Milwaukee Professionals Association

CFNBA ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING - MANIFESTO I & II

The Stakeholder Challenge and Opportunity

CFNBA MANIFESTO FOR ECONOMIC RESTRUCTURING in Inner City Milwaukee, Wisconsin is key to SMARTGROWTH



by: Mary Glass

THE STAKEHOLDER CHALLENGE

For the City of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, it is imperative that the residential and commercial stakeholders of Inner City neighborhoods provide a MANIFESTO in ''NEIGHBORHOOD GOVERNANCE''; a public declaration of intended principles for Economic Restructuring.

Campaign Neighborhood – CFNBA in conjunction with an educational research team, and volunteers, will review and make recommendations for change in the Community Development Block Grant and Housing and Urban Development program that is presently implemented in Milwaukee. Ten (10) points of convergence:

I. Monitoring Agent – Selection and Evaluation Criteria

II. Lead Agency – Selection and Evaluation Criteria

III. Policy Committee – Selection and Evaluation Criteria

IV. Types of Designations and Funding Amounts

V. Criteria for Funding & In-the-Neighborhood Investment

VI. HUD Monitoring and Evaluation Process

VII. Monitoring Process by Elected Officials

VIII. Annual Neighborhood Strategic Planning Process

IX. The Role “Stakeholders” play in Funding Designation

X. A Review of the Annual Results – Last three (3) years

The Review Team is led by, but not limited to, CFNBA BUSINESS LEADERSHIP COUNCIL.

OPPORTUNITIES OF CHALLENGE
CFNBA Economic Restructuring Manifesto for underpinning the Inner City of Milwaukee and creating a SmartGrowth infrastructure, consist of the following twenty-two (22) opportunities-of-challenge:

1. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, decide the comings and goings of their ASSETS - land, people and government subsidies.

2. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, take-the-time” for neighborhood decision-making and monitoring; as well as, making sure that ALL STAKEHOLDERS subscribe to: “In-the-Neighborhood Investments is imperative for all”.

3. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, identify youth, seniors, ex-correctional detainees, w-2 status heads-of-household, homeless individuals, under-employed and unemployed individuals are declared an “ENDANGERED” asset of the neighborhood.

4. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, BECOME “well-informed” and “make decisions” about the “monitoring” AND “disbursement” and decision making in City Hall of revenue brought-in from the federal and state government to improve their lives.

5. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “in-the-neighborhood” procurement is mandatory for BIG-BOX and CATALYTIC projects that get land, tax incentives, tax increment districting, transportation funding, environmental funding, community development block grant, enterprise incentives and other funding from the “Inner City Asset Coffers”.

The procurement plan should be in: 1) the development plan by the City of Milwaukee or Milwaukee County, 2) during physical assembly of the structure(s), and, 3) on-going operation and maintenance of the building and/or program/project.

6. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “household supporting” employment, education attainment, “day-one” on-the-job training for technical positions (not readily found in-the-neighborhood) is brought to the neighborhood by corporate, national and international organization that receive land, tax incentives, tax increment districting, environmental funding and other funding from the “Inner City Asset Coffers”.

EVALUATION COMMITTEE*
7. That an INNER CITY EVALUATION COMMITTEE is formed through the leadership of CFNBA Business Leadership Council.

The Committee is made-up of people from the neighborhood that will annually evaluate and monitor programs; and, make recommendations to the REALITY CHECK SYMPOSIUMS Townhall Neighborhood Meeting for final selection of funded agencies. The annual evaluation would be for EACH “Lead Agency”.

* 13-Member INNER CITY EVALUATION COMMITTEE (with 5 alternates) consisting of registered voters from the Inner City. Stakeholders place their name for drawing at REALITY CHECK townhall meeting held MARCH 30 & 31, 2005 and subsequent first quarterly meeting of Reality Check. Drawing of names are made by “voters-of-the-future”) school age children(middle and/or high school).

8. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, decide and recommend specific spending and monitoring of the Community Block Grant Dollars and Housing and Urban Development funding that is earmarked for Inner City Neighborhoods.

9. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and stakeholders – voters and property owners, provide elected officials representing their area with clear Recommendations of EXPECTATIONS for CDBG funding.

A clear message of accountability is also sent that the citizenry WILL NOT TOLERATE “lack of response” to calls to their office, making big-box and catalytic project endorsements without townhall meetings that call for “a vote” by the stakeholders, and pandering of any kind from their office.

10. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, must DEMAND that the No. 1 priority of City Alderpersons and County Supervisors representing the Inner City, is “KEEPING THE CITIZENRY/STAKEHOLDERS INFORMED”.

To the point, that if they do not, they are REMOVED FROM OFFICE.

11. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, EXPECT information from both the Alderpersons and Supervisors that are of a specialty nature; i.e., Zoning Changes, Comprehensive Plans-Projects, Redistricting, Public Hearings, Tax Assessments, Resolutions that affect quality of life and economic development issues, etc.

12. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, “evaluate” the City Alderpersons and County Supervisors twice a year on voting patterns, resolutions introduced and services rendered; with a six-month and 12-month REPORT CARD published – newsletter and website.

13. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, meet quarterly, with the chief of police, state-funded public school superintendent, community college president, and university chancellors, the mayor, alderpersons, supervisors, assemblypersons, senators, U. S. congresspersons, school board representatives, sheriff and county executive to be sure every one is "ON-THE-SAME-PAGE”.

Meetings should be held in pre-selected locations (in the neighborhood), well-publicized (television, radio, newspaper, magazine, newsletter, Milwaukee Transit and billboard) for at least 1 months), and held in different locations within the Inner City to promote access.

Meetings are evaluated by the Inner City Evaluation Committee and a bi-annual report is submitted to the public.

14. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, hold ''elected officials'' and THEMSELVES accountable for the disbursement of assets, crime control and any other deficits and opportunities that are before them.

15. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, are willing to "lead the charge" with “tax use” and property owners “special tax assessments (i.e., Fond du Lac/Highway 145 Restoration Plan and BID #32) to pay for jobs and services that will help guarantee quality-of-life.

This is especially important with many of the “tax incentives” that comes with federal and state dollars for the neighborhood.

16. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders - voters and property owners, will "lead the charge" in PROMOTING tourism, existing business, new business development and bringing socially responsible industries into the Inner City.

17. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, are willing to "lead the charge" with “mentoring”, “volunteerism” and “preserving historic presence” to help promote economic development, cultural history and long-term sustainability.

18. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “people in offices of leadership” (government, financial, social, clergy, education, business, legal, law enforcement and health), are held accountable for “giving back” for the NET GROWTH of Inner City.

19. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that people given “special housing” deals unique to the neighborhood income area (City Homes, Johnson Park, Lindsey Heights, etc.), are encouraged from day one to join the BLOCK CLUB or association in the area and/or be willing to help create one. However, whether existing or new neighborhood group, their is inclusion and linkage.

20. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “GENTRIFICATION in PROPERTY” and “GENTRIFICATION in EMPLOYMENT” is closely scrutinized.

21. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “HISTORIC PRESERVATION” of property, streets and neighborhoods are part of the strategic planning of Block Clubs, business associations and Development Corporations.

22. They, CFNBA Business Leadership Council and the stakeholders – voters and property owners, ensure that “African American” leadership businesses such as:
 100 Black Men
 African American Chamber of Commerce
 churches
 clubs
 Columbia Savings & Loan
 fraternities
 Legacy Bank
 Lena’s
 NAACP
 North Milwaukee State Bank
 OIC-GM
 Prince Hall and other lodges
 professional organizations
 sororities
 Urban League
LEAD THE CHARGE IN:

a. Staff Training
b. Business Imaging
c. Customer Service
d. Promoting Tourism
e. Providing Mentorship
f. Education Attainment
g. Wage and Benefit Packages
h. Neighborhood Volunteerism
i. Hiring-from-the-Neighborhood
j. Providing Scholarships for Youth
k. Create Investment Pool Financing
l. Promoting Entrepreneurial Growth
m. Promoting in-the-neighborhood Public Events
n. Providing “their site” for Neighborhood Meetings
o. Selecting Board Members from-the-Neighborhood
p. Creating a “Business District” unique to the Inner City
q. Join and Support “in-the-neighborhood” organizations
r. Investing in the Inner City – art, education, business, history, housing and recreation
s. Being a Stakeholder - Living, Working, Investing and Growing a Family in the Inner City

February 5, 2005, Updated

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