Neighborhood Groups

The City of Kearney invites your neighborhood to be a part of the City’s Neighborhood Group Program. The program is free and intended to help Kearney residents connect with each other and help build stronger relationships with City staff. Let us know what is going on in your neighborhood!

Don’t have a neighborhood group or want more information? Continue reading this page or contact the Associate Planner, Melia Smith.

What is a Neighborhood Group?

A neighborhood group is a collection of members (residents, property owners, or business owners) with similar interests from within a defined area that come together to discuss issues regarding the neighborhood or community.

Typically, neighborhood groups are organized in one of two ways: Homeowner Associations (HOAs) or Neighborhood Associations. HOAs are formal organizations with covenants whose boundaries are usually determined by a subdivision and often time require dues. A Neighborhood Association is a less formal organization whose boundaries are determined by the people who live there and whose dues are either voluntary or not required. For more information see our Neighborhood Association How to Guide.

Why and When to Create a Neighborhood Group

We want to connect with you! This program is to help connect various neighborhood groups with each other, as well as with City Staff. By registering, you are providing a way for the City to share information about projects and issues within the City and surrounding areas. Your group will be added to a public database where other residents and neighborhood groups can quickly find the information needed to make a connection.

Neighborhood groups try and make their neighborhood a better place to live. To accomplish this, they can organize events, such as neighborhood cleanups, back to school events, or social hours; or work together to communicate issues they are concerned with to City Staff.

Are a group of neighbors already coming together to discuss an issue in the neighborhood? Is there something that is needed or could be improved in the neighborhood? Is there a collective interest to get to know who is living in your neighborhood? These are just a few examples of when it is a good time to start a Neighborhood Group.

Don't have a Neighborhood Group? Take these next steps:

Meet with a few neighbors to discuss the boundaries.
Select a Neighborhood Group Leader.
Contact the City of Kearney to help with the process.
Complete the Neighborhood Group Registration Form.

What are the Responsibilities of a Neighborhood Group Leader?

Neighborhood group leaders will work with neighbors to kick-start the group in their neighborhood and determine neighborhood boundaries. The group leader/s will also organize neighborhood gatherings and/or meetings. The Neighborhood Group Leader/s serves as the liaison/s between the neighborhood group and City Staff.

There should be a primary and secondary contact for each neighborhood group. They will need to be willing to disseminate information to their neighborhood if an issue arises. Ideally, the primary contact will work with other neighbors to address issues that involve the neighborhood. A secondary contact will provide support to the primary.