FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Anderson Calls for Revitalization of Clifton Neighborhood Associations After Meeting with Dutch Hill Residents

CLIFTON, N.J. — Clifton City Council candidate Tafari K. Anderson is calling for a renewed partnership between City Hall and neighborhood associations following a recent meeting with members of the Dutch Hill Residents Association.

“After speaking directly with the group, I was disappointed to learn how much these neighborhood organizations are being left to fend for themselves,” Anderson said. “These are residents volunteering their time to improve their neighborhoods, yet too often they are expected to identify problems, find funding, recruit members, and navigate City Hall on their own.”

Anderson said members told him Dutch Hill is now the last active neighborhood association in Clifton, carrying on a community tradition that has existed for approximately sixty years. The association is also facing significant challenges involving membership, funding, and long-term sustainability.

“This should concern every Clifton resident,” Anderson said. “Neighborhood associations give people a direct voice on the everyday issues affecting their quality of life, including traffic, flooding, sanitation, road conditions, public safety, code enforcement, parks, parking, and infrastructure.”

Anderson is proposing a citywide initiative to revitalize neighborhood-based associations throughout Clifton and establish a formal partnership between those organizations and municipal government.

Under his proposal, the City Manager would designate appropriate staff to work directly with neighborhood associations and coordinate regular meetings with relevant department heads. Representatives from Public Works, Engineering, Police, Fire, Recreation, Planning, Zoning, Code Enforcement, and other departments could participate when neighborhood concerns fall within their areas of responsibility.

Anderson also recommends creating a secure neighborhood issue-reporting system that would allow authorized association representatives to submit daily quality-of-life concerns directly to the appropriate city department. Requests could include photographs, locations, descriptions, and contact information while protecting residents’ personal information. Each submission should receive a tracking number so associations can monitor whether an issue has been acknowledged, assigned, and resolved.

“Residents should not have to make five phone calls to figure out which department handles a broken streetlight, drainage problem, abandoned property, illegal dumping, or dangerous intersection,” Anderson said. “Technology can create a safe, accountable connection between neighborhoods and City Hall.”

The plan would also allow city grant-writing personnel, when legally and administratively appropriate, to help neighborhood organizations identify eligible public, private, nonprofit, and community-improvement grants.

Anderson said local businesses should also play an important role in rebuilding neighborhood associations. He recommends creating partnerships with small businesses located within each neighborhood to sponsor meetings, community cleanups, local events, beautification efforts, membership drives, and other civic programs.

“Our neighborhood businesses succeed when the surrounding community succeeds,” Anderson said. “Bringing residents, local businesses, department heads, and City Hall together creates stronger communication and stronger neighborhoods.”

Anderson believes revitalized neighborhood associations could ultimately serve as organized partners in identifying problems before they become larger and more expensive citywide issues.

“Strong neighborhoods build a stronger Clifton,” Anderson said. “City government should empower residents to organize, communicate, and work alongside us to improve the places they call home.”

Paid for by Friends for Tafari Anderson.