DEARBORN — As we shift into the summer season where lawns are groomed and gardens are blossoming, city officials have been encouraging residents to join their local neighborhood association to preserve the city’s property values and community involvement. 

City Council President Susan Dabaja and Residential Services Assistant Department Head John Cascardo tell The Arab American News that the neighborhood associations have been a progressive avenue for residents to provide feedback and stay in the loop on ordinances and community events.

Thirty-seven neighborhood associations have been established across the city, but only 18 of them are currently active. Through these associations, the city has been able to facilitate liaisons to communicate with residents on issues they feel need to be addressed in their area.

“The ones that are active right now are doing a lot within their neighborhood to let people understand what the city ordinances are and how to maintain their property values. It has been a great form of communication,” said Cascardo.

Each association is usually led by residents from that particular neighborhood and functions as its own entity. Some examples of current active associations include Hemlock, Oakman Grove and Springwells on the east side, and Snow Woods, Golfview Oaks and Dearborn Hills on the west side. 

The associations have been meeting either monthly or bi-monthly, to address questions and concerns taking place in their particular area.

A common issue that seems to be addressed at the meetings are concerns regarding owners of rental homes not maintaining their properties to be up to par with city codes. 

With an increase in rental homes across the city in the last few years, Dabaja said it’s a common focal point residents have been bringing to her attention since she took office in January. The associations have been a consistent avenue in identifying some of these homes. 

“The concern is that some tenants are generally not maintaining the outside of the home as much as property owners do,” Dabaja said. “They are there for a few months and they then are out. Their top priority isn’t to keep the appearance of the home up to the standards that we’ve come to expect in Dearborn.” 

In April, Dabaja was a guest speaker at a Dearborn Federation of Neighborhood Associations (DFNA) meeting, where neighborhood association heads come together once a month to discuss current issues. One concern brought up at the meeting was measures to improve involvement from Arab American residents in their neighborhood associations. 

Despite making up nearly half of the population in the city, very few have been involved in the associations, especially in east end neighborhoods where many Arab American residents are facing similar obstacles.  

“Arab Americans make up the majority of some of these neighborhoods and it’s kind of disheartening to see little participation,” Dabaja said. “Hopefully we can relay this message and let them know that their presence as taxpaying residents is wanted.  I encourage everyone to at least go to one meeting and give ideas or share their concerns.”

South end residents seem to have already kick-started their participation with the Lapeer Park Neighborhood Association. Earlier this month, local Arab American residents organized a community clean-up day where children and teens walked through neighborhood streets to pick up trash and liter as they were chaperoned by adults. 

Cascardo said he hopes to use that same clean up model established by the south end residents and bring it to other neighborhoods in the city.  

“It was the first in the city of its kind,” he said. “We are hoping this activity will pick up throughout different neighborhoods. Other associations were happy with the event and are now aiming to go to schools to ask children to participate. These types of events instill our kids with a sense of pride.”

Other issues pertaining to Arab American residents in east Dearborn includes dealing with an increase in trash, litter and untamed grass from local businesses. Dabaja urges residents to identify businesses and homes who may be negligent in such areas. 

Despite the current lack of involvement in homeowner associations, Dabaja said she applauds the local Arab American community for being a major contributor in brightening Dearborn’s neighborhoods and encourages Arab Americans to get more involved.

“I’m very proud of those residents in the east end who have gone out of their way to maintain their homes. Residents who are constantly cutting their grass, picking up litter and growing flowers have turned our neighborhoods into a beautiful site,” Dabaja said.  

In recent years, the city has also taken greater measures to remodel neighborhoods through their Neighborhood Stabilization Program. The city has been buying, demolishing and renovating numerous vacant and substandard residential properties and businesses for redevelopment, in attempts to maintain attractive and safe neighborhoods. 

Cascardo is also encouraging residents to participate in Neighborhood Watch programs that have been organized by the Dearborn Police Department. 

Serious crimes across the city have so far been down 15 percent year-to-date, and a majority of it is because of increased community awareness through technology that includes Nixle, a text message alert program that 7,800 people have now subscribed to. 

Cascardo’s goal is to re-activate all of the city’s 37 neighborhood associations. He said all it takes is a few interested residents to re-start an association in their neighborhood.

“My role is not just to convey rules and responsibilities to residents, but to take back what we’ve heard from them and address it with the administration of the city. We stay at these meetings until everyone is heard,” Cascardo added. 

Residents can learn more about joining their local neighborhood association by contacting John Cascardo directly at 313.801.2015 or emailing him at jcascardo@ci.dearborn.mi.us. For more information on the DFNA, visit www.dfna.org.

For question’s pertaining to city council, Susan Dabaja can be reached at 313.943.2403 or by email at sdabaja@ci.dearborn.mi.us.