MEMBERSHIP APPROVED MINUTES ARCHIVE:
AUGUST 20,2008 MEETING
•Kim Boulton, Area Coordinator, called meeting to order; 37 individuals were in attendance. Kim welcomed everyone and introduced our speakers from Metropolitan Housing Authority - Cliff Scott, General Director, and Adrian Early, Director of Operations. A presentation followed by a question and answer session was held about the Section 8 Program. •Don Santarelli asked for nominations of individuals to serve as representatives of the Garden District Block Watch.
•The membership discussed and agreed to retain the period of time to serve remain at six months.
•Area Coordinator: after discussion, since Kim and Don have been working together in coordinating the block watch meetings and activities, it was decided to create the position of Co-Area Coordinators and they would continue serving together in this capacity. Kim and Don each accepted the nomination.
•Secretary: Barbara O’Hara was nominated and seconded - she accepted the nomination.
•It was discussed and agreed that only those individual currently living in the Garden District Block Watch area were allowed to vote.
•After discussion, since we have created the position of Co-Area Coordinators and Kim and Don have accepted to serve and Barbara O’Hara has accepted to serve as Secretary, it was decided to forego waiting until next month to vote on the individuals presented to serve as representatives of the Garden District Block Watch and take a vote of the membership now. The vote was unanimous and Kim, Don and Barbara were elected to serve as Co-Area Coordinators and Secretary, respectively, for next month and the six month period thereafter. Nominations of individuals to serve the Garden District Block Watch were completed.
•Kim reviewed the roster of current block watch captains and asked for new block watch captains.
•Kim announced that Youngstown Litter Control and Recycling is having a City Wide Clean Up Saturday, September 6, 2008 from 9am to 12pm. Participants were asked to meet at the Chevy Centre downtown at 8:30 am for a rally. Each participant will receive a free t-shirt.
•Meeting closed.
NEXT MEETING: 6:30pm, Tuesday, September 16th at the Davis Center, Fellows Riverside Gardens.
Minutes approved as read/with correction(s) by MEMBERSHIP
GARDEN DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Minutes - April 8, 2009
Carol Righetti announced the following:
The next meeting of the West Side Citizen Coalition, which includes the 4th Ward, is scheduled for May 12th and she suggested that we have a representative of our group attend their meetings. The West Side Citizen Coalition is having a spaghetti dinner benefitting YPD= s K-9 units to help cover the cost of the K-9s retraining. Youngstown City-wide cleanup is scheduled for May 9th (which was changed to May 16th). Those interested were asked see Karen Humphries to register. The West Side will have several houses demolished this year.
Officer Jim Welch reminded us that the City budget will be light this year and had no special news from the City for us. Discussion was held about problems in our neighborhood.
Denise McGuire spoke about fund raising. The half & half raffle was won by Bonnie Cruickshank who donated the winnings to the treasury. A garage sale is in the planning for later this summer...so start setting aside items for it. We are looking for someplace to hold the garage sale. If you have any ideas for fund raising, contact Denise.
Denise said that we have submitted our application for a $5,000 grant from the Wean Foundation possible to be used for neighborhood beautification - the planting of trees on the devil-strips in our area. Denise complimented Karen Humphries on the good job she is doing in providing us with speakers and asked if she would accept the position of Program Director. Karen accepted the position.
Jerry O= Hara made everyone aware that our Garden District Neighborhood Web Site is up and running. The meeting dates and pertinent information as well as links to city, state and federal web sites, and other sites of interest to the group, are posted.
John Cumpston announced that everyone is invited to help with the clean-up day, April 18th, for Wick Park and area East of Elm Street, followed by a pot luck lunch. Those interested were asked to meet at the Unitarian Universal Church on the corner of Elm and Illinois.
Roger Smith, Regional Planner, with Lien Forward Ohio in conjunction with Mahoning County Treasurer and the City of Youngstown. Their mission is to return vacant, abandoned and tax- delinquent property to productive use and tax paying by conducting free workshops for potential clients and providing guidance, legal assistance and financial means to obtain property ownership. Interested individuals were encouraged to contact Roger.
Karen Perkins, Zoning Analyst for the City of Youngstown with the Planning Department, deals with the acquisition of property. Some people deed their property over to the City of Youngstown so they don= t have to pay the lien while others allow their unattended properties to be foreclosed upon. After the City obtains the deed for the properties, they can be purchased from the City.
The four-lot property at the corners of South Lakeview and Mayfield was just obtained by the City of Youngstown. After discussion, it was agreed that the City would hold these parcels in the Land Bank and permit the Garden District Neighborhood to use, maintain and beautify the property. We are aloud to mow the grass, plant flowers, vegetables and Trees and have picnic tables, but no permanent structures of any type, including a fence, are permitted. Should anyone give us a problem, we are to contact Karen Perkins.
Catherine Powers with Treez Please, a non-profit corporation, explained their goal is to plant trees and improve greenspace in the City of Youngstown. Treez Please acquires empty lots in the City and landscapes them with trees and other plantings to create pocket parks in previously marginal spaces. They work with homeowners to help them select, plant and care for street trees at no cost to them. Treez Please welcomes those who share their goal to dig in and make it happen.
The meeting was adjourned
Respectfully submitted: Barbara O= Hara, Secretary
Attendance: Jeff Bowen, Bonnie & Dolores Cruickshank, John Cumpston, Consuelo, Cutlip, Gloria DeLosSantos, Fred George, Verne Hamilton, Karen Humphries, Andrew Labedz, Claudia Lambert, Denise McGuire, George Moore, Barbara & Jerry O= Hara, Carol Righetti, Lisa Skerkavich, Jim Welch - Robert Smith (Lien Forward Ohio), Karen Perkins (Zoning Anaylst for City Planning Dept.), and Catherine Powers (Treez Please).
GARDEN DISTRICT NEIGHBORHOOD MEETING
Minutes - June 10, 2009
Jerry O’Hara called the meeting to order.
Barbara O’Hara read the minutes of the previous meeting which were approved by the membership.
John Cumpston read the Treasury Report which reflected a balance of $40.00 was approved by the membership.
Discussed recent block watch activities.
Karen Humphries announced that we received a Wean Foundation grant in the amount of $2,783.00 for the purpose of planting trees in our area and the purchase of a lawn edger. Those interested in the program were asked to see Karen for signing-up. A meeting will be scheduled with regard to additional information concerning this program.
It was announced that the garage sale was tabled.
Guest Speaker, Phil Kidd with the Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative (MVOC), explained the purpose of the organization and with their assistance, the quality of life for our area could be greatly improved.
Guest Speaker, Joselyn Parker with the Flying High organization, informed us about their program of counseling and guiding the youth of our area through activities and community service.
Keith Hanni, a juvenile justice officer, spoke about counseling and working with the youth to help guide them to a positive way of life.
Meeting adjourned.
Barbara O’Hara
Secretary
Attendance: Helen Borton, Jeff Bowen, Jerry Carden, John Cumpston, James & Rebecca English, Sexton Joe Frenka, Connie Giovanni, Barbara & John Guerriere, Verne Hamilton, Keith Hanni, Karen Humphries, Andrew Labedz, Karen Lesko, Herman Marshman, Denise McGuire, Dennis McKenny, Anita Mohn, Gary Moore, Jerry & Barbara O’Hara, Dolores Phillips, Joyce Sabatino, Pastor Dave Schriechengost, Lisa Serkavich, Sandor Sr. & Sandor Jr. Tollas, Margie Tomo, and Ruthe Williams.