A collaborative project of the East St. Louis Enterprise Community (EC),

St. Clair County Intergovernmental Grants Department (IGD)

and the

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

August at the Neighborhood Technical Assistance Center was an incredibly busy and productive month. The three major activities during the month were the Faith Based Organizing Initiative, the administration on a couple of Urban Resources Partnership grants and the NTAC’s proposals for future funding. The NTAC also executed a major outreach effort in Brooklyn that included door-to-door canvassing and a Town Meeting on August 24^th.

The NTAC is happy to announce that Mrs. Latonya Webb and her husband, Isadore gave birth to a brand new baby girl. Unfortunately for us, Latonya is on maternity leave from September 7^th to October 25^th. During this time, the faith based organizing initiative will receive less of a priority due to the reduced staff availability.

The NTAC continued working with Mr. Stanford Scott and Mr. Archie Moore on the development of a wetland/nature trail park with a soccer field and action activities for physical fitness and team leadership training for local youth. The NTAC also acquired topological maps of the site and a map of houses to be demolished as part of the FEMA buyout.

The NTAC worked with ASNI to revise the technical drawings for a deck being built in the Alta Sita Mini-Park on the corner of 33^rd Street and McCasland Avenue (Virginia Place). The deck was originally designed by University of Illinois Landscape Architecture students during the Spring but needs some minor modifications to the design. Student architects from the University and local residents will construct the deck on October 22^nd and 23^rd.

Upon the request of Mike Andrejasich (ESLARP Executive Committee), the NTAC conducted pre-construction administration for the renovation of Ms. Boyer’s bathroom. Ms. Boyer was referred to a qualified contractor who is currently completing the renovations.

In cooperation with Better Days, Inc – a Brooklyn CHDO, the NTAC held a town meeting on August 24, 1999 at the Stites Township Civic Center. The NTAC flyered the entire community to inform them about the meeting and planned the meeting agenda with Mayor Cook and Ms. Juanita Clemmons. The meeting was attended by about thirty residents of Brooklyn who were formally introduced to the NTAC. Participants received our brochures and Reguest for Technical Assistance forms. At this meeting, four computers were donated to the Village of Brooklyn from an Alternative Spring Break volunteer who had worked at Quinn Chapel in Brooklyn last March. The computers are housed in the Civic Center and are available to the public. The NTAC has offered to conduct computer training sessions on site.

The NTAC continued the administration of the 1998 URP Landscaping grant for the Carver Center. The work is planned for implementation by an Alternative Spring Break group in March of 2000.

The NTAC conducted pre-construction administration for the renovation of the Carver’s HVAC system, wheel chair lift and entryway. This project is funded by CDBG.

The NTAC attended Citizens for a Decent Community’s annual Back-to-School Picnic on August 28th. The NTAC also met with CDC and Mt. Calvary to discuss future collaboration between the church and the citizen group.

The NTAC assisted CFF in preparing their 1999 CHDO application to St. Clair County. If funded, CFF will create a revolving loan fund to assist EC residents fund emergency home repairs. The NTAC has agreed to provide pre-construction assistance to the renovation projects.

The NTAC attended City Counsel meetings during the month of August as part of our ongoing effort to disseminate city information to our neighborhood partners via the associations’ regular meetings.

The NTAC is working with C.A.C.O. to plan a small improvement project for the Washington Park Police and Fire Departments. The work will include painting and some small repairs to the interior and exterior of the building. The project is scheduled for September 17^th and 18^th - an ESLARP Work Weekend with architecture and landscape architecture students.

The NTAC is preparing the Technical Assistance and Capacity Building section of the Consolidated Plan. The NTAC and ESL CAN distributed a letter of invitation and agenda for the Consolidated Plan Partners meeting on August 26^th to all of the NTAC partnering organizations.

The NTAC helped plan and facilitate the annual retreat of ESL CAN on August 28^th.

The NTAC prepared and presented land use case number 99-006 for the regularly scheduled meeting of the Plan Commission on August 18th. This case involved a request for a change of zoning in the Goose Hill neighborhood. The Planning Commission denied the petitioner’s request for a rezoning.

ENA is continuing their pursuit of the old Hardees building in Edgemont as permanent office space for their organization. On behalf of ENA, the NTAC contacted the owner of the building to inquire if they are interested in selling or donating the building to ENA to be renovated into a community center. The owners are not interested in selling the building at this time.

The NTAC worked with EPDC and Sustainable Neighborhoods to create an organizational structure for the Sustainable Neighborhoods initiative. We hosted a series of meetings between the two groups to determine how the process will move forward. The NTAC is helping to amend EPDC’s by-laws to include a larger Board of Directors. The NTAC is also helping with final revisions to their 1998 URP proposal and the development of a 1999 full proposal. Both proposals include the installation of new trees in the right-of-ways along 15^th Street and Winstanley Avenue.

The NTAC is coordinating the partnership between a University of Illinois Architecture studio class and EPDC. The studio will create ten sets of construction documents for ten new single family homes to be built as part of Parsons Place Phase II.

The Faith Based Organizing Initiative was once again the primary activity of the NTAC during August. After an extensive outreach and education effort for all churches in the Enterprise Community, sixteen churches have emerged as 501c3 candidates. The following faith based organizations were chosen based on their timely submission of information and their readiness to provide community outreach activities and to collaborate with other organizations. A summary of the status of each church is available upon request at the NTAC.

• Aldersgate Community United Methodist East St. Louis
• Bethel Christian Worship Center East St. Louis
• Bread of Life Christian Church East St. Louis
• Bride of Christ East St. Louis
• (Northend) Carver Community Center East St. Louis
• Community Mission C.O.G.I.C East St. Louis
• C.O.G. Community Worship Center East St. Louis
• 15^th Street Baptist East St. Louis
• Haynes Miracle Temple East St. Louis
• Higher Level Ministries Christian Church East St. Louis
• Morning Star M.B. Church East St. Louis
• New Beginnings Outreach Ministry Centreville
• Newbern Bible Institute Brooklyn
• Pilgrim Green M.B. Church East St. Louis
• St. Elizabeth Spiritual Temple Brooklyn
• Southern Mission M.B. Church East St. Louis

Each church received extensive assistance by the NTAC during the month of August. Four individual meetings were held with most of the churches in an effort to finish their paperwork by September 7^th so that the information could be sent to our lawyer before Latonya Webb left on maternity leave. Five of the churches have completed all necessary paper work and it is anticipated that the other eleven will be completed in early November. Each time a religious organization completes the necessary paperwork with the NTAC, their information is forwarded to the University of Illinois Law Clinic for review. The application fees will be waived for 16 organizations. The fee waiver is sponsored by the Enterprise Community and all legal assistance is provided free of charge.

It is our hope to move all pre-applications to the University of Illinois Law Clinic in the next couple of months in the hope of spending down the grant monies by the turn of the year. With the funds spent on 501c3 applications, the NTAC would like to continue assisting religious organizations with their community development plans. Many organizations have expressed concern to us that they are fearful that our services are only available for this short amount of time. The NTAC has expressed to them interest in continuing our work with the religious organization and in fact, believe that continuing our services is paramount to encouraging collaborations and the continued success of this initiative.

The NTAC continued working with CCC on their "Action Panel" meetings that were set up to address the most pressing issues facing the Fairlawn neighborhood. The NTAC prepared a postcard survey that will be used by the group in a door-to-door campaign to identify the most important issues that residents are concerned about.

The NTAC is currently working on the by-laws for Golden Garden, Inc. and their 501c3 paperwork. The NTAC is assisting Golden Garden, Inc. in writing a full proposal for the re-use of Golden Garden School and identifying outside funding sources. The NTAC holds bi-weekly meetings with Golden Garden, Inc. to assist them in strategizing future actions that will place them closer to their goal.

The NTAC provided pre-design services to GGI to assist them in renovating the Golden Garden School in Centreville.

The NTAC continued to serve as a "Community Information Center" for the Empowerment Zone. Residents can visit the NTAC and pick up information on the Empowerment Zone.

The NTAC provided pre-design services to Rev. Haynes regarding the renovation of the existing church. Haynes Miracle Temple also received assistance with Board Development, incorporation, by-laws, project planning and 501c3 application.

The NTAC administers the Urban Resources Partnership Grant funding for the African Artesian Village. In August, the NTAC completed final paperwork and accounting of this project.

The NTAC continued to assist the Morning Star Baptist Church in the planning for and funding of a large multi-functional complex and day care center adjacent to the Morning Star Church. The NTAC reviewed a $190,000 Special Needs Program grant and will continue working with them to raise the projected $1.2 million.

Neighbors United for Progress is moving forward on the Neighbors Place One landscaping project funded by the Urban Resources Partnership (URP). The NTAC provided pre-construction administration for the project and assisted Neighbors in planning the implementation of the grant.

The NTAC attended the monthly meeting of OPNA in August, assisted them in planning for their annual community picnic and volunteered as clean-up help for the picnic.

The NTAC attended the monthly meeting of SENDO in August. SENDO has requested our assistance in preparing a CHDO application to the East St. Louis CDBG office. A special committee has been set up to work on this proposal. The NTAC is working with SENDO to organize an outreach and recruitment day during ESLARP’s September work weekend.

The NTAC provided local information to support the YOG proposal and has asked the University of Illinois to become a partner in the application.

The NTAC prepared a pre-proposal letter to the "For All Kids" foundation that was identified by Mr. Percy Harris. The grant request is $75,000 towards Phase II of construction on their new daycare facility. The NTAC is assisting Uni-Press prepare an EC Open Proposal for program funds.

Upreach, Inc. – new contact

Upreach, Inc. is an organization that provides welfare-to-work type programs including job training and counseling. The NTAC reviewed a preliminary proposal and provided detailed feedback in order for them to increase their chance of being funded. Upreach, Inc. has also requested assistance in networking with religious organizations.

The NTAC, WIPNO and Rosco Allen of NRCS are planning for the re-opening of the Farmers Market in May of 2000. The preparation includes regular meeting, grant research, proposal writing and design services.

During August, the NTAC upgraded its telephone system by adding a second line. Many residents have expressed their difficulty in getting through to our office. A second line seems to be alleviating the congestion.

The NTAC has prepared a full proposal to the Enterprise Community and St. Clair County IGD for future funding in the year 2000. The next newsletter of the NTAC will be published by the end of September.

*See attached bills and time sheets.