04-21-2009, 07:55 AM
This is going to be a long post, so please bear with me. As always, corrections and differing opinions are welcome.
As most of you who follow HPP affairs know, my partner Bear, several neighbors, and I have been active in the HPP Neighborhood Watch for over a year now. We have been trying to bring the HPPNW to a higher level of activity and more effective community-wide presence. This has not been easy. The organization has had a reputation for being stuck in a rut with the leadership passing back and forth between a few of the same individuals for years.
We did not just go in and try to overhaul the HPPNW the first time we attended, but instead got to know the previous members and started suggesting a more active role. Things started to look promising in January of this year when we learned that the office of Emily Naeole and the County Prosecutor's office had grant money of $1200 to $1500 to help support us. We had to present a breakdown of how the money was to be spent by the end of March, or it would no longer be available.
A committee was appointed to make a proposal to spend the money, and I was one of the members of it. We met three or four times and came up with a proposal for buying supplies and equipment which would enable a coordinated program of patrols in HPP. One of the "old guard" leaders attended these meetings. He was repeatedly asked what funds he needed to carry forward the existing activities of HPPNW, which consisted mainly of distributing crime prevention literature, collecting rubbish periodically as a community service, and sponsoring the annual Trunk or Treat Halloween party. This gentleman told us several times that he only needed about 20% of the grant money.
When we presented our budget proposal to the HPPNW members at the
February meeting, there was a vote to accept it by a large margin. IIRC, only the chairman and the gentleman who attended the budget meetings voted against it. The chairman actually said at one point that we did not need to patrol! Only after the meeting, we learned that they had obtained the money already and spent nearly all of it. This made most of the membership angry, and at our April meeting, we learned that the HPPNW was a committee of the HPPOA Board. There are a lot of legal and technical reasons for this mainly having to do with operating under the umbrella of the HPPOA Non-Profit Certification. At the same time, the membership voted to accept this status (had no choice, really) and vote for new leadership at the May meeting which will be May 2 at 9 a.m. at the HPP Activity Center.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned home-owners in the Paradise Ala Kai area had grown frustrated with the lack of activity of the HPPNW. These members of the community contacted Officer Finkey, our Community Police Officer, with a plan to establish their own independent Neighborhood Watch. I do not begrudge them this, given the lack of a coordinated HPP-wide patrol and reporting system. This group sent representatives to the most recent HPPOA Board meeting, where they were told of the HPPNW's status as a Committee of the Board. Councilwoman Naeole and the Board indicated to the Paradise Ala Kai group that they would need to operate withing the current structure to get any future funding. Ms. Naeole also indicated that funding would be getting scarce due to County budget limitations. Officer Finkey and some of the Board (Jeff Spaur IIRC, but correct me if wrong) suggested that the HPPNW needs to become an umbrella group for more local, focused Watch operations with block captains. In the opinion of many, HPP is simply too big for a single amorphous Watch to be effective. I can't argue with that.
At the same HPPOA Board Meeting, Kile Golden reported that he has been trying to get the HPPNW checkbooks and receipts from the chaiman without success. These financial records need to be turned over for examination.
So that brings us to now. The meeting on May 2 will be a very important one, with decisions made there which will affect the future effectiveness of HPPNW profoundly. This is an opportunity to make the HPPNW more functional and accountable. Unfortunately, I have a long-standing family commitment to be in Texas the day of the meeting, but I urge everyone with an interest in an effective Neighborhood Watch in HPP to attend and participate.
Cheers,
Jerry
As most of you who follow HPP affairs know, my partner Bear, several neighbors, and I have been active in the HPP Neighborhood Watch for over a year now. We have been trying to bring the HPPNW to a higher level of activity and more effective community-wide presence. This has not been easy. The organization has had a reputation for being stuck in a rut with the leadership passing back and forth between a few of the same individuals for years.
We did not just go in and try to overhaul the HPPNW the first time we attended, but instead got to know the previous members and started suggesting a more active role. Things started to look promising in January of this year when we learned that the office of Emily Naeole and the County Prosecutor's office had grant money of $1200 to $1500 to help support us. We had to present a breakdown of how the money was to be spent by the end of March, or it would no longer be available.
A committee was appointed to make a proposal to spend the money, and I was one of the members of it. We met three or four times and came up with a proposal for buying supplies and equipment which would enable a coordinated program of patrols in HPP. One of the "old guard" leaders attended these meetings. He was repeatedly asked what funds he needed to carry forward the existing activities of HPPNW, which consisted mainly of distributing crime prevention literature, collecting rubbish periodically as a community service, and sponsoring the annual Trunk or Treat Halloween party. This gentleman told us several times that he only needed about 20% of the grant money.
When we presented our budget proposal to the HPPNW members at the
February meeting, there was a vote to accept it by a large margin. IIRC, only the chairman and the gentleman who attended the budget meetings voted against it. The chairman actually said at one point that we did not need to patrol! Only after the meeting, we learned that they had obtained the money already and spent nearly all of it. This made most of the membership angry, and at our April meeting, we learned that the HPPNW was a committee of the HPPOA Board. There are a lot of legal and technical reasons for this mainly having to do with operating under the umbrella of the HPPOA Non-Profit Certification. At the same time, the membership voted to accept this status (had no choice, really) and vote for new leadership at the May meeting which will be May 2 at 9 a.m. at the HPP Activity Center.
Meanwhile, a group of concerned home-owners in the Paradise Ala Kai area had grown frustrated with the lack of activity of the HPPNW. These members of the community contacted Officer Finkey, our Community Police Officer, with a plan to establish their own independent Neighborhood Watch. I do not begrudge them this, given the lack of a coordinated HPP-wide patrol and reporting system. This group sent representatives to the most recent HPPOA Board meeting, where they were told of the HPPNW's status as a Committee of the Board. Councilwoman Naeole and the Board indicated to the Paradise Ala Kai group that they would need to operate withing the current structure to get any future funding. Ms. Naeole also indicated that funding would be getting scarce due to County budget limitations. Officer Finkey and some of the Board (Jeff Spaur IIRC, but correct me if wrong) suggested that the HPPNW needs to become an umbrella group for more local, focused Watch operations with block captains. In the opinion of many, HPP is simply too big for a single amorphous Watch to be effective. I can't argue with that.
At the same HPPOA Board Meeting, Kile Golden reported that he has been trying to get the HPPNW checkbooks and receipts from the chaiman without success. These financial records need to be turned over for examination.
So that brings us to now. The meeting on May 2 will be a very important one, with decisions made there which will affect the future effectiveness of HPPNW profoundly. This is an opportunity to make the HPPNW more functional and accountable. Unfortunately, I have a long-standing family commitment to be in Texas the day of the meeting, but I urge everyone with an interest in an effective Neighborhood Watch in HPP to attend and participate.
Cheers,
Jerry