2009-12-09

WNA MEETING Wednesday, December 9,2009 Pacific West Bank 7 PM 1. Introductions: Buffalo Zobel, Beth Kieres, Elizabeth Rocchia, Major Patti Galle, Stephanie Nicoletti, Ruth Offer, Jerry Offer, Midge Pierce 2. Minutes on line 3. Treasurer’s Report. City account 1357.57. WNA 2558.15 checks to Yoga instructor and for supplies. New policy allows funds in City account carry over. There was some discussion of future use of those funds 4.Committee Reports Parade December 12 10am WNA joint effort with the City and the TVFR Our table will be at 1980 WFDr, indoors. There will be cocoa, cider and candy canes. WNA will also have a truck as entrant in parade. Meet at 0900 to set up. Patti volunteered her tree for the Offer’s truck Historic District Celebration-update: Date and place to be arranged. SHPO representative, Joy Sears will be attending. Tentative date for celebration Jan 21. Second choice 26. Ruth to check re use of church, new fire hall, school, or Willamette church. Notification to all residents. At the end of the meeting Mayor Galle suggested a cake made to look like one of the historic houses. The Walden House (Charles and Diane Awalt’s) would be a good model. Marge White’s house Request for inclusion in historic inventory. Sept meeting motion passed. No word from City on process. Copy of letter recently sent again to City. Follow through with City needed and Historic Review Board to be included Main Street update- Ruth Offer reporting: bylaws are being worked on. Board, committees established. Paper work for 501C3 as educational group under way. By January a packet will be developed for volunteers. The group needs to send minutes to City for the website. Involving businesses is crucial. Home businesses to be included as well. Possible community grant funds from City. It would be good to have a WNA representative in the future 0800. mtg times. New Business Willamette Main Street lights for business district. Student looking into solar period lighting. Highlights, a business contact obtained from the City, is potential as source. Period lights possible but expensive will get more details. Student will check if any grant funds or tax break for company. (City Hall lights were donated) Willamette Historic Design group to work on as well as Main St. as collaborative effort. Need for possibly 12 lights Solar or LED. Investment in rebuilding old look. Suggestion from the mayor to make requests to City. Budget redone in March, the WNA could make a proposal to budget committee before hand stressing destination value, boost to businesses, etc. An architectural rendering would be a good tool to use for presentations to committees, council, grantors. Motion made and seconded. WNA allocate funds for Stefanie Becker, from the Willamette Main St design committee, to complete a preliminary idea sketch. Passed unanimously. Stefanie to come back to the WNA with a stipend request. It was brought up that ODAT also has grant funds through their transportation growth management for downtown development. July 1st is their next budget cycle. WNA funds- Elizabeth Rocchia made a motion that the WNA purchase work gloves for Jenn Whiting and Tarra Wiecken, of the Parks Dept in appreciation for their work with us on the planters. Motion seconded and passed unanimously. Bike rack. Handris construction company will install, racks are purchased, permits are in order. Beth will check with Sarah from Sashi Wellness on the completion status. Mayor Galle suggested that the Council and NA presidents meeting that was cancelled be rescheduled in a different format. She would like to see something like the format that was used for the Sustainability Summit recently. This involved bringing together a wide base of involved citizens including neighborhood association presidents and active members, Council, City staff etc. A facilitator would help outline topics of interest/concern and small groups then address the role of NA in these areas. The goal is to generate involvement and facilitate communication between the NAs and with the City. Topics could include out reach, standardization (ie NA officer election at the same time to allow for training of leaders), bylaws, communication with City, maintaining lists and contact information, and submitting minutes. An action plan would be formulated from this. Interest was expressed from WNA for the city to organize a summit to enhance NA function city wide. Other ideas were for quarterly NA president meetings with or without City representatives, and looking at the model for NAs used in Portland Stephanie will be gone from Dec- April. The plan is for Beth to take minutes and work with Buffalo as co chair. Another suggestion is to use a recording devise during the meeting then have someone create a summary to be submitted to the City and the neighborhood. This would necessitate a digit recorder with the ability to download to a disc for storage. Food bank update. WNA has raised > $270. There is a large volume of food gathered for December distribution. Volunteers are needed to check expiration dates etc this Thursday after 2:30pm. Midge was thanked for her article in Tidings A card was circulated thanking the Pacific West Bank for the use of their community room Announcements: Joe Mitchoff townhouses on 13th approved 8 unit multi family unit. Remodel 1892 4th Ave has been through design review Meeting Adjourned Happy Birthday to Beth Happy Holidays to all Next Meeting January 13th Submitted, Stephanie Nicoletti