Summary

# of Neighborhood Organizations assisted: 9

# of Faith-Based Organizations assisted: 0

# of Municipal Agencies assisted: 3

Introduction

One of the major accomplishments of the NTAC in March came on the administrative front. A formal proposal for expanding NTAC services into the Enterprise Communities was acceptable to the St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department (I.G.D.) The I.G.D. staff called with several questions and agreed to come to the NTAC for a tour in April. Needless to say, the NTAC staff is thrilled at the prospect of providing technical planning and design assistance to Alorton, Brooklyn, Centerville, and Washington Park within the next few months.

In addition the NTAC Director discussed the Center’s operations on the Higher Education Channel (Channel 9) in St. Louis. The collaboration of the University and community, especially Community Development Block Grant, were discussed at length. This outreach effort will promote the successful partnerships such as UIUC-CDBG throughout the metropolitan region.

Adventures In Motivation

Craig Miller, NTAC Design Specialist, met with Director Stanford Scott to assess AIM facilities and recommend rehabilitation needs. This project will be taken up in earnest during the Summer to ensure that current design requests are completed.

East St. Louis City Manager’s Office

The University of Illinois Law Clinic completed work on a land clearance policy. After numerous meetings with the NTAC Director the final policy recommendations were submitted to City Manager Curtis Galloway.

East St. Louis Housing Authority

As part of the continuing Housing Authority effort to build mixed-income housing Patricia Nolan, NTAC Community Planner, compiled a list of organizations and individuals for interviews and focus groups. This information was passed on to Barry Hogue of Development Strategies, Inc.

Patricia Nolan also assisted in hosting 7 of the city’s largest employers, including the Casino Queen, Elementus, and St. Mary’s Hospital to secure their cooperation in administering a housing questionnaire to their staff.

East St. Louis Planning Commission

NTAC staff assisted in the monthly planning commission meeting. Staff member, Patricia Nolan, discussed Census data and its importance in the planning process.

Edgemont Neighborhood Association

NTAC staff assisted in presenting the First Annual Edgemont Homeownership Fair. This event was attended by over 120 residents seeking information about diverse topics including: how to get a mortgage loan, assistance there is for low-income or first-time homebuyers, energy saving tips, and many others. NTAC Design Specialist, Craig Miller, presented information about landscaping. Vendors at the Fair included Community Development Consultants, First Illinois, Magna, and Mercantile Banks, Community Development Block Grant, Peterson Housing Group, The Lung Association, the East St. Louis Police Department, and local hardware stores.

Emerson Park Development Corporation (EPDC)

NTAC staff assisted with the Emerson Park Neighborhood Summit. This step in the creation of the Emerson Park Neighborhood Plan involved thirty (30) residents leading in-depth discussions about their neighborhood’s future. NTAC staff provided assistance as facilitators for City Services and Youth and Family Development committees. In addition, NTAC staff created maps of neighborhood strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, problems using ArcView G.I.S.

In addition Craig Miller developed schematics for EPDC’s new housing construction scheduled to begin in the Summer of 1998.

Good Shepard Shelter

NTAC staff assisted Good Shepard with writing and submitting its monthly status report to CDBG.

Katherine Dunham Centers for Arts and Humanities (KDCAH)

NTAC staff attended the regular monthly meeting of the Katherine Dunham Board. NTAC design specialist, Craig Miller, assisted in getting a signed contract for the Dunham plumbing project.

In addition NTAC staff assisted KDCAH in writing a grant proposal to the Illinois Arts Council and in documenting URPS in-kind services.

New Spirit Organizing Office

The NTAC Director met with Toya Nash of New Spirit, James Jones of ESL-CAN, and Kathleen O’Keefe of the Neighborhood Law Office. Each of these organizations have engaged in environmental activity with East St. Louis residents and NTAC staff agreed to assist in writing an E.P.A. Pollution Prevention grant if the groups collaborated. This grant would focus on educating East St. Louis residents about environmental conditions and preventing pollution through organizing and training efforts. This grant would strengthen the three organizations and simultaneously continue the consolidation of activities referred to in last month’s report.

In addition, NTAC staff updated New Spirit’s neighborhood maps.

Winstanley/Industry Park Neighborhood Organization (WIPNO)

NTAC staff assisted in clearing out 1845-1847 St. Louis Avenue building to further work on this project. NTAC also assisted in placing advertisements for the Project Coordinator position required by CDBG. The ad ran in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, East St. Louis Monitor, East St. Louis Journal, and Belleville News-Democrat.

Budget*