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The Northside Planning Council
Northside Planning Council: Proud Winners
of the 1999 National "Neighborhood of the Year" Award
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NPC Mission Statement |
To improve the quality
of life for all residents of the Northside community by:
- Increasing citizen participation and voice in issues
and decisions affecting the Northside community through
neighborhood organizing and advocacy; and
- Building community on the Northside by linking community
organizations and residents. |
The Northside Planning Council
is a coalition of over 25 neighborhood associations and community
organizations with over 35 representatives on Madison’s Northside,
one of Madison’s most economically and culturally diverse
areas. Organized as an independent nonprofit organization,
and governed by Northside residents representing each organization,
NPC was initiated as a pilot collaboration between the City,
County, United Way, Madison Community Foundation, and Madison
School District in 1993 to create a vehicle for greater citizen
participation in the decisions and issues that affect their
community. NPC employs two full-time staff organizers to help
support the efforts of NPC’s resident leadership.
Cont...
Priorities
Bringing a Grocery Store to our Community
We need a grocery store back on the Northside in order to maintain
our quality of life and ensure a healthy community: food security,
business vitality, jobs, self-image, sense of community.
ACCOMPLISHED: Pierce's Northside Market opened in April
2006.
Swimming Pool at Warner Park
Leading efforts to realize community dream of a public swimming
pool. Pool advocacy goes back two decades, was part of the original
Warner Park Center plan and is a high priority of the Northside
2000 Community Vision.
OUR ADVOCACY WORKED! Warner Park will be the site of the
2nd pool.
Student Achievement
Through the efforts of the Northside PTO Coalition and school
organizing of core teams at elementary schools, NPC seeks to bridge
the student achievement gap by more effectively engaging parents
in their children’s education, as well as building better
neighborhood-school relationships.
Fostering Better Cooperation Among Northside
Organizations & Residents
Pursuing efforts to better understand and represent all Northside
residents by building diversity and capacity within NPC and the
Northside community. This year NPC is initiating the Northside
Neighbor-to-Neighbor Timebank, a mutual credit system, to foster
community and provide needed services to a variety of residents.
Planning Councils:
A History
From the City of Madison Website,
2001
In 1991 the City of Madison created
a task force to examine the potential and feasibility of creating
community centers and a neighborhood-based service delivery system.
The Joint Community Centers Task Force, comprised of City, County,
School District, private sector and community representatives,
recommended as part of its report, the division of the City into
planning council areas and the creation of a pilot Northside Planning
Council as soon as possible. Planning councils were envisioned
by the City as a neighborhood-based and coordinated approach to
neighborhood organizing, information sharing, issue advocacy and
promotion of community development initiatives. Cont...
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What the NPC Can do for Your Organization
As part of our mission, NPC
works to strengthen and support neighborhood and other Northside
community organizations and to help new organizations form.
Through Council members and our full-time staff Facilitators,
NPC can offer the following services and support to your
Northside organization. Cont...
The Central Role
of the Council Member
As a member of the Northside Planning Council, you are a Northside
community leader. You are essential to the effectiveness
of the NPC. As a coalition of Northside organizations, the
NPC draws its influence and resources from each of its member
organizations; it is only as strong as the organizations
that comprise it. As a representative of one of those organizations,
you serve as a direct link to that power. You act as a liaison
to all of the people, talent, and resources of the organization
you represent; this connection is the crucial element that
enables the NPC to understand the needs of our community,
to harness its energy, and to act accordingly.
There are many ways for you to take an
active role in the work of the NPC, depending on your time,
your interest, your skills and your resources. Cont...
NPC Committees
Standing Committees
NPC standing committees are delineated in the NPC bylaws to
fulfill regular NPC functions. The frequency of their meetings
depends on the function they serve. Cont...
Some Facts About Planning Councils
Planning Councils are NOT planning organizations
Planning Councils have a name problem. The generic word “planning”
is more identified with the “Planning Unit” and the
“Plan Commission” which are all about city plans regarding
land use, development, transportation, etc. Cont...
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