Vassor Village is one of six neighborhoods to be selected this year by the City of Columbus as a Neighborhood Pride. Our neighborhood will receive an intense delivery of City services in one week this September.
Neighborhood Pride is a team effort by City departments, neighborhood groups and individual citizens, businesses and other partners to make our neighborhoods safer and cleaner, keys to a more vibrant and exciting future for Columbus. For one week, an intense delivery of City services, including the cleaning of alleys, mowing high grass in the public right-of-way and neighborhood recreational areas, replacing burned out street light bulbs, offering block watch and fire prevention outreach and evaluating exterior housing for code compliance.
Prior to each “Pride Week,” City employees reach out to neighborhood groups in the Pride District to help craft the specifics of each Neighborhood Pride effort. City staff members make presentations at area commission, civic association, business associations and other groups to introduce Pride to the neighborhood.
More importantly, City outreach staff field residents’ questions and ask citizens to identify their concerns in the area so Pride can efficiently and effectively address those priorities. Before each Pride Week,neighborhood leaders and key City staff board a City vehicle and drive every street and alley of a Pride District. During this “Pride Tour,” neighborhood leaders are asked to point out specific concerns that will be addressed during Pride Week. This is a key to Pride’s success. Each neighborhood is unique and has vital attributes to contribute toward making Columbus a great city. Residents’ active participation in this process – and other aspects of Neighborhood Pride – is essential for Pride to be a success.
How Can I Help in Neighborhood Pride?
Citizen participation in Pride is necessary before, during and after Pride Week. Neighborhood Pride is the beginning of a long-term process for changing the way the City does business with its customers to the benefit of residents. Citizens’ concerns change with time, as neighborhoods are living, evolving communities. A strong, ongoing partnership between a neighborhood and the City enhances the effort to deliver services in a more timely, efficient and responsive manner to a neighborhood.
