Emerson Garfield

Materials for the Feb 11 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

February 10, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Following a relaxing January hiatus, the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets tomorrow (February 11) for the first time in 2015. The meeting starts at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

There are no guest speakers on this month’s agenda, which leaves us ample time to review and vote on the traffic-calming applications that schools, churches and residents have submitted this year for the neighborhood council’s approval. There are two arterial and three residential applications — with the possibility of more arriving between now and the meeting.

We’ll also be voting on a revised sidewalk repair/installation plan after this year’s CDBG eligibility areas shifted.

Beyond the yays and nays, the neighborhood council will be planning events for this year’s Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market, hearing about the new seed library at Petunia’s Marketplace, addressing volunteer opportunities, looking at upcoming neighborhood elections and Greening Grants (i.e., tree plantings), and briefly discussing N. Monroe revitalization.

Save a tree, put your tablet to good use, and download the materials as PDFs here:

Caveat downloader: The agenda is hefty (roughly 9MB) because it contains the traffic-calming applications.

We hope to see you there!

Emerson-Garfield Code Enforcement Summary for 2014

February 7, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Fresh in: The 2014 Code Enforcement Summary with some new data for the statistically minded folks in our neighborhood.

Code enforcement is the process that deals with things like abandoned cars, people living in RVs, derelict houses, and structures such as outbuildings and fences.

Emerson-Garfield had a total of 294 code enforcement complaints in 2014. Compare that to 4,990 for the whole city — which means E-G accounted for 5.9% of code enforcement complaints across Spokane last year. Maps showing the locations and nature of the reports for 2013 and 2014 are provided below.

2013 E-G code violations (reported) by location

2014 E-G code violations (reported) by location

The report cites abandoned vehicle complaints (120 of them) as the primary issue — or rather, the most visible issue, since there are many code violations that go unspotted or unreported — in 2014. Solid waste (52) and zoning-related complaints (24) come in a distant second and third, but these are still substantial compared to other Spokane neighborhoods.

Abandoned vehicle complaints rose 2000% between 2013 and 2014. Yes, you read that correctly: 2000%. There were only 6 reported in 2013. However, this massive increase comes down to the fact that abandoned vehicles — along with right-of-way violations and graffiti — are relatively new code enforcement categories that were introduced late in 2013.

Speaking of graffiti, there were only 12 code enforcement complaints in that category in 2014. Either there’s not as much graffiti as folks tend to think, or they’re not reporting it.

The summary also has the following to say:

Illegal dump complaints on the right-of-way rose significantly to 21, which may indicate a problem for this neighborhood in education on proper disposal of refuse.

Due to the age of the structures, there is also a concern relating to substandard buildings. In this area there were 18 substandard building complaints, which is up from 14 complaints in 2013. Many of these are abandoned homes or undergoing foreclosure.

And that, particularly the illegal dumping, leaves the neighborhood council with a few discussion topics.

Feel free to download the full report (PDF) from which this info is taken. The maps above are included.

Traffic-Calming Workshop (Jan 21)

January 15, 2015 Emerson Garfield

The Office of Neighborhood Services is hosting a traffic-calming workshop for neighborhoods in District 3 — which includes Emerson-Garfield — on Wednesday, January 21 from 6 to 7:30pm at the West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt).

This workshop goes hand-in-hand with our call for neighborhood traffic-calming requests. The aim of the workshop is to give applicants one-on-one instructions and review some example projects. If you’re thinking about submitting a traffic-calming request, this workshop will help you create a strong application for your proposed project.

These workshops are for anyone in District 3. You don’t have to be a member of this or any other neighborhood council to take part.

The roundabouts on W Montgomery are a good example of the kind of resident-driven traffic-calming projects that our neighborhood has applied for in the past. More information about the traffic-calming program in Spokane and the solutions available to you can be found on the City’s traffic-calming page.

Submit Your 2015 Traffic-Calming Requests

January 15, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Are there speeding cars on your street? Do you know of a road that’s dangerous to cross on foot because drivers can’t see pedestrians or are reluctant to stop for them?

Those are situations that sometimes call for traffic-calming measures. These can include roundabouts (aka traffic circles), chicanes, bump outs, crosswalks and other improvements.

Traffic island

Chicanes

Traffic circle

Curb bump-out

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is soliciting traffic-calming requests for 2015. All you have to do is go to the City traffic-calming page and download the residential or arterial traffic-calming form depending on where you’d like to see the proposed improvement. The application itself is fairly self-explanatory and straightforward.

If you want some examples and ideas of the options available to you (for example, speed bumps are generally discouraged because of snow plowing), take a look at this comprehensive traffic-calming toolbox document (PDF link). That has pictures as well as the pros and cons of different solutions.

Once you’ve filled out the application, bring it to the next Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, February 11, starting at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland). The EGNC will then review it, vote on it, adjust any details and finally submit the top two requests to the City for consideration prior to the general March 2 deadline. That means you have just under one month.

Unsure what to ask for or how to fill out the application? The City is hosting a helpful traffic-calming workshop next Wednesday, January 21 from 6 to 7:30pm at the West Central Community Center (1603 N Belt).

Feel free to pose any questions in the comments below or get in touch with the E-G Neighborhood Council through our contact form.

Project Hope Seeks Development Director

January 14, 2015 Emerson Garfield

Project Hope Spokane is seeking a part-time Development Director.

The Development Director will have the following duties:

Fully plan and implement an annual fundraiser and all follow-up.
Responsible for all aspects of annual fund including but not limited to newsletters, direct mail, annual report and appeals.
Works to ensure donor database, gift processing and acknowledgement procedures are in place and well functioning.
Responsible for assisting in the establishment and meeting of annual fundraising goals.
Creates and monitors development/marketing budget in a fiscally responsible manner.
Keeps accurate and timely records of all donor contact in Donor Perfect database.
Knowledge of and adherence to Association of Professional Fundraisers Code of Ethical Principles and Standards of Professional Practice.
Assists Executive Director and Development Committee in identification, application, and reporting of appropriate grant-based funding for Project Hope.
Performs related functions necessary to support the mission and values of Project Hope Spokane.

The pay is $15 per hour with a time commitment of 20 hours per week.

Why are we reposting this here? Project Hope serves the West Central and Emerson-Garfield neighborhoods, and it would be great to see a qualified candidate come from this area.

Please see the full job announcement for required skills and qualifications. Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and résumé to James Kashork, Executive Director of Project Hope Spokane, 1428 W Broadway, Spokane, WA 99201.