Learning from the Mayfair Civic Association
A
recent visit to Mayfair opened an interesting door to civic
action. Just recently I made a trip to the scheduled meeting of the
Mayfair Civic Association
in the Northeast, not a regular stop for someone who mostly attends
meetings in my home territories of Germantown, Mt. Airy and Chestnut
Hill.
Sometimes
it’s good to get a fresh perspective, especially when it results in
coming away from a community meeting with a positive view of everything
that just happened, as was the case that night in Mayfair. (I can’t
remember the last time that happened in troubled Germantown or Run in
the Dark Mt. Airy).
I
was directed there primarily because Councilman David Oh was scheduled
to make a presentation just before the primary election on his proposed
change
in the “Resign to Run” laws for city elected officials. Considering the
potential of such a change, I thought it would be worth listening to it
firsthand.
What
I saw there should be a model for how Civic Associations across this
city operate. First, the turnout was significant; although I did not do
a
count, I would guess 65-70 people were present sitting or standing.
Second, it was an up-front lesson in working social change.
Spending most of my life in this city, there was always a cliché that named Mayfair “The Great White Northeast.”
Well,
it’s been while since I took notice, but there was a greater mix of
race and ethnicity there than I would have ever imagined in past years;
it
was not one or two token individuals, and those who were there were all
vocal and focused.
A significant agenda was well managed, and I sat through all of it as Councilman Oh was scheduled last.
Sub-committee
folks were prepared to report, critical issues got time and feedback, a
major zoning change proposal was well critiqued by numerous near
and not-so-near neighbors with legitimate concerns and questions, and
order was kept when needed by some very careful leadership by Chairman
Joe DeFelice and his associates.
A
surprising coincidence came on May 29, when a prominent Inquirer story
by Dan Geringer told how Mayfair Civic bootstrapped itself back from the
dead.
It was all done through the efforts of citizen activists and
particularly Mr. DeFelice who went hands on a few years back in 2009.
When
the city funded agencies turned Mayfair Civic down for what they saw as
neglected facilities and essential services, Mayfair Civic did not just
cry the blues and beg politicians. They knocked on doors, raised nickels
and dimes and held fundraisers. Once the grassroots efforts got
noticed, Mayfair Civic got some serious sponsorship from local
businesses and a major donation from a large area supermarket
that recreated closed playgrounds and funded upgrades everywhere.
For
far too long, I have watched the fragmented and narrow agenda focused
so-called civic groups in my home territory talk the talk, fight among
one
another, and accomplish little except wasted effort.
As
with Mayfair, city departments ignore them in the Northwest too, except
when some inside deal with specific political interests are in the mix,
and
then just about every one of them tries to position themselves for
public money, often with some back door dealing. Worse, the big business
types actually dominate political control and in effect take money from
the community one way or another. The concept
of any of them donating $80,000 for a playground or any other project is
pure fantasy.
The
folks in Mayfair apparently get it. If the city is too inept or corrupt
to do their job, walk around them and do it yourself. That is how it
should
be done, and congratulations to Mr. DeFelice and his whole
organization. Civic activists everywhere can learn a lot from their
experience.
Jim Foster
Editor
215-438-5171
editor@germantownnewspapers.com
http://www.germantownnewspapers.com/Welcome_to_Germantown_Newspapers.html
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