Neighborhood Toolkit

Neighborhood Toolkit

Neighborhood and Homeowners Associations:

How to form a neighborhood association –

The City of Tallahassee provides directions on how to create a neighborhood association. www.talgov.com/parks/neighborhood/h2guide2.cfm

Council of Neighborhood Associations -

CONA works cooperatively with neighborhood and homeowner associations, local governments, law enforcement, the educational community, business, environmental groups and other civic organizations on those issues that affect the quality of life, health, safety and wellbeing of area residents. If your neighborhood is interested in joining CONA, information can be found at www.econa.org.

Florida's Homeowners Association Laws -

Florida Statutes, Chapter 720, describes the procedures for operating a homeowners association as well as the rights of homeowners. www.leg.state.fl.us.

Neighborhood Play:

Playground safety tips –
  1. Make sure surfaces around playground equipment have at least 12 inches of wood chips, mulch, sand, or pea gravel, or are mats made of safety-tested rubber or rubber-like materials.
  2. Check that protective surfacing extends at least 6 feet in all directions from play equipment. For swings, be sure surfacing extends, in back and front, twice the height of the suspending bar.
  3. Make sure play structures more than 30 inches high are spaced at least 9 feet apart.
  4. Check for dangerous hardware, like open "S" hooks or protruding bolt ends.
  5. Check for sharp points or edges in equipment.
  6. Check the temperature of the slides to avoid burns in the summer heat.
  7. Look out for tripping hazards, like exposed concrete footings, tree stumps, and rocks.
  8. Make sure elevated surfaces, like platforms and ramps, have guardrails to prevent falls.
  9. Check playgrounds regularly to see that equipment and surfacing are in good condition.
  10. Carefully supervise children on playgrounds to make sure they're safe.

Brought to you by the U.S Consumer Product Safety Commission and KaBOOM!, a national nonprofit organization committed to building safe playgrounds for America's children through the KaBOOM! LET US PLAY campaign. For more information, call toll-free 1-888-789-PLAY or visit the KaBOOM! web site at www.kaboom.org.

Water Safety –

Water safety has no one simple solution. Drowning prevention means creating Layers of Protection for children and adults. The following resources, safety tips, and information below are shown to have effectiveness. Use as many as you can all the time. Annually in Florida, enough children to fill four preschool classrooms drown and do not live to see their fifth birthday. Florida has the highest accidental drowning death rate in the nation for the 1 to 4 year old age group. www.doh.state.fl.us/chdcollier/services/WaterSafetyDrowningPrevention.html

CPR, Babysitting, etc. -

Health and Safety classes include CPR, AED, lifeguarding, swimming, babysitting, and more for individuals and organizations. For information and schedules, go to www.tallyredcross.org.

Neighborhood or Community Garden –

The City of Tallahassee is happy to assist citizens in the development of community gardens. City staff is available to assist you and your neighbors in establishing a community garden. Staff is also available to discuss potential city-owned properties in your neighborhood that are appropriate for gardens, garden design, and proper siting on the property. For more information, click here. www.talgov.com/planning/environ/gardening.cfm

Do your neighbors want to share a gardening space, or will your neighborhood divide a garden into plots that will be maintained by different families? Who will be in charge of weeding and watering and who will get the vegetables and fruits that are produced? The Man in Overalls can help a neighborhood answer these questions and more in order to get a neighborhood garden started. maninoveralls.blogspot.com

Recycling –

For information on what can be recycled and what cannot, go to www.leoncountyfl.gov/recycling/howtorecycle.asp

Neighborhood Safety

Crime Watch -

Would your neighborhood like to form a Crime Watch? The Leon County Sheriff’s Office will come to your neighborhood meeting and help you organize. Call Nancy Burns, (850) 922-3331, with any questions.

application/pdfcrimewatch guide 6-10.pdf 162.21 kB
Disaster Preparedness -

Disaster and Emergency classes are free and you can register for them by calling the Disaster Services at (850) 878-6080 ex. 5616 or by faxing your name, phone number, and course selection to (850) 878-3441. Disaster and Emergency class schedules can be found at www.tallyredcross.org. For more information, go to www.tallyredcross.org

The Florida Division of Emergency Services has created a website where you can create a personalized family disaster plan. www.floridadisaster.org/family

Using the information you provide, this website will create a customized Business Disaster Plan that you can print out and save for future emergencies. www.floridadisaster.org/business

Neighborhood and Family Communication in a disaster –

One of the most important, yet often overlooked facets of family and neighborhood Disaster Preparedness is that of Emergency Communications. In many/most cases, telephone and even cell phone communications may not be available after an emergency situation, and if they are, they are often congested or overloaded to the extent that the prospects of reaching required emergency responders are significantly reduced. emcomus.org/commwp.html.

Traffic Calming –

Traffic calming is a multi-step process.

Step 1: Petition to study

The petition must be received signed by seventy-five percent (75%) or more of adjacent residents. Note: At this time, the petition to request traffic calming for a street may not be reviewed or submitted on-line. It must be handled by calling Traffic Engineering at 891-8261. Even then, a petition may not be granted. * Reasons why are listed below*

If the signed petition is received before the start of the next fiscal year (October 1st), the street will be added to the current fiscal year's Traffic Calming list. If the petition is received after the start of the next fiscal year, the street will instead be added to the next year's Traffic Calming list.

Step 2: Data collection by Traffic Engineering

After the City receives the petition to study, Traffic Engineering will collect information on roadway speeds, traffic volumes, accident rates, sidewalk configurations, pedestrian "generators" (schools, parks, and so on), and number of residential units.

Step 3: Priority Ranking

Once Traffic Engineering collects the roadway data, the street is ranked and placed on the Residential Area Traffic Calming Priority Listing. This ranking will determine the priority for each street awaiting traffic calming. (For more information on this ranking, go to http://www.talgov.com/pubworks/traffic_calm_priority.cfm )

Step 4: Field review and conceptual plan development

When a project reaches the top of the priority list, Traffic Engineering will develop a conceptual plan based on location of existing driveways, utilities, and roadway grades. The conceptual plan will generally provide for calming features every 400-600 feet.

Step 5: Meeting with residents

Once a conceptual plan has been developed, a meeting with the residents will be scheduled to receive their input on the plan. If the plan is unsatisfactory to the residents, the plan will be revised and a follow-up meeting held to allow the residents to review and comment on the revised plan.

Step 6: Polling cards

Before scheduling construction, 75% or more of the residents along the roadway must sign and return a polling card stating that they accept the proposed plan and would like the City to proceed with construction.

Steps 7 & 8: Final design and permitting / Construction

Step 9: Post-construction evaluation

After 120 days, Traffic Engineering will evaluate impact on speeds, volumes, and safety. Results will be presented to the neighborhood.

*Reasons why requests for traffic calming may be denied:

  • The street or roadway was designed to carry high volumes of traffic, at relatively high rates of speed. Obvious local examples would be streets such as Tennessee Street, Thomasville Road, and Capital Circle. Less obvious examples would be, say, White Drive, Killarney Way, and much (if not all) of Gadsden Street. Tallahassee and Leon County use the "functional classification" system (established by the Federal Highway Authority, or FHWA) to classify the main purpose of a street or roadway. Using this system, we may traffic calm only those streets classified as "minor collectors" or lower. According to the glossary accompanying the Tallahassee-Leon County Comprehensive Plan, a minor collector is "a street that conducts traffic from a number of minor streets to the major collector/arterial system, between other collectors, from activity centers to a street of higher classification and provides access to adjoining properties. Minor collectors are predominately residential in nature, except in commercial, office, or industrial subdivisions, and generally have lower volumes, shorter trip lengths, and fewer through trips than major collectors."
  • A requested road may be a part of or affected by a larger plan; traffic calming therefore may not be necessary or appropriate at this time. For example, construction of a nearby roadway may be causing high volumes of traffic to be temporarily diverted through a neighborhood.
  • The speeding problems may be more simply (and less expensively) dealt with by improving enforcement of existing speed limits and obedience to traffic signs such as STOP, YIELD, and so on. In such cases, Traffic Engineering will consult with the Tallahassee Police Department, possibly with the assistance of the citizen(s) requesting the traffic calming.
  • It's very uncommon for every single residential property owner along a given stretch of roadway to agree that traffic calming is worth the disruption to everyday life. Some of this disruption occurs during design and construction phases, as engineers survey and contractors reconstruct the street surface and/or shoulders. Some of it occurs afterwards, as the impact of the traffic calming sinks in: the calming barriers may be less aesthetically pleasing than a straight, unbroken stretch of asphalt, for example. Therefore, we apply a "75% rule" at two different stages of the Residential Traffic Calming Program procedure:
    • At least 75% of the property owners must agree to sign the petition requesting traffic calming. Otherwise, we will not consider the petition at all.

Just before final design and permitting of a traffic calming project, at least 75% of the property owners must return "polling cards" stating that they accept the proposed plan and would like the City to begin construction. Thus, even though 75% of the residents may have agreed to the initial request, some may change their minds after seeing the preliminary design and reconsidering the impact of construction and of the traffic calming itself.

Lawn Pesticides –

For information on using pesticides safely, www.epa.gov/pesticides/health/safely.htm

Engaging Teens -

Teen Center -

In August 2010, the Palmer Munroe Teen Center opened its doors as the first teen center in Tallahassee, Florida. A collaboration between the City of Tallahassee, Leon County, Leon County Schools, and the Department of Juvenile Justice, the Palmer Munroe Teen Center offers a unique blend of educational classes, workshops, programs and recreation activities for youth. The Center also serves as a safe, productive oriented haven for many area youth.

The Teen Center will be open during the summer from 2:00pm to 8:00pm on Monday through Saturday. Throughout the school year, the Teen Center offers a number of educational, outreach, and recreational programs for teens. Click here for more information on the Teen Center.

Library -

The Teen Page on the LeRoy Collins Leon County Public Library System's website offers lots of information and tips for teens - from driving to job applications. Click here for the Library's Teen Page.

More Information:

Energy Efficiency Grants –

The City of Tallahassee has grants and loans that can help you make your home more energy efficient. Products include ceiling insulation grants and Energy-Efficiency Retrofit Grants. www.talgov.com/you/products

Free Energy Analysis Program -

Talquin’s Energy Services Specialist is equipped with specially designed tools and training to provide quality analysis of Talquin Members’ homes. Call (850) 627-7651 to set up an appointment.

Call Before you Dig -

Call 811 from anywhere in Florida two full business days before digging, and your call will be routed to us. Tell the operator where you're planning to dig, what type of work you will be doing and your affected local utility companies will be notified about your intent to dig. In a couple days, they'll send a locator to mark the approximate location of underground lines, pipes and cables in your yard, so you'll know what's below - and be able to dig safely. www.callsunshine.com

Frequently called numbers:

City of Tallahassee:

Electrical Services – Power Outages – 891-4YOU (4968) (1, then 3)

Tree Trimming – 891-4YOU (4968) (3, then 1, then 2, then 2)

Streetlight Repair & Installations – 891-4YOU (4968) (3, then 1, then 2, then 1)

Utility Billing – Connect/Reconnect – 891-4YOU (4968) (2, then 1, then 3)

Get Account Information – 891- 4YOU (4968) (2, then 1, then 2)

Request Payment Extension – 891-4YOU (4968) (2, then 1, then 1)

Energy Smart Plus – 891-4YOU (4968) (4, then 2)

Gas Utility – New Service or Gas Availability – 891-4YOU (4968) (4, then 1)

Pilot Lighting Requests – 891-4YOU (4968) (1, then 2, then 2)

Gas Odor Complaints or Leaks – 891-4YOU (4968) (1, then 2, then 1)

Code Enforcement – 891-6500

Growth Management – Building Inspections, Permits – 891-7125

Environmental Inspections – 891-7100

Mosquito Control – Spray Requests – 606-1400

Solid Waste Services – Scheduling, Recycling, Complaints or Illegal Dumping Reports – 891-4YOU (4968) (3, then 1, then 1)

Stormwater Management – Property Flooding - 891-6860

Streets and Drainage - Street Drainage, Flooding, Stormwater Pond Issues – 891-5300

Traffic Signals/Signs – Repair Requests or Damage Reports – 891-2080

Wastewater Service – Backups or Odor Concerns – 891-4YOU (4968) (1, then 4)

Water Service – Water Quality Concerns, Leaks, Outages or Meter Repairs – 891-4YOU (4968) (1, then 4)

Talquin Electric:

Report an Outage - www.outageentry.com/consumer/SignOn.php

If the system does not recognize your phone number when you click on the link above to report an outage, please call (850) 627-7651 during business hours to update your records. 1-866-899-4832 (Automated System) 1-888-802-1832 (Live Operator) To report an inoperative or malfunctioning outdoor light, contact Talquin Electric Cooperative, Inc. at 850-627-7651 or 1-888-802-1832.