Sponsored by Neighborhood Watch and MLNA

Block parties provide an opportunity to meet your neighbors, build camaraderie, and have a good time. Neighborhood Watch is an important aspect of a safe and secure neighborhood. Combined, they help make Monta Loma a better place to live.

Check out Sheri's web album from the 2010 Anna Avenue Block Party.

Here’s how it works:

You and your neighbors on at least one block-long street organize and execute a block party. The Neighborhood Watch (NW) Block Captain submits receipts up to $150 and gets reimbursed for consumables. There are a variety of formats the block party can take: inside a home, in someone’s back yard, in one or more front yards and driveways, or you can block off a portion of the street and have it out in the open, so it’s most inviting.

If you want to block off all or part of a street, you must obtain a permit from the MV Police Department. You can pick up a block party application at the MV police station or download it from their website. Fill it out and return it. There may be a follow-up call to the applicant from Sgt. Greg Oselinsky, the officer in charge of block party applications at MVPD. His number is 903-6367. The process normally takes 7 to 10 business days, but 30 days notice is better.

The application notifies city services that you will be blocking off the street, so in case of emergency, police cars and fire trucks will not come barreling through, endangering you and your neighbors. It is important to remember that there still needs to be access for emergency vehicles, so any street barricades must be movable. There is no fee for the city permit and it will be mailed back to the applicant. (Note: The city does not provide barricades.)

The MLNA will reimburse expenses up to $5 per person or $150 per block party, whichever amount is lower. Use sign-in sheets to verify participants’ names and addresses as residents of Monta Loma. The $150 limit applies to parties in which two or more streets participate. Eligible expenses include food, beverages, plates, utensils, and napkins but exclude alcoholic drinks. Expenses will be reimbursed to NW Block Captains upon tendering receipts to the MLNA treasurer. Receipts and the sign-in sheets must be originals, not copies. All receipts and the sign-in sheets must be submitted together, even for parties of two or more streets. Only one reimbursement check will be issued.

If your block does not have a NW Block Captain, now is the time to volunteer or recruit one.

It’s wise to distribute a flyer in advance of your party, asking neighbors to bring needed items. You can display or download a Microsoft Word document containing sample invitations plus a sample list of needed items (PDF), and a sample attendance sheet (PDF).

Learn more about Neighborhood Watch

If you have any questions, contact any member of the MLNA Board.

Display or download a printable version of this information in Microsoft Word.