Minutes for October 11, 2004
The meeting was called to order at 7:04 PM
Attending: Kate Lloyd, John Burge, Maggie Weissman, Joe Herrin, Jennifer Biely, Jeannie Hale, Dermot Noonan, Pat Wright, Joyce Hinckley, Tom Maider, Mark Trumbauer, Bonnie Zinn, Susan Torrance, Don Torrie, Barbara Ragee, and John Clark
Guests: Bob Rench, Executive Director, Sand Point Community Housing; Al Hovland, Laurelhurst Community Center Advisory Council and Community Center Project Advisory Team; Nan Haigwood, Neighbor
Excused: Stan Sorscher, Mark Holden, and Mimi Carsley
Sand Point Community Housing Funding: Bob Rench, Executive Director of the Sand Point Community Housing Association (SPCHA), briefed LCC on the Mayor’s proposed budget as it related to funding for Sand Point Housing. Through various legal documents executed in connection with the Base Closure process, the City pledged to provide up to $12 million in capital funding to build 200 units of transitional housing at Magnuson Park and up to $500,000 per year in operating support for SPCHA. In exchange for this pledge, the City received 151 acres of property at Magnuson Park at no cost. Despite this pledge, the Mayor’s proposed budget allocates zero funding for SPCHA.
The City fulfilled its commitment to providing funding to SPCHA through 2001. In 2003, the City proposed cutting funding, but after negotiations allocated $162,608 in funds received from the federal government, rather then from its own general fund as promised. In 2003, the City denied SPCHA’s capital application for Phase 2 of its housing project. In 2004, the City cut the federal funding allocation to $130,000. The City is now claiming that SPCHA is ineligible for federal dollars. Unless the city council restores funding to meet the City’s commitment under previous legal documents, the future of SPCHA is at stake, as is the Phase II project. There are currently 170 people housed in Sand Point transitional housing, including 27 families.
Community Center Expansion: Al Hovland, a member of the Laurelhurst Community Center Advisory Council and the Project Advisory Team (PAT) for the expansion project, briefed the group along with Herrin who also serves on the PAT. The first PAT meeting took place on Wednesday, September 15. Three additional meetings are scheduled on October 13, November 9 and December 14. PAT meetings are from 6:30-8:30 at the community center. The PAT took a van tour of other community centers on October 2. A community meeting is scheduled on October 25 from 6:30-8:30 at the community center. This meeting will focus on site development options and priorities. Attendance by the community should be promoted.
ADMINISTRATION:
Changes to the Agenda: Add Rides to the Polls project
Treasurer’s Report:
1. Monthly Financial Report was handed out.
2. Special Appeal: A copy of the special appeal letter is included in the correspondence packet. Neighbors should receive the letter this week. Sorscher and Rucker have set up Click and Pledge to address the special appeal on LCC’s website.
3. Advertising Update: A letter from one advertiser and Burge’s response is included in the correspondence packet. It was also noted that one of the major reasons for the increase was to bring our rates up to the local market (same rate as Bryant-Assumption)
4. Minutes: Review of the September minutes will be deferred to November.
CALLS AND CONCERNS
1. Home in Laurelhurst: Tisha Sundhop emailed LCC on 10/07/04 asking to be informed if we know of any small homes in the neighborhood for sale, preferably south of 45th.
2. Waterway No. 1: Judith Thornton wrote two letters that are included in the correspondence packet re Waterway No. 1 and her ideas for future use and cleanup of the site.
3. Absentee Landlords: Nan Haigwood emailed on 10/02/04 expressing concern about absentee landlords and attended this meeting. She asked if there is any recourse to encourage absentee landlords to mow lawns and in general keep the property up to Laurelhurst standards. She referenced two houses on 36th Avenue NE and NE 44th Street that are eyesores. She has contacted the owner of one of the houses and has heard nothing from him nor has he had the grass cut. She notes that she has not noticed any suspicious activity, only loud parties. LCC agreed to look into notifying the owners, requesting that they take better care of their properties.
4. Party House: Paul Klemond send LCC an exchange of emails with the owner of a rental home located at 3616 NE 44th after a loud party on 9/25/04. Klemond reported that the party brought top-of-the-lungs yelling and thumping car stereos from midnight until 2:30am, keeping families awake. One guest at the party peed in the street in front of his house. Police were too shorthanded and busy all over the city to respond. Greg Gottesman the property owner spoke with the tenants about the incident and apologized to Klemond. He added that these are different than the tenants from last year. The current group is women who are juniors at the University of Washington. Gottesman said that he hadn’t received any other complaints about these tenants and that he spoke with another neighbor across the street from the tenants who confirmed this.
5. Containers on Sand Point Way: The Hawthorne Hills Community Council emailed the city on 9/28/04 requesting that permits for the two containers for newspaper and clothing along Sand Point Way not be renewed due to the safety issues with cars pulling over at that location. The narrow shoulder between the street surface and the sidewalk is now pockmarked and the rocks and gravel from the shoulder covers the sidewalk. Rocks and gravel on sidewalks make for a slippery and dangerous walking surface. The main concern of Hawthorne Hills Community Council is that this is not an appropriate site for these boxes and they can and should be moved to a site that will not impact the safety of pedestrians. As the condition currently exists, pedestrians must walk onto the street surface of Sand Point Way NE whenever a vehicle is stopped on the sidewalk in order to make a drop into one of the containers. LCC has also raised concerns about these bins.
6. Business Break-ins: Lloyd emailed on 9/23/04 to pass along information that a business owner near Marlai's Thai restaurant said Marlai's was broken into and robbed. Apparently the culprits broke into the frame shop, then went through a door in the common wall. Also, someone smeared lasagna or something of the sort, on the video's shop's windows.
7. Traffic Safety: Stacy Ployhar emailed LCC on 9/21/04 to report another group of kids speeding down the big hill on NE 41st Street by her home. Maider has followed up with SDOT on speeding at this location as well as along 50th Avenue NE.
8. 41st Street Median: Sara Mockett emailed on 9/14/04 to ask if there are any plans for the west end of the 41st Street planted median. It appears to her that most of the bushes in that section are either dead or dying. Hale responded that the board would discuss this at tonight’s meeting. Dick Barnum has been in touch with Heath Landscaping to get estimates for other kinds of plantings, keeping in mind that low maintenance is an issue. Hale told him that Biely would likely be in touch with him.
9. Hygiene Center: Clark reported that the University District Hygiene Center is getting off the ground with limited services on Saturdays. They are negotiating for dental, medical, and legal services in the future. Clark will monitor by email until after soccer season when he will be able to attend meetings.
10. Dump trucks on 47th: Herrin is following up with reports from neighbors about dump trucks on 47th Ave. NE. He has been in touch with Children’s and has been assured that its dump trucks are directed down NE 45th. Children’s has flaggers to ensure that its trucks do not go though the neighborhood. Herrin will continue to monitor the complaint.
11. Vandalism and Political Signage: Zinn reported that bumper stickers have been involuntarily placed on neighbors’ cars. She also reported cars that had been keyed and a broken side mirror. Maider reported that political signs have been taken or vandalized.
12. Aggressive Dogs: Torrance reported complaints about dogs that run out to the gates of their homes startling passers-by.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Thank you! Thanks to Lloyd and Newman for delivering this month’s trustee agenda packets and for Torrie for coordinating that effort.
2. Absent: Sorscher and Holden are out of town and could not attend tonight’s meeting. Carsley is on maternity leave and hopes to return next month.
3. Thank you, Tom Hinckley: LCC and neighbors are invited to a thank you gathering in honor of Tom Hinckley who is retiring as director of the Center for Urban Horticulture. The event is October 18 from 2-4 p.m. at the home of John Wott, 6021 Wellesley Way NE.
4. Congratulations: Mimi Carsley’s baby “Nathan” was born on September 15. He weighed 7 pounds 13 ounces. He has a full set of hair and blue eyes. Mimi said he looks like his dad.
5. Median: Big trucks driving into the Center for Urban Horticulture have run over the planted median damaging plants and further damaging the curb. Barnum reports that the UW has agreed to pay for the damage and Hale suggested that we get this in writing.
6. Changes at Helsell Fetterman: LCC was notified today that Peter Eglick, Jane Kiker, Rachel Parks, Leslie Smith and possibly Michael Dennis will be moving to the Seattle offices of Gordon, Thomas, Honeywell, Malanca, Peterson and Daheim as of 11/01/04.
7. CUCAC: Heather Newman has agreed to attend tomorrow night’s CUCAC meeting to represent LCC in Holden’s absence.
REPORTS/ACTION
Crime Prevention Report: There is a continuing problem with graffiti at the Fieldhouse. David Yim, Park staff and Wright to meet at North Precinct to submit a “Target” form regarding the problem, thus alerting officers. 2:pm (9/21) home burglary in 4500 block of 49th NE; 5:40pm (9/24) report of six young men smoking drugs at playfield, young men gone by the time officers arrived.; 10:am (9/26) garage burglary in 4000 block of 41st NE; 12:30pm (9/30) false alarm in 4700 block of 47th Ave. NE. No information on Frame Shop incident of (9/23).
Jean Godden, Seattle City Council member, the speaker at the NPAC, stressed that “core services” are the top priority, Public Safety, Health Services, and Education. She hopes to see number of SPD officers go up from 1055 to 1175. When asked by Wright if the Crime Prevention Program will continue after all of the hard work that has been put into it, Councilwoman Godden’s response was “Time will tell.” Pete Hanning of the Fremont Chamber of Commerce also spoke on the same issue. Many wanted more officers at the North Precinct, at present there are 180.
CPT Sgt. Diane Newson reports inroads in working on the Criminal Trespass Law with businesses between the Aurora Bridge and No. 145th. This is an effort to fight drugs and prostitution. For instance, if a person is kicked out of one hotel or motel in this area, they cannot go to another, they must move outside the area. Captain Ollver reports that Officer G. McNaulty was honored for 35 years of service and hard work on Aurora. There is currently an emphasis stemming noise and drinking in the Greek Row area. CPT and regular officers, as well as UW Police are working on the problem.
Twenty residential noise citations have been written in two weeks. East African gangs seem to be back, SPD is working on the problem. There is also an increase in organized street gangs on Aurora, The Ave, and Lake City. These gangs steal cars for robberies and burglaries.
Stop Light/Curb Bulb Project: Preliminary planning on the curb bulb/stop light project has begun. LCC has received the contracts back from the Department of Neighborhoods for the Neighborhood Matching Fund grant that was awarded.
Proposal to install parking meters in passive parks: The mayor’s proposed budget calls for raising $265,000 and adding two full-time employees to serve as parking attendants in 2005 to work on monitoring parking meters that will go in at Green Lake, Seward / Lake Washington Boulevard, Lincoln and McCurdy parks. In 2006, the budget would be increased to $825,000 and four parking attendants, an additional parks staff person and an administrative assistant to expand the program to 12 additional site (locations unknown). The Parks Department projects generating $100,000 in 2005 and $332,000 in 2006 of net revenue from parking fees to subsidize other park programs and activities and to prevent cuts to core programs. Parking fees will range from a minimum of $1.00 for four hours to a maximum of $3.50 for two hours and $5.00 for special event parking. The program will be piloted in 2005 and fees and locations may be adjusted based on the results of the pilot.
From the above it would appear that Parks is willing to spend $165,000 in overhead to retain $100,000 in net revenue. It would be necessary to see the detail of the revenue projection (number of meters, locations, rates, etc) before ascertaining whether this is realistic and a good deal for the public on the strength of these financial projections. The budget entry does not appear to discuss the capital cost of the meters and their physical maintenance.
Talaris Update: The Battelle Committee met on September 22nd to review the revised plans submitted by Talaris and its July settlement proposal. A draft LCC response is included in the trustee packets. Sorscher’s comments have been incorporated and LCC has heard from Dick Barnum of Battelle Neighbors who has stated that the letter covers all of the issues.
The meeting was adjourned at 9:01 PM.