Crazy Idea #4 - Subsidized Local Problem Solvers

What if the government paid citizens to take an hour a week to meet in neighbourhood groups to identify and solve local problems? Things like creating and maintaining parks, dealing with garbage and recycling, setting up urban farming, getting youth involved in community activities, addressing the use of drugs and teen pregnancy, measures to reduce the high school drop out rate, working on subsidized housing, unemployment, transitioning to more sustainable energy sources...to name but a few community projects.