Author: James Sweeney

ENA Board Meeting

June 12, 2024, 7:00 PM

1613 Union Avenue SE

Members Present

Sherry Chilcutt (President), Roger Horn (Vice President), Jim Sweeney (Secretary), Karen Clemens (CNA Representative), Cheryl Bayle, Abigail Twombly, Jim Rioux (Treasurer)

Guests

Jonnita Thompson and Terese Vogel

1) Approval of the minutes

The May 8^th minutes were approved as submitted.

2) Treasurer Report

Checking                          $636.25

Savings                              965.52

Neighborhood Signs          1,309.78

Legion Way Trees                554.21

Community Beautification     411.21

Total                             $3,876.97

Sherry explained a $388 insurance policy which was triggered by the Rod N Reel event. The policy is effective for one year and covers other events, including painting the mural.

We received $17 in donations at the Rod N Reel event.

A $100 gift certificate was presented to the artist for repainting the mural on Central Street after it was vandalized.

Jim R. proposed consolidating the ENA’s three different savings accounts into one general savings account. It was so moved, seconded and approved unanimously.

3) Rod N Reel event

It was generally agreed the event was a success. There was a good crowd at the Park, the kids had a fun time and we served 100 hot dogs. The Timberline Library booth was a nice addition.

The new banners looked great and the Board thanked Abigail for making that happen.

We will decide later if the ENA wants to sponsor this event next year.

The Board voted unanimously to reimburse Sherry for buying the food.

4) Beerwerks event

This event also brought out a good crowd. All agreed it was a great way to meet people from the neighborhood. There was considerable discussion about having more regular get-togethers. Jonnita talked about events for people who don’t like going to meetings. We discussed having a place or places for regular events. The Swantown Inn was recommended for indoor events, ideally when coffee service is available, and Lions Park for outdoor events. Later we may be able to use meeting space at the Armory. Several people mentioned having speakers such as those at annual meetings. Jim R. & Jonnita agreed to work on speakers and regular meeting places.

5) Block Parties

Two parties are scheduled so far — Lybarger Street & Lions Park. Sherry has a Street Closure Permit for Lybarger.

Karen said she thinks block parties fill a local need which is not met otherwise. She intends to get together with Dan and others to plan a party on McCormick Street next year.

Roger said Adrian is planning a party next year on 5^th Avenue.

6) CNA Report 

Karen described Tim Smith’s report on new development proposals. Two West Bay Drive projects are particularly controversial. Also, a 300-unit affordable housing project is planned on the westside, north of SR 101.

Fiber optics cables are being installed underground by Ziply Fiber.

Councilmember Vanderpool attended the Congress for New Urbanism in Cincinnati in May. One topic he mentioned is breaking up large projects into smaller increments.

Larry Dzieza is working to put together a “Sounding Board” on neighborhood issues for the CNA.

Jim R. explained the list of funded sidewalk projects was developed previously based on input from the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee. The list is available on the City’s website:

https://www.olympiawa.gov/services/transportation/sidewalk_repair_project.php

Abigail mentioned the Design Review Board recently reviewed a 5-story mixed use building with 87 residential units to be built at 411 Legion Way (Legion and Jefferson).

7) Annual Picnic Change of Date — Saturday August 10th, 4-7 PM

Cheryl asked about music. Sherry suggested a person from the Hat Museum. Jonnita knows a couple of bands, including an Old-timey music band. Karen said other RNAs sometimes pay $500 for entertainment.

8) Mural update

Sherry sent the final design to Lydia and Hank has agreed to power wash the wall.

9) Other items

Tim Smythe is in talks with the Parks Department about planting a tree at the Armory. He may be able to use the ENA funds set aside for trees last year. It’s early for this discussion as the Armory’s exterior design is still fluid.

Sherry mentioned the Utility Advisory Committee would like more transparency on utility bill surcharges and what they’re being used for.  

Jim R. reported the City recently purchased a parcel of land near the Indian Creek wetland as suggested in The Eastside Subarea Plan.

Whitney has an ENA sign which we need to recover.

Sherry reported the Mail Chimp system is not functioning well at present.

10) Armory Historical Sign

Jim S. provided an update on the sign program the Military Department agreed to do. The Department agreed to hold three stakeholder meetings. Two of these were held but the third is on-hold pending consultations with the Tribes.

The meeting adjourned at 8:34 PM.

ENA Board Meeting

May 8, 2024, 7:00 PM

1613 Union Avenue SE

Members Present

Sherry Chilcutt (President), Roger Horn (Vice President), Jim Sweeney (Secretary), Karen Clemens (CNA Representative), Cheryl Bayle, Abigail Twombly

1) Approval of the minutes

The April 10^th minutes were approved as submitted.

2) Treasurer Report

CHECKING – $636.25

SAVINGS – $965.39

NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNS – $1,309.61

LEGION WAY TREES – $554.14

COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION – $411.14

TOTAL – $3,876.53

3) Rod N Reel Extravaganza! – Saturday June 8^th noon to 4PM

Sherry wrote advertising copy for publishing on the ENA website and distribution.   

4) Beerwerks Meet-up – Friday May 10^th 3-6PM

We will post a sandwich board sign in front of Beerwerks prior to the event. The Board agreed to promote “Oly Camp Kitties” by distributing flyers at the event.

5) Roosevelt Elementary School Plant Sale – Sunday May 19^th  

The school is asking for donations.

6) CNA Report 

Karen reported on recent issues including neighborhood police and the ongoing Neighborhood Centers study.

Jim added an update on the April 25^th LUEC meeting. Councilpersons mentioned the Swantown Inn coffee shop during discussions. The Planning Commission will be holding a digital open house on May 16.

7) Mural

Laurel Henn may be interested andSherry will attend her reception on May 17th to discuss painting the mural.

8) ENA Banners

Abigail presented several design concepts. The Board discussed how to design a banner which will be welcoming to all, and whether to order more than one. We can use savings if the grant money doesn’t cover the entire cost. The estimate for two banners is about $250.

9) Block Parties – Saturday July 13^th

Sherry will soon begin an outreach to potential hosts.

10) Sidewalk app

The Board discussed the usefulness of the Survey 123 phone app and the survey data in general. It was suggested we attempt to grid the entire neighborhood and enter as much information on the condition of our sidewalks as possible. Jim said he will work up a map showing blocks that haven’t yet been surveyed.

11) Event Speaker

It was suggested we invite Chris Hyde (the ‘Soup Man’ from the northeast neighborhood) to speak at an ENA event such as the fall festival. You can reach him in the following ways:

[email protected]

Or message directly on FB:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/814268350188077

12) Comprehensive Plan Utilities Chapter

Sherry reported on the Utility chapter update. Next steps will include referral to the Equity and Justice Committee and talking to LOTT.

13) Strong Towns

Jim talked about the recent Strong Towns event at Well 80, and an upcoming ‘Congress for the New Urbanism’ conference in Cincinnati that Councilperson Vanderpool will be attending.

Jim also connected with the statewide local conversation Strong WA.

14) Armory

Jim described the April 30^th City Council meeting during which they introduced the Armory Creative Partner organizations.

15) B&B Apartments rebuild

The City reviewed a plan to rebuild the apartments at 2104 State Avenue. The ENA previously indicated it would like to be involved in the review process when it goes to the Design Review Board.

The meeting adjourned at 8PM.

ENA Board Meeting

April 10, 2024, 7:00 PM

1613 Union Avenue SE

Members Present

Sherry Chilcutt (President), Roger Horn (Vice President), Jim Sweeney (Secretary), Karen Clemens (CNA Representative), Cheryl Bayle

Guests

Larry Dzieza, Mike Ruth

1) Sidewalk Survey app

Larry and Mike described why Olympia is hiring a consultant for a $100K sidewalk study. The City is paying large sums every year to settle sidewalk injury claims. The Planning Commission looked at the ways neighboring Cities deal with sidewalks. The new direction recommended by the CNA is to budget $3 million for sidewalks annually, compared to $13,000 last year.

Mike walked us through loading the app (version 1.02) on our phones and we spent some time outdoors learning how to use it. With a little practice, we were able to easily photograph, categorize and document sidewalk problems. The surveys will provide the data necessary to inform the consultants and Public Works engineers about the walking routes which are most important and where the problems are. Survey information will be used to create interactive GIS maps showing the problem areas on “heat maps,” and local knowledge will help identify the highest priority projects in each neighborhood.

2) Approval of the minutes

Approved as submitted.

3) Treasurer Report

CHECKING – $636.25
SAVINGS – $965.26
NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNS – $1,309.45
LEGION WAY TREES – $554.07
COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION – $411.07
TOTAL – $3,876.10

4) Long term calendar 

Annual Picnic and Kid’s Day – The date has been changed to SaturdayAugust 10th, from 4 to 7 PM.

Beerwerks event – Abigail emailed that the event could take place either on Thursday April 18^th or Wednesday the 24^th. The Board’s consensus was that either date would be acceptable.

Garden Tour Event – The Board agreed that May is probably too early for a garden tour and agreed to revisit this idea in the future.

Lions Club Rods and Reels Event – June 8th noon to 4 PM. Sherry reported on a meeting with Lions Club people planning this event. The ENA will grill hot dogs. We need people to bring extra tables.

5) CNA Report 

Karen reported on the following topics from the April 8^th meeting.

RNAs are allowed to use the City’s copier, but you will need to bring your own paper.

South Capital sent a mailer to all neighborhood residents and was successful in reaching many renters.

The Council approved the Planning Commission’s 2024 Work Plan on April 9^th. The Work Plan includes a Neighborhood Centers Strategy.

The Council accepted the Urban Farms Feasibility Study and decided an urban farm is not feasible at this time. The associated survey indicated people are interested in neighborhood-oriented community gardens.

The next major housing project will be to accommodate people relocated from the Jungle. Later, multi-family low income housing will be constructed on the Frnaz Anderson Road site.

The Planning Commission will be briefed on the Comp Plan Natural Environment chapter, which includes Urban Forestry, on June 17^th.

The Council approved additional amendments to the rental housing ordinances.

6) Mural Update and Art Crossing Project

Sherry received an email from Laurel and will be working on the details with Hank and Abigail. Olympia’s Poet Laureate will be offering a stanza for the mural.

The Martin Way/Pacific Avenue Art Crossing dedication is scheduled for May 1^st.

7) School Closures

Based on the Court decision OSD cannot move to close schools at this time.

8) Other

Sherry would like to do a fruit tree pruning seminar next winter.

Madison Scenic Park is having a Volunteer Work Party on Saturday April 13 from 10 AM to 1 PM.

Abigail is looking for an update on the events banner. Sherry said Nathan has used VistaPrint for banners in the past. The dimensions of the Lions Park shelter are 15 feet and 26 feet, so the banners should be no more than those lengths.

The meeting adjourned at 8:55 PM.

ENA Board Meeting

March 12, 2024, 7:00 PM

Swantown Inn, 1431 11th Avenue SE

Members Present

Sherry Chilcutt (President), Jim Sweeney (Secretary), Karen Clemens (CNA Representative), Jim Rioux, Cheryl Bayle, Nathan Allan

1) Approval of the Minutes

The February 13 minutes were approved as submitted.

2) Treasurer Report

$ 636.25 – MONEY MOVER
$ 965.13 – SAVINGS – MAIN
$1,309.28 – NEIGHBORHOOD SIGNS
$ 554.00 – LEGION WAY TREES
$ 411.00 – COMMUNITY BEAUTIFICATION
$3,875.66 – Total Available

3) 2024 RNA Grant Status; Banner and Mural discussion

Sherry would like us to consider working with Olympia’s Poet Laureate.

It looks like the ENA’s RNA grant request will be approved. The mural is still in the works. Also, $1000 is available for designing and printing two large reusable banners. Abigail has offered to help with the design.

4) Madison Closure discussion

Jim & Karen attended the Court hearing. April 25th is the new deadline but more work remains to be done to avoid school closures.

5) Clothing Swap Debriefing

Several Board members helped out at the event. The timing prior to the church rummage sale was good. The next time we will need to promote it more.

6) CNA Report 

Karen reported on issues discussed at the March 11^th CNA meeting.

Karen Messmer spoke in opposition to new drive-through restaurants on Plum Street.

There is a meeting on the rental registry ordinance tomorrow.

The Capital Mall Triangle plan is still in progress. Comments on the Draft EIS are closed. The Planning Commission will hold a public hearing on April 1^st and deliberate on April 15^th.

Staff described improvements to the City’s development tracking map. Jim R. offered to walk us through a tutorial on a convenient Saturday.

Larry Dzieza previously offered to do a tutorial on the sidewalk app for the ENA. Karen said she will ask him.

Olympia’s Site Plan Review Committee heard a proposal for a 12-cottage housing project at 1937 7^th Avenue on February 28^th. We would like to invite Paul Horton and the property owners to an informal meeting to talk about the sidewalks on this part of 7^th Avenue. “JOLT” published an article about the proposal on February 29. Here’s a link:

https://www.thejoltnews.com/stories/olympia-committee-reviews-proposed-cottage-community-project-in-citys-eastside,14746?

7) Lions Club Event Rods and Reels Moved to June 8th

Sherry reserved the shelter. We will do hamburgers and hot dogs.

8) Lions Club presentation

Jim S. did a PowerPoint presentation for the Lions Club on March 5^th. President Brad Archibald said the Lions are interested in working with the ENA on future projects such as ‘Rods and Reels.’ Several Lions indicated they are anxious to share information on the history of Lions Park and the Eastside.

9) Proposed Calendar of Activities Dates for block parties and Picnic

The block parties will be on July 13^th from 4 to 7:00.

The annual picnic will be held on August 11^th. This year we will plan to combine the picnic with a kid’s day. Jim R. will check to see if the shelter is available.

Abigale emailed that she had posted preliminary dates for 2024 events on the website’s calendar page. Roger said he could consider moving the talent show to September.

10) Digital Photo Archive

Nathan indicated the only account we have is for president@ and the President could share a folder which we would be able to add photos to. Another option would be to upload photos to the ENA website.

11) New Bridge offer of financial support.

Nathan reached out to Pastor John Cardona about putting up holiday snowflakes on Central Street. If it works out we could include funding for this in our next grant proposal. Sherry said she will contact them and offer to help if no one else wants to.

12) Other items of interest

Jim S. reported that the Olympia will receive a $117,800 grant to develop an Urban Forest Management Plan.

The meeting adjourned at 8:30.