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SESNA Neighborhood Response Effort (SNRE)

Mission

The mission of the SESNA NRE:

Build upon the strengths and assets of the Southeast Salem Neighborhood to make the area a safer and still more enjoyable place to live, work, and visit.

La Misión del NRE:

Aumentar la fuerza y los bienes del vecindario del Sureste de Salem para ayudar hacer la Ã¡rea un lugar mÃ¡s seguro y agradable para vivir, trabajar, y visitar.

Neighbors Speak Up

In 1998, neighbors participated in a series of forums and shared what they liked about their neighborhood and what they wished were different in SESNA. Neighbors said these things were important:

Impact
Involvement
Everyone has a role in the whole solution
What's positive should be acknowledged and built upon

Neighbors also said these tiems were their main concerns:

Safety at night
Traffic
Junk and trash
Rental properties
Crime
Lack of supervision and opportunities for youth

Neighborhood Surveys

Through a neighborhood phone survey in June 2000, neighbors stated that the most important issues in their neighborhood were:

Crime 30.6%
Traffic 15.3%
Growth 6.3%
Aesthetics 4.7%
Other 7.6%
Nothing 35.5%

In addition, more than 135 participants attended the seven forums in February and March of 2001, and 105 neighbors completed surveys expressing their opinions about their neighborhood. They echoed the issues previously identified as being important to the South East Salem neighborhood. They also identified the following "wish list" of improvements to make to strengthen their neighborhood:

More properties well kept
More opportunities for adults and youth to interact
More opportunities for youth and adults to learn skills
Less crime

More in-depth results from the survey are available from the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department. Please contact us for a copy.

Now that we know what the neighborhood wants, the question becomes, "How do we make it happen?" The forum participants had some suggestions:

Increased communication:

between neighbors, neighbors and landlords, neighbors and schools, and neighbors and the churches

Family activities:

game night, neighbohrood potlucks

Skill-building for adults and youth:

volunteer service corps for youth, classes: computer, driver education, ESL

Compliance with laws and codes:

increased communication between neighbors and police, more information and education

Top 10 Ways to Improve Your Neighborhood Right Now:

Turn on your porch light.
Walk around the block.
Drive slowly in the neighborhood.
Make a list of the names and phone numbers of the neighbors on your block.
Make a list of landlords in your area.
Meet the youth who live on your block.
Pick up the litter near your home, even if you didn't put it there.
Report crime promptly.
Report nuisances and other non-criminal problems promptly.
Take away the opportunity for crime.
Help your SESNA neighbors make the Neighborhood Response Effort a success!
Just like this "Top 10" list, don't stop at 10 items.

The SESNA Neighborhood Response Effort publishes a quarterly bilingual (English and Spanish) newsletter to update neighbors and other interested citizens on the achievements and needs of the effort. This is a four-page publication featuring updates on the NRE and other neighborhood information.

If you would like to receive this newsletter, contact the Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department.

Contact Us

The SESNA NRE steering committee meets the third Wednesday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. Contact Jessica Preis for the location of the next meeting. The public is welcome to attend.

Jessica Loewen Preis

Parks, Recreation, and Community Services Department

555 Liberty Street SE, Room 300

Salem OR 97301

503-588-6261 / 503-315-2567 fax

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