ITEM TITLE:
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Discuss potential solutions and initiatives to promote clean and safe neighborhoods as part of the Kids First Initiative and the priorities outlined in Mayor Booker's 2025 New Year Address, including but not limited to issues such as litter, dilapidated and vacant properties, and vagrancy, and take any action deemed necessary.
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INITIATOR: Mayor Stanley Booker
INFORMATION SOURCE: Mayor Stanley Booker
BACKGROUND: Creating clean and safe neighborhoods is essential to improving the quality of life for residents, fostering a sense of community pride, and supporting the Kids First Initiative, which focuses on creating safe environments for kids to learn, grow, and play. The presence of litter, dilapidated or vacant properties, and vagrants in some areas poses safety concerns, detracts from property values, and diminishes the overall quality of life for community members. These issues have a particularly adverse impact on children, who deserve safe spaces to live and play without being exposed to hazardous or unsanitary conditions-an essential tenet of the Kids First Initiative.
This agenda item seeks to explore potential solutions to address these concerns. Possible initiatives may include targeted cleanup programs, community-led efforts to revive neighborhoods, the rehabilitation or demolition of abandoned properties, and collaborative strategies to address homelessness, all with a focus on creating child-friendly environments. By implementing effective measures, the City can ensure neighborhoods are safe, welcoming, and well-maintained for all residents, particularly for children whose growth and development depend on safe and nurturing surroundings.
The City Council will discuss and possibly take action to identify and implement strategies that align with the goals of the Kids First Initiative and help achieve this vision.
EXHIBIT: None
KEY ISSUES: What can be done in neighborhoods to improve the quality of life for the Citizens of Lawton, particularly children?
FUNDING SOURCE: N/A
STAFF RECOMMENDED COUNCIL ACTION: Discuss potential solutions and initiatives to promote clean and safe neighborhoods as part of the Kids First Initiative and the priorities outlined in Mayor Booker's 2025 New Year Address, including but not limited to issues such as litter, dilapidated and vacant properties, and vagrancy, and take any action deemed necessary.