Neighborhood Empowerment Works – Fall 2007
The City of Tyler Neighborhood Empowerment Works NEW program began it’s 4th program on October 24, 2007. In a continuing effort to address neighborhood revitalization, the NEW program is designed to improve the quality of life for Tyler neighborhood residents through the concentrated delivery of services and programs provided by the City.
The NEW program is scheduled in Neighborhoods that have been defined as having high crime, high code and zoning violations and a variety of needed improvements.
Departments involved in the selection process included the Fire Department, Neighborhood Services, Environmental Control/Code Enforcement, Traffic, Police, Engineering, Parks & Recreation, Streets, Solid Waste, and Tyler Water Utilities.
After an intense study of Councilman Ralph Caraway’s district, District 3, NEW’s neighborhood boundaries for the Fall program was selected.
West on Front Street to Southgate; south on Southgate to Hillcrest; south on Hillcrest to Pin Oak; east on Pin Oak to Wildwood; south on Wildwood to Pineburr; east on Pineburr to Lyons; north on Lyons to Front St.
City departments examined the identified area and determined what contribution they could make to improve the targeted area.
Neighborhood committee members went door to door passing out flyers inviting residents to attend a neighborhood meeting.
Approximately 20 neighborhood residents attended and were urged to share their thoughts, ideas and concerns about how together, we could plan to make their neighborhood a great place to live. After a successful meeting and planning, work began on October 24th.
The Neighborhood Service staff along with volunteers from Texas College and John Tyler picked up litter in the clean up area. Flyers were distributed throughout the neighborhood encouraging the residents to join with them to clean up vacant lots, litter-strewn streets, and Herndon Hills Park.
The staff also beautified one resident’s yard. The lawn was manicured, and hedges and trees were trimmed.
20 Weed Lots were cited
40 Junked Vehicles were tagged
- 3 street signs were changed
- and 2 stop signs were changed.
- Police officers made 9 arrests, issued 6 citations and 2 field information cards. Public Service Officers tagged and removed 5 abandoned vehicles and contacted residents who cooperated by removing 7 vehicles prior to being tagged. The Mobile Sub-station was deployed twice in the NEW area. The Community Response Officers and Bicycle Offices spent a total of 640 man hours in the area.
The engineering department and the street department addressed many concerns raised by the Herndon Hills residents.
-The Tree Crew trimmed all low hanging tree limbs on the street right-of-ways
-All streets with curb & gutter were swept
-The Storm Water crews together with Water Utilities cleaned the creek channels that run from Pin Oak to Pine Burr; Maplewood to Sunnyside, and the creek channel in Herndon Hills Park
-All streets in clean up area that did not have curb & gutter were cleaned and edged
-Guardrails were installed on the right-of-ways by the two main creek channels
Windsor Grove Nature Park is located in the Empowerment Works area. The City partnered with the Andrews Center and their AmeriCorps volunteers, and Keep Tyler Beautiful for the Perk Up The Park day event. Councilman Ralph Caraway spoke at the event and the Jones Elementary choir and famous Jones Jumpers performed to kick off the NEW program.
More than 100 volunteers joined to pick up litter, paint the park pavilion, repair the concrete trail and replace the amphitheater benches. With the help of the City’s Arborist, volunteers learned about native plants. They planted 50 Turk’s Caps, 10 honeysuckles, 200 daffodil bulbs and 25 Dogwood trees. Neighbors to the park, Jones Elementary students, Keep Tyler Beautiful volunteers and Tyler Parks Department employees participated in the event.
Thanks to the City of Tyler Parks Department, Windsor Park has seen major changes. Parks employees have spent numerous hours trimming, pouring concrete and installing the three benches, trash cans and a picnic table that Keep Tyler Beautiful purchased.
Herndon Hills Park benefitted from the NEW program.
The area surrounding the basketball court was filled in
Trash receptacles were re-hung and painted
Leaf and debris were removed
The playground equipment was cleaned and the Water fountain was repaired
Trees were trimmed to improve the lighting in the park
A fence was constructed for added protection along the creek bed
Plans will begin this winter for the 5th NEW program that has been scheduled to take place in the Spring and will be located in District 2.
City of Tyler Neighborhood Empowerment Works, improving the quality of life in our city, one neighborhood at a time.