By Jamie Kelly, Bulletin Editor
Bloomfield Alliance is trying to become a Registered Community Organization but board members said they haven’t gotten needed paperwork from District 7 council member Deb Gross.
In a letter to neighborhood planner Shosana Davidson, Bloomfield Alliance board member Linda Vacca said the group had been trying to get Gross to give them a letter of support to become an RCO.
“I’m reaching out to you now to specifically ask if there is anything else that Bloomfield Alliance can do so that we can become a Recognized Community Organization?” Vacca asked. “If so, please let us know what that is. Is there some process for going forward without Deb’s support letter? We are really upset that she has not provided this support letter.”
Pittsburgh’s RCO program launched in 2019 as a way to improve communication between the city and residents. RCOs are non-profits that are registered with the city as stakeholders in a particular neighborhood or area.
“RCOs help residents and businesses obtain and share information, support community networks, and work to improve the quality of life in their neighborhoods,” the city’s site explaining their role reads. “RCOs also play a key role in the development process by hosting Development Activities Meetings to improve transparency for local projects and the members of involved neighborhoods.”
At the organization’s quarterly meeting on March 13, the effort to become an RCO was a topic of discussion.
Rita Porterfield, secretary of the group, said at some point the people who attend meetings might need to get involved in the effort.
“You do want to be heard,” she said. “You’re showing up here. We’ve done everything that we’re supposed to do. All she needs to do is sign a letter.”
Bloomfield Alliance is just about to mark one year as an active organization. Last year the members worked to get the Bloomfield pool open after the city suggested it might not open in 2024.
Attached to the letter she wrote asking about ways to become an RCO, Vacca included a list of what Bloomfield Alliance has done since May 2024. The group has had several community meetings, as well as launching a committee to prevent crime in the area that works in collaboration with Pittsburgh Police Zone 5.
In the attachment, Vacca also included a message she sent to Gross in early March.
“We need and deserve your letter of support for RCO,” Vacca wrote. “It’s almost one year since we asked for it. NO Bloomfield group is doing more in the community than Bloomfield Alliance.”
At the March 13 meeting, Vacca said the group had done everything asked of it and wanted to become an RCO to make sure community members could get notification of meetings and have a say in what happens in the neighborhood.
“We deserve to be an RCO,” Vacca said.
Gross said she has been in contact with Bloomfield Alliance and has been pleased with the progress. In a March 26 phone interview, Gross said she fully intends to write a letter of support.
Part of the hold up was making sure Bloomfield Alliance met all of the criteria and that the group had fulfilled the requirements for an RCO, including creating a website that includes advance meeting notice and meeting minutes, registering as a 501(c)3, creating a communications strategy and holding at least two public meetings annually.
Gross said the group had done nearly everything needed to qualify.
“I think there’s been a lot of progress over the last year,” she said.