Meeting Minutes Sept 14, 2010

Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Agenda for Board Meeting
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 7 PM
Bridge Street School Library

Present: Jim, Jerry, Fred, Owen, Gloria, Lisa. Tim P. & Joanne
Absent: Lola, Marianna, Jennifer, & Arnie
Started at 7:10

1. Approval of Minutes –
-We are missing minutes for the past two months.
-Plan is to wait for October to review them.

2. Treasurer’s Report – Fred
-Unanimous acceptance of report.
Owen: Paypal now linked to FSB account.
1.Previous Balance 1204.66
2.DUES: 2=$20
3.Expenses: Brochures =$114.00; Veggie Garden= $275.84
4.Income: $946 Veggie Garden (Lisa’s Ticket?)
5.NEW BALANCE: $1780.39
6.Note: $218.19 Allocated to Neighborhood Watch
7.LIST SERVE: for Ward 3ab = Previous 263; New = 263
8.Total Members = 253; New = 258
9.LIST SERVE MESSAGES: for this period = 4


1. President’s Report – Jerry
a. Annual Meeting Update
Owen: Sunday, October 24 at 1 pm, ? at WWII club?
-Plan: social committee to help out with that… Gloria and Valerie
-will address some small bylaw change(s), dues and amendments…
-will be out on email first so can review
-The Slate: gender diversity a problem, age, dominated by homeowners
Proposal: 1. nominate slate, 2. Floor nominations 3. Slate 4. Speech then Contested races
-nominations committee will have to deal with the details

b. Neighborhood Associations Update
Beautification Committee…Gateway project on Earth Day 2011
-the neighborhood presidents have all nominated someone to represent the wards
-we would have Coolidge Bridge and Pleasant Street… first meeting in October.
Jim: would NW like to do that? Or one of our committees?
Owen: maybe NW would like that. Let’s post it on the listserve
Lisa: we have traffic calming $, maybe we can contribute.
King Street Redevelopment
-flyering around King Street for the meetings
Tim P.- I’ll do from DA Sullivan down to Market Street
Owen: I’ll call Adam, but I’ll do our section of King St., Bradford, Day, Bates, Bright, Hooker, Woodmont, Edwards Sq.
c. Bridge Street School
School Closing issue has not gone away. What if we resuscitate it? Asked Pam Schwartz from W4 to get the committee ready, willing, and able. Tim will stay the chair. There is an upswing in Kindergarten registration all throughout the district.
School Committee Seat for W3:
-imperative to have a strong representative on the committee
Plan: let’s put it out on the listserve because no one is interested
d. Monthly Meeting with the Mayor – Topics/People
Next meeting is 4:30 this Thursday
Gloria: bikepath that runs across Day Ave. there is no sign to say walk across the road.
Tim: city is not yet maintaining the bikepath. They took down a bunch of trees and said they would replant but it hasn’t happened. (behind the Honda Dealership, Excite, etc.) Plus, trees left behind are growing into the fence.
Jerry: School closing
Lisa & Maddy-ordinance for minimal maintenance of abandoned buildings
August meeting topics:
-Honda building eyestore. It has a hazardous waste issue, no ordinance to maintain empty buildings, doesn’t know if it is for sale or lease.
-Is the city officially responsible for the bikepath? No, it’s not completely resolved.
-Will the city be mowing and weed killing the paths? Nothing have been decided b.c. it is getting expensive. Maybe will add blocks on the side for people to sit. Mayor separating out plowing from mowing. Plowing less likely this winter. Safe routes to school will get the priority. New path less significant.
e. Friends of Northampton Trails letter Nick Horton President asking W3NA to endorse plowing of the bike paths.
Lisa & Tim supports; Taco Bell to Veterans Field… along Rte. 9.
-Straw vote for a letter…
Jim How about is there a way to keep it open versus let’s keep it open?
Maddy & Lisa Priority is on the downtown section to decrease traffic rather than out to Leeds
Jerry: straw poll- okay- proposed letter and we’ll look at it at the October meeting
Tim: what about the BID? Would they do it?
f. Valley Time Trade (Owen)
This Thursday there is a meeting who are professionals for exchanges.
-Trainings are Thursday morning orientation?

4. Nominating/Membership Committee Report – Owen
-See above.

5. Update from Bridge Street School Committee/School Committee
-Reading of letter from Deb Christakos, PTO Pres. Increase in enrollment through increase in population and school choice. Nice grant that has increased enrichment items in the school including a garden, etc.

6. Update on creation of related organization to do conservancy in Ward 3 – Fred
-Several meetings. Has a draft of the Articles of Organization- Maddy needs to look it over.
Currently we have a first draft of the Article of Incorporation. These will be revised as necessary and approved. Results will be submitted to our Commonwealth by the end of the year. Additionally we have a copy of by-laws that will be crafted to accommodate the needs of the non-for profit conservancy. A meeting of the committee is planned but no date has been set.
Jerry: very impressed
Tim: CC is looking for non-profit to manage all the CR properties.
Jerry: let’s have Tim P. step in

7. Sustainability Committee Update – Jim
-The Sustainability Committee will be holding monthly meetings
through June 2011. First Tuesday at 5:30 at College
Church, in the glassed foyer. All welcome.
-The Zoning Revisions Committee will be holding two public forums concerning
the Chamber’s proposal for King Street Zoning. Sept 21st at 7 PM at the Blue Bonnet Dinner
and Sept 29th at 7 PM at Jackson Street School.
-The Office of Planning and Development will be holding an additional public
meeting to gather feedback on the city’s Open Space, Recreation and Multi-Use
Trail Plan on September 23 at 7 PM at a place to be determined.
-The Sustainability Committee is working with Smith College to survey of Ward 3 resident
concerning open space. Workshops will be held later in the fall with all interested
residents invited to attend.
-A survey for this Smith Project has been developed and is being distributed over
the next few weeks. Many were completed at the polls last month.
-Extensive leafleting of neighborhoods near to King Street will occur. OPD has
supplied us with 500 fliers for the King Zoning meeting.
-Business Rep. and Vice President are working on a story for the media
about the revitalization of Pleasant Street that has occurred over the last year.

8. Traffic Calming Committee Update – Lola, Lisa
-Speed humps- delayed but will go in October on Williams Street
-Pedestrian paddles- ongoing
-Speed signs- barely mentioned but then went up at 30 MPH, trying to get them down…

9. Exit 19 of I-91 Committee Update – Frank Werbinski
bikepath maintenance, train routing, and walking buses
Meeting… Tues. Oct. 5th @ 6 pm BSS. (Narrowed down to 5 options including no build.)

10. Report of Transportation Committee - Owen
-Update about sidewalks,
-Going with bikepath in the next month
Tim: North Street resurfacing meeting? Nothing has come out of it…

11. Update on Neighborhood Watch – Arnie, Phil, Owen
No report, otherwise than amazing amount of trash removed from the underbrush in clean-up event, and very nice social afterwards.

12. Legislative Update from City Councilor – Angela
(She was at open Space meeting.)
Fairgrounds - I recently heard from Terri Anderson that the Fairgrounds plan to file with the Planning Board by September 16th in order to be on the October 14th agenda. The intent is for this meeting to be a joint meeting with the Zoning Board of Appeals since a Finding is necessary as a "grandfathered use". Phase Two of the project will be a Special Permit request to the Planning Board. There is no specific date for this meeting as the funding for the engineering will need to be determined first. I will keep you posted.
Conz Street - There will be an informational meeting to discuss the future road improvements slated for Conz Street. The meeting will be held on Thursday, October 14th at 6:30 p.m. at the Senior Center. I encourage residents of Conz Street and interested neighborhood residents to attend this very important meeting. I believe that this may be the final meeting before work begins in the spring.
Truck Traffic on Lincoln, Bates and Day Ave. - I have scheduled a meeting with a representative of the Coke plant to discuss the ongoing truck traffic problem in the Lincoln/Bates/Day Ave. neighborhood. I have asked residents from each street to attend the meeting with me to brainstorm ways of dealing with this issue. We are looking at several options that might be available to pursue. I will keep you posted as these discussions progress.
North Street - I am working on a survey in conjunction with the DPW that will be posted on my website. The survey will ask residents to respond to a series of questions regarding traffic, road repairs, traffic calming, pedestrian issues, signage, etc. The results of the survey will be forwarded to the DPW and will also be discussed at the next North Street meeting. No meeting date has been set but I will send out a meeting announcement via my website once a date has been confirmed.
13. Vegetable Garden Tour – Joanne
Joanne: Had processing meeting; what went well vs. what could be better.
Got a thank you get together at Jerry’s house - really enjoyable event.
Next year:
-Refreshment area could be good opportunity for other vendors. NOFA, CISA, beekeepers, etc. (good cross marketing, etc.)
-No repeat gardens
-orientation for volunteers
-phone and emails, more balloons to mark the gardens, etc.
Profit use proposal
-August 23 report sent
Ideas for type of grant and Process for how to apply
Jerry: Go more into the process in the October meeting please?
Jim: please restrict to W3 only.
Owen: suggests broader, different management from dues, he wants to be involved.

14. Social Committee Report - Owen
Will be ready for October annual meeting.

15. Report from Business Representative - Jim
See above.

16. Orchard Street Block Party - Owen
Block party off the list.

ENDED at 9:03