How Neighborhood Planning Councils Shape Battle Creek Decisions

On this episode of BC City Connection: Exploring how Neighborhood Planning Councils (NPCs) give Battle Creek residents a structured voice on policing, code, planning, and development, and why diverse, new members are vital. 

CommissionerJessica Lacosse and Helen Guzzo, community development manager, detail how councils work, what they decide, and how to join.

Episode Resources
City of Battle Creek website

Watch the video of this discussion here or see the episodes on Access Vision in Battle Creek Tuesdays at 6:30 PM on channel 17/917.

The BC City Connection Podcast is produced by Livemic Communications.

Transcript

What NPCs Are And Why They Matter

Richard Piet 0:04

I'm Richard Piet. Welcome to the BC City Connection Podcast. We're coming to you right from City Hall in Battle Creek, Michigan. Today we're talking about neighborhood planning councils. What are those? Let's find out. Commissioner Jessica Lacosse is here with us, Commissioner from Ward 1.

Jessica Lacosse 0:23

Thank you for having me.

Richard Piet 0:24

Yes, thank you. Helen Guzzo's here too. She's practically a co-host of the show. We've talked to Helen many times, community development manager in the city of Battle Creek. Thanks to you both. It's good to be here. Well, thank you.

Helen Guzzo 0:39

Development is all about the health of Battle Creek. That's why I'm so prolific, I think.

Richard Piet 0:44

That that is true. There are many areas under the community development umbrella, aren't there? And the neighborhood planning councils are those. What are they?

History And Map Of Battle Creek NPCs

Helen Guzzo 0:54

Jessica has been terrific about restarting Neighborhood Planning Council 10, which is a Lakeview Prairie View. It's the last of our core neighborhood, neighborhood planning councils to restart after the pandemic. But uh the city commission chartered neighborhood planning councils in 1976 to be a listening year, a community process of citizen participation, engagement with neighborhoods. And there's five in our core city. They were the ones that were established in 1979. MPC 1 is in post edition, NPC Two is in Washington Heights, NBC Three is the old Lakeview neighborhood area, NBC 4 is the historic north side, um, and NPC five is Urbindale. And then when we merged in 1983 with um Battle Creek Township, then we added um 9, 10, and 11. 9 is the rural southwest. It's not restarted after the pandemic, but um NBC 11, which is um Mingus Creek, that one restarted, and then um Jessica has been spearheading the re-engagement of the Westlake Prairie View Neighborhood Planning Council 10.

Jessica Lacosse 2:02

Which has been a process.

How Resident Input Guides Development

Richard Piet 2:04

It's been a process. Absolutely. Why have you been passionate about making sure these were all restarted?

Jessica Lacosse 2:11

For me personally, I think that it comes down to really kind of getting, you know, the voices of the residents from these particular areas, they really influenced the city commission's decision on a lot of things. For example, Urbindale, we just had um someone come there from Dunkin' Donuts. They're looking at opening a new one over there by Taco Bell, and they presented it to the NPC. And the NPC kind of gives an informal opinion to the city commission on whether they think they should go through or not. You know, and those are the people that live in that neighborhood that are directly affected by it. So they're gonna know more than anybody.

Richard Piet 2:43

So, Helen, this could be your first opportunity to gauge what the temperature is on a certain subject. This is an association of sorts of neighbors, and uh this is the path they can express their points of view.

Regular Reports: Police, Zoning, Code

Helen Guzzo 3:02

Right. It's great to get to know your city commissioners. Most of the city commissioners go to the neighborhood planning councils that cover their ward. I know Jessica goes to NBC Five and NBC 10 and other ones maybe quite regularly. I've seen her at NBC 11 also. And usually you've got you always have a police report. So we have a community-oriented policing, a cops officer that comes and gives a crime report and can hear neighborhood concerns. There's always talk about people speeding and road conditions, and then planning and zoning come. And then we have a code compliance officer. So every neighborhood planning council has a code compliance officer that's responsible for the area. And they come and they give a report on the violations and the systemic reviews of properties that they're doing, and then they take concerns from neighbors. Maybe they haven't noticed and they're driving around the neighborhood drunk in trash or peeling paint or some other front yard parking. And so it's a great way to communicate neighborhood concerns to your code officer.

Richard Piet 4:04

Commissioner, this is what you hear when you go there. You hear what people are worried about.

Jessica Lacosse 4:09

Exactly. One of ours just talked about um there was an issue in that particular neighborhood with people disposing mattresses, things like that, um, and not being picked up. And it kind of was relayed to us that it was because they weren't in a plastic bags. So we're looking at, I guess the city used to have a program for that. We're looking at, you know, getting that started again. It's an issue that we wouldn't have known about otherwise.

Richard Piet 4:30

So yeah, you you're learning information you might not have heard otherwise in these uh situations. Helen, this is uh informational too from a city hall standpoint in the operations of the city, community development concerns. You're probably hearing things out of these councils for the first time, too.

Real Issues Raised And Solved

Funding, CDBG, And Required Developer Outreach

Helen Guzzo 4:51

Well, I administer the community development block grant program, which is federal funding, and there's a huge emphasis on citizen engagement and citizen participation. And that's why um community development supports the neighborhood planning councils because they're multifaceted ways for people to learn about government and to give input to government. But it's also a way for, you know, I go twice a year to all the neighborhood planning councils and talk about our annual action plan, how we're going to spend the money. And then in the fall, I go and explain how we did spend the money. Uh, there's not a lot of variation. We have a minor home repair, we find a quarter of code compliance. The 1.2 million we get in CEBG hasn't gone up since 2012. But um it is important feedback. And then planning and zoning, you know, before things go be planning and zoning, and before they go to the city commission, planning and zoning asks the developers to go talk to their neighborhood planning council. It's a requirement. Um, and so that's why that discussion at MPC 5 was about Dunkin' Donuts, but it's um all development. I know um NBC Three was like, no, we don't want another marijuana. We're not gonna vote to approve you because we don't want another marijuana um facility on Capitol Avenue. And that was a very loud community input that was given. And so that's something that goes on in neighborhood planning councils. And, you know, some of them struggle more than others. Like embassy 10 has we had 10 last two weeks ago, which was amazing, but we've had two other times. So it's all volunteer effort. We we need to recruit, like Embassy 10 has struggled to recruit Jessica's divin' great leadership, but she has a conflict of interest. She can't be chair of a neighborhood planning council because they're reporting and voting on input to give to the city commission. So city commissioners can be ex officio members, but they can't be officers. So um neighborhood planning council is really an all-volunteer effort. You know, Kathy Atea chairs MPC five, Brad Miller chairs MPC 11, and they're just concerned citizens. And so we need to recruit new leaders so that when those people are ready to step down, we have new ones, you know, we're mentoring new folks to get involved to be good chairs. And then all of the members, they're confirmed by they have to attend three meetings and then um they submit their names to be nominated by the city commission. So the city commission approves all members, and they have to have at least seven members present to have quorums. So they're representative, you know, it's a little piece of democracy. Neighborhood planning councils are.

Richard Piet 7:29

No kidding. Boy, uh, this is uh I was just thinking as you were describing that, this is not just a place to come and throw out public comment or something. This, Jessica, this is pretty serious. There's a platform, a process. Yeah. Uh like Helen said, a bit of democracy. You have to have some serious folks in the neighborhood who want to really be a part of it, don't they?

Jessica Lacosse 7:50

Absolutely. Kathy Anteya over in Urbindale does a great job. I mean, everything is run by Robert's rules, and she's very big stickler for following that guideline. There's a process and an order to things.

Helen Guzzo 8:01

So there's a public comment period, and they have to follow the Open Meetings Act. So everyone is open. It's an open public meeting. They can't close the doors. Um, so it it's run a little bit like a city commission meeting, but not, you know, it's an informal, you know, like Jessica brought cake to celebrate birthdays. You know, it's that a community at NBC 4 in February. Um, they're doing a little uh wine and cheese to get it started because they want to create better connections and want to recruit new members. So we really do need more, especially younger homeowners, renters. We have a lot of older folks that are kind of used to public process and um we're a little too old or we're a little too white. We want everybody to come to neighborhood planning councils so that it really is representative of our community, so that we can, you know, and neighborhood planning council five, they do neighborhood cleanups twice a year. Um, they've done festivals, neighborhood festivals before. I know MC4 has done block groups. I know Jessica asks for funds from the Battle Creek Community Foundation. And in the spring, they're going to be doing some sort of cookout, something to recruit more members so that people know how important it is to get involved in your neighborhood planning council.

Volunteers, Quorums, And Leadership Gaps

Richard Piet 9:19

You anticipated where I was going because I wondered how you would invite people to consider participating in this and not just stopping by to, you know, hear what's happening, which is important too, but actually being on the uh commission and the council and uh learning and carrying out the process that you're describing. Is there, Jessica, usually an opportunity of some kind there for someone to volunteer?

Jessica Lacosse 9:50

You know, it's great for all residents. Like Helen said, we really want to get um people from all different backgrounds there, but it has been a struggle to get people aware of the NPCs. A lot of people just don't know about them. So we've really been trying to put them out in social media. Um, there was lists of residents that used to be part of um the one NPC that I'm trying to resurrect. So I would go out and put flyers on their doors. And that did recruit some more individuals, but just getting the word out there because it's so advantageous for any resident to be a part of this. Um, not only information, but to have their voice heard and, you know, get to know their community members and be a part of something.

Richard Piet 10:27

Well, some folks are probably surprised that there's their commissioner hanging a door hanger on their door and uh ringing the bell and saying hello.

Jessica Lacosse 10:36

I thought I might have been on one of the Facebook pages last week because that was one in the morning when I was doing it, but one in the morning.

Helen Guzzo 10:43

Wow.

Richard Piet 10:45

Wow.

Process, Open Meetings, And Building Community

Helen Guzzo 10:51

Uh we have the description of where your neighborhood planning council is. There's a map. So neighborhood planning councils, it's right under your government. And um, there's a list of when the meetings are held. They're all held like um MPC One is at the Doris Hale facility, which is the Head Start building on 110 Green Street, and they meet the first Thursday at 7 p.m. North Central, which is Washington Heights, they meet at Washington Heights United Methodist Church at 153 Northwood on the second Monday at 6 p.m. Um, Pastor Monique French is actually the chair of MPC2. So they have a regular meeting spot and they meet at a regular time. And MPC three has been really struggling with their quorum because they they just not recruited new members. So um we have to have seven to be able to approve your minutes and to be able to vote and and give input on the planning and development things that are coming before the neighborhood planning councils. So we really are here to ask citizens to get involved and to start coming to neighborhood planning councils. We need new folks to replace folks that move away or just are age and can't go out in the evening as much. But they are all evening meetings and they're in public locations. Um, and they usually ask about an hour, hour and a half. They never last more than an hour and a half, but depending on how controversial an issue is, like neighborhood planning council 11 was very involved in the um the Lakeview business district um plan that the city just adopted.

Richard Piet 12:27

Jessica, someone's listening to this and and maybe they're saying, Oh, maybe I want to do that, or maybe I should do that, but I don't know if I'm the right person. Talk to them a little bit and help them think about it.

Jessica Lacosse 12:41

Really, everyone is the right person. I mean, we want to have all voices part of this. So, you know, there's an opportunity, you know, to be the chairperson, vice chair, or secretary. And we're looking for that for NPC 10 right now at our next meeting. Um, but just to be, you know, one of those voices that um adds to the conversation about whether we're gonna go through with the development or we should go through with it. And it's a good place to also learn about different things. We have different speakers at every meeting. We had Michael over from the library recently, and he told us all kinds of different activities that we weren't aware of, that there's a 3D printer that people can use for free. You know, there's a lot of different things that can add to that.

Richard Piet 13:20

Well, what is that they say? 90% of life is showing up.

Helen Guzzo 13:25

So uh if you show up to show up to our neighborhood planning councils because it's a it's a great way to learn more about how your government works and then to have input into decision making. Yes.

Richard Piet 13:38

How often do you turn over the chair and the vice chair and the the officers of the council?

Helen Guzzo 13:44

Jim Marino has been chair of neighborhood planning council one for about 40 years. Oh my goodness. But there is an annual meeting every year, and the commission, you know, the the the council votes in a firm. So they usually have a nominating process where they ask a nominating committee or one person to say who wants to be chair, and and it's it's always like Rotary and Lions and Kwanis, they all kind of struggle with how do we recruit folks that run a good meeting, um, that have the time and the energy and the passion to inspire others to get involved. So um we do there is an annual meeting, and the to be a member, you agree to three years. So it's a three-year term, and then we renew every three years um your membership in a neighborhood planning council. But planning councils are open to anybody to attend. And then if you have attended three meetings, then you can ask or they'll they will encourage you to apply to become a member. And then there's an annual meeting, usually in the around this time, that re um that elects leadership. Okay.

Richard Piet 14:54

Well, uh, three years makes a lot of sense. Sounds very similar to if if folks have served on a nonprofit board, something of that nature, it's very similar to that. Uh, and so uh it's an opportunity too to be involved in your neighborhood. Now, Helen, you mentioned uh the different nights and locations of these meetings. I presume that's available on the website, right?

Recruiting Diverse Members And New Energy

Helen Guzzo 15:17

It's all on the city's website. Yep. There's many locations, but all the minutes are in the agenda center. They follow a standard minute or a standard um agenda. So there always is a police report, there's always a code report, and usually there's a guest speaker like um Perry Hart from the water department. You we've had water issues, and it's been very interesting. And people need to understand the new wells that have been um put in at Verona Wellfield and that have created the organic matter that the byproduct, you know, it's and he does a great job of explaining the martial water aquifer that we all get water from. And, you know, those are the kinds of things that just help you understand how city services are delivered, who the civil servants are that in that administer, and you know, that whether or not, you know, you just you feel like with Perry, I always feel like I can trust him. Like he's just a a good person, a professional, trying to do his best to to make, you know, and so he explains what the TTHMs are, and I think it's really helpful. And then um, like Jessica was helpful in getting the Department of Public Works to put some speed bumps on Iroquois in front of Westlake schools. Um, and that was through citizens complaint and activism and getting to the city commissioner to to have it be raised with the Department of Public Works.

Richard Piet 16:41

Was that something you heard in a in a planning council, Jessica?

Jessica Lacosse 16:45

Uh I had a lot of neighbors because I'm in that particular neighborhood. So um prior to me even running for commissioner, I had spoken to a lot of them. But that was one of the really big things that they, you know, had as an issue, especially because it's raped by a school. Um, so that was one of the first things that we did as part of that NPC. And that's something that you can only do through an NPC.

Richard Piet 17:08

So, we talked with Perry about water in another episode here of the BC City Connection. So we invite you to subscribe to these episodes so you're aware when they come available and some of these uh details come out. But the neighborhood planning councils are your chance to have your finger on the pulse in your neighborhood and be involved in the discussions with your neighbors and the city. What an opportunity, ladies, for this uh chance for folks. Neighborhood Planning Council, City of Battle Creek. We'll link the link that Helen referred to in the show notes for this episode as well, so you can click right through and get more info on those neighborhood planning councils. Commissioner Jessica Lacosse, Helen Gusell, City of Battle Creek. Thanks to you both.

Helen Guzzo 17:55

Thank you. Thanks for all you do for our city.