Affton Community Betterment Association, Inc.

If you are interested in any of these committees click on the one that interests you to find out more or contact us at 314-843-1171 ext. 2 or afftonacba@yahoo.com to find out the next meeting date.

Committees typically meet about once a month. Each committee is comprised of at least one Executive Board member and other concerned stakeholders. Those who reside, work or own a business in Affton (63123, Bayless and Affton School Districts) are welcome to join us in strengthening the Affton Community.

THE HOUSING COMMITTEE
The housing committee was created out of the organizational strategic plan. Twenty-five area stakeholders were interviewed in 2005/2006 to determine what the most pressing issues were facing Affton and which of those issues ACBA could make a difference in. Housing and Public Education were chosen.

Some of the activities of the Housing committee include:

Beautify Gravois
The committee is seeking residents who want to see Gravois beautified. In Spring 2008 ACBA is going to provide planters and materials for residents who adopt a corner. The residents will help in deciding what plants will go in the planters and then will maintain their planter throughout the season. Many volunteers are needed to make this a success and create a “wow factor” on Gravois. This is a good community service activity for youth groups, church groups, you and your kids, or simply a good way for you to make a difference in your community.

Housing Programs Resource Guide
The committee worked with the Affton Community Partnership on collecting information on home improvement and loan assistance programs that are available to Affton residents and compiled them into one booklet. A hard copy of the resource guide can be requested from ACBA or click here to download a copy.

Community Forums
The committee has planned two community forums. The presentation topics of the forums were the St. Louis County Re-Occupancy Permit Program and the State Taxing Policy as it relates to housing assessments. Visit the community forums page to read more about these topics.

Housing for Affton’s Future
In September an architect from Kansas City, Eric Piper, joined the committee and other area stakeholders to talk about the success of the 1st Suburbs Coalition in Kansas City and how the lessons KC has learned can be applied to Affton and the St. Louis region. One topic that was discussed at length was the Idea Book, co-authored by Piper, which provides architectural designs of how to remodel to homes, similar to the post-World War II style homes that are present in Affton, to accommodate growing families. You can download the Idea Book from Piper's website by clicking here. Check back with ACBA's website for future events and information about housing for Affton's Future. To learn more about the 1st Suburb Coalition, visit http://www.marc.org/firstsuburbs/

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PUBLIC EDUCATION COMMITTEE

The public education committee was created out of the organizational strategic plan. Twenty-five area stakeholders were interviewed in 2005/2006 to determine what the most pressing issues were facing Affton and which of those issues ACBA could make a difference in. Housing and Public Education were chosen.

Some of the activities of the Public Education committee include:

Community Forums

In February 2007 the committee hosted a community forum on Missouri Education Financing Policy which helped residents more fully understand the details of the state funding formula for public school districts. To view more information about the forum topic go to the Forums page.

The committee will be hosting a series of forums in 2008 that will go into more detail about the funding of our public schools and the standards the schools are held to by the No Child Left Behind legislation. This is a great opportunity for residents and area stakeholders to get a better understanding of what is going on with our public education system today. Check the Calendar page often for these forum dates or contact ACBA at afftonacba@yahoo.com.

Bayless Academic Foundation

The committee is helping the Bayless Academic Foundation identify Bayless School District graduates who are interested in seeing their alma mater continuing to offer children quality education. For more information or to get involved, contact ACBA at afftonacba@yahoo.com.

New Americans

As the grant partnership with UM-St. Louis comes to an end the committee is continuing on where the New Americans Strong Schools Committee left off. The task force was active and made a lot of headway over the past year and a half. Two efforts the committee will continue working on is creating a parent resource center and implementing a community schools model.

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DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

The development, public relations, and finance committees are vital to the structure of the community association. These committees are comprised of at least one executive board member and other concerned stakeholders who know the strength and success of ACBA is good for every Affton resident and the future of the Affton community.

The development committee is responsible for raising funds for the association as well as planning community development events and recruiting residents to be involved in their community.

Family Fun and Film Night

ACBA held their first movie night for the Affton Community. The Family Fun & Film Night took place on the on the fields behind WAC Industries. WAC Industries provided the association with the great space for family fun and an outdoor movie. Extra Space Storage sponsored the movie by paying for the movie rights. The St. Louis County Police Department was in attendance prior to the movie where they individually fitted and gave out free bicycle helmets to children courtesy of the St. Louis County Health Department. There were also activities that included crafts and free games for the entire family for an hour before Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory was shown on the big screen.

ACBA is interested in hosting a series of movies next summer. Be looking for announcements of what will be on the outdoor big screen in Affton!

Affton Days

The committee hosted a booth at this year’s Affton Days on September 15. The booth was made possible by resident Patti Behlman who organized all of the necessary supplies and Tropical World Pets who donated the free goldfish prizes. Youth enjoyed taking chances tossing balls into cups to win a free goldfish. Adults and children enjoyed guessing how many edible goldfish were in a bowl in an attempt to win the prize of a $25 gift certificate to Red Lobster. The gift certificate was donated by Patti Behlman. The booth was also made possible by the numerous volunteers who manned the booth during the day.

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PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE

The Public Relations committee is responsible for getting ACBA’s name out. Some of the things they will be working on are designing a marketing plan, maintaining the organizational website, developing relationships with media, developing a quarterly newsletter, and planning community forums and events that create visibility for the organization.

The AfftoNews Quarterly is printed four times a year for contributors of the association. The newsletter is packed with stories and information about events and happenings pertinent to Affton residents. Contact ACBA at afftonacba@yahoo.com to start receiving the newsletter via the mail.

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FINANCE COMMITTEE

The finance committee is responsible for developing and implementing the organizational budget. The committee determines an appropriate budget for expenditures and what sources of funding will be pursued.

Join one of the committees to see the progress that is being made and to see how you can get involved.

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ACBA
(314) 843-1171 ext. 2
afftonacba@yahoo.com