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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is the North Beacon Hill Council (NBHC)?
NBHC
is one of the the major community groups that represents North
Beacon Hill to city, county and state agencies. It is the major
political body of the neighborhood that works to improve the living
conditions of our neighborhood. We do this by creating a
dialog with our elected officials to ensure Beacon Hill and South
Seattle are considered when proposing new legislation, and by
lobbying for our share of city, county and state resources and
services. We work to empower our neighbors to implement the improvements
to the neighborhood that they envision, we work to inform our
neighbors of issues that will affect our standard of living, and
we work to create a sense of community for our neighborhood. NBHC
is also one of the stewards of the North
Beacon Hill Neighborhood Plan, approved by the City Council
in the form of the Adoption
and Approval Matrix, and has the responsibility of implementing
many elements of the neighborhood plan. NBHC, its Board
of Directors and all its members are all volunteers that show
their dedication to their neighborhood by volunteering their time
to their community, from coming to meetings and voting on issues
to being on the Board of Directors. The North Beacon Hill
Council is a registered non-profit agency that has been in existence
since 1993.
What
are the boundaries of the North Beacon Hill Neighborhood?
The
North Beacon Hill neighborhood is a city-identified neighborhood.
The North Beacon Hill boundaries, as defined by the NBHC
bylaws, are Jose Rizal Bridge to the north, Graham Street
to the south, I-5 to the west, and either Rainier Avenue South
or MLK to the east, whichever is the west most street.
Who
makes up NBHC?
The
members that make up the North Beacon Hill Council are people
like yourself: residents (both home owners and renters) that live
in the neighborhood, business owners or their representatives,
land owners or their representatives, and representatives of city
agencies (like the Beacon Hill Library and Jefferson Community
Center). We are the people that make up North Beacon Hill. Some
have no interest in community politics, some are very politically
active, some are interested in just one issue, some are interested
in everything, some have never been involved in any volunteer
capacity or civic activism, and some have had plenty of experience
in those things. One thing we all have in common is we all want
a better North Beacon Hill.
How
do I become a member?
Becoming
a member of the North Beacon Hill Council is easy and it’s free!
If you live, own a business, or own property (or represent someone
that owns a business or property) within the North Beacon Hill
boundaries, just attend a monthly meeting and sign the attendance
sheet. Coming to an NBHC meeting means you are part of the
council.
How
do I become a voting member?
Becoming
a voting member is also easy! If you qualify to be a member, you
can vote on the 2nd meeting you attend in a year.
Why
should I come to meetings?
There
are lots of reasons to come to a meeting:
-
To
learn more about the issues that face our neighborhood.
You may be new to the neighborhood, or you may just want to
keep informed and stay connected to your neighborhood.
NBHC meetings are a great way to get information on the issues
that face our community and ways to improve our neighborhood.
-
Bring
an issue for the council to address. There may be something
you are concerned about that you feel need to be addressed
by the neighborhood's community council. Bring your
concerns to the attention of the council and your neighbors
by attending a council meeting. If you would like NBHC
to take a position on an issue, please contact
NBHC ahead of the meeting to put your issue on the agenda
and give it enough time for discussion.
-
Get
help with a neighborhood improvement project or a concern
you have in mind (traffic circles, signs, street lights, litter
pickup, crime prevention). Many people on the council
have probably gone through what you are going through, and
are happy to help a fellow Beacon Hiller.
-
To
be part of your neighborhood community council! The
most important reason to come to a meeting, which is the same
as being part of the council, is to ensure your opinions are
represented when positions need to be taken for neighborhood
issues. The North Beacon Hill Council takes positions on many
issues, and has discussions or write letters to the Mayor,
our City Councilmembers, and county and state representatives
expressing those positions. Your involvement in the North
Beacon Hill Council, even if it’s just attending meetings,
is the most local and the lowest level of participation in
our democracy. Coming to meetings builds a stronger,
better North Beacon Hill.
Can I get the agendas emailed to me?
Of
course! Send an email to nbhc@comcast.net
and request that you be put on the email list for NBHC announcements.
How do I get in touch with NBHC?
There are several ways to contact NBHC:
By email: nbhc@comcast.net
By phone: 854-9636reaches Amie Patao, the Chair
By letter: c/o Beacon Hill Neighborhood Service Center, 2821 Beacon
Ave S 98144
and our favorite way, in person by coming to one of our monthly
meetings. We meet at the Jefferson Community Center, 3801
Beacon Ave S, on the second Tuesday of every month from 7-9pm
What can I do for NBHC?
If
this is really your question, then we LOVE you! There are plenty
of opportunities to volunteer your time your knowledge to the
North Beacon Hill Council and to your neighborhood. The
most important thing you can do is attend the monthly meetings
regularly and be involved in the discussions that involve the
community. If you find serving your community to be rewarding,
you can join the Board of Directors at the annual meeting in May
and help direct what types of issues and activities NBHC takes
on, get to know your elected officials and people from all over
the city that have an interest in Beacon Hill. You can volunteer
to be on a committee to take on specific issues and tasks.
You can volunteer at an NBHC-sponsored event. You can check
out the calendar on the community website, northbeacon.net, to
volunteer for other community events.
What
can NBHC do for me?
One
of the most important things NBHC does for individuals is help
you when you have an issue you want to tackle. Come to a
meeting or email the council (nbhc@comcast.net) to get advice
on neighborhood problems or projects or events. This is
a forum of your neighbors, if you would like to share information
with the community, the monthly meetings is one venue to accomplish
that. If you need to show community support for an issue,
ask to be added to the agenda to discuss what you have in mind
and vote to support it and send letters to appropriate officials.
What NBHC does for the community is not always apparent.
The meetings with public officials and agencies, the public comments
given at city and agency meetings, the lobbying for neighborhood
assets and resources, the relationships established with many
city officials and agencies, and other behind the scenes efforts
by the volunteers that make up the North Beacon Hill Council are
examples of ways that influence the quality of life in our neighborhood.
I’m
applying for a grant, can NBHC serve as my fiscal sponsor?
Yes, NBHC is a registered Non-Profit and can serve as your fiscal
sponsor for any city or state grants or matching fund monies.
Generally, NBHC assesses a fee of 3-5% on the monies being managed
for your project.
I
have a neighborhood project in mind, can NBHC help me?
Yes, we hope so! The NBHC is made up of community members who
cast votes on actions taken by NBHC. If you have an idea for a
neighborhood project, your first step should be to schedule a
time to present that idea or project at a monthly NBHC meeting.
If you are requesting that distinct action be taken by NBHC, such
as writing a letter of support for your project, donation of funds
or labor, or the formation of a committee to work on your project,
then NBHC can vote on that action after hearing your input and
debating it's merits. Independent of the result of that
vote, you will most likely meet community members that have experience
with similar issues or projects. Council members can (and will)
offer their experience and direction in getting your project off
the ground.
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