Today we’d like to introduce you to Rhianna Riggs.
Hi Rhianna, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I have been a resident of Central City since 2007. Over the years I have seen the neighborhood shift in ways that are good and bad. In 2022, the bad outweighed the good. There was a particular apartment complex and neighborhood park that were overflowing with crime, drugs, and illegal activity. These activities were making it very hard for the neighbors to feel safe. After many attempts to work with the apartment complex, the police, and many departments within Salt Lake City government, the Mayor’s Office suggested the neighbors reinstate the Central City Neighborhood Council (CCNC) which had been dormant since the pandemic. CCNC is a ‘Recognized Community Organization’ in Salt Lake City and has been around since the 70’s. Reinstating the council would give us an ‘official’ voice within the City and open more opportunities for change. Myself and two other neighbors decided this is what we needed to do in order to make things happen.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
For me personally, it has definitely been a bumpy road. Since the council is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, all the work myself and other board/committee members do is purely on a volunteer basis. It can be hard and overwhelming to find the balance between your personal/professional/and council life.
Some of the challenges the council faces are trying to balance the needs of our diverse group of residents. Central City consists of 84% renters and is home to a large amount of supportive resources (deeply affordable housing, behavioral health, drug treatment and recovery services, and the Geraldine E. King Women’s Resource Center, to name a few.) Hosting these services has put a strain on our neighborhood and we are under constant pressure to provide even more while trying to also bring in more families and for-sale housing. CCNC’s goal is to work with developers and the City to provide more family-sized and for-sale housing while also working on policy changes with City government that will distribute supportive resources to other Salt Lake City neighborhoods.
We’ve been impressed with Central City Neighborhood Council , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
CCNC is a 501(c)(3) community organization incorporated in 1972 (the first community council in Salt Lake City) to advocate for the residents within its boundaries and to encourage civic engagement in Salt Lake City. CCNC is run by volunteers and operates on donated revenue. We meet on the first Wednesday of the month and any resident within our boundaries is considered a member of the council. Our boundaries are from South Temple to 900 South and State Street to 700 East. Liberty Park is also in our boundaries.
Central City is home to many landmarks (City Library, Trolley Square, Liberty Park, Library Square, etc.) and many events – The Utah Arts Festival, Living Traditions Festival, Pride Festival, etc.). There are also dozens of incredible restaurants, (including James Beard-nominated Oquirrh Restaurant and Normal Ice Cream), coffee shops, retailers, etc. We pride ourselves on being one of the most diverse and walkable neighborhoods in the City.
Some of the feedback we’ve received from residents who attend our meetings is that CCNC is ‘cohesive, passionate, and has a youthful vibe’.
Reinstating the CCNC has given the residents a safe space to learn about issues that directly impact them and gives them an opportunity to not only voice their concerns, but be heard and acknowledged by City officials. We’re also building a stronger and more empowered community. Prior to the pandemic, meeting attendance was down. Since reinvigorating the council, our attendance has tripled. We have a monthly newsletter that started with zero subscribers and now has over 300. We’ve made a name for ourselves within the Salt Lake City government and built lasting relationships with City officials. We consistently receive praise from these officials saying that CCNC has a ‘certain something’ that isn’t common with other councils. It’s hard to put a finger on what exactly that certain something is, but you can definitely feel the ‘community magic’ when we get together. When the new Salt Lake City Police Chief, Brian Redd was hired, he was kind enough to come to our meeting on his first day on the job – without an official invitation. He had heard about our struggles with crime and safety in our parks and wanted to let us know that he was ready to work with us. One last thing – reinstating the council has sparked additional neighborhood advocacy – a few neighbors started their own community action group called “Neighbors who Care”. They get together regularly to tackle issues that are specific to their smaller area of the City. This has been so exciting to see.
CCNC is a nonprofit and runs entirely on donations. These donations help pay for administrative costs, brand awareness, and allows us to host fun events for the community. Every year we host a ‘Pizza in the Park’ event for neighbors to gather, eat pizza, listen to live music, and play games in a local park. This event is funded entirely with City grants and donations. We just implemented a sponsorship program for local businesses to participate in to help raise funds. If you are a business in Central City, please reach out!
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and speak up for what’s important to you! I was very hesitant to get involved in City government – It was unfamiliar territory and made me slightly uncomfortable because I typically view everything with rose-colored glasses. I was very nervous of what I would see when I took those glasses off. It’s been eye-opening, so rewarding, and disappointing all at the same time. In 2022 we started with three executive board members, and one committee leader. Now we have four executive board members and four committee leaders advocating for our neighborhood. This not only strengthens our presence, but also distributes the workload. Serving on any council can be very overwhelming. Don’t hesitate to ask questions and reach out to other more-established neighborhood organizations for guidance. The Salt Lake City Council and Mayor’s Office, Salt Lake Community Network, East Liberty Park Community Organization, and Liberty Wells and East Central City Neighborhood Councils have all been so supportive and extremely helpful in getting us up and running.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://centralcityslc.wordpress.com/
- Instagram: @centralcityneighborhoodcouncil
- Facebook: @CCNCSLC
- Youtube: @CCNCSLCUT
- Other: https://linktr.ee/ccncslc
