City Repair Sebastopol?

[Geoffrey]

I attended the OAEC-sponsored City Repair presentation last night (announced under Events and Classes) (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13820) and was blown away by what these folks have accomplished in Portland and how they are spawning groups all over the place -- including Santa Rosa. As Philip Tymon wrote, this was a very worthwhile event to attend. Even though we are barraged daily by bad news and negativism, City Repair really demonstrates how much energy and creativity can be unleashed when individuals see how much they can do in their own communities when they create relationships and work together. It's truly inspiring to see what has been accomplished in Portland in a relatively short time (if you missed the presentation, you can visit the City Repair website (https://www.cityrepair.org/wiki.php/) to see some of their projects, background, etc.)

City Repair's best-known projects have been Intersection Repairs (https://www.cityrepair.org/wiki.php/projects/ir/main) -- reclaiming the commons at the crossroads (check out the Sunnyside intersection (https://www.cityrepair.org/lib/exe/fetch.php/projects/ir/200_may03-sunnypaint.jpg?w=250&h=&cache=cache) photo), but they are even more about creating relationships through creating places than about creating the places themselves.

I'd like to see a City Repair Sebastopol -- we may not have all of the big city problems of Portland or some of the other cities, but we do have disconnection, traffic, growth...and a lot of creative people.

--Geoffrey Skinner

[Zeno Swijtink]

Hi Geoffrey, others,

A number of us have been somewhat active in City Repair type activities in Sebastopol and elsewhere in the county (organizing block parties, bringing out neighborhood newsletters, potlucks, sharing of tools, childcare, Holyday street parties, emergency preparedness, (forest) fire safety, and such) and have been meeting regularly to network, share resources and lend ears.

I also attended the earlier City Repair presentation in SR that was organized by Joe Kennedy of New College and that has led to a project in the SRJC neighborhood, and later Joe gave a presentation for the Sebastopol City Council. The City said then that they were going to initiate (or support??) some projects but I haven't heard anything of this since.

Let me know if you want to check us out. Our next meeting is scheduled for January but if there is a lot of interest we could meet earlier.

Zeno Swijtink

[79paul]

I was also at the City Repair event on Monday and came away with a more cynical reaction. I visited Portland last summer and was impressed by the optimism and creative ideas percolating there. I was hosted by an architect friend who moved there from Marin 5 years ago, and although I wasn't aware specifically of City Repair as an organized group, there was obviously some good energy circulating.
Watching the slideshow Monday night, I was thinking "this must be another country" (which some may agree that CA and Oregon are, but that's another thread..). How can Portland have such a responsive, pliable local government?? Why has it taken 15 years and a $1.5 million budget to build a skate park/community garden in Sebastopol? Why are we faced with having the Laguna Vista and NW mega-developments rammed down our throats?? It seems like we've created such a beauracracy and building codes and permits here to protect our property values, and we've lost our community in the process.

Paul

[wildflower]

I tend to agree with Paul. As "green" as Sebastopol is supposed to be....there is no real plan for relocalization in light of potentially disastrous climate change or peak oil bearing down on us. Instead we have beaucoup $$$ for the "rebranding" project, NE Quad development plans and are still fighting (many years)the hideously inapproprate, ugly and potentially destructive Laguna Vista development!!! Time drags ON!

With all these other exciting and necessary paths of community building and sustainability laid out before us, we seem to be stuck in a pretty "mainstream" dream or.... petroleum nightmare as it were. Communities like Willitts and Portland are showing us the WAY. All we have to do is follow!

I feel frustrated with Sebastopol. I want to hear these green politicians do some specific community planning in light of these important survival issues...NOT how we're going to look better in order to attract more tourists and be really careful not to step on some greedy developer's toes! I want to see a REAL commitment to these REAL concerns.

I don't think we have alot of time...so it is hard to be patient with these wasteful bureaucratic shenanigans! We need grassroots courage AND political will. Right NOW!

Thanks for letting me rant!
Best
wildflower

[Wildflower also posted an article about urgent action that is needed Now, by George Monbiot, that I have moved to the WaccoReader category here (https://www.waccobb.net/forums/showthread.php?t=13990). -B]


I was also at the City Repair event on Monday and came away with a more cynical reaction. I visited Portland last summer and was impressed by the optimism and creative ideas percolating there. I was hosted by an architect friend who moved there from Marin 5 years ago, and although I wasn't aware specifically of City Repair as an organized group, there was obviously some good energy circulating.
Watching the slideshow Monday night, I was thinking "this must be another country" (which some may agree that CA and Oregon are, but that's another thread..). How can Portland have such a responsive, pliable local government?? Why has it taken 15 years and a $1.5 million budget to build a skate park/community garden in Sebastopol? Why are we faced with having the Laguna Vista and NW mega-developments rammed down our throats?? It seems like we've created such a beauracracy and building codes and permits here to protect our property values, and we've lost our community in the process.

Paul

[bamboosourcery]

Good to see some of you at the "City Repair" event. Inspiring, ehe?

Afterward, I was swirling with questions about how the process of co-opting the already existing neighborhood associations in Portland went. I am wondering how exactly did that happen?

Also, a big piece of what they do (and succeed at) seems to be their ability to facilitate individuals into groups of people and spin them into action... I would be interested in a experiential workshop for organizers from them...focusing on the people connecting/facilitating skills and processes they have obviously gleaned and developed. Anyone have a personal connection with the City Repair folks, and would you be willing to talk to them about this?

Also, I am mulling over how this work is relevant to more rural neighborhoods (such as mine, on Wagnon Road).

Jennifer York

([email protected])

[sebjylv]

Student and community volunteers are working at Analy High School replanting gardend, tending to gardens, picking up trash, multching, sweeping, painting, scrubbing walls, ect, making the campus presentable and beautiful as well as adding motivation to the schools and community. After, and while Analy has been taken care of, we will start going to the other schools in seb and around the area to help them do what were doing. Lets start giving the schools the attention they need!

If you would like to become involved, you can email me at:
[email protected]

We are working on monday (nov 6) near the Analy Library on the gardens and on wednesday (nov 9) from about 3-5 PM. If you want to come, we've got tools, gloves, and barrels .



Jeremiah Chass

[Philip Tymon]

Hello all--

I'm glad to see the presentation on City Repair has sparked some discussion.

(Frankly, I was very disappointed in the presentation-- I thought it could have been much, much better-- but I intend to write to him with my, hopefully, constructive critique, so I will keep my thoughts private. Yet despite that, I'm glad some folks were inspired.)

I agree that it's a bit hard to understand how we can replicate what Portland has done, given all the bureaucracy in local government. But Sebastopol has one of the few, if only, City Councils in the nation with a Green Party majority (I think?). So if not here, where? I don't live in Sebastopol, but I would think maybe a presentation could be made to the Sebastopol City Council showing what Portland has done and attempting to get their approval to do something similar here. Once we had a local example, maybe other governments in Sonoma County would be more likely to go along?

Phil

[Larry Robinson]

Joe Kennedy from New College gave an excellent and inspiring presentation about City Repair to the Sebastopol City Council last year. We are very supportive of the concept and encourage neighborhoods to create their own projects. By its nature, this is not something which should be driven by the City, but rather by residents. I look forward to seeing what creative ideas our community comes up with.
Larry Robinson



I'm glad to see the presentation on City Repair has sparked some discussion.

(Frankly, I was very disappointed in the presentation-- I thought it could have been much, much better-- but I intend to write to him with my, hopefully, constructive critique, so I will keep my thoughts private. Yet despite that, I'm glad some folks were inspired.)

I agree that it's a bit hard to understand how we can replicate what Portland has done, given all the bureaucracy in local government. But Sebastopol has one of the few, if only, City Councils in the nation with a Green Party majority (I think?). So if not here, where? I don't live in Sebastopol, but I would think maybe a presentation could be made to the Sebastopol City Council showing what Portland has done and attempting to get their approval to do something similar here. Once we had a local example, maybe other governments in Sonoma County would be more likely to go along?

Phil

[wildflower]

Larry says,"By its nature, this is not something which should be driven by the City, but rather by residents. I look forward to seeing what creative ideas our community comes up with......"
And he is right....the need and impetus for creation of these projects will sprout up in specific neighborhoods....but these projects may bring up issues that will require support from the city as they will occur within the city limits...maybe that is what folks are looking for from city officials.
Best
wildflower


Joe Kennedy from New College gave an excellent and inspiring presentation about City Repair to the Sebastopol City Council last year. We are very supportive of the concept and encourage neighborhoods to create their own projects. By its nature, this is not something which should be driven by the City, but rather by residents. I look forward to seeing what creative ideas our community comes up with.
Larry Robinson

[Zeno Swijtink]

I listened to this great podcast from The World of Possibilities:
<p>Red/Green Alert: Early Warning Systems for Public Health Threats</p>
<p><a href="https://audio.aworldofpossibilities.com/audio/barnett100606.mp3">https://audio.aworldofpossibilities.com/audio/barnett100606.mp3</a></p>
<p>Towards the end it discusses the role of informal neighborhood groups to prepare for a acute emergency such as an infectious disease pandemic.</p>
<p>Zeno</p>

[Zeno Swijtink]

Hi Geoffrey, others,

A number of us have been somewhat active in City Repair type activities in Sebastopol and elsewhere in the county [snip]

Zeno Swijtink

This "Neighborhood Organizers Group" will be meeting this Sunday Feb. 4th from 11-2.

One of the things we'll be doing is discussing the article "Revealing the Cues Within Community Places: Stories of Identity, History, and Possibility" with an eye to develop implementable ideas for improving a sense of community in neighborhoods.

Email me for directions and I'll send you a copy.

Zeno
[email protected]

[Zeno Swijtink]

Is anyone in Wacco Land going to take this Community Emergency Response Team training or can give us updates about previous trainings?

In the past we have talked in the Sebastopol NOG (Neighborhood Organizers Group) about getting people who have done the training help promote neighborhood projects. Let me know if you wish to get involved.

Zeno

****
https://www.sonomawest.com/articles/2007/05/16/sonomawest/news/news6.txt

Disaster training for local citizens


SEBASTOPOL - The Sebastopol Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Board, in cooperation with the City of Sebastopol and Sebastopol Ace Hardware will be presenting its next series of CERT classes to train citizen volunteers in disaster emergency response.

The next series of classes will start May 23 and run through July 11, from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. each Wednesday at the Sebastopol Fire Station.

The Sebastopol CERT Board will provide the CERT training program to local citizens interested in volunteering for disaster emergency response to their neighbors. CERT is a series of training classes focused on preparing neighborhoods and local citizens with skills that will better prepare them for earthquakes and other disasters. “It is so important that citizens prepare now for the next big earthquake. We all know the ‘big one' is coming and now is the time for our community to be prepared,” stated Fire Chief John Zanzi.


The CERT Board encourages everyone to take advantage of these important classes. The classes will provide training in Emergency First Aid, Search and Rescue, Fire Suppression, Organization, Psychological Effects of Disasters and much more.

The series of classes cost $50, and recipients will receive a $50 gift certificate to Sebastopol Hardware to purchase preparedness supplies and a CERT Backpack with basic safety equipment. To sign up, contact the Sebastopol Fire Department at 823-8061 or visit https://www.ci.sebastopol.ca.us and download the application form.

[Kathleen Shaffer]

I would like some information about the NOG. Do you have open meetings? Can people come, or is it by invitation?
Thanks,
Kathleen Shaffer


Is anyone in Wacco Land going to take this Community Emergency Response Team training or can give us updates about previous trainings?

In the past we have talked in the Sebastopol NOG (Neighborhood Organizers Group) about getting people who have done the training help promote neighborhood projects. Let me know if you wish to get involved.

Zeno

****
https://www.sonomawest.com/articles/2007/05/16/sonomawest/news/news6.txt

Disaster training for local citizens

SEBASTOPOL - The Sebastopol Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Board, in cooperation with the City of Sebastopol and Sebastopol Ace Hardware will be presenting its next series of CERT classes to train citizen volunteers in disaster emergency response. ...