Neighborhood Meeting Minutes December 2017

Present: Sam, Roger, Nathan, Sherry, Jim, Brian and Charlotte
Minutes from October meeting approved with minor corrections.
Treasurers Report Approved – funds from all accounts (savings, signs, trees, beautification, checking) $3528.45
• Savings $1062.66
• Signs $1299.93
• Trees $151.92
• Beautification $506.95
• Checking $506.94

1. Sub-area Planning – The Charter was shared with the CNA. They were very supportive. Stacy from the City of Olympia recommended that the core team get together in early January to discuss next steps. There is a recommended planning process available to follow. The Thurston Regional Planning Council and City of Olympia will work together to provide the demographics for the plan based on census data. There is a preference for our plan to provide information about the neighborhood profile that goes beyond the census. We may be able to get some additional information from the work being done on the Missing Middle.
a. Neighborhood Conversation Report – It was held on November 15th from 6:30 to 8:30p.m. at the Elks Lodge. There were about 48 people attending including the staff from the City of Olympia. Information from the meeting will be used to create the upcoming survey. The need for sidewalks was the biggest request. Also important to participants was neighborhood connections and events in the neighborhood. The meeting remained positive. There were very few negative statements. Attendees included a teenager who provided good input. The facilitator did a good job keeping the meeting on track. Questions asked included: Why do you live here? What matters most about your neighborhood? What concerns you? And What are your priorities? Participants were given a chance to vote for their priorities using sticky dots. There was a lot of input and it will take time to go through it all. The board approved re-paying Roger for the fee that he paid to the Elks Lodge. Names from the meetings sign in list will be added to the ENA mailing list. Handouts about upcoming events (caroling and winter window walkabout) were made available. Jim drafted a thank you note for Paul Horton for facilitating the Neighborhood Conversation meeting. The Board approved the letter. Jim took the ENA symbol and put it on the letter to Paul. The board liked it and discussed making it our official logo for future letters.
b. Sub-area Plan Survey – Board discussed using Survey Monkey for the survey and spending $34 a month for three months to pay for it. That pays for analysis of the data and graphics to help present the results. All board members voted in favor of paying the 3 month Survey Monkey membership to be able to use the tool. The board agreed that we should include another option for anyone that does not want to participate in the survey on-line. Sherry volunteered to help people who don’t want to go on-line to participate. Participants will not have to sign in to take the survey. Electronic messages about the survey will be posted/sent out. That will be followed by a mailing.
c. Mailing – Brian and Sheena are working to create a note card with information about the survey and a link to participate. They will provide it in a digital file which will be taken to the City of Olympia who will make 1,100 copies for us. Sam volunteered to create labels and process the card for the mailings. The goal is to mail out the post card by the end of the month. We will have to buy physical stamps for the mailing. We will make all labels out to “current resident”. A draft letter which would be included with the mailing was shared during the meeting. It will include information about the ENA dues which will be on a sliding scale. Luke will change the information about dues on line. Neighbors will be directed to go to the ENA website to pay or to put the payment into a drop box. We will add that “You’re support goes to …” to the letter. If you are a sustaining member you get a sticker with the visual image shared during our last meeting. Sam has already bought the stickers at $80. He’d like to be reimbursed if they help to increase membership/available funds. It was suggested that we add information about the neighborhood conversation in the letter. We should also include event calendar information that is on the website, printing it on the back side of the letter. This will include the February 7th meeting (at the New Bridge Church), and the Picnic on August 4th, at Lion’s Park. Nathan will draft something and send it to Sam. We may also include information about how to sign up for Nextdoor, the address for the ENA webpage and the ENA Facebook page. We can ask people to give us their e-mail address if they want to be on our mailing list and get a regular newsletter. There will be two pieces of paper in the mailing. Sam will organize an envelop stuffing event for the board at Beer Works.
2. Winter Window Walkabout – Nathan put stuff on the web about it. Roger put out a post. Jodi Sobier will also do a post. There is 1 person who’s signed up to do a window. The deadline for signing up to paint your window is December 27th. The event will start at the Swan Town Inn. Roger will send the locations to Brian who will make maps. We will put the map on Nextdoor and on our Facebook page. We will include Light-Straveganza as one of the spots on the map. Nathan will provide hot chocolate, and cookies. We can work on reimbursement later, but it will be no more than $50. Brian will bring cider. The notice needs to remind people to bring flashlights or head lamps.
3. Caroling – The Caroling will be held on December 15th (Friday night) at 6:00p.m. Tara Wickham has volunteered to lead it. It will start from her house at 902 Boundry. There are 29 copies of the Christmas music booklets/sheets. Only 2 people are signed up, but several members of the board are planning to attend who have not yet signed up. There may be others.
4. Missing Middle – This is a new housing initiative for Olympia being considered for all areas that are within 600 ft. of transit (almost all of the ENA). It will allow for new tri/four-plex apartments and more density in the neighborhood. It is expected that our neighborhood will be heavily impacted. The change will signal to developers that our neighborhood is where density will happen. There was concern that if new building in the neighborhood is mostly fourplexes than developers will be the only ones that will invest in our neighborhood. As this happens most of the new people that move into the neighborhood would live in rentals. The city is moving fast with the initiative. There is a public communication document that was drafted to help explain it. We talked about having a sub-group go through the plan to prepare formal feedback about the document from the ENA Board. Roger, Sherry, and Jim volunteered to go through the it and prepare specific comments. The letter to the City with our recommendations would also request a timeline that will allow for our sub-area plan work to be completed before the Missing Middle changes are finalized. All of the board were encouraged to take the cities missing middle survey. We will discuss this at the February ENA General Mtg. Leonard from the city has been invited to attend that meeting.
5. February General Meeting – Leonard Bauer will do a Missing Middle presentation and allow time for discussion. We will do an update on the sub-area plan at the meeting and may also want to have a sub-area plan event before the business part of the meeting. It would be good to have the survey results if possible. Or open the survey right before and use the meeting to advertise the survey again.
6. Kiosk Project – No progress has been made. The original design was drafted. It’s like the Garfield nature trail kiosk. It will have cedar shingles and a sliding or hinged window that will open. The site at Lions Park hasn’t been decided yet but a spot near the shelter is preferred. No power or lighting will be needed. Sam will finalize the plans for the 6 by 6 kiosk. He can do some of the work and will need help for other parts. There is an Iron Works person in the community that Jim knows and will ask to help. Sam will ask for an extension for the grant from the City.
7. New Neighborhood Grants – Applications will be out the first of January and due March 31st. Katie, City of Olympia, is running the grants program. We are not eligible if we are still working on an extension for a previous grant. Grants can be up to $5000 if they are a joint project between two Neighborhood Associations. A kiosk for Madison was suggested for the 2018 grant. Another option would be a grant to pay for training and other administration efforts. It was also suggested that we ask participants attending the General Meeting what they might want.
8. Round About – Our new plants died. It looks like one flat succulent now. Mulch will be put out in early 2018. We may want to re-plant and could ask Margaret for ideas or what to plant.
9. Talent Context Event – Suggested for the Spring maybe in March or April at the Elks Lodge or another community venue. Roger volunteered to help plan it.
10. January Meeting – The next meeting will be held on January 17th from 7-8p.m. at the Elk’s Lodge.