Department of Neighborhood Empowerment
Newsletter

November 14, 2003

Re: Office Space Plan

The proposed plan through which Neighborhood Councils can occupy leased or free office space will be discussed by the Education and Neighborhoods Committee on Tuesday, November 18 at 2 p.m. on the 10th floor of City Hall.

The complete report and its attachments are available on our home page.

Taking a complicated process and making it simple is a complicated process. As you read the report you will understand why the Department of Neighborhood Empowerment was not able to snap its fingers and permit Neighborhood Councils to lease office space.

Part of what the Neighborhood Councils and the Department are doing is reinventing government. We’re changing the ways things get done, at least for Neighborhood Councils.

Using the current process, it takes a city department six months to a year to lease space.

It was the feeling of the Mayor, our department, and many city council members that Neighborhood Councils should not have to be put through this ringer. They deserved special treatment.

That special treatment is detailed in the report, and once a couple of ordinances are enacted, we are estimating that routine leases should be able to be approved in 30-45 days.

The report also identifies City properties that can be used for meetings.

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Greg Nelson

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