They are highly important, especially in light of the finite resources that the
city can command, but should not give us cover to shirk away from
responsibilities and obligations. The Trail foundation is but one example of
how this can be done well. Transferring that kind of success to smaller
neighborhood projects, without the same kind of cache, is where the
greatest potential lies for these partnerships. Council’s job needs to be
marshaling the philanthropic support to the most under severed areas.
Once again, this comes from members communicating the needs of their
constituents, humanizing them, and leveraging that story to effectively get
resources. Whether we are establishing something like the Pease Park
Conservancy or looking to fund big dollar items, Council members are best
situated in harnessing these energies and directing them to the real needs
of the community.