CASA Latina’s Good Neighbor Agreement
In the Spring of 2007, a committee of local residents, business owners, and community representatives convened through Casa Latina’s invitation to discuss neighborhood concerns regarding its move to 17th and Jackson. Some of these concerns included: parking, traffic, loitering, “hanger ons” to the day labor center, littering, a crime increase due to unknown individuals moving through the neighborhood, and safety issues for the elderly who live in the nearby area, as well as adequate problem-solving and enforcement tools for issues that may arise following Casa Latina’s move to its new site.
A third-party mediator from the Cedar River Group was appointed by the City of Seattle to facilitate the creation of a Good Neighbor Agreement. Following are the highlights of such Agreement.
A Good Neighbor Ambassador
CASA Latina will hire a Good Neighbor Ambassador to service the streets around 17th and Jackson seven days per week. The primary purpose of the Ambassador is to prevent the creation of an outdoor labor market in the neighborhood. The Ambassador will work closely with the police to discourage any non-Casa Latina workers from looking for work on neighborhood streets and sidewalks and report any criminal activity observed.
Advisory Group
The City of Seattle will create an Advisory Group to monitor the situation and will hold monthly meetings. This committee will include: the CASA Latina Executive Director, a CASA Latina board member, at least six members representing local neighborhood residential and business interests, two representatives from the local community councils, one appointed by the Squire Park Community Council and one appointed by the Jackson Place Community Council, a Seattle Police Department representative, and a representative from the City of Seattle Department of Neighborhoods.
Task Force
Certain conditions may warrant the convening of a special task force to resolve outstanding issues. The task force would be convened if the presence of a large number of day laborers soliciting employment on the sidewalk or street in the area served by the Good Neighbor Ambassador is observed or if a significant increase in criminal activity that can be related directly to CASA Latina’s program activities is documented.
Ergonomic Upgrades and Additions
Ergonomic upgrades and additions include: litter pick-up around the site; appropriate lighting and building design within and around the site as approved by Seattle Police Department’s Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED); an outdoor smoking area that is removed and screened from the sidewalk; parking for six cars; day laborer pick-up from the alley side of 17th and Jackson; and the review of all new building plans by the Advisory Committee.
Accountability
First, the City of Seattle and CASA Latina have agreed that the annual contract between the City and CASA Latina is conditioned upon CASA Latina implementing those measures in the Agreement that are under its control. Failure to do so would result in the loss of operating funding that would have a significant impact on CASA Latina.
Secondly, the Agreement includes a provision to create a special task force of City department heads, neighborhood representatives, council member presidents, and the East Precinct Captain. This will ensure that emergency measures can be put into place if needed.
Not all GNA committee members agreed to the final GNA as it currently is written. Some feel that fundamental concerns have not been answered by the group assembled. Time will tell what the impacts, positive and/or negative, that this new organization will bring to Squire Park.
I encourage you to review the actual GNA document, which can be found at: www.squirepark.org
—Karin Powell
GNA Committee Member