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Mayor directs 'Kids First' throttle-up: city to accelerate cleanup and abatement of dangerous and dilapidated properties
Summary
Mayor Booker directed the city manager to bring the Kids First initiative into full city operations, ordering an immediate 'throttle up' of the dangerous and dilapidated (D&D) program to target at least 40 properties per month until fewer than 40 remain and requiring a 30‑day plan for citywide cleanup and beautification.
Mayor Booker secured council approval for a broad new enforcement and cleanup effort dubbed the "Kids First" initiative, directing the city manager to accelerate the city's dangerous-and-dilapidated (D&D) program and to return a one-year execution plan to council by Feb. 11.
The mayor described visits with citizens and staff in neighborhoods where vacant or condemned homes had been broken into and cited fires, vandalism and illicit occupancy as immediate concerns affecting children. He told council the initiative is built on existing ordinances and the city vision "a community of choice where families thrive," adding the effort must focus on execution rather than new law-making.
Specific direction approved by council includes: direct the city manager to "throttle up in 2025" the D&D program funded by Propel 2040 to address no fewer than 40 properties per month brought to council for consideration until fewer than 40 qualified D&D properties remain in the city; prioritize the worst properties for fire and police concerns; begin actions in February 2025; hold special 5 p.m. meetings before regular council meetings as needed to address properties; and direct the city manager to deliver a Kids First throttle-up plan to the Feb. 11 council meeting.
The mayor also directed that a department-level execution team report to the city manager (or deputy) with a director possessing strong organizational and enforcement skills and that staff follow a customer-service training standard ("True North") in all citizen contacts. The initiative will be funded from Propel 2040 Beautification and D&D funds.
Councilwoman Hankins moved approval of the mayor's suggested motion; the council voted 8–0 to adopt the directive. The mayor said education would precede enforcement and that the goal over a one-year timetable is 90% compliance of identified properties, with a date-certain enforcement start and a 99% compliance target.
