Low turnout at Warren event raises questions about citizens

SDLqWe can’t get the people involved. All they want to do is complain.” A harsh indictment, indeed, of the residents of the city of Warren from Bob Groner of the Northwest Neighborhood Association.

But the turnout Saturday at the “Mayor’s Strategic Plan City-Wide Summit” bears out Groner’s observation. Only 45 people showed up at Packard Music Hall, and most of them are members of Warren’s neighborhood watch and revitalization groups.

These are individuals who are already actively involved in the life of the city, but they are a distinct minority.

Where are all those residents who are quick to complain about the lack of police or fire protection, the deteriorating neighborhoods and inattention of city government? It’s easy to complain, but a lot more difficult to make the commitment to participate in the revitalization of the city.

The strategic plan, which was initiated in December 2008 when Mayor Michael O’Brien and city council entered into a contract with Poggemeyer Group of Bowling Green for $180,000, talks about right-sizing the neighborhoods and downtown to eliminate blight, and accentuates Warren’s assets.

Reducing the housing stock by about 4,000 homes has been identified as a key element in the revitalization effort.

Last June, during a news conference at which the plan was unveiled, Charlene Kerr, principal owner of Poggemeyer, said there are a variety of ways the 4,000 goal can be reached: reduce just a few homes per block in blighted neighborhoods; tear down half of them; or, eliminate most of them in one fell swoop.

Kerr said at the time the strategy depends on what the neighbors want.

That’s why residents should have attended Saturday’s summit. They have a vested interest in what happens in their neighborhoods.

During the event, Kerr offered this observation:

“Warren is a much safer and nicer place than its image to the general public appears. It has a lot of assets ... but everybody has to help out.”

Reviving old cities is not an easy job, and unless all the stakeholders are involved, an uphill climb is made all the more steeper.

Youngstown’s plan

In 2000, the city of Youngstown unveiled “Youngstown 2010,” a revitalization blueprint that established goals to be met in 10 years. While there has been some progress made, a key provision, the realignment of neighborhoods through the relocation of residents who live in sparsely populated areas, remains unfulfilled.

With Youngstown’s declining population, the geographic size of the city does matter. Likewise, the city of Warren.

That’s why the involvement of residents is so important. They hold the key to the city’s future.

There will be another public summit in Warren in October. A huge turnout will deliver a strong message to city officials and others involved in the revitalization effort: We care.