Federation Update
At the Federation’s February meeting, the Board heard presentations by Patty Lammers on crime prevention; St. Paul School of Northern Lights; and by Kristina Mattson with Zero Waste St. Paul. They also were introduced to Luis Pereira, Planning Director with the City of St. Paul.
The Board approved a resolution in support of sustainable to-go packaging in St. Paul. They also discussed a draft of proposed changes to the organization’s bylaws and approved the proposed changes which will be voted on at the Annual Meeting on April 17, 6 pm at Summit Brewing. The proposed changes can be viewed on the Federation’s website: fortroadfederation.org.
Fort Road Federation Strategic Plan
This past summer, the Fort Road Federation’s board of directors convened a strategic planning task force that met through the fall and early winter. The draft 2019-2024 strategic plan has been approved by the board and is ready for community input and comments.
What is a strategic plan and why is it important? It is a document that defines an organization’s goals and direction for a time period, usually three to five years. It helps to set clear priorities, focus energy and resources, ensure that staff and the board are working toward common goals, and defines strategies to meet those goals. This is a plan focused on the Fort Road Federation as an organization and steps we can take to achieve our mission. While related, it is not a plan for the neighborhood as a whole, but focuses on how the Federation can better serve the neighborhood.
The task force began by gathering community input through the summer. We attended or held six events and had an online survey. We spent time handing out popsicles at Cooper’s Foods, the West 7th Community Center, several National Night Out parties, and the Healthy West 7th Block party, and asked people to complete three statements:
• I want to live in a neighborhood that….
• One thing I love about my neighborhood is….
• If I could change one thing about my neighborhood, it would be.…
Then, the group met three times to develop the plan, including a stakeholder analysis, development of a new mission and vision, and, finally, goals and strategies to achieve them over the next five years.
We welcome community input into the plan and will consider it carefully before accepting a finalized plan in March. Go to fortroadfederation.org to read the plan and give feedback through a brief survey.
The next Board meeting will be Monday, March 11 at 7 p.m.
Stay in touch: We encourage neighbors to “like” the West 7th/Fort Road Federation on Facebook and subscribe to its e-newsletter on our website.
Contact: Emily Northey, FRF executive director + community organizer emily@fortroadfederation.org; office: 651-298-5599.
