To Improve Your Community, You Must Understand the Vision: Tolbert's Playbook for Dallas Improvement Transformation Provides Exactly That
Dallas Interim City Manager has a 100-Day Transition Playbook that has set the pace for the Brentwood Trinity Heights Community Action Group strategy going forward.
As a proud resident of East Oak Cliff and District #4, I’ve been on a journey to better understand how I fit into the landscape of the City of Dallas. Like many of you, I care deeply about our community, but I’ve struggled with figuring out how city officials are addressing the disparities and inequities we face. I've been attending community meetings, engaging with local businesses, and participating in city council initiatives. Through this process, I was appointed as an advisory board member representing District #4 for a South Dallas - Fair Park small business funding initiative. This opportunity has enabled me to gain deeper insights for how our city operates, the key initiatives in place, and where funding is being allocated.
But despite all my efforts, I couldn’t quite find a comprehensive, digestible plan that addressed my concerns about public safety, affordable housing, crime prevention, homelessness, and infrastructure improvements—until now. Recently, I came across a resource that provided much-needed clarity: the 100-Day Transition Playbook developed by Kimberly Bizor Tolbert, our Dallas interim city manager as of May 2. This document has illuminated a path forward, not just for me, but for all of us who care about making meaningful change in our community.
I’m passionate about creating a better future for East Oak Cliff. And if you’re like me, that passion often comes with frustration when you feel like you’re not operating at your best because you don’t know how to align yourself with the bigger picture. We need leaders to articulate a clear vision and strategy so we can all play our part. Fortunately, this playbook does just that.
Let me break down the key takeaways from the 100-Day Transition Playbook that we can use to guide our community action:
Guiding Principles: These principles encourage us to (1) form essential connections, (2) establish collaborative efforts, and (3) ensure communication flows to support community success.
Mission Statement: “We will build on a SAFE, VIBRANT, and GROWING Dallas, by transforming our Foundational Structure to become a more LIVABLE, SUSTAINABLE, and FISCALLY SOUND city, with strong, aligned systems at its CORE.” These seven terms—Safe, Vibrant, Growing, Livable, Sustainable, Fiscally Sound, and Core—should be at the heart of everything we do.
Action Items: Here’s how we can turn these principles into real change in our communities and neighborhoods:
- Prioritize Safety: Use 911 services for community concerns like crime and 311 services for community code enforcement.
- Enhance Vibrancy: Support arts, parks, and recreational activities that are uniquely tailored to our neighborhoods.
- Foster Growth: Advocate for small businesses and housing development to help residents thrive.
- Increase Livability: Address homelessness, sanitation, and animal services by connecting with city resources.
- Sustain Infrastructure: Work with local officials to maintain and improve our communities' infrastructure.
- Ensure Fiscal Responsibility: Engage with city council representatives to ensure our community needs are being met in the budget.
- Build a Strong Core: Collaborate with neighbors and community leaders to create a united front in implementing these changes.
I’ve spent a couple of years looking for a way to align my passion with the city's overall initiatives, and now I finally see how I fit into this bigger plan. That’s why I recently founded the Brentwood Trinity Heights Community Action Group (BTHCAG)—to be a part of the change I want to see. I’m fortunate to have the support of key community members, but it wasn’t until I discovered the 100-Day Transition Playbook that I realized how to connect my efforts to the larger goals of the city.
If you’ve been feeling disconnected or unsure of how to make an impact, I encourage you to dive into this resource and think about how you can contribute to the growth, innovation, and improvement of our great city of Dallas. And if you need help figuring out how to align your actions with Dallas' broader vision, feel free to reach out. Together, we can create the change we want to see in our communities.
Let’s make it happen.
Onward,
Daymond E. Lavine
Director and Founder
Brentwood Trinity Heights Community Action Group
Comments
Post a Comment