KEEP OUR NEIGHBORADOD NPGs, were initially organized in each of Kansas City's seven MN areas to help draw up the first-year plan, and five-year forecast. To continue planning and evaluation for the remaining four years and to develop new services, the planning groups have been incorporated as private non profit entities. The neighborhood corporations provide citizen participation in the most direct sense: all neighborhood residents may be members of these groups. Board members are elected by the neighborhood membership. The staff of the corporations are answerable directly to the Boards. Funds for a staff, equipment, and supplies will be provided for each corporation by the Model Cities first year allocation of $314,722, divided on a per capita basis among the NPGs for core staff and services. Model Cities funds will also be used for each NPG's three programs: emergency assistance, information and referral service, and neighborhood improvement grants. Cash will be made directly available to MN residents who have come against emergency situations, such as immediate need for food, clothing, or shelter. Uniform criteria for this emergency assistance have been developed by all seven NPG's. A follow-up will be provided by the information and referral service, which will provide MN residents with a ready source of information on existing Kansas City services for which MN residents are eligible. Neighborhood improvements grants will be made for area-wide projects which need funding, such as trash pick-up and clean-up campaigns. Kansas City's NPGs are unique among Model Cities citizen participation organizations across the country: they hire their own staffs and implement their own projects. They are evidence that government and the citizens can build a new, vital, and enduring partnership. ADDENDUM Model Cities realized at mid-year that funds slated for use in First Action Year projects would not be used by the end of the fiscal year because of a time lag in the start-up of certain projects. Through a budgetary adjustment known as re-cycling, contracts were terminated October 31, 1970 the last day of the First Action Year. This freed about $3 million to be spent on projects that can be funded in the remainder of the fiscal year, and that can use the supplement grants immediately. The projects described below were recommended to HUD on March 27, 1970 by the City Council, and at press time are being reviewed by HUD for possible funding. DIRECT HOUSING ALLOWANCE FOR Through this experimental project, subsidies would be paid directly to low-income families who need help to afford decent housing. Instead of requiring families to move into public housing projects, Model Cities would channel rent supplements through the Housing Development Corporation to move families into standard dwelling units. Applicants would be chosen at random for the $286,481 project, which would continue for three years. SWIMMING POOL CONSTRUCTION The Parks and Recreation Department would build a $300,000 swimming pool in Area 2D's Spring Valley Park, convenient to MN residents and others who live in the inner city. Contractors providing employment opportunities for MN residents would be favored in consideration of bids. Maintenance and operation would also provide job openings. EXPANSION OF GENERAL HOSPITAL Through $485,305 contributed by Model Cities, two floors would be added to the $1,854,115 Diagnostic and Treatment Center of Kansas City, Mo. General Hospital. The additional space would furnish the physical base for general medical, medical specialty, and surgical sub-specialty services for outpatients of Wayne Miner and Model Cities Health Centers. Primary beneficiaries would be patients otherwise unable to afford even their most urgent medical needs. General Hospital would actively recruit Model Neighborhood residents for training and employment in the operation of the hospital and new clinic. MODEL CITIES YOUTH OPPORTUNITY PROGRAM This $175,000 program would operate youth centers in the MN and would provide funds for-profit business enterprise, recreation equipment, and educational supplies. A Youth Council would help develop programs stressing leadership, increased skills, and self-direction among youth. Among possible businesses could be bowling alleys, restaurants, theatre, teen-age night clubs, service stations, a bakery outlet, a skating rink, or an African dress shop. Model Cities would provide $150,000. VOLUNTEER ADULT TUTORING In keeping with Model Cities' policy of funding existing programs of merit, the services of Volunteer Adult Tutoring, Inc. would be expanded. In one and a half years, the group has helped 80 persons pass the high school |