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Recap of the May E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Recap of the May E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

This is a recap of the Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meeting that took place on Wednesday, May 13, 2015.

The guest speakers for the month were Julie Oliver and Lisa Woodard of the Spokane Regional Clean Air Agency. The agency has been around since 1967. It is responsible for issuing permits, performing on-site inspections, responding to citizen complaints regarding issues such as outdoor burning, and regulating asbestos safety.

Julie and Lisa reported that the main air pollutants in Spokane are particulate matter (PM) and ozone. Inhalable coarse particles are found near roadways and in dust storms, whereas fine particles are a result of outdoor burning. To reduce PM, they incentivize the removal of old woodstoves. Ground-level ozone is commonly referred to as smog, and can give your lungs the equivalent of a sunburn. One method to reduce ozone is vapor recovery at gas stations that have a high throughput and are close to residential areas, such as Safeway on NW Blvd. Ozone can be at its highest on hot days (over 90°), so it’s best to switch to an electric or battery-powered mover or cut your grass on cooler days.

You can check whether outdoor burning is permitted on the agency’s website (linked above).

Jonathan Martinez volunteered to represent the neighborhood on the Public Safety Committee as part of their initiative to address landlord and tenant issues. Almost 50% of the population of Emerson-Garfield rents, which makes it all the more important to have a neighborhood voice on this committee.

Al Steuart highlighted the events that will be featured at the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market throughout the summer, starting on Friday, June 5. If you have any clean compost, including leaves, Al would like to use it. You can reach him on (760) 223-0161. Any extra compost will be used for the Emerson Community Garden.

At the market, the KERNAL program proposed by Catholic Charities is looking for sponsors to help them cover the cost of materials. Kids will be taught fun skills such as how to compost, how to make their own jump-ropes, and will receive tokens to exchange for vegetables. The South Perry Farmers Market found this program to be very successful last year. If you’d like to help Steve Anderson campaign for business sponsors, which will receive recognition and advertising, please contact him.

The Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market also recently announced the winners of its annual poster competition. This year’s participating neighborhood schools were Trinity Catholic School and Spokane Public Montessori.

Timothy Diko and Melissa Parker reported on this year’s Concert in the Park. It will be on Sunday, August 2 in Emerson Park, starting at 6pm. Broken Whistle will be performing.

If you are interested in forming a group to advocate for events and improvements on behalf of Emerson Park, contact Steve Anderson (e-mail linked above).

Amy Dutton reported that the Greening Grant Committee will meet on Friday, May 29 at 6pm at Emerson Park. Anyone interested in selecting locations for future tree plantings and beautification efforts is encouraged to attend.

Steve Anderson has arranged a 10% discount at Gibson’s Nursery & Landscape (1401 S Pines) for all Emerson-Garfield residents. Proof of ID is required to receive the discount. Bulk purchases could receive as high as a 15% discount. He is working on coordinating similar discounts for E-G residents at other area nurseries.

Candace Mumm offered a report from the Spokane City Council. The revitalization of N Monroe Street has seen some additional progress as well as challenges. In addition to the surface-level improvements, there are 106-year-old utility pipes under the street that need to be replaced. However, certain businesses appear to be more concerned about the through-traffic count than the benefits to safety, infrastructure and storefronts.

As a resident and patron of those businesses, you can inform them why it is important to have a walkable environment, and why cars that obey the speed limit can be a boon to business. Residents who are in favor of N Monroe revitalization can counter vocal naysayers by contacting the City Council as well as writing letters to the editor and to the mayor in support of the road diet (more info on that is here).

Councilwoman Mumm also noted that complaints have arisen over 60-foot cell towers being placed in two back yards, and a six-month moratorium was placed on installing them. Regulations are being proposed that could limit those towers to commercial zones.

Laura Schlangen reported on the Corbin Senior Activity Center. Their Madhatter’s Tea Party is on Friday, May 22 at 1:30pm. The annual Golf Scramble will be held on Friday, June 5. The Munch and Mingle Auction is on Saturday, September 19.

Karl Boldt reported on the recent Spring Cleanup. This year there were over 60 volunteers, 140 participating residents, 21.2 tons of refuse and 1.92 tons of recyclable material. The event is already scheduled for next year: Saturday, May 21, 2016. Since we only used $3,957.50 of the allotted $6,500 budget, additional dump passes will be given to residents throughout the year.

Jay Cousins reported on the Community Assembly. As part of its renewal, the CA will try to be an equal partner to neighborhoods and the local government, balancing the two groups.

The CA is also currently working on ordinances regarding outdoor storage and vehicles. One issue was whether to allow 1 to 4 cars per residence in addition to the four (4) cars that each residence is allowed to have legally. The final decision was to allow two (2) additional cars that are not visible from the street. There is already an ordinance against parking on the front lawn, so Code Enforcement should be contacted at (509) 625-6083 for relevant violations.

After final announcements about upcoming neighborhood events, the meeting adjourned just after 7:30pm.

 

Photos from Spring Cleanup 2015

Photos from Spring Cleanup 2015

It was another banner year for the Spring Cleanup event, which was held on April 18.

In under four hours, 21.20 tons of trash were collected and hauled away. That saved Emerson-Garfield residents $3,957.30 in dump fees and helped to clean up many yards, garages, alleys and attics in the neighborhood. A total of 3,920 pounds of metal were collected for recycling.

Those figures weren’t quite as high as last year, but there were other numbers that far exceeded any previous Spring Cleanup — namely, the number of volunteers. There was a rough head count of about 60 at one point. To put that in context, the first Spring Cleanup event in 2010 saw approximately eight volunteers.

During the course of the event, the volunteers helped direct traffic, unload vehicles, serve snacks, hand out neighborhood information, and make trash runs for those who weren’t able to come to the site themselves.

Below are some photos of the event and the volunteers who spent their Saturday morning helping out the neighborhood in a big way. Many thanks to Lani Boldt for the photos.

Spring Cleanup 2015-6
Spring Cleanup 2015-8
Spring Cleanup 2015-4
Spring Cleanup 2015-3
Spring Cleanup 2015-2
Spring Cleanup 2015-7
Spring Cleanup 2015-5
Spring Cleanup 2015-1
Spring Cleanup 2015-14
Spring Cleanup 2015
Spring Cleanup 2015
Spring Cleanup 2015
Spring Cleanup 2015
Spring Cleanup 2015-13
Spring Cleanup 2015-11
Spring Cleanup 2015-10

A huge and special thanks goes out to Faith Bible Church. They partnered in a big way this year, bringing a crew of volunteers plus snacks for drivers to make their wait in line more pleasant. Yep, that’s right — at this year’s Spring Cleanup, you not only got to dump your refuse for free, you also got fed! FBC was also generous enough to hold a pizza party for volunteers after the event was over.

As in years past, the Salvation Army and a Geiger work crew were also on hand to help e-cycle still-functional electronics and help with the unloading process.

If you missed this event but still have refuse to offload, don’t panic. Starting in June, ten dump passes worth $20 each will be made available to Emerson-Garfield residents on select dates of the Emerson-Garfield Farmers’ Market. Those dates are June 5, July 10, August 7, September 4 and October 14. You can claim the passes at the central market booth on a first-come, first-served basis.

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.

Materials for the Apr 8 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

Materials for the Apr 8 E-G Neighborhood Council Meeting

The Emerson-Garfield Neighborhood Council meets tomorrow (April 8) starting at 6pm in the Corbin Senior Center (827 W Cleveland).

Please note that E-G residents interested in claiming their two free tree vouchers as part of the City’s Free Tree Weekend (April 17 and 18) can do so at this meeting.

This month’s guest speaker is the STA. They’ll be addressing Prop 1, the sales tax funding measure on the upcoming special election ballot. This digital booklet has more info so you can come prepared with questions.

Judith Gilmore will also be stopping by to apprise the group of progress on Ash Street Station, the Fulcrum Institute’s newly renovated work-training site. The E-G Neighborhood Council voted last November to allocate a portion of its Community Development dollars to this facility.

We’ll hear a quick recap of last weekend’s Greening Grant plantings here in E-G as well as what’s in store for this year’s Emerson Community Garden. Voting members will elect the council’s officer slate for 2015-16.

As always, you can download the materials beforehand as PDFs:

If you live, work or own property in Emerson-Garfield, you’re invited and encouraged to come to these meetings. We regularly see attendance of 40+ people from all over the neighborhood, and there are no dues, fees or other obligations to participate. It’s a great way to stay informed, meet your neighbors and take an active, grassroots role in shaping your neighborhood for the better!

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.