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E-G Boundary Expansion

E-G Boundary Expansion

At its November meeting the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council voted to approve a boundary expansion to include land ceded by the Northwest Neighborhood Association.

The NWNA was not seeing any representation from this peninsular area on their southern border and felt that this was because it was a more natural geographical fit for Emerson-Garfield.

E-G expansion

Starting from the intersection of Fairview and Ash, the rough boundary continues west to Cochran, southwest across the Meenach Bridge, further south along the Pettit Drive Ridge (aka Doomsday Hill) to Indiana, then east on Indiana to Belt, and finally Belt north to Fairview. A map of the area is above.

To all the home and businesses (including Pete’s Pizza) that now find themselves within E-G’s expanded borders, welcome to the neighborhood!

Materials for the Nov 12 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Materials for the Nov 12 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

We’re rapidly approaching the second Wednesday of the month, which means it’s time for another Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting. It takes place tomorrow (November 12) starting at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

This month we’ll be hearing — no, really this time — from Tim Schwering, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Spokane Police Department, about the practicalities and policies of police body cameras. This is all the more topical in light of this weekend’s car chase across the north side that ended in a nonfatal officer-involved shooting at the 2200 block of N Post here in E-G. The officer’s body camera was not on at the time.

The major agenda item is the allocation of just shy of $55,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to our neighborhood. As discussed at the October meeting, an ad hoc neighborhood CDBG committee met at Gerardo’s and developed a proposal to split the money in the following ways: $20,000 toward N. Monroe revitalization (in conjunction with the STA), $30,000 toward sidewalk installation and repair, and the remainder to neighborhood nonprofits. This proposal will be discussed and refined by everyone in attendance, then approved by voting members.

To that end, we’ll be hearing brief CDBG-related presentations and requests from the STA, The Lands Council (in partnership with Fulcrum) and the West Central Community Center. George Dahl, Human Services Manager at City of Spokane, will be on hand to answer questions about the possibilities and limits of funding.

This meeting could run a bit longer than usual, but we will aim to finish around 8pm. Considered, forward-thinking allocation of CDBG funding is important, so it’s worth the extra time.

As always, the EGNC welcomes everyone and anyone who has a stake in our neighborhood, whether you’re a resident (renter or homeowner), a business owner, a church leader, head of a nonprofit, or you have a child who attends one of the many schools in Emerson-Garfield.

You can download the November 12 meeting materials as PDFs here:

And if you’re on Facebook, you can RSVP for the neighborhood council meeting on the event page.

Recap of the October E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the October E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The October 8 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council began at its new time of 6pm.

Christa Richardson of the Corbin Senior Activity Center started off the meeting by sharing the good news about their Munch and Mingle auction on September 27, which raised $20,000. Of that, $4,000 was directed towards the elevator. The center’s new van arrived as well.

The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) applications were explained, and attendees were invited to participate in determining how the funding for 2015 will be allocated among the neighborhood. Six volunteers formed a committee that will meet prior to the November 24 deadline to do so. Their proposal will be discussed, refined and put to vote at the November 12 meeting of the E-G Neighborhood Council.

Timothy Diko and Melissa Parker have been scouting out locations for sheltered bus stops, bike racks and trash cans to be placed along Monroe Street. Those kinds of projects were chosen because they would not require follow-up costs and would be long-lasting. The consensus of the meeting attendees was that the stop on the west corner of Montgomery and Monroe could use a shelter and nearby bike rack, and the stops on either side of the street at Grace and Monroe could also benefit from the same.

Northwest Neighborhood identified a block of land adjacent to Emerson-Garfield where the residents tend to identify more with Emerson-Garfield than Northwest. Their organization voted to cede the land to E-G. The boundaries to the north are Fairview and Ash to Cochran, south across the T.J. Meenach bridge, along the Pettit Drive Ridge, to Indiana; Indiana east to Belt, and Belt north to Fairview.  A concern was raised regarding the average income of that section of land, and what effect that might have on Emerson-Garfield’s qualification for CDBG funding. The vote to approve the boundary extension was tabled until November.

The Greening Neighborhoods Grant was approved for both applications. The Maple traffic island vegetation can be acquired soon, but the other area may need to wait until November.Spokane Urban Forestry will determine the dates. Over a dozen attendees volunteered to help with planting when the time comes.

On Washington near North Central High School is an organization, Community Frameworks, that would like to contribute to the redevelopment of that area, to include practical beautification and increased walkability. They hope to develop a 33-unit apartment building for lower-income residents. Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council wrote letters of support for their funding applications.

Because there are three elementary schools (i.e., Garfield, Audubon, Spokane Public Montessori) in a roughly one-mile area within E-G, there is a justification for putting together a Safe Routes to School task force with the goal of working with the Spokane Regional Health District to develop an entire pedestrian- and bike-friendly network of paths to these schools. Several volunteers, including councilwoman Candace Mumm, expressed an interest in participating.

A motion was made to provide meeting notes for review and approval by e-mail, rather than waiting until the following monthly meeting. It was decided to e-mail the minutes shortly following each meeting, and voting members can then respond to the e-mail.

Tim Burns, the Police Ombudsman, reported that the five-member citizen oversight commission over Spokane Police Officers is in effect as of September 15. The sheriff’s office has expressed an interest in a similar committee. Adrian Dominguez, an epidemiologist with the Health Department, represents our district (District 3) on the oversight commission. Each of the other two city council districts selected one representative, and the mayor selected two.

City Council member Candace Mumm reported on the approval of a $67,000 traffic calming grant. A pilot program near Gonzaga will experiment with a permeable pavement solution, which could work with N. Monroe as well. The Women and Children’s Free Restaurant has purchased Center Pointe near the Community Frameworks building for their new location. The new city budget proposal was released, and a priority was given to fire safety.

Sara Kimball reported on sidewalk repair near Emerson Park, in response to some large tree roots. There were four curb cuts near Jefferson and Alice for ADA accessibility. A sidewalk on the west side of Madison all the way from Indiana to Emerson Park may be in development in the near to long term.

The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market is on track to have over $40,000 in sales this year. A long line of residents interested in claiming dump passes came to the market for their first time on October 3 and commented positively on the market. The market’s season finale will be on October 17 and will feature a cider press (apples can be brought or bought).

Tim Schwering, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Spokane Police Department, arrived after the meeting had ended due to a long Q&A session at a talk earlier in the evening. He has rescheduled to present on the police body cameras at the November 12 meeting.

Materials for the Oct 8 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Materials for the Oct 8 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council holds its monthly meeting tomorrow (Wednesday, October 8) starting at the new time of 6pm at the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

We’ll be hearing from Tim Schwering, Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Spokane Police Department, about the practicalities and policies of police body cameras. We’ll also be voting on a neighborhood boundary expansion, deciding on details and planting dates for the Greening Neighborhoods Grants, laying the groundwork for a Safe Routes to Schools committee, and preparing for the allocation of almost $60,000 in Community Development Block Grant funding to our neighborhood in November.

The EGNC welcomes anyone who has a stake in our neighborhood, whether you’re a resident (renter or homeowner), a business owner, a church leader, a nonprofit head, or you have a child who attends one of the many schools in Emerson-Garfield.

You can download the October 8 meeting materials as PDFs here:

If you’re on Facebook, you can RSVP for the neighborhood council meeting on the event page.

Recap of the September E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the September E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The September 14, 2014 meeting of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council got underway when Marlene Feist, Utilities Communications Manager for the City of Spokane, spoke about the street levy proposal that will be on the November ballot. This levy will complement the parks levy that is also being proposed. Many of the details of the parks levy and the improvements it will bring to Riverfront Park were addressed by Parks and Recreation Director Leroy Eadie during the May meeting of the E-G Neighborhood Council.

Marlene explained that the street levy proposal is designed to improve the arterial system, which accommodates approximately 90% of Spokane’s traffic. The levy would use 57¢ of the 93¢ per $1,000 of assessed property value, with the remaining income going to the parks program. With proper maintenance, involving grind and overlay, the life of streets could be extended to 50 years. Some of the arterial money could be used for residential areas as well.

A council member asked where the income from license plate tabs went, and the speakers confirmed that the income from renewals is directed to the improvement of residential streets.

This is a 20-year levy, and the debt will be paid off four years later. The park bond requires a 60% voter approval, and the streets bond only requires 50% approval. The ballots can be expected to arrive in your mailbox by the middle of October.

Judith Gilmore from the Fulcrum Institute spoke about her organization’s work with the Geiger Correctional Center and low- to moderate-income families in West Central and Emerson-Garfield Neighborhoods. To augment these services, they are planning to renovate a building at 1926 N. Ash, the former home of Nords Electric. The historic building has set vacant for years but is still in phenomenal shape. There are three large bays for work or classrooms for training as well as three apartments for transitional living.

Judith said that Fulcrum is looking for partner organizations that would occupy the available training and retail space in the building. Anyone who is interested should contact her via e-mail or by calling (509) 838-2799.

Jackie Caro from the Office of Neighborhood Services reported that the traffic circles on Montgomery have gone out to bid. Another project that will finish some sidewalks on Madison and Jefferson (also part of the traffic calming program) is underway.

She explained changes to the current Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding process. The majority of E-G still qualifies for CDBG block dollars, as in the past, and could qualify for a number of additional larger grants. For example, the neighborhood could apply to install new lighting on N. Monroe to increase safety and walkability. Neighborhoods can also collaborate with each other and pool money for even larger projects, such as renovations or capital projects that would impact nearby neighborhoods.

There is a training session for these CDBG projects and applications on Monday, September 15, from 5:30 to 7pm at the West Central Community Center (1600 N. Belt). Anyone can put forward applications on the neighborhood’s behalf, but all applications for neighborhood projects will need to be approved and signed by the chair of the E-G Neighborhood Council.

More information on CDBG funding and opportunities is always available through the ONS website.

A short update was given on the Greening Neighborhoods Grants. E-G has been given an extension until September 15 to finalize the paperwork. For the Stevens/Atlantic grant, volunteers will go door-knocking to obtain residents’ approval to plant and maintain trees.

A proposal was made to change the EGNC meeting time from 7pm to 6pm to better accommodate participants’ busy schedules. It was discussed that the time should be changed after the next neighborhood mailing, which will be soon enough for the October 8 meeting. The proposal was approved, with one “nay” vote.

The memorandum of understanding between the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market and Project Hope Spokane was discussed. A few changes for fine-tuning the wording were recommended. The revised MoU was approved unanimously.

The council members gave retroactive approval for a sidewalk improvement project near Emerson Park, which permitted that $5,015 be reallocated from the neighborhood’s street tree fund to the sidewalk fund, even though the money will be used for street tree replacement as part of the sidewalk project.

Jay Cousins reported on the Community Assembly. The elections for the CA will be moved one month earlier to better familiarize those in newly elected positions. A workshop on Saturday, October 18 from 9am to 2pm will offer an opportunity for the public input and involvement on CA priorities.