Medford, Ore. — Every few months, city leaders and law enforcement visit neighborhoods in Medford.
It’s a way to not only connect citizens with services they may not know about, but receive feedback about how people think they’re doing.
Nearly 60 city leaders and law enforcement officers combed Summerfield neighborhood in East Medford Monday evening.
Many residents wanted to know more about a park being built in the area this summer, and they were told about the potential for an urban growth boundary expansion.
“It’s nice to feel that they’re involved and that they care that much about what people think,” resident Cindy Wilcoxson said.
Cindy Wilcoxson has lived in East Medford for two and a half years.
She was one of the 217 households that city leaders and law enforcement officers visited for Operation C.A.R.E. Monday evening.
“Pretty much everything that they’re concerned with, they wanted to know… I guess if we approve, or if we’re happy with it,” Wilcoxson said.
C.A.R.E. stands for “community awareness rejuvenation effort”.
It’s a chance for community members to learn about neighborhood projects, emergency services, and the neighborhood watch program.
“This is a great opportunity for us as the city of Medford to reach out to residents in a personal way, and be able to go door to door and hear what they have to say in person,” Medford Community Relations Coordinator Kristina Johnsen said.
The city decides which area it’s visiting based on what projects are happening nearby.
For the Summerfield neighborhood, they include preserving the street pavement on roads, a second park, and an urban growth boundary expansion.
Medford’s Community Relations Coordinator Kristina Johnsen says the area proposed for expansion would directly impact residents in the East Medford neighborhood.
“It’s the ability to open our Medford property borders a little bit, to be able to develop more,” Johnsen said.
The expansion would allow opportunities for more housing, businesses and zoning.
Wilcoxson says she’s thankful the city is talking about it with her neighbors.
“Planning urban growth is the most important thing. It’s more important than any of the other steps that follow,” Wilcoxson said.
As someone who used to live in a rural area of the Applegate Valley, Wilcoxson says she was nervous to move into a neighborhood in the city, but so far she thinks it’s clear the city cares.
“It matters to them what we think, and it matters to them what we think needs to be done, so I think it’s really healthy,” Wilcoxson said.
The city plans to present the results of the survey in two months.
Meanwhile, the next Operation C.A.R.E. survey is planned for a neighborhood in West Medford this summer.
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