Can We Stop Captain-Blocking Our Block Captains?

You can find the gated parklet very easily. The block captain? Not so much.

BY JILLY MacDOWELL | A neighbor, I can't remember who, said Miss Vicki was the block captain and gestured up the street with a tilt of her head. I called the Philadelphia More Beautiful Committee (PMBC, 215-685-3971) for my block captain’s address and the clerk replied, "Have you talked to your neighbors?" It felt... unofficial. And how did she know I'm an introvert?

"Is that the official answer?" I asked. I hoped she could hear me smiling. "You can't tell me who my block captain is?"  

She said, "Sure, I can -- it's not public information but I can look it up for you." She went on to give me two unrelated names; neither were Vicki.

This block captain labyrinth is nothing new. Phila3-0.org's 2017 petition to release the list is active to date. "If you have a really motivated self-starter for a block captain," the site reads, "chances are you know who this person is. But if you don't, then you're totally out of luck because the Streets department refuses to release the list."

"As quasi-elected officials," the blog continues, "block captains should have some minimum baseline of accountability to their neighbors, and the ability to quickly and easily find out who's supposed to be doing this work in your neighborhood is the most basic pre-condition for this. There's no excuse for keeping it a secret."

The very patient PMBC clerk said, "I don't know why they don't make it public." She's answered this question before.

She also explained another layer of block oversight, the Clean Block Officer, who "connect residents with Department of Streets resources, information and services to keep their blocks clean and beautiful," according to phila.gov. CBOs are the captains of the block captains, there to provide:

• Block captain ID cards and PMBC block captain guidelines.

• Sanitation rules and regulations.

• Clean-up materials, such as trash bags and street brooms.

• Organizational assistance.

• Attendance at block meetings to discuss community or block projects.

• Saturday clean-up schedule, including special collection by the Department of Streets.

• Clean Block Awards and prize information.

• Related program information, like sanitation convenience centers, yard waste and fall leaf recycling, and household hazardous waste events.

They're assigned via police precincts, and they are listed on the PMBC website, with phone numbers. The number for my CBO was "non-working."

I moved in 3 months ago and have seen no evidence of the above bullet points. I've seen very little of these "suggested block captain activities" on my block (I work from home):

• Sweep walks and gutters.

• Plant flowers.

• Plant new street trees.

• Help neighbors paint and renovate.

• Organize block parties.

• Remind neighbors of trash and recycling collection days and guidelines.

This list has recently been minimized, omitting almost unimaginable voluntary tasks as "maintain and paint abandoned houses" and "install and maintain block litter baskets."

Don't get me wrong — my largely very private neighbors look after their own properties, some meticulously. But I don't see anyone rallying the troops to clean up, or even interacting on the street, or in the parklet (pictured at the top).

Yes, there's a gated parklet on my street! The block captain allegedly has the key and it was recently opened. It’s domestic and feral animal friendly; there are a few cat shelters inside! (We have a stray problem too, but that’s a whole ‘nother story.) The parklet needs some TLC but has great potential.

The grassy corner lot (above) could use some love (I'll be calling you next, Philadelphia Horticultural Society) and there are utterly impassable easements on both sides. The most offensive "neighbor" is the four-story market-stale building that looms, unoccupied, with its roof deck floodlights raging on (for at least three months). The other three new-and-under construction have created three treacherous ditches ("gentrification speedbumps?") in the street.

On a few recent weekdays, a pair of aged traffic cones appeared, blocking the street all day with the handcrafted sign: "Children's PLAY Street." This too felt unofficial: There were neither children nor play. I don't care — it was quiet and I'm not Karen-ing, and whoever made the sign clearly cares about what I care about. I care about helping make my block one of the good ones in Point Breeze.

It's time to start knocking on doors to find Miss Vicki, or whomever my block captain(s) are.