2025 Year in Review

January 2025 Neighbors at FNC Meeting

It has been a Year! Let’s go back a little. Like most volunteer led community organizations, there are cycles of activity. Interest and energy waxes and wanes. The FNC has ended or nearly so more than once and then risen from the ashes. This year we have an active and growing Board roster of talented people volunteering considerable time and energy. along with an increasing membership interested in building community and a better Fremont for everyone.

January 2025:

Led by Nivi Achanta, former Board member and founder of the Soapbox Project, we started the year with a meeting just to hear from you - who you are and what you would like to see or have happen in your neighborhood.

What people said they wanted in January:

• Volunteer opportunities

• Route 40 info i.e. rush hour

• Bridge Way crossing

• Housing affordability, renters issues, zoning and trees

• Housing affordability

• SDOT Levy Fremont Spending

• Identify historical buildings + structures in Fremont to preserve Fremont Culture,

• Dog parks

• Pharmacy in Fremont

• Bike/pedestrian safety, how to get crosswalks, stop signs, safe intersections

• Mutual aid/local organizations for elder/hospital needs, ordinary people helping

• Community centers/third places

• Learn more about public transportation routes and planning

• Announcements about new business openings

• Homeless sweeps info from city council

• Fare Start and other organizations

• Vacancies in Fremont

• The Arts Council

• Who's responsible for the Burke Gilman

• City budget and transit

• Grocery store

We had Eight meetings with presenters covering topics and one Candidate Forum to hear from current and potential city officials directly.

Based on what we heard, Board members worked to contact presenters and organize meetings around these topics.

Topics Covered:

• Route 40 Multi-Modal Corridor Updates from SDOT

• Updates from Rep. Jayapal’s office

• CARE Chief Amy Barden and team

• Democracy Voucher program

• 2025 Annual General Meeting and Board elections

• Neighborhood Emergency Communication Hubs

• Trees for Neighborhoods

• Local community social connection and mutual aid programs and volunteer opportunities

• Fremont Creative District startup

• Vision Zero, street safety, and Ballard-Fremont Neighborhood Greenways

• Economic development and vacant storefronts in Fremont

• A.B. Ernst Park update

• Seattle Candidate Forum

• SPD North Precinct public safety and policing discussion

Work continued outside of meetings.

Often partnering with community members, other Fremont organizations and other communities and agencies we worked on other projects throughout the year.

Accomplishments/Projects:

• Board recruitment and onboarding, new Board roles established

• Better membership tracking, increase in membership signups and payments

• Increased attendance at FNC meetings

• Marketing efforts, lawn signs, brand kit, flyers and merch shop established

• FNC tabling event with the Rotary Club at the Solstice Fair

• Partnering with other Fremont community orgs to start-up a Fremont Creative District

• Partner relationships with Fremont Chamber and Fremont businesses established

• Restored 501(c)3 status as non-profit

• Started work efficiency services/subscriptions with non-profit discounts (Slack, Squarespace, other)

• Completed website migration to Squarespace with merch shop added

• Coordinated/collaborated with other community orgs and other neighborhoods to explore shared issues/interests/opportunities

• Went on Upper Fremont community walk and participated in comp plan neighborhood center discussions with Dan Strauss, resulting in Community led plan recommendations

• One Seattle Day of Service community cleanup and volunteer opportunities with Catholic Community Services

• Community-led cleanup of A.B. Ernst Park in coordination with Seattle Parks

• Our Candidate Forum was covered by the New York Times, who had a photographer present

• Provided grants/funds to Troll’s Knoll for vandalized shed repair; to clean-up of 46th St. Mural (more is needed); to FCC for the Rocket maintenance fund, and an initial good-faith support payment to the Fremont Creative District

• Had an FNC table at the FCC Holiday Mingle and Jingle and held an Ugly Christmas Sweater Design Contest

• Ongoing efforts to start another Fremont Emergency Hub

---

What’s coming in 2026?

The first FNC meeting of the year is January 27th. We want to hear from you! Come and meet your neighbors, introduce yourself, and talk about what you want in your neighborhood. Make connections with others, and if they share your interests or have applicable talents then get something started! Form a workgroup, a committee, or identify some other means of making what you want happen and share it!

Here are a few things we would like to work on in 2026.

• Public Art maintenance. There are projects FNC initiated or supported in the past that need ongoing help: The 46th Street Mural, signal box artwork, the Helen Tapp bench and others. It takes a caring and involved community to keep public art and amenities maintained, as well as funding sources.

• A formal, annual FNC Budget for administrative expenses, community grants and other expenses and to help identify fundraising needs.

• A formal Grants process for community projects with application forms and requirements and an established budget.

• Continuing partnership with Fremont organizations and connecting and collaborating with other neighborhoods, orgs, and agencies.

• In addition to the successful November potluck, have a midsummer community event rather than a regular meeting (possibly July).

If there is a neighborhood project you have in mind and you are ready to get to work on it, come and join in!