Browsed by
Tag: public event

February Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

February Neighborhood Council Meeting Recap

[What follows is a recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council Meeting that took place on Wednesday, February 13. You can either read slimmed and streamlined version of the minutes below, or download the full version of the meeting’s minutes here.]

The meeting began with a presentation from Judge Tracy Staab of the Spokane Municipal Court. The judge gave a Powerpoint slideshow that detailed the many facets of the Court, such as crime statistics, budgets, and punishment or rehabilitation methods. The slideshow was supposed to be made available online at the Spokane Municipal Court’s website, but has not appeared as of this post.

The popular Spring Clean Up event is still tentatively scheduled for Saturday, April 27 between 9am and 1pm at Faith Bible Church.

The call for logo designs for the neighborhood council is still out. Several entries have been submitted so far. If you have a design idea, please submit it to Chairwoman Liorah Wichser ahead of the vote in March. The general consensus was that our logo should reflect the historic nature of our neighborhood, the residential feel that we exude, the small local businesses that we have — and maybe that it should have a marmot on it.

Members were asked to provide input on the pending mission statement as the neighborhood council works to become an official nonprofit organization.

Jackie Caro from Neighborhood Services talked briefly about the traffic-calming project that had been approved on Montgomery Street between Monroe and Northwest Blvd (see here for more info). The engineers need more time to evaluate the project, which means the project has been delayed. Anyone with follow-up questions can contact Jackie at (509) 625-6733. To apply for a traffic-calming project on your street, please download the Toolbox (PDF link) from the ONS. Applications are due very, very soon.

Laura Schlangen gave the report for Corbin Senior Center. The Movin’ and Groovin’ Fair is scheduled for Saturday, March 9 from 8am to 2pm. The Corbin Golf Tournament is set for June 21 at Indian Canyon. They are in search of donors and players. Corbin will also be holding a yard sale on May 11 from 9am to 2pm. If you provide your own table, the cost is $10. It will cost $20 if Corbin provides you a table. Food will be available for purchase as well.

Jay Cousins reported that the neighborhood planning committee has a new meeting time. It is the first Thursday of every month at 6pm in the upper north room of the Corbin Senior Center. The group is small and would love more attendees.

There will be was a meeting for the review of the city’s Comprehensive Plan at the Shadle Library from 5:30 to 7:30pm on Tuesday, February 19. The purpose is to update all aspects of the plan, with a particular eye on transportation. A more general meeting for the public has been scheduled for mid-March.

Community Development rep Sara Kimball reported that the new swing set at Corbin Park has been installed. New horseshoe pits are proposed to go in the area of the old swing set. There is going to be some tree pruning in Corbin Park and as many as five trees will be removed due to disease.

Sara is also accepting applications for repairing damaged sidewalks: see this post for more information on how to repair existing sidewalk or install new sidewalks near your home.

Finally, Kelly Cruz from West Central Neighborhood Council requested a neighborhood representative from our group to be on the Community Assembly’s Land Use Committee. Tom Powell agreed to be that representative. They meet on the third Thursday of every month.

The next meeting will be Wednesday, March 13 from 7 to (roughly) 9pm at Corbin Senior Center.

Materials for the Feb. 13 EGNC Meeting

Materials for the Feb. 13 EGNC Meeting

Planning on attending the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting tomorrow? The agenda for the February 13 meeting and the minutes from last month’s meeting on January 9 are now available.

Access them on the “Downloads” page or just grab them here:

Among other things, we’ll be discussing the Spring Cleanup, the logo contest, and a neighborhood database idea.

Judge Tracy Staab from the Spokane Municipal Court will be on hand to deliver a presentation on local crime statistics, criminal trends, sentencing alternatives, budget matters, and innovations being used by the Municipal Court to dispense smarter justice. Jackie Caro from the Office of Neighborhood Services also plans to attend and discuss the state of traffic-calming proposals.

The EGNC meeting starts at 7pm and, as always, is at the Corbin Senior Center. The Neighborhood Planning committee meets one hour prior in the adjacent room.

Transportation Advocacy Day, Feb 12

Transportation Advocacy Day, Feb 12

On Tuesday, February 12, Futurewise is holding a Transportation Advocacy Day here in Spokane. Registration is free, and the only requirement for participation is an interest in how local modes of transportation — which includes pedestrian traffic, bikes, and mass transit — will develop in the coming years.

As part of the activities, Futurewise has arranged virtual meetings with our state legislators. Participants will be informed about current transportation legislation and relevant talking points before the virtual meetings.

Futurewise writes about the event:

The state legislature is considering a new transportation revenue package. We need more voices to help make sure that pedestrians, cyclists, children and transit riders are not left out in the cold.

Too many neighborhoods lack safe streets and sidewalks for us to get around safely. Our legislators will be voting soon on bills designed to give everyone an equal opportunity to get to our destinations safely and affordably.

It’s nearly Valentine’s Day and we will have some fun with that. We will pose for a photo valentine for our decision makers that sends the message, “We ♥ Walk-Bike-Transit.” We will also have coffee and treats.

Let’s make it clear to our legislators: unsafe streets and bus service cuts are unacceptable. We need real solutions to keep Spokane moving forward.

Transportation Advocacy Day will be held downtown in the Community Building at 35 W Main Ave [map].

As a resident of Emerson-Garfield, you live in the 3rd Legislative District. This being the hub of the city, our district is set to receive the most attention at these meetings. Participants are asked to arrive at 8:45am and to expect the meetings and information sessions to run to about noon.

The 4th and 6th legislative districts will meet at different times.

Click here to register for Transportation Advocacy Day. Once you’ve registered, you’ll receive all the relevant meeting materials via e-mail on Monday (February 11) morning.

Public Meetings for the Comprehensive Plan Update

Public Meetings for the Comprehensive Plan Update

The City of Spokane Planning and Development Services Department is going to host three public meetings to gather input from citizens on the 2012-2014 Comprehensive Plan Review and Update.

Why is this important?

The city’s Comprehensive Plan (PDF link) is just that — a plan that covers every aspect of how Spokane aims to grow and develop in the coming years. Put simply, it’s our city’s vision for the future, and it determines what kind of decisions are made in the here and now. If the Comprehensive Plan mandates that the future of housing is in floating islands suspended by airships, you can (almost) bet that the city will direct current home-building practices toward this end.

Bluthton

But the vision of the future is not writ in stone, and it has to adapt to the ever-changing present. That’s why the Comprehensive Plan is updated every few years, and those updates are usually carried out with input from the public.

If the public doesn’t get involved in these processes, then the city naturally assumes everything is hunky dory and goes ahead with whatever it was going to do in the first place — which is precisely what has led to questionable planning decisions in the past. Not that the city is entirely at fault in these cases. How can they serve your neighborhood if the needs of your neighborhood aren’t made known to them?

Hence the importance of these public input meetings.

The public meeting for Council District 3, which encompasses Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood, will take place on Tuesday, February 19 from 5:30 to 7:30pm at Shadle Public Library (2111 W. Wellesley Ave, STA Route 20/33).

Don’t feel as though you have to be an expert on planning to attend. Each meeting will begin with a presentation on the background of the Comprehensive Plan and the update process. That will be followed by an interactive survey and activity stations.

For more info, contact Jo Anne Wright or Nikole Coleman-Porter in the Planning Department at (509) 625-6300.

Oh, and five points to whoever can name the town depicted in the drawing above.

Winter Potluck 2012

Winter Potluck 2012

The Emerson-Garfield winter potluck will take place on Wednesday, December 12 at 6pm at the Corbin Senior Center. If you live, work, or own property in the neighborhood, you’re invited!

We’re hoping that the attendance will be as high (or better yet, higher) as it was for the summer potluck back in August.

Got a favorite Christmas cookie recipe? A seasonal salad? Bring it along! Since we won’t have the added bounty of the community garden during the winter months, everyone is encouraged to bring a dish to ensure there’s enough food to go around.

The regularly scheduled neighborhood council meeting will follow at 7pm.

Hope to see you there!