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Lafayette, Indiana’s “Nominate Your Neighbor” Program Spreads Goodwill, Encourages Beautification

While many municipal web sites provide an opportunity to lodge a complaint and some even allow residents to report their neighbors for code violations, the City of Lafayette offers a new twist: Here, through a joint City and Chamber of Commerce initiative, residents can nominate their neighbors for having a beautiful, well-maintained property.

The city began accepting nominations in May, and the nomination process will continue through August 18. In just the first few weeks of the program, 37 nominations have been submitted, according to Aimee Jacobsen, Community Development Director. By the end of the nomination period, she says, the City hopes to receive at least 100 nominations.

This is not a contest to see which neighbors spend the most money on professional landscaping or lavish outdoor fixtures. Rather, the city and Chamber of Commerce are looking to recognize homeowners who take pride in their neighborhood, and show it by the upkeep on their landscaping, exterior of their homes, and overall street appeal of their properties.

The goals of the program include:

• promoting goodwill;
• recognizing the efforts of residents who maintain their properties in an attractive manner;
• encouraging others to do the same; and
• acknowledging neighborhood pride.

The initiative is also designed to boost economic development efforts. “We want the business community to know what a great place Lafayette is for doing business and to live,” says Dana Smith, President of the Lafayette-West Lafayette Chamber of Commerce.

Every home that is nominated will have a sign posted on their front lawn for two weeks, and homeowners will receive a certificate signed by the Mayor and Chamber of Commerce.

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