LCS ACTION PLAN
I. Hold public meetings to educate our community of the population served by the LCS, promote open and honest communication, and share concerns amongst neighbors and the LCS toward the goal of forming and maintaining a Good Neighbor Agreement.
A. Public Forums
1. Postcards were mailed to all landowners within 200’ of the Shelter (list obtained from the Douglas County Clerk’s office), over 300 flyers were hand distributed in an area four blocks in each direction from the Shelter, including the central business district, a meeting was held with the executive committee of the Oread Neighborhood Association, and phone calls were made to individual neighbors to advise the public of the dates, times, and locations of the forums.
2. Public Forums were held at the Lawrence Public Library on the following dates: Saturday, April 15, 2006 at 1:00 p.m.; Saturday, April 22, 2006 at 3:30 p.m.; and Thursday, April 27, 2006 at 6:30 p.m. A list of concerns (see attached) were prioritized, and preliminary discussions of strategies for solutions were held.
3. Neighbors, neighborhood associations, and community members will be notified of future meeting dates and times by mailing postcards, placing flyers on cars in the neighborhood, and making phone calls. LCS will work with the Oread Neighborhood Association to improve mailing address list.
B. Follow-up Meetings and Actions
1. Meeting to discuss security measures on LCS property and develop an updated security plan.
2. Meeting to discuss “traffic control” issues such as patterns of trespassing and measures that can be taken on LCS property to modify such behavior. Such measures could include but are not limited to a gate at west end of north driveway, and education of guests.
3. A draft of the Good Neighbor Agreement resulting from the public forum meetings will be distributed to neighbors for review by May 31. This agreement will define goals and tasks for each party in the pursuit of the goal to create and maintain a neighborhood where all persons feel safe and proud and are able to express concerns and solve problems.
4. A GNA signing and block party will be held in late June or July.
5. The LCS will work with neighbors and the Community Cooperation Committee to develop community-wide plans for dealing with a master list of concerns as they occur off LCS property.
II. Maintain the LCS property in good condition.
A. Instruct all guests that persons are not permitted to lie or sit for an extended period of time on the front property of the LCS.
B. Guests are permitted to sit, stand and congregate on the front porch of the shelter.
C. The LCS will provide picnic tables and cigarette disposal containers for guests.
D. Daily pick up and maintenance of the LCS property will occur as follows:
1. Clean up all trash, cigarette butts and other litter around the LCS property.
2. Remind guests that all bicycles are to be parked at the bicycle rack on the side of the LCS.
3. Prevent animals from being tied to trees, railings, parking meters or other structures on the LCS property. Guests will be educated on city ordinances regarding animals. Verbal reminders will be given, and then Animal Control will be called.
5. Prevent guests or persons receiving services at the LCS to congregate, sit or lay down in the alley.
6. Prohibit extended parking of seldom used or broken-down vehicles.
7. Continue LCS monthly neighborhood clean-up.
III. Inform community that LINK is open on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Guests will walk between the LCS and LINK at those times. The LCS will work with the First Christian Church and with LINK to address concerns of guests walking back and forth between LINK and the LCS.
IV. Meet with the day and night supervisors for the Lawrence Police Department.
V. Participate in and plan meetings with the Community Cooperation Committee and interested community members throughout the year, at a minimum one meeting in the spring and one meeting in the fall.
VI. Inform community/neighborhood of contact information for the LCS and encourage contact of the LCS with any complaints/concerns. LCS pledges the anonymity of any communications made by neighbors.
A Neighbors can email the Executive Director at the LCS website.
(www.lawrenceshelter.org) or at loring@lawrenceshelter.org.
B. Neighbors can call the Executive Director at the LCS.
Day – 785-832-8864 (8:00 am to 5:00 pm, every day)
Night – 785-832-0040 (8:00 pm to 8:00 am, every night)
C. Neighbors can write the Executive Director at the LCS, 214 West 10th Street, 66044..
D. To address complaints and concerns, the LCS requests neighbors provide the following information on all correspondence with the Executive Director:
1. Name of Neighbor.
2. Address of complaint/concern.
3. Date of Incident.
4. Whether Law Enforcement Authorities were notified.
5. Description and/or name of individual involved.
E. LCS will have the phone book
corrected to delete the Community Drop-In Center and to add the
Lawrence Community Shelter.
Weighted Rankings of Participants’ Top Five Concerns
A score was given according to rank for each item on a participant’s list. All ranked votes were tallied for each of the twenty-three concerns. For example, the first concern (concern #21 on the original list) was ranked top priority by two people (2 X 5=10), second priority by two people (2 X 4=8), third (3 X 3=9), fourth (1 X 2=2), and fifth (0 X 1), for a total score of 29. The list below is ordered from highest score to lowest but with similar issues combined into one concern. Some participants handed in concerns on cards, and these concerns were not ranked but were grouped with similar concerns. Ranking scores are indicated in parentheses after each listed concern.