Our association began its formation in late 2018 with an interim board in place to set procedure and precedent. This April marks the first anniversary of Galloway Village Neighborhood Association’s (GVNA) standing board of directors. Our first full year, to say the least, was full of excitement, frustrations, and lessons learned. The biggest lesson we learned was that it truly takes a village for success. Here are the highlights of this amazing first year of GVNA.
On Nov. 5, 2018, Resolution No. 10408 was passed by City Council. This resolution is better known as the administrative delay on Lone Pine in Galloway. While three GVNA board members represented our neighbors at the Stakeholder meetings for this Administrative Delay, hundreds of people participated in public input meetings and online surveys. Through the input of our neighbors, “Our Galloway” recommendations were made and presented before City Council. These recommendations were passed by City Council on Oct. 21. This almost year-long engagement with the City was sprinkled with other activities through the seasons.
Springtime brought the election of our first official board of directors during our April neighborhood meeting. Testing the waters and getting our feet wet took a literal turn when we decided to participate in the Adopt a Stream program. The stream that flows through Sequiota Park was cleaned by GVNA on April 13, with two additional clean-ups later in the year.
Summer was a busy time for GVNA. As a way of thanking residents for getting GVNA started, our “People, Pollinators, and Plants Appreciation Day” took place on June 15 at Sequiota Park. Ice Cream was provided for all, along with kid friendly activities, and information on the importance of our bees and bats. It was another wonderful opportunity to meet new people and connect with neighbors. On Aug. 22, over 90 residents attended our first Neighborhood Watch training. We met the 20% criteria for resident representation for blocks within GVNA, enough to be awarded 4 Neighborhood Watch signs from Springfield Police Department. These signs are now placed in the core of the GVNA.
The momentum continued into the fall. On Sept. 13, Galloway was placed on Missouri Alliance for Historic Preservation’s 2019 list of Missouri’s endangered historic places. We had board representation at the reception in Kansas City where the Missouri Places in Peril announcement was made. We could not hold in our excitement about our neighborhood, so we let it all out during the Bass Pro Marathon on Nov. 2. Our “Village People” cheering section at the marathon was voted as the favorite amongst the runners.
As winter came upon us, some housekeeping was completed. We applied and received our 501(c)(3) designation from the Internal Revenue Service, making GVNA a non-profit organization. The GVNA logo was created and placement of signs in prominent areas was determined. We received a Great Neighborhoods Recognition Grant, enabling us to continue the work we have started.
No one knows what the future holds. For the residents of GVNA, we can rest a bit easier knowing that we have a true village to fight the good fights and rejoice in our accomplishments. Our first year as a Neighborhood Association was more than we had expected. Looking forward to what 2020 will bring. We welcome any and all of our neighbors to join us at our quarterly GVNA meetings scheduled on April 21, July 21, and Oct. 20. Each meeting starts at 6:30 and is held at the Galloway Baptist Church, 2816 E. Republic Road. Come help us make our village even stronger.