MANSFIELD — The North End Community Improvement Collaborative is hosting a series of community forums to listen, learn and plan with residents.
“The community forums serve as a space where residents can express ideas, discuss community issues and possibly collaborate on meaningful solutions,” said community organizer Shanican Pender.
“Our goal is to raise awareness and share insight on residents needs and concerns, strengthen community bonds and foster a sense of belonging.”
The first forum took place Tuesday at the Mansfield/Richland County Public Library. Additional forums will take place:
- Aug. 26 at the NECIC Community Center (486 Springmill Street)
- Sept. 9 at Legacy Academy/UMADAOP (215 Trimble Road)
- Sept. 16 at Maddox Memorial Church (1148 Walker Lake Road)
- Sept. 25 at the North End Farmers Market (311 Bowman Street)
All forums begin at 5:30 p.m. and are open to the public. Light refreshments will be served.
Chief Executive Officer Matthew-Benko Scruggs said the goal of the sessions is to help the organization refocus on its goals, prioritizing what’s most important to residents.
At each forum, attendees will be asked to rank which of the seven priorities from the 2024 North End Neighborhood Platform they want the NECIC to focus on in the coming year and beyond.
Priorities
Those priorities include:
- Land use (update zoning to spur development, improve public information process, keep environmentally harmful commercial enterprises out of residential neighborhoods)
- Housing (increase housing availability and quality, continue targeted demolitions, increase housing code enforcement)
- Economic development (increase the number of locally owned and operated businesses that create living wage jobs, offer affordable recreation options for kids)
- Education (increase after school programming and mentorship for youth; increase resident financial literacy, civic engagement and entrepreneurship training)
- Public infrastructure and transit (improve and maintain streets, sidewalks and fire hydrants; increase bicycling and walkability of neighborhoods, increase public transit options, prioritize flood mitigation and brownfield remediation)
- Community spaces (prioritize the opening of a community impact center, cleanliness and maintenance of parks, beautification and space for public art projects)
- Health and safety (violence reduction, increase medical and behavioral health services, reduce minority health disparities, address drug addiction and racism as issues of public health)
Each priority is outlined in detail in the North End Neighborhood Platform, which can be found here. Benko-Scruggs said residents will be asked to pick their top three.
‘What’s next for the North End should be left to the community’
NECIC was founded in 2007 by Deanna West-Torrence to improve the quality of life and economic vitality of Mansfield’s North End.
The organization has spearheaded several initiatives since then and recently went through a leadership transition after West-Torrence moved out-of-state to be closer to family.
Benko-Scruggs and Pender said the forums will be a chance for the organization to refocus and make sure its next steps are a reflection of what the community wants and needs.
“Deanna left this wonderful organization in my hands and the board entrusted me with it,” said Benko-Scruggs, who was hired in June to lead the agency.
“I want to hear from the community where they want it to go. What is next for the North End should be left to the community?”
Pender said she hopes the forums create a safe place where people feel comfortable giving constructive criticism, as well as a space where become can learn how they can become involved in bringing about positive change.
“We want to makes sure we stay 100 percent authentic and aligned to our platform, as well as make sure our platform is being supported and encouraged by the community residents,” Pender said. “The best way to move in action is find out exactly what is the needs of the community.”