THE WARD THREE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION INVITES YOU TO
Three Events in Ward Three on Saturday, May 21
The Ward Three Neighborhood Association cordially invites the public to three events:
COMMUNITY CLEANUP IN WARD 3
People who are interested in participating should contact Arnie Levinson at toarnie41@yahoo.com. This event will start around 9 AM and be done by 11:30. Participants will be able to clean the areas they are most concerned about. Please let Arnie know if you want to participate and what area you would like to work on.
TOUR OF THE PROPOSED POMEROY TERRACE HISTORIC DISTRICT
The Pomeroy Terrace Historic District would include all the houses on both sides of Pomeroy Terrace to the jog at Hancock/Williams St. It also includes homes on the meadows side of Bridge St. up to just beyond the end of Lampron Park (which is on the other side of the street). It includes homes on the north side of Bridge St. to Historic Northampton and on the south side of Bridge St. to the post office. It also includes most of the homes on Phillips Place and a few homes on Butler Place. The limits of the proposed district are still being finalized, so even if your home is not currently included is could still be included if it is not too far from the proposed border.
This tour will be led by Mr. Steve Strimer. Steve has a great deal of knowledge about historic structures in Northampton, especially the work of William Fenno Prattt who laid out Phillips Place in 1847. Many houses of distinction in the proposed district are Pratt designs or commissions. Steve was instrumental in the creation of the David Ruggles Center in Florence and will conduct walking tours of Abolition Era and Underground Railroad sites beginning this summer. Materials about the original and proposed historic districts will be provided. Residents are encouraged to bring any artifacts they have and to share stories they know about the neighborhood. The tour will begin at 1 PM at Historic Northampton and last about 1 hour.
MEET YOUR ASSOCIATION AND YOUR NEIGHBORS
The Ward Three Neighborhood Association spring social event will begin at Historic Northampton around 2 PM when the tour is complete. We will offer a short introduction to our activities and introduce our Board. We hope that people who attend will be willing to contribute to a potluck of desserts and afternoon snacks. We will provide beverages, serving ware and utensils. This will be a fine to socialize with your neighbors, meet some new people with similar interests and to join the association. Annual voluntary dues are $10 for individuals and $15 for families.
May 2011 Board Meeting Minutes
Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Agenda for Board Meeting
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 7 PM
Bridge Street School Library
Board members: Owen, Tim, Arnie, Adam, Phil, Marianne, Bob, Jim, Fred, Maddy, Jerry
-Missing: Gloria and Joanne.
Community members: Frank & Sidney, Adam Cohen, Bernadette Giblin, Mark Carmien, David Newton
7:03 Start
-Jerry: Good fortune to have two board members running for political office. Pleased people are so committed, but please leave campaigns at the door.
1. Approval of Minutes – Maddy
-None this month because of audio snafu. We'll have them next month.
2 Treasurer's Report – Fred
Owen: new email addresses from survey need to be added to listserve.
1. Previous Balance $1973.99
2. DUES: $0.0
3. EXPENSES: =$0.00
4. NEW BALANCE: $1973.99
5. Note: $178.01 Allocated to Neighborhood Watch
6. LIST SERVE: for Ward 3ab = Previous 275; New = 275
7. Total Members = 273; New = 0
8. LIST SERVE MESSAGES: for this period = 3
Special Guest: Mark Carmien, co-chair of the volunteer Solid Waste Task Force spoke about the new "buy a bag" disposal program that will replace the "buy a sticker" program we've had for many years.
-Mayor convened board to discuss what to do after June 2012 landfill closing.
-City will be using a regional landfill.
-Goals of increasing compost and recycling to decrease costs and environmental impact.
Primary recommendations:
- Keep two transfers stations open
- July to September implementation- costs equivalent. (sold at 10 retail stores.) VALUES:
a. Equity
b. Environmentally sound; increases diversion to recycling and compost
c. Economic
- Large haulers have to prove that recycling is offered for apartment dwellers, etc.
63% use the transfer stations…
13% live in large apartments…
- Annual sticker fee to $75 (senior and low-income discount will be available)
Arnie: are we considering biomass?
Mark: Yes. City in 2007 northampton.ma/solid waste Stantec produced report on biomass. City of N'ton doesn't generated enough trash… could regionalize.
Bernadette: where does compost go?
Mark: goes to Montview farm. Compost is regulated.
Jerry: Is the task force going to oversee the implementation process of the changes?
Mark: Unfortunately, the task force is disbanded.
3 President's Report – Jerry 7:34
- Update on Pomeroy Terrace Historic District
-hoping by the 21st event additional properties identified by Jane Potter will be added.
- Neighborhood Associations Update
-beautification project took bus tour of city entrances… next meeting on the 18th. All welcome, COC, BID, etc. involved.
- Monthly Meeting with the Mayor
-Will the train services have reduced money?… No, looks good.
-Could the Depot be available for new station?… Many problems with that site. We need it to be multi-modal.
Arnie: That's a strange reply.
Jerry: We need to consider buses.
-Could the city use the blighted Honda spot for DPW rather avoid acquisition of land and avoid taking a property off the tax returns? Increases in water and sewer rates will be applied.
Next month:
-Will the old water building go for sale to a non-profit or back on the tax rolls?
-What does she think that W3 should be looking at in the future-what are the big issues?
-Why are these large projects broken into phases? Why is that challenging issues pushed into phase two? 7:48
-Is it feasible to get a Northampton municipal revenue bond to generate income for projects- like for Northampton roads, etc.
-Can North St. renovation happen in 2012?
- Re-precincting Committee Report
-Had to realign populations of the city. Not too many changes to Ward 3. Moved Bradford St. back in, some shifted from 3B to 3A.
-Ward 2 lost and Ward 4 added population.
-These upcoming elections not affected.
Sydney: Why are precincts important?
Jerry: Just for organization. Actually an enhancement b.c. 3 council people will care about Bridge St. school.
- Fairgrounds Redevelopment Update 7:58
-Barns will be done by the Morgan Horse Show.
- Update on Candidates' Forum – Bob
-July 19th okay for both candidates. Discussion of moderator…
Arnie: someone outside of Ward 3.
Fred: guy that ran Paradise forum?
Jim: Someone from the Gazette?
- Report of Road Repair Committee
Fred: Went researching patches. A company (Vanasse Hangen Brustlin ) from Watertown surveys the roads for conditions. Seems like they could provide a comparison of road conditions for various communities they survey.
Bernadette: Hoping that don't use outdated google photographs.
Bob: I'm sure they go by car
-watched video on how to patch a whole in the road.
Arnie: Is there a best practice to repair roads? I looked at the literature. Reviewed types of repairs- cold mix, proprietary cold mix …We do "throw and roll." Lack of review of method and material…
Discussion: Long discussion of potholes…
Tim: Pitch them a return on investment plan to see if they would try it a different way…
David: Can people identify areas that have chronic problems but that may have other issues that are contributing to the repeat problems? Like a groundwater analysis…
Fred: Pomeroy Terrace has a drainage problem, and the DPW knows that.
Jerry: 8:20 What can we do to with this research? Can we make Ward 3 a model for alternatives? Let's make a case.
Bernadette: We need to ask the city for data so that we can pitch them these alternative ideas. It's as simple as asking the current staff for the data…
David: I have heard that the first of the repaving was set up… it was discovered that a major conduit underneath was over a hundred years old. Is this true?
Bob: The model is that whether the water or sewer is inadequate, it is repaired and that enterprise fund pays for the repaving.
Fred: A meeting last fall, Ned said pipes also will be replace.
- Bridge Street School Alumni Lunch 8:28
PTO worked with Gloria and me, had lunch with 4th and 5th graders. Fun afternoon.
4. Nominating/Membership Committee Report – Owen
-Discussion about unfilled alternate position for 3B
Bob: I nominate Bernadette.
Maddy: I second.
Vote: Unanimous.
Owen: I need to take a step back from administrative powers like email, website, recording, etc.
Bob: Can someone else take this on?
Jerry: We should separate these functions. Bernadette and Tim, Marianne, will take it on.
Maddy: I will do the microphone thing.
Vote: up to $100 for taping technology.
5. Update from Bridge Street School/School Committee News
From Howard Moore, our School Committee Rep:
"I won't be at the meeting. If I were, my report would be that I am
convinced that our expense budget is as close to the bone as it can be
after years of cuts and cost savings and that it still exceeds our
current revenues. We have requested more money from the city budget,
but grateful for the already generous city contribution to our budget,
and aware of the constraints on that side, we are not hoepful that an
increase will occur. Balancing the budget on the expense side would
require cutting teachers, resulting in both programmatic losses and
increased class sizes. So we shall see.....On another topic, we have
begun discussions on how we can be more effective as a board. This
discussion includes how we can be evaluated, set goals and measure
progress toward those goals, keep track of initiatives, and promote full
collaboration (but not interference or micromanaging) between the
members of the board, the administration, the staff and the public,
particularly taxpayers and parents of school age children. Wish us
luck."
This from Deb Christakos, the co-president of the PTO:
"The Alumni Lunch was a terrific success. We hosted 8 Bridge Street
Alumni and staff, though a small group they were quite lively and fun.
We gathered and were given a tour of the school, with commentary by
Keith Moors, a former custodian. Those who attended chimed in with
stories and memories along the way. Many alumni were recognized by
current Bridge Street Staff. They joined the 4th and 5th grades for
lunch in the cafeteria and the students wereq quite entertained by their
tales from Bridge Street.
"Bridge Street is not expecting deep cuts to its staff or facilitieis
for the next school year, thanks in part to the generous gift toward the
school budget from Mayor Higgins and the City of Northampton. We will
be out cleaning up the gardens this weekend, and plan to have our annual
Field Day at the school this year in June."
- Update on creation of related organization to do conservancy in Ward 3 – Fred
The MCCC has submitted papers to the Secretary of State W. F. Galvin for incorporation. Our name the Meadows City Conservation Coalition has been added to the state's list of corporate names.
-The O&D of the MCCC are mtg with Wayne Feiden, Dir of OPD this Thursday at 6PM to review our plans.
After the mtg I hope we will:
· 1. Contact DIRECTOR OF CONSERVATION RESTRICTION REVIEW PROGRAMs,
· 2. Speak to Dir. Irene Del Bono 1-617-626-1138, about obtaining Sheldon Field CR,
· 3. She will give her requirements and she will need to latter approve,
· 4. A lawyer will need to draw up papers for a Deed of Transfer,
· 5. LeVite suggests Dick Evans 413-586-1348 here in Hamp @ 56 Main St, and
· 6. LeVite doesn't know the fee but probably < $200 bucks
7. Sustainability Committee Update – Jim 8.39
Holding off to next month for greater report.
-Go to Smith College student center to see creative projects on land use in Ward 3.
8. Traffic Calming Committee Update –
Jim: Bump out and bus stop at Holyoke Street.
9. Exit 19 of I-91 Committee Update – Frank Werbinski
Pac meeting tomorrow night at BSS at 6 pm.
-One meeting with Rich Massey, discussed options left on the table. The engineering firm postponed public meeting… and finally heard that revisions were needed for the roundabout analysis. May affect previous analyses.
Jim: can you keep mentioning bike tunnel?
Frank: Yes, plus entrance on Bridge St.- needs beautification…
David: Concerned about diverted traffic during construction… concerned about Coca-Cola trucks going down through side streets.
Frank: Not concerned about Coca-Cola, that is out of the engineering firm's scope. But, in general, trying to get traffic down Damon Road.
10. Report of Transportation Committee - Owen NTA
11. Update on Neighborhood Watch – Arnie, Phil, Owen
Ward 3 clean up 9-11:30 on May 21.
12. Legislative Update from City Councillor
Budget hearings the next couple of days… David Narkewicz. $3M to road and sidewalk repairs.
Arnie: How much of that is for
13. Vegetable Garden Tour – Joanne
Meeting May 19 at 4:30 at Joanne's house.
14. Social Committee Report – Owen
-Update on May 21 Historic District Tour and Social Event
Bob
Morning is clean up. 1-2 pm walking tour from Historic Northampton.
-working on food issue; potluck…Jim, Bernadette, Bob, Jerry.
15. Report from Business Representative - Jim
-Saluting New Businesses in Ward 3
16. New Business :8:55
Adjourned 8:56.
Smith College ARS/LSS 389 To Exhibit work on Ward 3
May 7, 7 PM at the Smith College Campus Center will be the opening reception.
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