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Recap of the April E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the April E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Here’s a brief recap of what took place during the April 8, 2015 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council (EGNC).

In addition to the 26 voting members in attendance, five new voting members were confirmed at the start of the April meeting. The sign-in sheet showed around another 25 first-timers or guests.

A representative from Spokane Transit Authority spoke about the details of Prop 1, the sales tax referendum on the upcoming April 28 special ballot. More info about the scope and ramifications of Prop 1 can be found in this digital booklet (print copies of which were issued at the meeting). Basically, it would provide an estimated 25% increase in bus service, which is expected to accommodate a 30% increase in ridership over the next ten years. If the measure is approved, it would increase taxes by 3/10 of 1% — or 3¢ on every $10. The sunset clause would cause this tax to expire in 2025.

Officer elections for 2015-16 were held. Megan Kennedy, who announced that she would be stepping down from the vice chair position, explained her hopes to revive the North Monroe Business Association and her future participation in the West Quadrant Tax Increment Financing (WQ TIF) Committee. Kally Romjue and Steve Anderson were presented as candidates for vice chair. Both the current secretary and chair agreed to continue in their positions for another year with the EGNC’s consent. Two volunteers who were not up for election counted the 25 ballots submitted.

Judith Gilmore, representing the Fulcrum Institute, gave an update on on Ash Street Station, which will become a greenhouse facility and train former inmates with work skills. Its renovation was partly funded by the EGNC, and the Lands Council is encouraging the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market (among other organizations) to make use of its space. On Tuesday, May 19, Dave Dahl, founder of Dave’s Killer Bread, will be speaking at Ash Street Station (1926 N Ash).

Amy Dutton volunteered to head the ad hoc Greening Grants committee to plan future neighborhood plantings.

On a similar topic, Lois Musser discussed the Emerson Community Garden and invited new and existing attendees to the Spring Work Day on Sunday, April 19 at 2pm.

Al Steuart reported in absentia that he has lined up several demonstrations and educational events at this year’s farmers’ market. He is looking for additional volunteers to lead other events such as cooking demos, beekeeping seminars, and tips on garden gadgets. Please contact him at alsteuart@gmail.com if you are interested.

Jackie Caro with the Office of Neighborhood Services announced three upcoming locations for the speed signs as part of the traffic calming program. Her office is currently waiting for bids for planting the shrubbery in the traffic circles on W Montgomery. Later in the year the City Council will decide on the funding for the traffic-calming proposals approved by the EGNC in February.

Laura Schlangen reported for the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Friday, May 22 is their Mad Hatter’s Tea Party; June 5 is their Golf Scramble. An anonymous donor as well as Hoffman Music contributed to the replacement of the stolen sound system. Another anonymous donor replaced the stolen Wii Bowling controls. If you are interested in becoming a CSAC board member, contact Christa Richardson at (509) 327-1584.

Karl Boldt gave a final reminder about the upcoming Spring Cleanup, which will take place from 9am to 12:30pm on Saturday, April 18 at Faith Bible Church. Volunteers are needed to help with the unloading as well as some light-duty tasks — and they’ll be rewarded with a pizza party afterwards. Call Karl at (509) 325-3031 to volunteer or ask questions.

Steve Anderson invited an additional volunteer for the Pedestrian Traffic and Transportation (PeTT) Committee. Contact Steve at slightlyuninteresting@gmail.com to lend a hand or discuss PeTT-related topics such as Safe Routes to School or missing parking signs.

Tim Musser reported that it looks as though Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding will prioritize poorer neighborhoods in 2016. The City hopes that neighborhoods will pool their money to realize larger projects.

Timothy Diko, who is co-organizing the neighborhood’s Concerts in the Park this year with Melissa Parker, attended a Summer Parkways meeting to see if the concert could coincide with the Summer Parkways event like last year. Unfortunately, the Summer Parkways group is not planning an event for Corbin Park this season. He and Melissa will update the neighborhood on progress in choosing a date and booking a band. If you are interested or donating time or money to assist in this, please contact Tim (dikota1@gmail.com) or Melissa (melissap838@gmail.com).

With the votes tallied, the meeting closed shortly after 7pm with the announcement that Steve Anderson had been elected to serve as vice chair of the EGNC.

Spring Cleanup 2015 (April 18)

Spring Cleanup 2015 (April 18)

Emerson-Garfield will be holding its 2015 neighborhood-wide Spring Cleanup on Saturday, April 18 between 9am and 12:30pm.

The waiting room

This popular annual event organized by the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council is designed to help you get rid of all the junk that’s been cluttering your garage, backyard or basement — as much as you’ve got, and it’s all for free.

Just like in years past, there will be a roll-off container site at Faith Bible Church (600 W Cora) where you can pull up in your car or truck and dispose of the following:

  • “Clean green” and general refuse. This includes untainted green waste (e.g., leaves, grass cuttings) and everyday trash.
  • The Salvation Army collects reusable goods and e-cycle items — functional, gently used electronics such TVs, digital cameras and printers.
  • Metal recycling. Under this category falls microwaves, stoves, small lawn mowers — that is, any 99% metal items with a few tiny non-metal tidbits (but no items that contain freon or liquids).

A couple of caveats to keep in mind:

  • Household hazardous waste (e.g., paints, solvents) will not be accepted this year. Ours was the only neighborhood to make regular use of that offering, so it got cut from the program. Bummer.
  • No construction items like concrete and drywall. There are a variety of reasons for this, one of them being that they disproportionately inflate the container weight.
  • Emerson-Garfield residents only. If you don’t actually live in the neighborhood, you can’t offload your stuff.

If you appreciate or make use of this free event, you can give back by volunteering. Just send an e-mail to Karl Boldt and request either a loading or non-loading task. Loading requires someone strong and physically fit. Non-loading includes responsibilities like traffic control, ID check, or conducting the annual “wants and needs” survey.

Volunteers will need to be onsite from 8am to 1pm. Oh, and they’ll get treated to a pancake breakfast free pizza afterwards.

Social media buffs can RSVP to Spring Cleanup on Facebook or on Nextdoor.

Free Tree Vouchers for E-G Residents

Free Tree Vouchers for E-G Residents

By now you might have heard that the City of Spokane is giving away 2,000 trees. For free. Under this citywide initiative, Spokane residents will be eligible to receive up to two trees each. A variety of tree species are available between the sizes of four to seven gallons.

Free residential trees 2015

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council has received a limited number of vouchers for these trees to distribute to E-G residents on a first-come, first-served basis and as long as supplies last. Please read that last sentence again to ensure there’s no confusion or disappointment.

To claim their vouchers, Emerson-Garfield residents have two options:

  1. Attend one of the neighborhood’s Greening Grant plantings on Saturday, April 4. More info on that event is here.
  2. Attend the E-G Neighborhood Council meeting on Wednesday, April 8. That runs from 6 to 7:30pm at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

Your vouchers will entitle you to pre-select your tree species and then pick them up on April 17 and 18 from three local nurseries that have partnered with the City’s Office of Neighborhood Services.

Check the free tree species list (PDF link) to see which species are offered at which location.

To have more mature trees delivered right to your door, Greenleaf Landscaping & Nursery is offering an additional deal as part of the Residential Tree Program. Greenleaf has reserved 300 deciduous and coniferous tree species for residents to purchase at $95 per tree, and Spokane residents are eligible for up to two of these trees. With your purchase Greenleaf will deliver and install your new tree(s) directly on to your property at a time convenient for you.

View the Greenleaf tree flyer (PDF link) to view a list of trees that are being offered.

Not in Emerson-Garfield? We feel your pain. To find out which neighborhood you live in, visit the City’s neighborhoods page.

Upcoming Events and Sales at Petunia’s Marketplace

Upcoming Events and Sales at Petunia’s Marketplace

petunias_marketplace_spokane_waPetunia’s Marketplace (2010 N Madison) — a favorite neighborhood business and cornerstone vendor at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market — announced at the February meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council that the shop would be starting a seed lending library.

A seed lending library operates on the same basic principle as a book library. That is, you check out the types of available seed that you would like to plant, and you return some of that same type of seed in the autumn. And, like a book library, you can check out those seeds at no cost. It’s a great way to experiment with new plants and enhance your garden without spending a lot of money on new seeds. Plus, as the library resources grow, you can find the right kind of seeds that will work best for your particular garden plot.

But the seed library isn’t all that Petunia’s is doing. In the coming months, the shop will be holding several special sales and gardening events.

This Saturday (March 21), Petunia’s will host a class called, “What to plant to feed the bees from spring to frost,” taught by an experienced apiarist. Given that bees are so crucial to pollination, the right type of sustaining, attractive plants can make the difference between a garden that flourishes and one that withers. It runs from 9–11am. Cost is $10.

On Saturday, April 11, you can learn how to successfully transplant your delicate starts from their pots to your garden soil. Again, that class will run from 9–11am and cost $10.

Local master gardener Steve Nokes will teach a basic course titled “Vegetables 101” on Wednesday, April 22 from 6:30–7:30pm. That also costs $10. It’s great for beginners as well as longtime gardeners looking for tips.

There will be a (free) Master Gardener Plant Sale & Garden Fair on Saturday, April 25. That runs from 9am–2pm and will see participation from the Master Gardener Program at the WSU Extension.

And on Saturday, May 2, it’s the opening day of Petunia’s greenhouse. That will coincide with the shop’s Chocolate & Flower Festival, which runs from 9am–4pm.

These classes could fill up fast! To request more info or to reserve a spot, contact Stacy or Bev on (509) 328-4257 or reach out via Petunia’s Facebook page.

Recap of the March E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the March E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The March 11, 2015 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council (EGNC) featured Kelly Norwood of Avista, assisted by Casey Fielder, as its guest speaker. Kelly provided a printed slideshow with some background on the company, its infrastructure, as well as the rate regulations it is subject to.

Of the $2.5 billion investment in Avista, 48% is equity, owned by shareholders, and 52% is owned by bond holders and banks. Avista is asking for a 4.75% authorized return on equity, which, according to the statistics provided in the printed materials, is an average rate compared to other providers. While the cost of electricity has increased 41% over the past 10 years, natural gas has only increased 3%. Over time, the costs to the customers has matched inflation almost exactly.

Kelly took questions from the group and later remained after the meeting to speak with interested attendees individually.

Kelly Norwood of Avista speaks to the EGNC about rate increases.
Kelly Norwood of Avista speaks to the EGNC about rate increases.

Next, Alicia Powell spoke about the City’s Greening Grants. In 2014, twelve neighborhoods applied for projects, and there were 17 approved applications, including 117 street trees, five perennial plantings, and one riparian planting. Under the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program, 66 street trees were planted.

Under the Greening Grants program, each neighborhood in Spokane can apply for three grants each at up to $5,000 per grant. On April 17 and 18 of this year, 1,000 trees will be given away to residents for planting. Every resident can receive up to two trees. If residents would prefer to be supplied with larger, more established trees, a landscaping company can deliver and install up to two for $95 each. Vouchers for these trees and pickup locations will be provided to the neighborhood council at the next meeting on April 8.

The neighborhood Greening Grants planting for its successful 2014 applications will take place on Saturday, April 4. More info on that — including times, locations and scope of projects — will be available in a forthcoming blog post.

There were several volunteers for an ad hoc Greening Grants Committee, which will meet briefly over the next month to determine potential locations for plantings and landscaping and apply for one or more of the three possible grants. If you are interested in serving on this committee, please get in touch. You don’t have to be a voting member of the neighborhood council to participate.

Volunteering for the neighborhood council executive positions was encouraged, as elections are in April.

Megan Kennedy reported on the City-hosted open house for North Monroe business owners that she attended on the morning of March 10. She said that the City employees took the concerns of the business owners very seriously. One of the main concerns for owners was the length of the street closure. If a full closure, there would be 3 to 5 months of construction as opposed to 2 to 4 years if a partial closure. The City is also adjusting an additional levy source that could bring further improvements to the road surface.

Community Frameworks recently provided their architectural plans to the EGNC’s chair and vice-chair, requesting their opinions regarding the development of affordable housing at 315 West Mission.

The City is currently in negotiations for a site in Emerson-Garfield that would house an additional drinking water well. This well would provide a safe source of drinking water, especially in light of the risks associated with some of the current drinking water wells in industrial locations.

The neighborhood website was recently migrated to a new server, and is now (clearly) back online.

The Movin’ and Groovin’ Fair of the Corbin Senior Activity Center will be held on Saturday, March 14 from 8am to 2pm. There will be 75 vendors.  Lunch will be served for $6. Corbin’s sound system, valued at $500, was stolen, and the Center is considering a new locking system.

Karen Colvin and Carol Anderson spoke on behalf of the Spokane Community Oriented Policing Services (C.O.P.S.) shops. The North Hill and North Central C.O.P.S. shops should be merging, with volunteers relocating to the North Central location (630 W Shannon). The North Central location is open Monday through Friday, 10am to 2pm.

As C.O.P.S. receives limited funding, there will be a flea-market fundraiser market on Saturday, May 9 from 9am to 3pm at Knox Presbyterian Church (806 W Knox). C.O.P.S. North Central and Knox Presbyterian will be collaborating with the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council to plan and augment the event.

Al Steuart briefly reported on the planning for composting demonstrations and other activities during the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market. There are currently additional volunteers for canning and dehydration/desiccation demos. If you would like to coordinate one of these events, please e-mail Al directly.

On the news that previous organizer Eline Helm was stepping down, Timothy Diko and Melissa Parker volunteered to organize this year’s Concerts in the Park. The date will depend on the availability of the band but could be timed, like last year, to coincide with Summer Parkways.

Karl Boldt reported on the Spring Cleanup scheduled for Saturday, April 18 from 9am to 12:30pm, the annual dumpster roll-off event that allows residents to dispose of household and yard waste for free. Faith Bible Church will provide beverages and snacks to all those who participate, plus pizza for volunteers after the event. Unlike previous years, we will be unable to gather hazardous waste materials. This is a good opportunity to clean up alleys with your neighbors. Tires are acceptable at the roll-off event, but dump passes may be provided for construction materials that should be taken directly to the dump.

Barb Biles reported on the Land Use Committee, which is considering changes to bicycle lanes, rental properties regulations, and an easy-to-use outline for application processes.

Steve Anderson reported on the Pedestrian, Traffic and Transportation (PeTT) Committee, which primarily consisted of an STA presentation and ensuing discussion. A more detailed overview is available here.

Tim Musser reported on the Community Development meetings, which are working to determine how neighborhoods will receive and allocate CDBG funds in the coming years.  The intent of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the source of the funds, is to improve the standard of living for lower-income residents, so the committee used that goal to formulate a proposal for a point-based system of resource allocation. Generally speaking, if a CDBG block has 75% or more of low-income households, it receives four points. With 60–75%, two points, and 50% to 60% receives one point. The Community Assembly is set to assess and vote on that proposal.