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UPHA Board Minutes & Newsletters>
March 2009 UPHA Board Meeting Minutes
June 5, 2009
UPHA Board Meeting
April 2009
Present: Milt Rhodes, Catherine Maxwell, Mahan Kick, April Norris, Leza Mundt, Mary Lin McBride, Donna Bailey, Joy Haas
1. Minutes – Catherine Maxwell – The minutes from the March meetings were presented and approved with corrections.
2. Treasurer’s report – Mahan Kick – The March Treasurer’s Report was presented and approved, showing $250 in income, $25 in expenses. Mahan will send out an electronic version of the reimbursement form to all board members.
3. Web Update – April Norris – April reported on web statistics: hits stayed in the 15-1700 range for March. The largest numbers of hits are to home page and government contacts page. She has seen no traction yet in response to submissions to web calendar. Milt asked if April could track the number of hits to the calendar and neighborhood services. She agreed to do so.
There are no new UPHA Web site advertisers this month. Board members were encouraged to recruit advertisers. The board discussed whether to prorate fees for a calendar year or bill full price on a rolling year, and decided to make all advertising contracts for $100 for 12 months. April will send out an electronic version of the updated advertising flyer, and will keep up with the terms of each advertiser. The board also discussed the division between calendar and advertising events. Example: a church advertising a community event would have free access to the calendar; the same church advertising an engraved brick sale would be asked to pay for advertising. Mary Lin suggested that we coordinate who we are approaching. It was decided that we would report out on who we approached at each meeting.
4. Yahoo Discussion Group – Milt asked how many individuals are on the UPHA discussion list. He would like to cross reference the list with the membership list to ascertain how many participants are members, and where they live. April agreed to explore what data are available and report at the May meeting.
5. Newsletter – April reported that the city requires submission of the newsletter a month in advance to ask for approval for printing. The board decided to continue to request printing services from the city, and to use other options as a fall-back if printing is not approved for budgetary or other reasons. Suggestions of articles for next newsletter:
a. Public art at Fred Olds School – Lisa
b. Pet Space – tips from dog trainers in neighborhood or other interesting pet news – all encouraged to submit
c. Hillsborough Street Project
d. Morningside update/requests – Mary Lin
e. Traffic requests
f. Fourth of July Parade
6. Morningside Assisted Living Community – Mary Lin McBride – Marie had spoken to Mandy, the recreational therapist at Morningside, about their interest in having a closer relationship with community. Mary Lin met with Debbie, the director, who confirmed their interest. She suggested that UPHA utilize their meeting space for board meetings and community forums. They are interested in advertising on the Web site. They are having an Alzheimer’s Walk fundraiser in October, and hope to invite community members to walk with them. The board expressed enthusiasm about posting this on the calendar and encouraging participation in this event and other interaction with Morningside. They also plan to join the UPHA discussion group, and would like to recruit volunteers. On Thursday, May 21st, 1-4pm, they are having a charity bingo party and would like to invite neighbors to attend. April will put this on the calendar and home page. Mary Lin will tell them how to join the discussion group, so they can post their own invitation on the list serve.
7. Neighborhood Safety Issues – Milt reported that there are several requests each month for stop signs, sidewalks, or other safety related city improvements, but no systematic approach. He proposed that we develop a unified proposal for the city. Donna asked if this is outside our purview, and if alternatively it is our job to instruct neighbors about how to make a request and move it forward. April brought up issues of crime, reckless speeding, and particularly dangerous intersections. Leza reported back from her conversation with Eric Lamb, Raleigh Transportation Manager, that he asked that we bring him our requests and concerns, and the city would consider them, with the caveat that we may or may not like the answer. Milt proposed that we take on the task of developing a unified list of requests to add to those already discussed such as the odd intersection at Rose Garden, the curb below the Rose Garden on Bedford, and the installation of a left turn signal at Wade and Dixie. Donna made the point that Wade is a State road, so that will be a state request. Leza reported that we can request that NCDOT authorize a study to determine the need for a light. Leza agreed to post a question to the list serve over the next month and summarize submissions.
8. July 4th – Planning was deferred to May meeting. At that time, the board will decide whether to stay with the previous format or consider expansion or time change.
9. Membership Drive – Suggestions included:
a. Work with a realtor to identify newcomers to the neighborhood, cross reference with those who have joined, and follow up with a letter and phone calls. Louise Griffin was suggested as a partner in this effort.
b. Contact all realtors working in the neighborhood to ask them to advertise membership in the association in their newsletters and email posts.
c. Work with realtors to let us know when newcomers move in; follow up in person with welcome basket.
d. Ask realtors to give memberships as welcome gifts to their buyers in the neighborhood.
e. Knock on doors on our own streets.
f. Develop list of accomplishments/contributions to include with membership brochure.
g. Develop a system of block leaders to promote membership.
h. Mail to all homeowners
The group agreed to focus on approach to newcomers. Action items: Milt will ask Louise to go back four years to get names and addresses of new home purchases. Leza volunteered to research names by address if Louise’s data doesn’t provide it. Donna will provide verbiage of accomplishments presented at February meeting to April, who will create a flyer to accompany brochure.
10. Cannon Park Update – Donna reported that Cannon Park Committee has requested that city not require handicapped parking or a sidewalk, since both are redundant and costly. She feels fairly confident that those proposals will be successful.
11. Jaycee Park Improvements – Leza spoke with Dick Bailey, City Parks and Recreation Design/Development Administration (996-4822), about proposed improvements to Jaycee Park and asked about possible participation opportunities for UPHA. There are three projects in progress. Each project has a different project manager, so Dick Bailey is the best contact. There will not be a citizen’s advisory committee for any of the three projects. She asked Dick Bailey to call her in case an issue arose he thought UPHA would be interested in, and told him I would watch the website and touch base periodically.
Three projects in progress:
• Softball field re-grading and possibly irrigation (“lower field” closest to the buildings)
• Lighting evaluation of all the ball fields
• Community Center Renovation
o RFQ for design firms just closed; staff evaluating submittals now; selection anticipated in June.
o He was vague about what the renovations will entail, but some expansion of the building is likely (that’s what they want). At this time, he could not speculate on how much additional square footage would be added to the building – depends on how much repair, etc is needed.
o No additional parking is anticipated. (However, if they add a substantial amount of square footage, they may have to add parking to comply with the zoning code – will need to watch this.)
o The project is not expected to affect the woods and no other activities for the woods are currently planned. (I told him that some neighborhood residents would be very pleased with that news.)
o As the community center design progresses, it will be posted on the City’s website and displays will be available at Jaycee Park.
o A public hearing will be held prior to approval by Council of the building modifications.
12. Farm Direct Consortium – Milt suggested promoting UPHA participation in Farm Direct Consortium. He has researched, and proposed offering the opportunity through the UPHA discussion group and posting on the website. Fred Olds will host food drop on Friday afternoons, and will open to their teachers and parents as well. 100 have to sign on to make it work.
13. Wilmont Apartments – Joy expressed her concerns that if the building is condemned and all tenants are convicted, that with no income for further renovations it will become a derelict building and a detriment to the neighborhood. Milt expressed his concerns that an aggressive agenda toward condemnation by city may be an attempt at block consolidation. Loss of the Wilmont will be a loss in affordable housing and historic architecture. The board discussed whether they should voice these concerns to the City Council?
14. With no further new business, the meeting was adjourned at 9:05.
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