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Recap of the March 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the March 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

This is a brief recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council (EGNC) meeting that took place on March 9, 2016.

Bobby Williams, Fire Chief at the Spokane Fire Department, presented information on the ballot question regarding renewal of the EMS levy at the same rate as was approved in 2010. The levy would require a simple majority of 51%. He reported that the average EMS response time is five minutes, ten seconds, but if the levy is not successful, 70–90% of personnel would be let go, putting that response time in jeopardy. The levy goes before the voters every six years. Ballots will be in the mail between April 6 and 8.

Ray White presented information regarding Community Living Connections, a program to help care for the aging and disabled. A call center at (509) 960-7281 is provided to help seniors who call in with needs and concerns. Also provided is options counseling, whereby a counselor will go out and meet with people that need help solving living issues and challenges associated with aging.

Ben Cabildo of Community-Minded Enterprises presented information regarding new neighborhood-oriented TV programs. His organization has a studio that citizens can access to get information out through Comcast channel 14. Also, they have an open mic program where citizens can speak about concerns and issues. This is available every second and third Thursday. The services are available for non-profits and small business. Individuals are charged only $75 per year to use equipment, and non-profits are charged $350 per year.

City Councilwoman Candace Mumm shared information regarding gender equality hiring in the City. She is working on a report regarding this issue. Spokane City is in the process of looking for a new Chief of Police and an investigation is taking place within the Spokane Police Department. She also talked about the expansion of the Drumheller Springs Conservation Area.

Only one residential traffic-calming application was turned in by the meeting’s deadline. Malia Woods was the applicant; the area of concern was the intersection at Atlantic, Euclid and Cora. She is hoping for any intervention that would help traffic to slow down, as there are many children in this area. The council approved this application.

The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market needed the council’s approval of a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to use the parking lot at Silver Auctions for the market. This was approved with only one abstention. The chair and vice chair will sign the MoU.

Elections for executive positions on the neighborhood council will be held during the April meeting. Interested candidates were asked to come forward for all five positions: Chair, vice chair, secretary, Community Assembly rep and Community Development rep.

Neighborhood budget applications for event resources are due April 30. Neighborhoods can apply for a maximum of $500. The council intends to put in an application for the farmers market as well as Concerts in the Park.

Karl Boldt reported regarding the 2016 Spring Cleanup in our neighborhood. He noted that he will be absent on the day of the event (May 21) and that there have been policy changes with the Department of Corrections that could prevent them from assisting as usual. These issues need to be resolved by April 1. Karl also asked for additional volunteers to help throw trash into the dumpsters during the event.

Laura Schlangen reported on the Corbin Senior Activity Center. The 12th annual Movin’ & Groovin’ Fair was a great success. Day tours have been well attended, and the Alaska Cruise is filled up. The next big event is Tea in the Afternoon on April 29, with advance tickets selling for $15.

Tim Musser reported on the Community Assembly Community Development committee and the application schedule for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding. Each neighborhood needs to list what improvements need to be made via an application process.

Barb Biles reported from the Land Use Committee. There are currently some issues in Indian Trail regarding the zoning change in this area. Residential two-family zoning also has a possibility of being changed.

Carlie Hoffman reported on a discussion at the Pedestrian Traffic and Transportation (PeTT) committee regarding the repairing of roads.

Jonathan Martinez has had to step down from the Rental Housing Stakeholders Group due to work commitments. The neighborhood council is therefore looking for renters to represent themselves as well as the neighborhood on this committee.

A representative from Parking Services will be speaking at the May meeting per last month’s questions.

Materials for the March 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Materials for the March 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets tomorrow (Wednesday, March 9) starting at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Activity Center Center (827 W Cleveland).

Once again, we’ll be featuring two guest speakers: A representative of the Spokane Fire Department will provide some background on the EMS levy renewal that’s proposed for the April 26 ballot. An overview of that—including a fact sheet and presentation—is available here. After that, Ben Cabildo of Community-Minded Enterprises will talk about new neighborhood- and community-oriented TV programs.

This month the neighborhood council will be voting on resident-submitted traffic-calming proposals along with the proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU) that will move the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market to the Silver Auctions lot on North Monroe.

In addition, we’ll be discussing the popular upcoming Spring Cleanup and some potential changes to that event, looking at new neighborhood budget applications that could help fund our events, and taking names for the neighborhood council elections in April. We’ll also hear from our slate of neighborhood representatives on citywide planning, policies and other initiatives that could affect us here in Emerson-Garfield.

If you have a tablet or a smartphone, please help keep our printing expenses low by downloading the materials as PDFs:

We do our best to stick to a strict 90-minute meeting, so please take some time to familiarize yourself with the agenda and the info in the appendixes beforehand.

Everyone who lives, works or owns property in Emerson-Garfield is welcome, so we look forward to seeing you tomorrow! And if you haven’t yet, please RSVP to the meeting on Facebook or on Nextdoor.

Recap of the February 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the February 2016 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

This is a brief recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council (EGNC) meeting that took place on February 10, 2016.

Patrick Striker, the Executive Director of the Spokane Community-Oriented Policing Services (Spokane C.O.P.S.) program gave common-sense advice about preventing crime. Some of his tips included:

  • Do not leave anything tempting in a vehicle, such as a laptop bag, regardless of whether or not it contains valuable contents. As jackets can also be used for covering valuables, that may also be tempting to a criminal.
  • Get to know your neighbors so you can identify unusual activity or vehicles.
  • Report anything suspicious you see by calling Crime Check at 456-2233, even if you don’t expect the police to act on it. Incidents have to be logged to establish crime patterns and focus police patrols.
  • If an incident is happening right at the moment, call 911.
  • Volunteer for Neighborhood Observation Patrol (NOP) or at your local C.O.P.S. Shop. In Emerson-Garfield, that’s C.O.P.S. North Central.
  • When criminals see more activity and oversight in a neighborhood, such as with an active Block Watch, they are less confident in committing crime.
EGNC_Feb_2016
Kathy Armstrong and Patrick Striker of Spokane C.O.P.S. speak to the neighborhood council

Patrick also noted that code violation complaints can be submitted through a C.O.P.S. Shop, so all of the documentation can be recorded with the Shop as the source to keep you anonymous. If you do file directly with Code Enforcement, you may check a box on the form to remain anonymous if you feel threatened.

Kathy Armstrong of the Spokane Police Department reported on the Department of Justice Reform Recommendations, with forums bridging the gap between law enforcement and the community. The DOJ works together with the reform committee. Officers go through Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to handle individuals with mental health issues. In addition to 40 hours of CIT, officers have also gone through training with Spokane Mental Health. There is additional training planned with World Relief to educate officers on the cultures of those who are immigrating into Spokane.

Jonathan Mallahan of the City of Spokane’s Division of Neighborhood and Business Services (currently called the Office of Neighborhood Services) reported on the upcoming organizational changes at the City. He stated that there will be no reduction in the workforce during the reorganization of departments, which is scheduled to take place on March 1, and that many of the current departmental duties will be brought into closer alignment. Many of the questions that were brought up following Jonathan’s presentation were related to Parking Services, so an additional speaker will be invited to a future neighborhood council meeting to address that topic.

A call went out for volunteers at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market for the 2016 season. Several members stepped forward to assist and share responsibilities.

The new Neighborhood Notification Ordinance, which currently notifies the EGNC chair and vice chair of the applications for construction projects, was discussed along with recent training sessions on the issue. Neighborhood Notification is intended to keep residents apprised of what is happening in terms of neighborhood development and will give them some voice in the process. Anyone will be able to sign up for permit and land use alerts within a certain distance from their property.

Traffic-calming requests are due by the March 9 EGNC meeting and will be put forward for approval at that time.

Laura Schlangen reported on the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Beth Daniels is the new administrative manager and will be responsible for tours. The Movin’ and Groovin’ Fair will be on March 5. The Parks Department has decided not to give financial support to the center’s elevator project.

Jay Cousins reported on the recent Community Assembly meeting. The main issue was a prolonged discussion regarding the ongoing funding of citywide sidewalk projects. Because so many decisions are pending, there will be no sidewalk projects in 2016.

The Land Use Committee, which Barb Biles attended, discussed the impact of high-volume housing at Indian Trail, but there were no issues discussed that would impact Emerson-Garfield.

Jonathan Martinez reported on the Rental Housing Stakeholders Group. Concerns regarding landlord-tenant issues will be presented at the YMCA corporate building on Boone and Monroe on February 23 at 3:30pm.

The West Quadrant Tax Increment Financing Committee (WQTIF), represented by Megan Kennedy, did not have a quorum for the past two meetings. The main focus in our neighborhood with the committee is North Monroe. An additional position on the committee is open, so please consider serving.

Carlie Hoffman reported on topics discussed at the recent meeting of the citywide Pedestrian, Traffic and Transportation (PeTT) Committee. The Washington State Department of Transportation may provide counters to measure bikes and pedestrians if the City can find funds for installation and maintenance. The City is also currently working on updating the Transportation chapter of the Comprehensive Plan.

Materials for the Feb 10 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Materials for the Feb 10 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Following its customary January hiatus, the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council resumes its monthly meeting schedule tomorrow (Wednesday, February 10). It starts at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Activity Center Center (827 W Cleveland).

There are two guest speakers this month: Jonathan Mallahan of the City of Spokane and Patrick Striker of Spokane COPS. Jonathan will be speaking about the reorganization at City Hall and what that means for neighborhoods. He’ll leave time to field questions and address some of the concerns we had when the news was announced. Patrick will talk about crime prevention and what’s new at the area COPS Shops.

Further discussion items include finding much-needed volunteers for the upcoming season of the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market, a brief distillation of what we’ve gleaned from the recent Neighborhood Notification trainings, revisiting the EGNC bylaws and job descriptions for the executive members (e.g., chair, vice chair, secretary), plus reports from all our neighborhood reps on committees across Spokane. And there’s always room on the agenda for additional topics if you have one you’d like to add.

If you have a tablet or a smartphone, please help keep our printing expenses low by downloading the materials as PDFs:

Owing to everyone’s busy schedules, we do our best to stick to a strict 90-minute meeting. It helps us keep discussion on topic if you familiarize yourself with the issues on the agenda beforehand.

Everyone who has a stake in Emerson-Garfield is welcome, so we look forward to seeing you tomorrow! Feel free to RSVP to the event on Facebook or on Nextdoor.

Recap of the December 2015 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the December 2015 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

This is a brief recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting that took place on December 9, 2015. The meeting began at 6:30pm after a half-hour of mingling and sharing dinner as part of the Winter Potluck.

Guest speaker Roland Lamarche, chair of the Community Assembly‘s (CA) Community Development Committee, talked about proposed changes to how Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding is allocated for sidewalk installation and repair. He began by noting how Spokane’s CDBG program was meant to target neighborhoods with the greatest need, but that hinders the effectiveness of the current sidewalk program.

George Dahl then gave a presentation about the program, its shortcomings, and potential remedies. Tim Musser, our neighborhood’s representative on the CA Community Development Committee, also provided input about how the sidewalk maintenance is often overlooked by landlords in low-income neighborhoods.

[EDIT: Here is George’s presentation. Here is an FAQ for the proposed changes to the CDBG sidewalk program. And here are the minutes for the CA/CD Committee meeting at which the proposal was decided. All are PDF format.]

According to municipal code, the repair of sidewalks is the responsibility of the adjacent homeowners. Neighborhoods have collectively received about $700,000 per year to help address poverty through capital-improvement projects, and approximately $500,000 of that has been used for sidewalk repair. Yet the areas that qualify for CDBG funding are determined by census and change each year. It is therefore not uncommon for low-income individuals with dangerous sidewalks to have wealthier neighbors in their area who disqualify them from CDBG funding, and vice versa.

The committee’s proposal is to remove the area-specific qualifications for sidewalk funding and allow households to individually qualify if they earn less than $36,150 (if a one-person household). The higher an owner’s income relative to this benchmark, the higher the share of the cost they would be responsible for. Priority would be given to the disabled, the elderly, and the lower income.

The typical cost of a repair ranges between $1,600 on the low end and $3,000 on the high end, with the higher expenses usually being associated with larger tree roots. With the cost being shared by the owner, there may be a disincentive for “extravagant” requests that their entire sidewalk be repaired, and if only the damaged portions were repaired, the funding could theoretically be distributed across many more properties.

This proposed process is all very new and in need of further refinement. Anyone with questions or concerns is encouraged to e-mail George Dahl at gdahl@spokanecity.org.

Jay Cousins, Emerson-Garfield’s CA representative, reported that the CA will meet on the first Thursday of each month at 5:30pm starting in January 2016.

Within days of last month’s neighborhood council meeting, it was announced that the Cedar Street sidewalk project would be funded by Photo Red dollars. It was proposed that the $11,010 of funding it was due to receive be reallocated to the asphalt walking path project in Emerson Park, thus ensuring its completion. The council voted unanimously to approve that motion. The neighborhood council members then discussed possible CDBG projects to consider in the future.

The council also voted not to meet in January 2016, per custom, pushing the next meeting to Wednesday, February 10.

“Cleanup Czar” Karl Boldt reiterated that Faith Bible Church is still very eager to host another cleanup project next autumn.

On Monday, December 28 at 5:45pm, the West Central Community Center will be hosting a training session on the Neighborhood Notification process.

Laura Schlangen reported on the Corbin Senior Activity Center. The Spokane Magic Club fundraiser was well attended and netted the center almost $300. A Christmas luncheon themed “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day” will take place on Friday, December 11 beginning at 11:30am. The Tap Grandmas will perform a holiday show on Wednesday, December 16 at 6pm.

The meeting adjourned at 7:30pm with enthusiastic holiday well-wishing.