Category: Minutes

Dog waste stations update

• Three installed so far. Six left to install.
• Requires volunteers, along with a call to 811 as placement is in the city right of way.
• Sites have all been vetted by the city.
• Group of stewards and volunteers created on Nextdoor
• Brian volunteered to help. Pat provide marking paint for before 811 is called.

Crime in the Neighborhood

• Nextdoor – Crime seems to be a hot topic. Vehicle Break-ins. Petty theft from properties.
• Members have noted that the “corridors” through the neighborhood have seen increases in unwanted behavior.
• Do we want to push for more OPD presence in ENA? Question to ENA membership at general meeting.
• Nathan has direct contact with Lieutenant Ray Holmes who is the Eastside coordinator.
• Amy Stull has said that Crimereports.com only shows crimes committed that are assigned a case number; “Yes, it shows everything that is assigned a case number and comes directly from our records system. The only thing I can think of is that officers may have decided against writing a case in some instances. That would be their discretion if there was nothing of value taken and no damage to the vehicle.”

Fall General Meeting

• Trying for Wednesday November 5th from 6:30 to 8pm. Sandia is attempting to secure a location.
• In light of current hot topics agenda would be; Crime (Invite OPD rep, Amy stull, mention Block Watch), Success of Dog Waste Station Project, Food Bank Project, Matching Grant Ideas (ie traffic circles).

CNA Meetings

• Both Nathan and Whitney have been attending these.
• CNA has had a recent change in leadership.
• Nathan and Whitney agree that more needs to come from this group. That overall representation is from neighborhoods that are more HOA run than our eclectic neighborhood.
• Nathan suggested we encourage the CNA to push for more community policing and code enforcement than currently offered.

New Business

• Jim Longley formally resigned from the board due to outside commitments. Sandia, Katy, Pat and Whitney all indicated they will not continue with the board after their terms end in February.  All agree we must build on the good work the board is doing.
• Whitney will investigate whether the Nextdoor name for our neighborhood can be altered. If so Sandia would like to have a discussion on whether this will clear the sometimes mistakenly blurred lines between the ENA and Nextdoor. Note: Nextdoor is independent from the ENA and simply a tool that the ENA uses to aid in getting our message out.
• Brian would like to apply for the Community Matching Grant program. He will present and ask for ideas at the next General Meeting.
• Whitney noted that the creation of the ENA Database for tracking membership is long overdue. Brian acknowledged that as the person who is trying to come up with a solution.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30pm
Minutes submitted by Nathan Allan, ENA President

Attendance

• Board Members Present:  Nathan Allan, Whitney Bowerman, Katy Beattie, Brian Brannies, Sheena Pietzold, Sandia Slaby, Sherry Chilcutt
• Board Members Absent: Pat Bayle, Jim Longley, Kara Randall, Mitch Dennis
• Other Attendees: Lee Bickle

ENA By-Laws Review Committee Report

• Tabled due to absences

Lions Park Speed Bumps

• ENA President received email from resident about asking City for speed bumps around Lions Park
• It takes awhile to get speed bumps from the City
• Neighbors can pay to have speed bumps put in
• Concern of speeding drivers around kids/families and others running stoplights
• The Board encourages neighbors to group together and voice their concerns about traffic to the City; ENA will back the group’s voice if needed

Dog Waste Stations Update

Whitney submitted an application the City for dog waste stations throughout the ENA. There are 12-14 possible locations. Conversations are being had about whether or not we can put dog waste stations in the right of way, attached to already existing signs. Whitney will continue to update the Board. Once the locations will be okayed, then work out the installations of the posts. The ENA will ask Lew Rents to donate the rental of an auger for a few hours in order to efficiently dig postholes. Not everyone on the Board agrees with the idea of dog waste stations and think that it may only lead to bags of dog poop left throughout the neighborhood. Most members think this is a positive project for the ENA Board to accomplish.

Annual Garage Sale

• Weekend of July 19th
• 9 confirmed households participating
• PSAs have aired on Mixx96, KAOS
• 7th and Edison has a sign advertising sale
• Will advertise on Facebook and Craigslist as well
• Neighbors are encouraged to put up their own signs as well as the general neighborhood signs

Annual Picnic

• August 16, 11 am – 2 pm, at Lions Park
• Ralph’s Grocery donated $50 gift card for food
• Waiting to hear back from the Co-op to see if they can donate
• Brian and Sandia volunteered to do food prep for the BBQ
• ENA will purchase: hamburgers, buns, vegetarian option, dessert, water cups
• Motion approved for purchasing picnic items
• Neighbors will be able to sign up for membership at the picnic
• ENA will be collecting food for the Food Bank, please bring donations!

New Business

• ENA is looking for ideas for the City’s Matching Grant Program
• Sandia will look into what happened to the last matching grant that the ENA was given (estimated four years ago)
• Create a flyer to have ready by the picnic. The flyer should include: Thurston County Food Bank Project, Nextdoor, ENA Membership, Matching Grant Program, NextDoor, Thriftway Thrift-E Card
• Sherri hosted a Solar Information Evening at her house; 15 people attended.

Meeting adjourned at 7:30 pm
Minutes submitted by Katy Beattie, ENA Secretary

Attendance

• Board Members Present:  Nathan Allan, Whitney Bowerman, Pat Bayle, Brian Brannies, Sheena Pietzold, and Mitch Dennis
• Board Members Absent: Katy Beattie, Sandia Slaby, Jim Longley, Kara Randall,
• Other Attendees: MaryBeth Cline, Done Cline, Fran Potasnik, Lee Bickle

Thurston Food Bank Project

Don and MaryBeth (from Cain Road Neighborhood – CRANA) presented a video about the Food Bank Project, “The Power of One Green Bag.” They then presented about the project.

• The Food Project was introduced at a time when CRANA lacked community-building activities. It began with a small group. Project began in Ashland, has now expanded to 22 cities around the US. CRANA currently has 22 neighborhood coordinators and 350 of the 800 CRANA households participating in the program. Other Olympia neighborhoods (Carlyon, Bigelow) have started food projects in their neighborhoods.
• The Food Project involves collecting a bag of food from each participant every two months (2nd Saturday of the month), throughout the year. This provides the Food Bank with a regular influx of food, as opposed to receiving large amounts only during certain times of the year (holidays, for example). The project has become very important to the Food Bank, particularly with other declining sources of revenue (for example, this years’ letter carrier drive was down $20,000). It also provides the Food Bank with a greater variety of food to have available for their clients.
• Each neighborhood coordinator has between 5 and 30 (generally on the smaller side) neighbors they pick up food from.
• The next pick-up is the second Saturday in August.
• The Food Bank can provide receipts for people who want to itemize on their taxes.

What do we need to get this started in the ENA?

• With the other neighborhoods, CRANA gave 20 bags and 20 brochures. Additional bags and brochures were purchased by each neighborhood association. Bags are $1.46 each when CRANA has purchased them in bulk.
• We need neighborhood coordinators – each will be responsible for communicating with their group of 5 to 30 neighbors, which they recruit. CRANA gives each NC a handbook (binder) with info on the program.
• People needed for steering committee: graphics person, someone to compile data (names, addresses, email, phone numbers) in Excel – keep one central list of everyone in the neighborhood participating in the project, ENA treasurer to handle donations to the ENA for the project (for bags, etc), one contact point who will disperse info to the neighborhood coordinators and who will have the global picture.
• Whitney and Brian will work on getting the project up and running for the ENA.

ENA By-Laws Review Committee Report

Tabled until July meeting due to absences.

Dog Waste Stations Update

Whitney will be submitting an application to the City for dog waste stations at properties throughout the ENA. Brian looked at putting a station at Lions Park. There is one existing, however it is stocked with plastic grocery bags, which will soon be obsolete.

Annual Garage Sale

The annual garage sale Saturday July 19, 9 am – 4 pm.

• Some people will end earlier than 4 pm.
• Lee will advertise on KGY, MIXX 96 and KAOS.
• It is the same day Panorama City is having their patio sale, and is also the Saturday of Lakefair.
• The ENA will post the signs with information on the garage sale. Signs will be put out twice – now (a month in advance) and again a week before the sale. Signs will be up for a week each time.
• Nathan suggested the ENA purchase laminator sleeves to laminate the 8.5 x 11 signs. Brian motioned, Pat seconded. All aye.

Annual Picnic

Brian will organize the picnic, which will be held on August 16, 11 am – 2 pm, at Lions Park. He is going to solicit donations from stores.

New Business

Nathan attended the meeting regarding CYS’s expansion of the youth shelter. The shelter is going from 6 – 10 beds, but they are getting a permit for 12 beds.

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:00 pm
Minutes submitted by Whitney Bowerman, ENA Board Member