McKnight
Neighborhood Council, Inc.
Board of
Directors Meeting
Tuesday, November
08, 2011: 6-8 pm
Rebecca
Johnson School, Music Room
55 Catharine
St., Springfield MA
AGENDA
6:00 – 6:15 pm: OPEN MEETING, WELCOME
o
Introduction, Board of Directors
o
Audience Introductions
6:15—7:00 pm: GUEST
o
Consultant Ron
Mallis, is an architect who is currently working in the Rebuild Springfield
post tornado effort. Ron is discussing
how the McKnight neighborhood fits into the overall picture of the city’s
plans, and the integration of the McKnight revitalization plan within the scope
of the city wide planning decisions.
o
Discussion
& Planning—updating the McKnight revitalization plan
7:00—7:15 pm: OFFICERS’ REPORTS
o PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Walter
J. Kroll)
o VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Demetrios
Panteleakis)
o SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Ben
Swan, Jr & Elizabeth Lederman, admin staff)
·
Minutes of October 11, 2011 meeting (see
attachment)
o TREASURER’S REPORT: (Liz Stevens)
·
Monthly financial report
7:15—7:30 pm: New Business
o
Holiday Pot Luck meeting for December—planning,
theme, and format
o
Annual Community Service Awards--nominations
o
Open to the Floor
7:30—7:50 pm: COMMITTEE
REPORTS – Any committee updates (5 minutes each)
o
Standing
Committees
·
Rail Trail (Liz Stevens)
·
Public Safety (Walter Kroll)
·
Housing & Code (Demetrios Panteleakis)
·
Communications (Marianne Winters)
·
Good Neighbor (Ceil Lewonchuk)
o
Ad Hoc
Committees
·
Community Center (Demetrios Panteleakis)
·
Debate (Jesse Lederman)
7:50--8:00 pm:
Wrap Up—Final Business, Open to Floor
8:00 pm—Close Meeting
Next
McKnight Neighborhood Council Meeting
Tuesday, December
13, 2011 6:00-8:00 pm Rebecca Johnson School
Approved December 13,
2011
Minutes McKnight Neighborhood Council
Board Meeting: November 08, 2011
Meeting
Called to order 6:20 p.m.: (WK verified
quorum present)
Board Members Present (7): Walter Kroll (Pres), Demetrios Panteleakis (Vice Pres), Ben Swan, Jr,
(Secy/Clerk), Liz Steven, (Treas),
Ceil Lewonchuk (Asst Secy), Ed Kelly, Stephen Thibeau, {Elizabeth Lederman, Adm.
Staff}.
Board Members Not Present
(6) Frank Buntin, Katie Foster, Gregory
Hession, Arthur Jones, Donna Jordan,
Jesse Lederman
Neighborhood
Members Attending: Stephen Gray, Corey Singleton, Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, Marguerite Johnson (?),
Victoria Letrec (?)
Guests: Ron Mallis
Welcome
by WK; board member introductions; audience introductions.
GUEST PRESENTATION
·
Ron Mallis, a planning consultant assisting
in the Rebuild Springfield post tornado recovery effort, presented an overview
of what has transpired thus far. Among
the areas discussed;
·
Community engagement on the local level as
the key to successful outcomes and that has been difficult to cultivate;
·
A need to have city entities such as
police, code enforcement, DPW, and
Traffic all at the table in the planning stages;
·
Why plans that are on paper often fail, and
how to get them up and running;
·
The need to tap into the intellectual and
creative capital of individuals in the community and support the incubation of
local ideas, inventions, and
initiatives;
·
Mallis offered comments on the McKnight
Revitalization Plan developed in 2008, finding it thorough and well-articulated
plan which he intended to share in his continuing work with Rebuild Springfield
as a resource document for other neighborhoods;
OFFICER’S
REPORTS
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Walter Kroll)
o WK
noting that the McKnight Revitalization Plan distributed to board members need
to be updated; and asked each committee
chairman to work on the section which relates to their committee work. BS agreed to take on the responsibility of
the business section which did not have a corresponding committee.
VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Demetrios Panteleakis)
o DP—no activity to
report.
SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Ben Swan; Elizabeth
Lederman, staff)
o Minutes of Board Meeting,
November 08, 2011, submitted for acceptance. BS called for corrections or
additions.
MOTION: (DP moved) to accept as presented;
(LS seconded); (WK called the question); Unanimous vote to accept.
TREASURER’S REPORT: (Liz Stevens)
o LS provided budget
report. WK noted that CDBG budget amount needed to be corrected to $12, 500.
MOTION: (BS moved) to accept with
correction; (DP seconded); (WK called the question); Unanimous vote to
accept.
NEW BUSINESS
o
Holiday Pot Luck meeting for
December—planning, theme, and format—theme around revitalization plan
o
Annual Community Service
Awards—nominations—suggestions included Jim Boone, Jesse Lederman, Ron Harrell,
Stephen White
NEW BUSINESS—OPEN TO THE FLOOR
o
CS reporting a variety of problems at the
housing complex at 15 Girard Street including safety, sanitation, and code
concerns. Management not responding to
tenants’ efforts to address these problems.
Requesting help from MNC. DP to
take up concerns with Housing & Code committee and will work with CS to
respond to the situation and get the City involved.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
STANDING COMMITTEES
o Rail Trail (Liz Stevens)
·
LS reporting WMECO
has rejected MNC grant request—will seek some clarification on rejection since
they previously indicated a positive outcome to the request.
·
LS will be
attending a regional Rail Trail conference on November 12.
o Public
Safety (Walter Kroll)
·
WK reminding all
that Watch and Sector F Police Beat meeting now meeting at the same time and
place—third Thursday of the month at the Mason Square Library at 530 pm.
o Housing
& Code (Demetrios Panteleakis)
·
DP reporting the sale of 52 Westminster Street, recently
restored with supporting funds from the City.
·
Housing &
Code committee meeting scheduled for November 17 @ 530pm at 1104 Worthington
Street.
o Communications (Marianne Winters)
·
No activity.
o Good
Neighbor (Ceil Lewonchuk)
·
No activity.
AD HOC COMMITTEES
o Community
Center (Demetrios Panteleakis)
·
No activity.
o Debate (Jesse
Lederman)
·
JL absent. No report.
8:00 ADJOURNMENT: MOTION:
(BS moved) to adjourn; (EK seconded); (WK
called); motion carried.
Submitted
by Elizabeth Lederman, Administrative Staff, 12/13/2011
