Ward 3 Neighborhood Association
Minutes
Tuesday, June 14, 2011 7 PM
Bridge Street School Library
Present:
Adam, Roy Martin, Gloria, Owen, Jim, Joan ?, Karen Tetrault, Fred, Bob, Jerry, Maddy, Marianne, Sydney, Lola, Phil, Frank.
Missing:
Arnie, Joanne
1. Approval of Minutes – Maddy
7:09
May minutes unanimously approved
2 Treasurer's Report – Fred
Previous Balance $1973.99
DUES: $10.00
EXPENSES: =$29.41
NEW BALANCE: $1954.58
Note: $178.01 Allocated to Neighborhood Watch
LIST SERVE: for Ward 3ab = Previous 275; New = 276
Total Members = 273; New = 0
LIST SERVE MESSAGES: for this period = 3
Roy Martin: Salvo house resident. Tenants association has run into problems with elections. Northampton Housing Authority ran elections in the past, and now a problem. They are asking for help with non-partisan election oversight. Ongoing conflicts with John Hite have caused many residents to lose trust in NHA overseeing the elections. Problems with the time frame of the vote - 2 hours - inaccessible.
Owen: NHA has been administering election by request, and there is a lot of suspicion around their work. The nomination and election process didn't go well for the tenants association.
Motion: to have a Ward 3 committee to facilitate the election process…
Vote: approved
Maddy, Gloria, Owen, Bernadette will work on it.
3 President's Report – Jerry
- Update on Pomeroy Terrace Historic District And Tour
Steve Streimer led a wonderful tour- about 50 people, a lot of enthusiasm. Sarah LaValley says not quite finished with formal boundaries, but will call people and move forward. Tour and info packet available on North St. website.
- Neighborhood Associations Update
Gateways beautification committee has identified 6 areas… getting to consensus, meeting tomorrow at the fire station.
- Monthly Meeting with the Mayor – Topics/People
-Do you feel the city could do North St. this year? … Short about 400K, we will use some ch. 90 money, and it will be on the agenda for next year- the extra money is for storm sewer problem.
-If the water department moves, what will happen?.... Not ready for that yet, will set up an RFP for the land, any non-profit will get a tax bill. That is a desirable area, highest best use is housing.
-What do you think are the challenges in Ward 3?.... infrastructures and schools.
Owen: I think we should have a Ward 3 person on DPW.
Bob: I Disagree, they are all very civic minded; it's not a neighborhood thing.
Sidney: Why don't have board member go?
Owen: No vote.
Group: Why doesn't Fred do it?
-Why do you do things in phases? … the plans are usually presented in total, but the engineering and lawyering is easier to pay for in phases. Also, regulations change over time.
-Would the city consider giving municipal bonds for roads, etc…. Maybe, we are looking at each roadway and looking for a mix of money depending on the exact structure. We are not looking at the Amherst model to do one big bond for a bunch of renovations. We are looking at 5 year bond borrowings. We are waiting for water and sewer plans to complete out road plans.
- Fairgrounds Redevelopment Update
The barns are up, look good. The Morgan people are glad.
Bob: a week away from completion
- Update on Candidates' Forum
July 19th: Fran Volkmann.
-will have a meeting about the format.
Sidney: Arnie is in Alaska. He will be back next week.
- Road Repair Value Added Report – Bernadette
Sent an email to Ned Huntley. He responded that she sent out to the association. It is a sensitive issue. In a nutshell, there are no records of rates of repair.
Discussion of cut-outs versus drop and role. Perhaps a pilot project is warranted.
- Bridge Street Cemetery Gravestone Repair – Marian
Karen Tetrault: damage to tombstones in Bridge Street cemetery. Sent letter to Mayor in December that there was much damage at the cemetery. No response.
Marianne Geller: looked into grants, etc. but found that the process is very circular.
Jerry: DPW is willing to cosponsor grant to CPA funds.
Owen: gravestones are a problem, but also the fence is bad. 8:10
4. Nominating/Membership Committee Report – Owen
-Discussion about membership drive NTA
5. Update from Bridge Street School/School Committee News – Deborah Christakos and Howard Moore NTA
6. Conservancy Report May 2011 Fred
-The MCCC is now recognized as a corporation by the SoS of our Commonwealth. The Directors in a 7-0-0 vote decided to take over the Sheldon Field CR and have asked BBC to be a co-holder with rights should the MCCC close. Their Directors full response is:
Dear Fred,
-The BBC Board of Directors discussed your request that BBC remain involved in the CRs on Sheldon Field at our meeting last night. We did not take definitive action, but I wanted to share our views with you at this point so that we can find a way to proceed.
-BBC's long-term goal is to relinquish the CRs we hold on Sheldon Field as they are not in our area of interest, i.e., the Broad Brook watershed. BBC agreed to hold these CRs in 1999 and 2004 as favors to the City, which wished to ensure that these properties would never be developed for any purpose other than recreation and parking.
-We are most eager to help the MCCC in establishing its place among the groups that look after open space and conservation land in the City. I personally think that your organization has great potential for the stewardship of properties in proximity to the Fair Grounds and in the Meadows.
-The legal arrangements for co-holding CRs appear to be rather complicated, in part because CRs entail a real interest in the land and it is not clear to us how the assignment of a partial interest to MCCC would be arranged and how the responsibilities of the co-holders would be ranked. Wayne Feiden suggested that Irene Del Bono, Director of the state's Conservation Restriction Review Program might be helpful in working out the appropriate language if we were to pursue this course.
-Dave Herships and I would be happy to get together with you and any members of your Board who wished to discuss this further. We would in particular be interested in learning of your concerns about taking on the Sheldon Field CRs as sole grantee. Please let me know if you think this would be helpful and we can set something up.
-Please feel free to share this email with members of your Board.
-Best wishes,
-Bob
7. Sustainability Committee Update – Jim
The ZRC is in the process of determining a date to give our reports to the planning board- possibly July? He'll keep us posted.
8. Traffic Calming Committee Update –
Temporary speed humps up on Hawley and Williams Streets! Have to work on neighborhood feedback. May work with C3 on some street painting, etc.
9. Exit 19 of I-91 Committee Update – Frank Werbinski
Whole new ball game at PAC meeting. All the original plans reflected a projected 28% growth based on 2000 census, when now looking at 3% growth. Thus, the current proposals are out the window, and another PAC meeting is scheduled for the fall to look at more recommendations. There is likely to be some modifications or elimination of current plans. However, b.c. the intersection fails now at peak times, something will have to change.
10. Report of Transportation Committee - Owen
-Recent approval of the church's site plan includes a ramp to the bike path. The church is suing claiming this is a hardship. Some abutters are interested in the bike path ramp - that could be a workable solution.
11. Update on Neighborhood Watch – Arnie, Phil, Owen
Not much happening, clean up happened.
12. Legislative Update from City Councillor
NTA
13. Vegetable Garden Tour –Marian
First meeting was held on May 19, 2011 at Bill and Joanne's Mackiewicz
-Present: Marian Gellar, Fred Zimnoch, Gerald Budgar, Lisa DiPiano, Owen Freeman Daniels, Bill & Joanne Mackiewicz.
Volunteers are still needed, Marian and Lola agreed to chair the volunteer committee.
-plan is to have two volunteers at each of 7 gardens
- on the day of Tour – Joanne and Marian will be available by cell for unforeseen errands
-publicity: selling tickets, hanging posters, giving out flyers, word of mouth, at Tuesday and Saturday Farmers Markets, etc.
-Please contact Marian and Lola if you, or anyone you know, would like to help.
Tickets will be available starting July 1
– 3 Vendor locations: Serio's, A to Z, Deals & Steals
-need help with ticket sales. Although tickets are advertised and sold at the above vendor locations, most tickets were sold through individual sales efforts (friends, neighbors, family, etc.) - So please think about selling a few. Please contact Marian or Lola.
Publicity team
-Jerry, Lisa, and Owen are working to get the word out via a number of methods.
-Jerry has agreed again to apply for permits for the Tuesday and Saturday Markets.
- There are posters and flyers available. If you'd like any, contact Marian, Lola or Joanne.
Banner will be hung starting July 1. On Sydney Sterns and Frank Werbinski fence.
Tables– soda, water, and? Marian is looking for vendors willing to share their wares
-Jerry is working on contacting various food organizations about securing table spaces on the day of the Tour. They would be located in the same location as our refreshment table. In exchange, he is asking that they help us advertise our Veggie Garden Tour via their websites and listservs.
*Jack Finn had donated the balloons that helped make our garden locations more visible. Helium is now too expensive for him to offer in his store. Lola has an idea to create oversized tissue flowers. Please contact Lola or Marian if you would like to help with these.
-Next Meeting will be held at Bill and Joanne's sometime at the end of June.– all are welcome.
8:38
14. Social Committee Report – Owen/Bob
Events in the spring went well; annual meeting next.
15. Report from Business Representative - Jim
NTA
16. Waste Water Treatment Pumps- Fred
NTA
16. New Business
Questions for the Mayor….
- Why didn't you answer the letters about the graveyards?
July meeting and potluck at Phil Sullivan, Maddy to organize. Jim will do August's meeting.
Adjourned 8:45
Posts
