhood association, you, and government agencies. Listening to you and keeping aware of city activities that might affect you help us to achieve our mission.
… where should BWNA focus its time, talent, and treasure (money) to improve livability in our neighborhood?
At our annual board retreat, as we plan for next year, we will review what we’ve heard from the neighborhood and experienced in city activities. At last year’s retreat, board goals were informed by a survey sent out to our email subscribers. While the survey focused on where to spend money, it also helped identify areas of interest to the neighborhood, including beautification/neighborhood clean-up, public safety, neighborhood-wide community events, and Wilshire Park.
Great Things Were Accomplished This Year
Several BWNA-organized and sponsored activities, including two neighborhood-wide community events — Movie in the Park and the BWNA Art and Garden Tour — helped BWNA meet the community goals outlined above. So did beautification work, including graffiti clean-up and street art painting on Fremont Street’s main business district. In addition, safety improvements by PBOT, at BWNA’s urging, included additional street light on Fremont and bump-out installations for safer pedestrian crossings. And finally, to support Wilshire Park, BWNA made a financial donation toward bringing water to the off-leash dog area.
BWNA Amplifies Your Voice
Another key role BWNA plays is acting as a liaison and elevating your voice in city and neighborhood activities. This past year we worked to facilitate a Good Neighbor Agreement between neighbors and Tacovore, which resulted in operational changes to accommodate the business needs as well as address neighbors’ concerns.
We also provided testimony regarding city redistricting, done as part of the city’s transition to a new form of government. Changes in city policy and land-use codes have resulted in increased high-density developments in our neighborhood that come without parking requirements. Concerned community members reached out to BWNA, and board representatives were able to provide information about the development process and connect them to additional resources.
Through BWNA’s transportation committee, the board has worked to inform our neighborhood about transportation modifications, shared feedback with the city, tracked planning and implementation, and monitored the changes.
Your Voice Counts, But We Have to Hear It!
Looking ahead to the upcoming year, where should BWNA focus its time, talent, and treasure (money) to improve livability in our neighborhood?
At our annual retreat in mid-November, the board will set goals for the coming year. While our individual board members bring their own diverse interests and values, hearing from the broader neighborhood helps us better serve and represent all of you. Help us by sending your thoughts to me at President@BWNApdx.org, contacting another board member, or attending a meeting. You can also request that an item be added to the board agenda by emailing me. Stay informed by visiting BWNApdx.org, signing up for our monthly email updates at the website, and of course, by reading our newsletter.
Happy holidays, and I look forward to hearing from you soon.