Meeting Minutes Jan 27, 2010

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Minutes of Board Meeting
Wednesday, January 27, 2010 , 7 pm "January's Second Board Meeting"
Bridge Street School Library

Present: Fred Zimnoch, Joanne Mackiewicz, Owen Freeman Daniels, Tim Fisher, Jim Nash, Gerald Budgar, Marianna McKim, Phil Sullivan, Madeline Weaver Blanchette, Angela Plassman, Tim Parshall

Absent: Lisa DiPiano, Jennifer Remillard, Lola Reid, Arnie Levinson

Members of the Public in attendance: Bill Mackiewicz, David Narkewicz, and more.

-Meeting started at 7:05 pm.

1. Secretary's Minutes
Maddy: received some feedback through google docs and email
Discussion
Owen: minutes could be less detailed because of audio taping
Action
January Minutes unanimously approved

2. Ward 3 Treasurers’ Report January 2010
Fred: (Basically the same as January's earlier meeting. Shared with board members two hand-outs of graphs depicting significant increases in membership rates over time.)

3. President's Report
Jerry:

-Fairgrounds Redevelopment
State has determined that no EIR needed for fairground redevelopment. Maria Tomosko has sent a letter to the Planning Dept. and the Conservation Commission requesting that citizens have two weeks to view a plan before it goes to hearing.
Discussion
Angela: meeting times should be in the evening for best practices.
Owen: Isn't DPW involved because of the storm water issues?
Fred: The plan has been changed since its initial proposal.
Action
Angela and Tim to notify the board of the plan when they get it.
Angela to convey the request for the 2 week lead time on any hearing.

-Monthly Meeting with the Mayor
Last month Mayor on:
1. Bean Farm: If fields build they will be for local soccer teams, not Western United. They would be ready fall 2012 at earliest. Concerns about $ for maintenance. Believes conditions of neighborhood and infrastructure better equipped than Island Rd. to handle soccer.
Phil: Noho soccer wasn’t the problem on Island Rd, it started with Western. Also, soccer players pay fees for field maintenance.
2. Fair grounds: EIR unnecessary, would delay project and not result in any oversight that the CC cannot do. The concern is storm water run off, and the city is aware of it. Will add a light on Bridge St., and a 3 lane on Old Ferry Rd..
Angela: which side will give up land for the new lane?
Jerry: probably taken from Sheldon field side?
3. 91: Probably will need a tunnel for bike path under Damon Rd. Soon there will be a light at the industrial park, eventually a sidewalk and bike lanes on Damon Rd. and in the industrial park. Would also like to add sidewalks and reduce the speed limit on Conz St.

Action
Topics and people for next month's meeting to be determined at the close of the meeting.

-Update about the “Dream” mural restoration
via Bob: Diane Porcella is receiving lots applicants for the Jury and project proposals. Call the art council if you are interested at 584-1269 ext. 3.

-Island Road traffic situation update
Phil: soccer clubs dropped their request to be excused from the parking lot condition. In June they will be coming back to renew their special permit.

-Exit 19 Advisory Committee update
Marianna: having a meeting with Mass Highway…questions about the numbers they used in recent studies and projections.

-Voter Registration Drive Program Details (tabled for next time)

-Our Involvement in Complete Count for Census
Owen: Valley Young Professionals have developed a flyer to encourage participation in the census by renters and more disenfranchised members of W3. We are looking for $60 to print another 500 flyers. The idea is like a campaign, we would like to ask board members to give out these materials.
Discussion
Jerry: important issue because of funding and congressional seats…
Owen: more flyers coming in Spanish and Chinese…
Joanne: can we have another flyer… that just goes to the heart of it… something inexpensive… with the core message.
Action:
$ for printing approved. Joanne may bring back additional flyer ideas in two weeks.

-Valley Time Trade (tabled for next month)

-Recap of Spaghetti Supper Fundraiser with WW II Club
W3NA board did a great job per Steve Connor. $2000 was raised. Steve so impressed that he would like to do future collaborations.

-Update on Fires Aftermath
Not much to add to earlier meeting's extensive coverage. The letters from W3NA went out, and victims are receiving money.

-Newspaper Flyers
People very frustrated by Republican's throwing of weekly bagged paper advertisements.
David Narkewicz: They have been told that the throwing violates littering ordinance. Other things are being worked on to get an easy opt out for the whole city.

-North St. Kohl Project
Spoke with Adam Cohen, land court denied their request for summary judgment on the paper street issue. They are facing considerable legal expenses to continue their opposition and are looking for support. Kohl may proceed, at least in part.

4. Changes to board membership
Owen:
-W3NA Membership
Owen: drive is somewhat moot b.c. publicity from fires have added so many people. Joanne is working on a new brochure, however, that looks great.
Discussion
Joanne: (passed around a draft) It's only a draft, I'm taking suggestions.
Marianna: Have we received paid and provisional members? Have we sent them a welcome?
Owen: Yes.
Fred: A letter went out to each new member on the to List-serve. What about due changes and annual meeting issue?
Joanne: We changed it back, we have sidestepped that.
Action
Hoping to have a meeting in Feb. before next board meeting regarding some of the addition issues like adding Alternative Reps for 3A and 3B, etc.

5. Update from Bridge Street School Committee/School Committee News
Tim F:
1. District significantly non-compliant in addressing students with special education needs. A parent advisory committee meeting was held 2 weeks ago to address it, the school committee came and is taking the problem very seriously.
2. Pleased to be on the budget and property sub committee.
3. Encouraged regarding children's desire to work with an artist in collaborating on a new mural for the "Dream Mural" restoration.

6. Update on website/web communications issues
Owen: Website getting lots of hits.

7. Sustainability Committee Update – 8:00 pm
Jim:
-Update on Zoning Revisions Committee
2/24 7 pm at JFK public forum on infill, etc.

-Update on zoning notifications letter
No direct reply, but there is a new tone from the planning board that you have to get the info.
Phil: 10 years ago sponsored ordinance that you can't change zoning with notice to abutters.

-Bean Farm
Had a meeting on Sunday and drafted a letter to encourage the purchase for both agricultural and recreational use. Received feedback on the list-serve that some don’t want any agricultural land taken out of use.
Discussion
Tim: don’t feel ready to decide…
Fred: straighten out Island Rd. first. They have years to live with the traffic difficulty no matter what happens at Bean Farm.
Action
Board votes not to approve letter and not to yet endorse even buying the property

-Design Standards Project Update: Could W3NA provide refreshments for a fund-raising event/meeting in early March? We may want to raise money to hire a design professional to provide input to the zoning revisions committee on a vision for W3.

Discussion

Comment: Maybe they should work with traffic calming… overlap.
Jim: Yes, we are working with Lisa and Lola. How your framing the public space.
Comment: Form Based Codes is very clear and apparent.
Owen: Lisa & I working on the Food security project. Need for local food system.
Jerry: There is a lot of agricultural land available in our ward.

Action
Board approves participating in fundraising event.


8. Traffic Calming Committee Update

Comment: This is a big issue in our ward.
Angela: important meeting on traffic calming Feb. 11th at 7 pm at College Church.

9. Exit 19 of I-91 Committee Update (no report)

10. Report of Transportation Committee (no report)

11. Report of Business Representative

Jim: Thanking businesses on the website and list-serve for their donations to arson victim's fund.


12. Legislative Update from City Councilor

Angela: Enjoying learning rules of the counsel, motions, etc. Happy with committee assignments: Vet. Affairs, Public Safety, Economic Dev. & Land Use.
-2 counsel meeting: voted for purchase of Bean Farm after asking for significant constituent input. re Bean Farm. Please call me again before next vote in 2 weeks b.c. am committed to representative voting. 727-8770
-Thanked Sheriff Garvey for his help… getting traffic island c/o,
-March 13 office hours at Walter salvo 10-1.

13. Update on “Best Practices” Committee- (no report)

14. Update from Ward 3 block party committee – (no report)

15. Report of Committee on Youth Involvement In The Ward – (tabled for Feb.)

16. Report of Committee studying possible Ward 3 veggie garden tour in 2010

Joanne: Working on finding the gardens. Would appreciate recommendations.
Jerry: We need a date in August.

17. Discussion about establishing a 501(c)3-type organization to oversee land in Ward 3 (tabled for Feb.)


18. CBDG Consolidated Plan (tabled for next year)


19. Update on Neighborhood Watch

Jerry: Glad that some of the problems with terminology and methods have been addressed in an interim meeting. Glad to see Goals/privacy statement.

Owen: Revised the statement a little. The NW is independent and must fit with the values of N’ton. The binder materials from Nat'l Sheriffs Assoc. can be misleading when talking about IDs, terrorism alerts, etc. This doesn’t fit with the character of Northampton so that tool kit will be edited and any document that we produce will control the NW. Will be using the term Block Safety Advocate as opposed to Captain. Training at the Bluebonnet is Feb. 26.
Phil: I met with fire dept. They like this Goals statement. Feb. 21 the sign trailer is going up. 25 new signs in the old locations, then it will be up to NW to say where they want the additional signs with DPW permission. We are sensitive to "over-signing" concern. Also met about the reward fund, it is very important according to police and is nearly at goal. We have received an additional $100 from Rep. Neal for the reward fund and another $100 for NW.
Discussion
Comment: should we vote on the goals statement?

Owen: Depending on how much influence the W3NA will have with the NW will drive whether the board will vote on it…
Jerry: I have a major concern is that Arnie is not here to weigh in.

Tim P: What are the pros and cons on the board's involvement?

Owen: The biggest concern is that block advocates are rogue, and would reflect poorly on the w3NA. The pro is that the NW would have oversight.
Phil: W3NA board will lend NW legitimacy, sustainability/support, and oversight, but would like to put the vote put off.
Marianna: Is it a sub-committee?
Owen: No.

Marianna: Is it a separate entity… what is it attached to?
Owen: W3NA would just provide structure.
Tim F: Arnie should be here, I would like to here from him. I am still worried about cops getting called on bf or gf visiting a neighborhood resident from college.
Maddy: I am still very concerned with the model from the Nat'l Sheriffs Dept. It is associated with Homeland Security and racial profiling.
Jerry: We don’t have to follow that model, we can modify it. Shouldn't throw out the baby with the bath water.

Owen: I was going to add a specific statement in the goals section against racial profiling- hoping Maddy would draft it. In our interim meeting we also talked about having an Ex officio member from Human Rights Committee.
Maddy: Yes, those things are important.

Jerry: Knowing there will be additions, can the board endorse this goals statement?
Action
Board endorses by majority; Maddy and Marianna dissent. One of two board members abstain.

Tim Parhall: The statement is vague, I would like to see more specifics.
Discussion.2

Marianna: Is there kit?
Owen: Arnie has one… it’s about starting up NW, backed by homeland security, but these are only suggestions.
Marianna: Will the training be by the national sheriffs associations?
Owen: Yes.
Jerry: There is still homework here to do.


20. New Business (none)


Addendum:

Mayor's Meeting Agenda:
Discussion

Jim: Bean Farm- where is it at?
Comment: Reverse 911 and other safety measures that City promised post-fires.
Joanne: Dates and details of Damon Road project.
Action
Above 3 topics approved.


-Meeting Adjourned at 9:00 pm.