The program is a consortium of Safe Kids International, City of Olympia, Intercity Transit, Thurston Regional Planning Council.

The immediate goal is to encourage students to walk, bike or bus to school, to educate students about safety and to educate parents abut safe driving, especially around the school, and the benefits of fewer vehicle trips around school at arrival and departure times.

The long-term goal of programs of this nature is to build a school program that facilitates a generation of kids looking at transportation differently (walking, biking, other alternative transportation).

The biggest issue in the Eastside neighborhood is traffic and speed (as opposed to safety) for kids walking to school.

Kathy is pursuing grant money for a crosswalk to be built across Legion Way, in front of the entrance to Madison.

TRPC would like to have ENA support for the grant. Sam, Whitney and Luke agreed and gave permission for the ENA to co-sponsor the grant. No financial commitments were made.

October 8 is international Walk to School Day and monthly walking events will follow thereafter.

Terry expressed concern about neighborhood safety (stolen bikes and cars being broken into)

Officer Ryan (lastname) reported that in a 1 week time frame in August there were 15 robbery-related incidents in the Southeast Olympia area (from Plum Street east to Lacey/Olympia city limits and 4th Ave south to Yelm Highway)

The City has 5 districts, with one officer in each district at a time, plus a roving officer.

Part of the purpose of this is to encourage community-oriented policing (allowing the police officer to get to know a specific geographic area and its residents).

Tim Byrne, Eastside neighborhood resident has offered to work on a ENA’s vandalism program based on the success the the Northeast Neighborhood Association has had. Amy Stull with the Olympia Police Department meet with Tim & Luke. The City provided the ENA with a graffiti kit.

The ENA will use SeeClickFix, a free web service for community residents to report vandalism. Additional information will be on the web site and email lists shortly.

Luke spoke with David Hanna at the Olympia Parks Department regarding the Madison Scenic park. The Sunset Park garden project was a pilot project and is still be evaluated (it has 2 or 3 years left on its lease at which time both sides will reevaluate and decide whether or not to continue). Go past a pilot (or a second project) would require a strong answer to the question of “public benefit” of a semi-private garden on public lands.

The City really wants both a strong answer to the question public benefit and would likely want a strong partner organization to be involved – Grub at this time has expressed that they are too busy with other projects to seriously consider another. The ENA, as currently formed/staffed, likely does not have the skills or staff to be the primary partner in such a project.

The City currently has approximately $150,000 designated to do capital improvements to Madison Scenic park in 2009. While the budget is currently in-flux if this money is still in the budget  they will begin planning a public input process in early 2009 (January/February timeframe).  Approximately 30% of this amount is already designated to basic improvements (safety and access upgrades). The president will continue to stay in contact with Parks & Rec in regard to this project.

The next ENA newsletter will go out in mid-October. Now is the time to suggest articles.

Whitney’s board term will end in February and she will not be continuing on the board or with the newsletter. The ENA should start looking for someone to take over the newsletter duties effective February 2009. Although hopefully we can address this sooner so that the new person can cross-train.