Neighbors Building Neighborhoods in Norfolk

>>> WELCOME TO NORFOLK PERSPECTIVES. I'M BOB BATCHER.
YOU'RE IN FOR A TREAT. I'VE GOT COUNCIL MEMBER TOMMY SMIGIEL ON AND
NO NOTE, SO THERE IS NO SCRIPT. I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT WE'RE GOING TO BE TALKING
ABOUT, BUT I WANT TO LEAD OFF WITH SEGMENT FROM WAVY. >> BUILDING A BETTER COMMUNITY.
THAT WAS THE GOAL AT A NEIGHBORHOOD BLOCK PARTY THIS AFTERNOON IN NORFOLK.
NEIGHBORS GATHERED ON 13th BAY IN OCEAN VIEW TO MAKE THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD A BETTER PLACE
TO LIVE. IT'S PART OF NORFOLK'S NEIGHBORS BUILDING
NEIGHBORHOODS PROJECT. VOLUNTEERS HELPED CLEAN UP TRASH, REPAIR DAMAGE
AND JUST GOT TOGETHER TO GET TO KNOW EACH OTHER.
>> IT'S A WAY TO GET PEOPLE TOGETHER IN THE COMMUNITY, TO WORK TOGETHER, AND TO JUST MAKE
NORFOLK BETTER, ONE NEIGHBORHOOD AT A TIME. >> THERE WAS A BOUNCE HOUSE FOR KIDS AND FOOD
FOR EVERYONE. EVEN THE NAVY GOT INVOLVED.
A GROUP OF SEE BEES VOLUNTEERED TO CLEAN AN ABANDONED PIECE OF PROPERTY.
>> THANK YOU FOR THE POSITIVE STORY ABOUT THE WONDERFUL PEOPLE IN NORFOLK.
TOMMY SMIGIEL, HOW ARE YOU? >> GREAT.
>> SO THAT'S THE ANSWER, THROW A PARTY? >> NO, IT'S MORE THAN THAT.
I'LL TELL YOU, BOB, I'VE GOTTEN SO EXCITED AS A COUNCIL MEMBER FOR TWO YEARS NOW, WE
OFTENTIMES GET KIND OF TORN UP, YOU KNOW, THE CITY, WE GET BEAT UP BY CONSTITUENTS,
BUT THIS HAS BEEN A REALLY POSITIVE STORY THAT'S HAPPENING DOWN IN EAST OCEAN VIEW.
I CAME ON THE SHOW TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT IT. >> I THINK IT'S WONDERFUL.
I'M GOING TO BE REAL FRANK. I MADE A JOKE ABOUT NOT HAVING A SCRIPT.
IN THE PAST, IT'S LIKE, WHAT ARE WE GOING TO TALK ABOUT, HERE ARE THE QUESTIONS, AND
YOU WERE COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO JUST COME ON THE SOFA AND TALK ABOUT WHAT'S GOING ON THROUGHOUT
THE WHOLE CITY AND OF COURSE IN OCEAN VIEW. >> YOU KNOW THE LAST TIME I WAS ON THE SHOW
WE TALKED ABOUT HEALTHY COMMUNITIES, AND I MENTIONED SOMETHING CALLED THE ABC'S AND BLOCK
BY BLOCK, GOING BLOCK BY BLOCK, AND THIS IS WHAT NEIGHBORS BUILDING NEIGHBORHOODS HAS
BROUGHT TO A COMMUNITY THAT IS TRY TO GROW, EAST OCEAN VIEW.
I REPRESENT THAT AREA, LIVE IN EAST OCEAN VIEW.
I WAS EXCITED WHEN MARCUS JONES CAME ON BOARD AND INTRODUCED THIS IDEA, THIS PROGRAM CALLED
NEIGHBORS BUILDING NEIGHBORHOODS, BECAUSE IT KIND OF MESHED WITH WHAT I WAS WORKING
ON CALLED HEALTHY COMMUNITIES. >> IT'S FUNNY.
AFTER MARCUS CAME ON -- AND I WILL SAY, YOU CAME TO EVERY ONE WITH DOUGHNUTS WHEN WE HAD
THE COMMUNITY CONVERSATION. PEOPLE WERE BASICALLY ACROSS THE BOARD SAYING
WE UNDERSTAND THAT TIMES HAVE CHANGED, WE UNDERSTAND THAT GOVERNMENT CAN'T DO EVERYTHING,
AND WE WANT TO BE PART OF IT. AND IN FACT, IF YOU GUYS GOT OUT OF THE WAY,
MEANING G, WE COULD BE PART OF THE SOLUTION, AND BOY DO THEY MEAN IT.
>> WE HEARD THAT FROM CITIZENS IN THOSE MEETINGS. THERE IS AN UNDERSTANDING IN OUR CITY THAT
WE CAN'T DO EVERYTHING. THEY KNOW THAT.
THEY KNOW WE'RE WORKING REALLY HARD TO PROVIDE A QUALITY OF LIFE FOR OUR CITIZENS BUT THAT
WE CAN'T GET ON EVERY STREET AND EVERY NEIGHBORHOOD. WE TRY OUR BEST, AND SO THEY REALIZE AND THEY
OFFERED WAYS THAT WE CAN HELP WITH OUR BUDGET REDUCTIONS AND ALSO MAKING THEIR COMMUNITIES
A BETTER PLACE. THEY CAME UP WITH THIS IDEA, TOO.
IT ALL CAME TOGETHER. >> BUT OF COURSE, IT COULD BE SCARY, BECAUSE
THERE IS NO SCRIPT, SO HOW DO YOU MANAGE THE EXPECTATIONS?
>> PART OF IT WAS SOME RESTRUCTURING IN CITY GOVERNMENT.
NOW YOU'RE HELPING OUT WITH NEIGHBORS BUILDING NEIGHBORHOODS.
>> THAT IS FULL DISCLOSURE. >> AND HAVING STAFF THAT IS TRAINED AND DEDICATED,
UNDERSTANDS THE PURPOSE OF THIS, BUT ALSO GETTING THE CITIZENS INVOLVED.
WE HAVE A VERY GOOD CIVIC STRUCTURE IN OUR CITY, SO IT STARTS THERE, BUT THEN A GROWS.
NOT EVERYBODY IS A MEMBER OF A CIVIC LEAGUE. THIS IS WHAT HAPPENED IN EAST OCEAN VIEW WHERE
WE HAVE BONE -- THEY ALL KIND OF MINGLED TOGETHER, AND WE'VE BEEN TALKING AFTER BEING SELECTED
THAT WE DECIDED COMMUNICATION WAS GOING TO BE OUR NO. 1 PRIORITY AND MAKING SURE THAT
WE ALL HAVE THE SAME MISSION, SAME GOAL. WE WANT EAST OCEAN VIEW TO BE A BETTER PLACE.
WE JUST NEED TO MAKE SURE WE'RE ALL WORKING TOGETHER IN ORDER TO GET THERE.
>> LET'S TALK TURKEY ABOUT THAT. THERE WERE A FEW HOURS OF PEOPLE SAYING, WAIT
A MINUTE, WHAT'S GOING ON, SO AND ON, THIS AND THAT, AND THAT'S WHEN USUALLY THINGS BREAK
DOWN AND SAY, NEVER MIND. WE'LL BE THE PARENT IN CHARGE.
>> RIGHT. >> YOU DIDN'T DO THAT, DID YOU?
>> NO. WE HAVE THE EAST OCEAN VIEW COORDINATING COMMITTEE,
WHICH BRINGS THESE PEOPLE TOGETHER, EQUAL REPRESENTATION, WHO WANTED TO HEAR WHAT EACH
GROUP WAS DOING TO MAKE THIS NEIGHBORHOOD BETTER.
THEY BROUGHT THE PEOPLE. THEY PICKED WHO THEY WANTED TO COME AND REPRESENT,
BUT IT'S BEEN OPENING UP, AND THEY BROUGHT THE IDEAS.
I'M JUST THEIR ADVOCATE. I TRY AND SELL THEIR IDEAS TO THE CITY MANAGER
AND CITY COUNCIL, BUT IT DOESN'T WORK IF YOU DON'T HAVE THE COMMUNITY BEHIND YOU.
WE OFTEN SAY, WHEN WE HAVE OUR TASK FORCE MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, THAT WE HAVE MORE STAFF
THERE SOMETIMES THAN CITIZENS, AND WE'RE NOT SEEING THAT IN EAST OCEAN VIEW.
WE'VE SEEN THAT REVERSE NOW WHERE WE HAVE CITIZENS THAT ARE OUT THERE SAYING, WE WANT
TO MAKE THESE CHANGES. YOU SAW THAT SEGMENT IN THE BEGINNING ABOUT
THE BLOCK PARTY. IT'S NOT A PARTY.
IT IS ABOUT GETTING THE NEIGHBORHOOD OUT AND GETTING THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY CAN MAKE
THE BIGGEST CHANGES WHEN IT COMES TO DEALING WITH CRIME BUT DEALING WITH THE TRASH ON THE
STREET AND LOOKING OUT FOR YOUR NEIGHBOR, AND WE TALK ABOUT KNOCKING ON THOSE DOORS,
AND YOU'VE SAID THAT A LOT, TOO. >> AND SOME HAVE SAID, OKAY, TOMMY, THAT'S
ONE BLOCK. WHAT CAN YOU DO WITH ONE BLOCK?
>> YOU HAVE TO GO BLOCK BY BLOCK. YOU CAN'T JUST TAKE A WHOLE NEIGHBORHOOD AND
TRY TO FIX ALL THE PROBLEMS, AND SO WHAT THEY'VE BEEN DOING IN EAST OCEAN VIEW ARE THESE BLOCK
PARTIES. AND THEY DON'T JUST INVITE PEOPLE ON THAT
STREET. THEY GO BEYOND THAT STREET.
THEY HAVE RESOURCES OUT THERE. BON SECOURS HAS BROUGHT THE MEDICAL VAN OUT
THERE TO TALK ABOUT DIABETES AND HEART TESTS. WE HAVE THE SPCA OUT THERE TALKING ABOUT THE
IMPORTANCE. BUT THEN THE CIVIC LEAGUE AND GETTING THE
COMMUNITY TO HELP OUT WITH A PROJECT. BECAUSE YOU MIGHT HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO IS VIOLATING
A CODE ISSUE, AND THE FIRST THING WE WANT TO DO IS PICK UP THE PHONE AND CALL NORFOLK
CARES AND COMPLAIN ABOUT A NEIGHBOR. WHAT IF THAT NEIGHBOR HAD SOMEBODY THAT JUST
PASSED AWAY IN THEIR FAMILY OR THEY'VE BEEN ILL AND THEY CAN'T TAKE CARE OF THEIR PROPERTY?
SO IF YOU KNOW YOUR NEIGHBORS AND YOU KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON, THEN MAYBE YOU COULD OFFER
TO CUT THEIR GRASS OR MAYBE YOU COULD HELP PAINT THEIR FENCE, AND WE'RE TRYING TO BRING
THOSE RESOURCES TOGETHER AND JUST GROW THAT AND MAKE IT BETTER?
>> THERE IS A RICHNESS ABOUT THAT. >> IT IS, IT IS.
>> I GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS, BECAUSE THIS IS ONE OF THE REASONS WHY I RAN FOR CITY COUNCIL,
BECAUSE I THINK OUR NEIGHBORHOODS, THEY'RE OUR GEM, AND WE'VE GOT TO CONTINUE FINDING
THE DIAMONDS IN THE ROUGH IN SOME OF THESE PLACES AND JUST CONTINUE GROWING, AND WE'RE
DOING THAT, AND I'VE SEEN THAT CONTINUOUSLY GROWING AND EXPANDING IN THE LAST YEAR.
>> WHAT ABOUT ME, THOUGH? YOU PUT THE SIDEWALK OVER THERE, AND IT'S
NOT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE. WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY TO THAT PERSON?
>> YOU KNOW, I'VE LEARNED IN THIS POSITION, AND BILL COSBY ONCE SAID, I DON'T KNOW THE
KEY TO SUCCESS, BUT I KNOW THE KEY TO FAILURE IS TRYING TO PLEASE EVERYONE.
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY IN THIS SITUATION, BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY,
WHEN WE HAVE TRIED TO INVOLVE THE COMMUNITY AND YOU TRY TO EDUCATE THEM ON THINGS, YOU
CAN AT LEAST LEAVE, YOU KNOW, ON A HIGH NOTE THAT YOU TRIED TO YOUR BEST TO ENGAGE CITIZENS,
AND YOU'RE NOT GOING TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY, BUT THE HOPE IS THAT THAT ENERGY WILL CONTINUE
TO GROW AND EVENTUALLY MAYBE WE WILL MAKE THEM HAPPY AND MAKE THEM PART OF THE SOLUTION,
NOT THE PROBLEM. >> RIGHT.
>> IT'S EASY TO COMPLAIN, BUT IT'S VERY HARD TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION.
>> I WANT TO ROLL BACK TO A TIME IN A PARKING LOT THAT WE HAD THESE REALLY FANCY LOOKING
MAPS, AND I THINK IN THE NEXT -- WHAT WAS IT, 10, 15 YEARS, A NEW PUMP STATION, THIS,
THAT, AND ALL OF THESE RED LINES ON THE STREET AND BLUE LINES, AND SO BE PATIENT.
WE'LL HAVE DESIGN MONEY NEXT YEAR. WE'LL DO IT -- YOU KNOW, IT WILL EVENTUALLY
ROLL OUT. >> RIGHT.
THOSE MAPS, YOU KNOW, WE LOOK AT THOSE PRETTY PICTURES AND CONCEPTS, AND WE WANT TO GIVE
PEOPLE HOPE. >> HOW DO WE BRING THAT ALIVE THEN?
>> WELL, WE ARE. WE'VE GOT A GOOD PRIVATE PARTNERSHIP WITH
BON SECOURS AND EAST OCEAN VIEW. WE KNOW THE INFRASTRUCTURE IS GOING TO EVENTUALLY
COME. BUT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A WHOLE BLOCK AREA,
AND WE'RE GOING TO TRY TO REDESIGN IT, TAKING THE RESOURCES OF BON SECOURS, THE CITY, NEIGHBORS
BUILDING NEIGHBORHOODS, LOOK AT THAT AND EXPAND AND GROW ON THAT ONE BLOCK AREA.
>> WE ARE GOING TO REFLECT A LITTLE BIT ON OUR MEETING LAST WEEK, BECAUSE WHEN DOING
THIS, IT'S LIKE MAKING SAUSAGE OR OMELETS. I LIKE OMELETS BETTER.
BECAUSE SOMETIMES YOU KIND OF GET SOME MISCUES, A LITTLE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN NORTH AND SOUTH.
WE HAD A MEETING LAST WEEK WHERE YOU TALK ABOUT THOSE MEETINGS WHERE THERE ARE MORE
CITY PEOPLE. THERE ARE ACTUALLY MORE RESIDENTS AT THAT
MEETING TO PLAN THIS SPECIAL INITIATIVE. AND IT WASN'T JUST THE CIVIC LEAGUE, BUT THE
WHOLE COMMUNITY AND THE CITY THAT YOU BROUGHT TOGETHER.
>> RIGHT. WE HAD A GREAT MEETING, AND IT WAS INTERESTING,
BECAUSE WE WENT IN THERE. WE WERE SO EXCITED WITH THIS.
WE DID HAVE A LITTLE -- PUBLIC WORKS HAD CHANGED ONE LITTLE THING.
>> MAYBE THEY LOST THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NORTH AND SOUTH.
>> SURE. IT WAS GREAT.
I'VE GOT TO TELL YOU, WE HAD A NORVIEW STUDENTS WHO JUST GRADUATED THAT WORKED WITH BON SECOURS
NEIGHBORHOODS BUILDING NBDZ NEIGHBORHOODS, AND SPECIFICALLY SKETCHES OF WHAT THIS BLOCK
AREA IN EAST OCEAN VIEW WOULD LOOK LIKE TO BRING IN A COMMUNITY-TYPE FEEL.
WE DIDN'T PAY A DESIGNER OR A LANDSCAPE STUDENT FROM NORFOLK PUBLIC SCHOOLS THAT TOOK HER
TIME AND DID THIS. SO WHEN WE GOT THIS NEWS THAT PUBLIC WORKS
HAD SHIFTED A NORTH-SOUTH INFRASTRUCTURE CURB AND SIDEWALK AREA, PEOPLE WERE KIND OF LET
DOWN, BUT WE'RE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN. >> AND THAT'S KEY.
BECAUSE IN THE PAST, WE WOULD HAVE ROLLED UP THE DRAWINGS AND GONE HOME AND REDESIGNED,
BUT 15 THE PEOPLE IN THAT ROOM ARE GOING TO MAKE IT HAPPEN.
>> RIGHT. WHEN YOU HAVE AN ENGINEER, YOU KNOW HOW ENGINEERS
CAN THINK. >> GOT TO LOVE THEM.
>> GOT TO LOVE THEM. >> THEY'RE NOT LOOKING AT IT THAT WAY, BUT
WHEN YOU'VE GOT THE COMMUNITY AND THE ENERGY THERE EXCITED ABOUT PUTTING TREES IN AND THEY
THOUGHT THAT THIS SIDE OF THE ROAD WAS GOING TO HAVE THE SIDEWALKS WHERE THEY'RE GOING
TO PUT THE TREES IN, THAT WAS A LITTLE BIT DISAPPOINTING, BUT WE MADE IT HAPPEN.
IT WAS BECAUSE THOSE PEOPLE AROUND THE TABLE SAID, WE'RE GOING TO MAKE THIS HAPPEN.
YOU CAN REALLY GET EXCITED ABOUT THIS. I'VE SEEN THIS ENERGY ELSEWHERE IN THE CITY.
FAIRMONT PARK, GREAT ENERGY, PARK PLACE HAS SOME THINGS.
I JUST LOVE WHAT WE'RE GETTING READY TO DO HERE WITH THIS BLOCK PROJECT, KIND OF REDESIGNING
THIS WHOLE BLOCK AND SAYING TO THE COMMUNITY, THIS IS WHAT IS GOING TO BE COMING.
WE WANT YOU TO STAY PART OF THIS, TO BE ACTIVE AND THE CHANGE THAT'S HAPPENING DOWN HERE.
>> PART OF ME SAYS, LET'S BE CONSERVATIVE AND NOT TALK TOO MUCH ABOUT IT, BECAUSE WE
DON'T WANT TO BUILD UP EXPECTATIONS, BUT DAGGONE IT, THE CAT IS OUT OF THE BAG.
>> SURE. >> WE'RE GOING TO ENCOURAGE PEOPLE TO COME
UP TO OCEAN VIEW THIS FALL AND HAVE YOU COME ON TO TALK MORE ABOUT THAT AND REALLY LOOK
AT SOME OF THE EXCITING THINGS THAT NOW -- THAT NOT JUST THE CITY IS DOING BUT WE ARE DOING
WITH THE RESIDENTS. >> RIGHT.
AND THE KEY WORD THERE IS "WE". ALL OF THESE PROJECTS ARE "WE" PROJECTS.
I COULD HAVE AN IDEA. YOU COULD HAVE AN IDEA.
BUT WHEN WE BRING THOSE IDEAS TOGETHER AND WE HAVE THE WEES IT'S MUCH -- THE WE, IT'S
MUCH MORE POWERFUL. >> YOU KNOW WHAT'S MISSING FROM THIS SHOW
BEFORE WE CLOSE OUT? >> WHAT'S THAT.
>> NO POWER POINT. TOMMY, THANKS FOR JOINING ME HERE AT NORFOLK
PERSPECTIVES. >> THANKS FOR HAVING ME.
I LOOK FORWARD TO COMING BACK AND SHOWING THOSE PICTURES, THE REAL PICTURES.
>> THAT'S A DEAL. >> THANKS A LOT.
>> THANKS FOR JOINING US.