Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Agenda for Board Meeting
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 7 p.m.
(7:09) Meeting Begins
Present: Lisa, Lola, Arnie, Marianna, Joanne, Owen, Fred, Maddy, Angela & Jerry.
Absent: Tim P., Tim F., & Jim
1. Approval of Minutes _ May – Maddy
- Some people still looking at them.
– Need to remove the addresses from Garden tour.
– Will approve May minutes by emailing Maddy them on line.
2 Treasurer’s Report – Fred
-No financial activity, same figures as last month
-Approved.
1. Previous Balance 1263.242. DUES: None
3. Expenses: $0.0
4. NEW BALANCE: $1263.24
5. Note: $218.19 Allocated to Neighborhood Watch
6. LIST SERVE: for Ward 3ab = Previous 263; New = 263
7. LIST SERVE MESSAGES: for this period = 6
3. President’s Report – Jerry
-Jerry going away for a few days. Owen will stand in.
-Phil Sullivan is hosting the W3NA meetings in July and August. Meetings will start at 6pm, and include potluck meal.
-Need someone to coordinate what to bring.
Plan:
Lisa will do it.
A. Meeting of Neighborhood Association Presidents
-Recently had a social event for people in the city. Went well, people networked.
Action
Board voted unanimously to reimburse Jerry for food.
Leaders are discussing a corrdinated beautification plan for the gateways of the city. (Arnie noting that no welcome to N'ton sign on Coolidge Bridge.) Perhaps it will be scheduled for Earth Day 2011.
-Also talking about sustainability and in-fill.
B. Monthly Meeting with the Mayor – Topics/People
-Jim Nash wanted to talk about improving the green area at Hokanum and Pleasant Streets. Mayor was supportive, said he should contact Wayne Feiden.
C. Island Road traffic situation
NTA
D. Valley Time Trade - Owen
-Started about six months ago by CCC.
-Premise is to use time as medium of exchange instead of cash; a formalized barter/banking system.
-W3NA could join as an organization and then could offer things in exchange for "time" dollars.
Plan
-Talk more about it with a committee of Owen, Lisa and Lola. Looking at what the board could offer.
E. Green Northampton Plastics Recycling Proposal - Lola
-NTA.
4. Nominating/Membership Committee Report – Owen
-Top priority is to increase membership. Model is to use board members to reach out to neighbors and inform people about events and encourage them to become members. New members don't even need to pay anything to become members. Therefore, he is asking that board members, between now and annual meeting, aim to recruit 40 new members. Caveat: in order to vote at the annual meeting, members would have to pay some dues.
Discussion
Fred:
We didn't vote on eliminating the dues.
Arnie: We are telling them there are no dues, but they cannot vote without dues? The policy needs to be clear.
Fred: The bylaws say that there are dues.
Owen: The amended bylaws say there are no dues.
Fred: We did not vote on it.
Joanne: We did talk about it, but maybe afterwards. I never got clarification vis a vis the brochure.
Jerry: We need to get this very clear soon.
Fred: The bylaws are on the web which tell people what to expect. We can't make changes within the year.
Owen: (Reading bylaws): Voting member is a dues paying member.
Jerry: We shouldn't have both dues and donations. This is confusing.
Marianna: If you make a small donation, didn't we say that you would still be a voting member?
Fred: They should know the nature of the organization, you pay $10 and you are a voting member for 10 years?
Owen: I'll say it again. We worked it out last year; this has nothing to do with the membership drive.
Jerry: Are people supposed to go door-2-door?
Owen: It's up to the board members' discretion. I have suggestions, I have made cards with neighborhood residents' names and addresses- these are people who have voted in local elections in the past.
Arnie: I think we should eliminate reference to donations.
Jerry: Let's print 2000 of the brochure and do the whole ward.
Owen: In my experience, passive flyering doesn't generate much interest.
Jerry: I don't like the card system. People don't have the time to go through them and trade, we should just go to people we know.
Owen: I'll say it again. These are just suggestions for the increasing membership, which is essential..
Jerry: Can we add a supplement to the brochure about the veggie tour?
Lola: I don't know that flyers are effective.
Jerry: I'm uncomfortable with expecting board members to get 40 new members. It's too much for board members.
Marianna: The cards are good, they are a helpful tool. We should be promoting Ward 3. It is important to increase membership.
Arnie: It's important, but 40 is too much. I don't know 40 people in the Ward.
Owen: This is so troubling, a board member is saying he doesn't know 40 people in the Ward.
Maddy: People have a wide-range of comfort and discomfort with door-2-door solicitation. People should be tapped for their strengths, and not characterized as uncaring about the board if they don't want to do this.
Jerry: People could have house parties and sign people up.
Christine: How well did we do with members at the College Church event?
Answer: Over a 100.
Joanne: When I get back from vacation I'll have the brochures printed up. I want to make sure the language is just right.
5. (7:30) Update from Bridge Street School Committee/School Committee News – Tim F.
A 5th grade teacher was added back to Bridge Street for next year to allow for two classes of 15 students each, rather than one of 30. The budget situation for next year continues to improve, only in the sense that we don't have to cut as much as we thought. (There are still cuts!!). The additional money making this possible comes from:
--the city is able to give more due to the savings in the city's health insurance
--we're using $100,000 in reserves
--we got a good amount from School Choice revenue (which basically makes it possible for us to take from reserves)
--the state seems to be shifting money around to give more to Chapter 70 (the $ they give to municipalities for schools)
We're working on solutions to the Bridge Street "dust bowl" -- the dirt area near the playground. Smith College is removing sod from their athletic fields; we may be able to install some of it. This is in the early stages of brainstorming.
Note: I will not be attending the Thursday School Committee meeting due to my work travel.
6. Update on discussions about a Memorandum of Understanding with the Broad Brook
Coalition about Sheldon Field monitoring – Fred
-BCC voted no on a MOU with W3NA.
Update on location of Old Ferry Road right of way
-Walked the boundaries, informally identifying the monuments. Believes that the belt is much wider than we had thought, it includes trees and grass and parking. The City can probably widen the road along there. There might even be room for a sidewalk on the other side.
Plan: He will follow up with Wayne Feiden.
Jerry: Is the fence in the city or in Sheldon Field? Some of it is with the City. This is important b.c. we will have to know where the boundaries are.
7. Sustainability Committee Update/Business Rep. Update – Jim
King Street. This Thursday, June 10th, the Northampton Chamber will present to the Planning Board and the ZRC a report outlining recommendations for improving zoning on King Street. Through my role on the Chamber, I have seen drafts of the recommendations.
I am happy to report that a call for greater clarity surrounding zoning language is requested. I am also able to report that in response to these Chamber discussions, OPD has begun drafting zoning ordinances using tables rather than the lengthy text we currently have. The ZRC has been presented samples of our current zoning in table form. In response, the ZRC has found tables a more understandable format. There was some concern with the ZRC that important details may become less clear in this format.
Also, in the Chamber recommendations is a call for the city to take the lead improving the streetscape and traffic. The Chamber as well is recommending ways to improve zoning which will encourage economic vitality along this commercial corridor. The details of these recommendations will be available on Thursday. Your Business Representative will get this report to the board members and membership of the W3NA immediately upon release.
Discussion:
Jerry:
Chamber has a lot of influence and they are the only group submitting recommendations. W3NA will continue to watch this.
Pedal to Properties, a new real estate business recently opened on Strong Avenue and I attended the grand opening. This is a business betting its success on our proximity to downtown, the railroad, and bike trails. I noticed yesterday that Pedals to Properties is marketing a house on Woodmont. At some point we might like to invite the company owner, Craig Della Penna to a W3NA meeting to give him a few moments to speak about his take on our neighborhoods.
The former Chilson’s Shops building on Pleasant Street is looking great. A wall of enormous windows now faces the sidewalk on the first floor. Yes Computers will be moving in later this summer. Also new is outdoor seating at Roberto’s Restaurant. The Pleasant Street corridor is becoming increasingly pleasant to walk on.
Hockanum-Pleasant Greenspace. I am in discussions with OPD and the Chamber about a possible collaboration for improving this site.
Sustainability News
Edwards Place. Ward 3 Councilor Angela Plassmann held a meeting with the residents of Edwards Place along with Ned Huntley of the DPW to discuss parking and road conditions. Residents learned from Mr. Huntley that Edwards Place is a private roadway generously maintained by the city. Mr. Huntley reported that should a problem occur with a water or sewer line, the DPW feels compelled to provide these services and will not hesitate to repair. The DPW also plows Edwards Place. Per this discussion the residents are interested in requesting they become a public way so responsibility is less murky and service can be delivered without questions about ownership. Councilor Plassmann committed to helping residents meet this goal. Towards the end of the meeting, a large pot hole was discussed and the issue of whether it was part of the private way or ServiceNet property was not clear and therefore Ned could not immediately give the okay to repair the problem. Parking permits and parking spaces were also discussed. Councilor Plassmann said she would bring the matter to Bill Letendre. After the meeting the support of W3NA was offered to our Councilor to help with any of these matters.
Note
Pothole repaired the next day.
LSS 256…Professor Marcia McNally of Smith College asked members of the ZRC to attend a presentation of Sustainability Reports by landscape students surrounding different projects and neighborhoods in Ward 3. Projects reviewed covered: Hawley Street, the Fairgrounds, the Northern Avenue Project, Traffic Calming efforts, Attitudes surrounding Infill when connected with Condominium ownership. Also invited was W3NA Vice President, Owen Freeman-Daniels. These student reports will soon be posted on our website.
8. (8:10) Traffic Calming Committee Update – Lola, Lisa
-Met with Laura Hanson.
-They are already putting up temporary traffic signs on Hawley Street.
-The speeds humps are forthcoming, but they take time. In the meantime, we could get the pedestrian paddles. If we tell her, she will order them.
- Two temporary speed humps will be placed on Hawley and either Williams St or Pomeroy Terr.
-Painting the center line on the curve between Pomeroy Terrace and Williams will happen soon too.
-Laura Hanson would like to do a walk-through to determine where to place the paddles.
Arnie: I will do it with her.
9. Exit 19 of I-91 Committee Update – Frank Werbinski
Frank is out of town.
-There is a very important public mtg. at June 14 at 6 pm in BSS cafeteria. All of the alternatives will be presented by the engineering consultants. The neighborhood PAC group will be presenting their choice of plans which involve minimal taking, minimal environmental destruction, maximum safety and traffic calming, and are on the same footprint as the infrastructure now. Mass Highway may schedule a second public meeting on July 20 if necessary.
-Angela Plassman agreed to do a power point for people who come to the meeting.
-The Mayor and representatives are in the loop.
10. Report of Transportation Committee - Owen
-NTA
11. Update on Neighborhood Watch – Arnie, Phil, Owen
-We are no longer going to be publishing a number for the rest of the City b.c. there isn't enough interest. There will be no public number for the NWW. Interested parties can continue to contact leadership team people directly to get involved.
-There is a meeting on Wednesday, 6 pm (June 16 BSS) to plan the "kick off" event. The event is being formulated as a clean-up around Holyoke St. RR, bike path and Salvo House, and then a get-together.
Joanne
How many members do you have?
Arnie
I don't know.
Fred
Don't forget there are 3 bridges.
Lola
A lot still needs to be done on Holyoke Street, although Jim Nash has done a lot.
Arnie
After the next phone bill, there will be a couple of hundred dollars in the treasury.
Fred
$183.00.
Owen
Let's promote the clean-up along with the Veggie Tour.
12. Legislative Update from City Councilor – Angela
-Lot's of budget discussion and work being done at the Council.
-Mayor saying will ask for an override for new police station.
-Also 800K for new DPW building. I voted now, b.c. I thought the timing was bad. Is this what residents want us to spend money on?
-Public meeting on June 23, 7 pm at JFK re: "Bring the War Dollars Home." (i.e. opposing all legislation for additional war funding.)
-North Street reconstruction meeting this Thursday, June 10 @ BSS with DPW, tree committee, Laura Hanson. Talking about what the residents would like to have done when it is redone next year.
-There is also a petition about truck travel on North St. is being distributed. Angela is meeting with Coke regarding this tomorrow.
-There is a meeting planned at JFK July 1 re: landfill.
-Edwards Square meeting went well. Confusing whether ServiceNet or other private owners own the land, the residence would like it to be a public way with private parking.
13. Update from Ward 3 block party committee – Owen/Valerie
(8:41) Valerie haven't been able to contact the person who offered to throw the party.
Plan:
Should set it aside for now. Taken off the agenda.
14. Update on Ward 3 veggie garden tour on August 7 – Lisa/Joanne/Lola
DATE of Tour: Saturday, August 7th ,
Committee volunteers now consists of:
l Lola, Joanne, Lisa, Gerry, Fred, Owen, Bill, Maddy, Marianna, Jane
l Potter, Colleen Curry Co-Chairs added: Lola and Lisa
- Still NEED more volunteers - for the day of the tour AND before
l examples of duties – marking actual garden locations with balloons and signs the morning of the Tour, help with refreshments, selling tickets, finding businesses for posting posters
Tickets:
l Serios Market, A to Z, and Deals and Steals (Pearl St. location) agreed to sell tickets
l NOTE: Map still needs to be completed once all gardens are confirmed (any volunteers?). Ticket holders need the maps for the self-guided tour. The ticket will copy that inform people to pick up the maps prior to the Tour and as the tour date gets closer, more “up-to-date” info regarding the map’s availability will be posted on the Ward 3 website.
Posters:
l Joanne designed and will print a number of copies to hang at various locations.
l Laminated posters will be used at Ticket selling venues, and at Plant Sales and Farmers Markets. (Need a volunteer)
l “un”-laminated posters need to be posted in other locations (Need volunteers)
Banner:
l Banner artwork will be sent to the printer. It will be mailed to Gerry’s house sometime during the week of June 13th.
More Publicity:
l Committee nominated Gerry and Colleen Curry help with publicity (with help from already acquired resource list). More discussion on this-
Gardens Confirmation:
- Town Farm will not be available. Committee discussed the idea of their for available refreshments. We will now need to discuss another idea
- There are 8 gardens on the Tour. Most of the gardens have been confirmed a second time.
Tuesday Farmers’ Market downtown N’ton:
l Need volunteers to man at a table selling tickets at various times
Saturday Farmers’ Market downtown N’ton:
l Need volunteers to man at a table selling tickets at various times
We discussed the possibility of having farm equipment and other interesting this on display. This may have to wait until the “next” tour if this one proofs to be successful. There are too many logistical issues to iron-out for this first endeavor.
NEXT steps for committee:
l Need to acquire Garden descriptions from owners
l Need to create a map with garden locations for the self-guided tour (volunteer?)
l Need to recruit more volunteers (your children, elderly aunts and/or uncles, friends, others?)
l Discuss refreshments and possible locations
NOTE: Joanne will be on vacation the week of June 13th and does not have access to email - but can be reached at 413-374-0550 with any questions.
Joanne
Most all of the gardens have been double-confirmined.
-Poster passed around. Good feedback.
-Banner around $50.00.
Jerry: Get it in someone's garden column.
Lola: We need to be able to say what we are raising the funds for.
Jerry: I would like to be able to give small grants for beautification, tree planting, funds to BSS 4 classroom extras, etc.
Joanne: Planning a little reception for the end. We lost Town Farm.
Lisa: We could end it at Montview and have a reception in the soccer field.
Jerry: Garvey has free tents.
(8:59) Joanne: Let's change if to 11-2 b.c. 5 hours is long for owners to be there. We will need to have volunteers for the refreshment.
Owen: Let's schedule the planning meeting now. June 22, Thursday 6 pm at Joanne's house.
Jerry: This needs to be really wrapped up by the July board meeting.
15. New Business
Harriston House is out, a Springfield organization may be taking it up. Jerry would like to make contact with them. The house is going to be sold.
Christine: The sale will go through July 1. Same type of facility, the agency has 30 other programs around.
Wastewater Treatment Plant:
Fred went to talk to John Carver... the odor problem continues.
I spoke to the assistant deputy director of the WWTF John Carver and he showed me the odor control system for the wastewater treatment facility. Basically the odor problem occurs because of the production of hydrogen sulfide. The heavy sludge in the plant has much sulfide so when the conditions are such that there is little oxygen and there's no chance for oxidation of these sulfides are reduced to hydrogen sulfide. As anyone that has taken high school chemistry knows I didn't sulfide is the smell of rotten eggs and predominates in wastewater treatment plants when there's a problem. The system that's employed in the wastewater treatment plant monitors the processing of heavy sludge by measuring the amount of pH and the amount of oxidation reduction in the system along with the temperature of the system. Chemicals such as chlorine and sodium hypochlorite are added to the system in order to reduce the amount hydrogen sulfide.
There is no sniffer on the outside of the plant that would detect in odor. The bad news is that all wastewater treatment plants will on occasion have dispersal of bad odors.
The good news is the following. I attended all the discussions chaired by the DPW concerning the landfill. Just before the fourth and last discussion at DPW announced that they were changing out pumps at the wastewater treatment facility. After the last landfill discussion I spoke to Huntley about the new pumps. The project that he had in mind was new effluent pumps. They were installed recently and are working beautifully. While I was with John Carver he showed me the motors for hydraulic pumps and the computer controls that operate these pumps in a very sophisticated way depending upon the plant conditions. But Huntley said that one of his goals was to upgrade the WWTF. Indeed if you been following the City Council meetings you'll see that there was already around a half-million dollars earmarked to investigate the status of our current system and what improvements should be made. Additionally Hampshire Gazette recently carried an article that an additional half-million dollars or so will be used to for the same purpose. Given the results of these investigations the wastewater treatment plant will be in should be improved and without doubt the treatment of hydrogen sulfide will be improved.
As an aside the CTWSC will be monitoring bacteria from out storm water drains to determine how much or leakage of sewerage might be entering the storm water drains.
See also "Northampton DPW eyes wastewater system" By Chad Cain Thursday, May 13, 2010 in Hampshire Gazette.
New Business for the Mayor:
Nothing this month.
Plan:
Canceled for this month.
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