McKnight
Neighborhood Council, Inc.
Board of
Directors Meeting
Tuesday, November
13, 2012; 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—6:45pm: GUEST
o
Deputy Police Chief
William Cochran joining us to strategize about solving the problems of enforcing traffic
regulations and drag racing on neighborhood streets.
6:45—7:00pm: OFFICERS’ REPORTS
o PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Walter
J. Kroll)
o VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Demetrios
Panteleakis)
o SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Jesse
Lederman)
·
Minutes of October 09, 2012, meeting (see
attachment)
o TREASURER’S REPORT: (Elizabeth Stevens)
·
Monthly financial report
7:00—7:15 pm: New Business—Open to the Floor
7:15—7:30 pm: New Business—Board
·
Newsletter
·
Holiday Pot Luck and Community Service Awards
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)
·
Good Neighbor (Ceil Lewonchuk)
·
Communications (Corey Singleton. Ben Swan Jr)
o
Ad Hoc
Committees
·
Food Access
(Synthia Scott-Mitchell)
7:50--8:00 pm:
Wrap Up—Final Business, Open to Floor
8:00 pm—Close Meeting
Minutes McKnight Neighborhood Council
Board Meeting: November 13, 2012
Meeting
Called to order 6:10 p.m.: (WK verified
quorum present)
Board Members Present (7): Walter
Kroll (Pres), Jesse Lederman (Secy/Clerk),
Elizabeth Stevens, (Treas), Brandi Gamble-Lucas (Asst Secy), Lloyd Creswell,Donna
Jordan, Ed Kelly, Ceil
Lewonchuk, Synthia Scott-Mitchell, Stephen Thibeau, {Elizabeth Lederman,
Adm. Staff}.
Board Members Not Present
(6): Demetrios
Panteleakis (Vice Pres), Corey Singleton (Asst Treasurer), Ben Swan, Jr,
Neighborhood
Members: Bokul
Bhuiya, Warren Clark
Guests: Deputy Police
Chief William Cochran, Officers Neil Maloney,
Rupert Daniels, Lawrence Akers
Welcome
by Walter K; board member introductions; audience introductions.
GUESTS
Guests Deputy Police
Commissioner William Cochran, and SPD traffic Officers Neil Maloney, Rupert
Daniels, Lawrence Akers meeting with the neighborhood to discuss and
strategize about solving the problems of enforcing traffic regulations and drag
racing on neighborhood streets.
·
Deputy Cochran reported that a traffic speed trailer had been deployed
on St James Avenue during the previous week to monitor the trend of vehicle
speeds. The general speeds recorded were
reasonable—between 11/01 and 11/11, 20,000 cars were logged going northbound
with an average speed of 32-32 mph.
·
Limited personnel available to handle traffic problems, but if
residents can report time frames and areas where drag racing is taking place
the traffic division is able to deploy officers to monitor these areas. Information on vehicles observed, or a known
address where these vehicles are parked will help solve ongoing problems.
·
Specific and ongoing problem with drag racing on Worthington Street on
Friday and Saturday nights. Traffic
division will monitor.
·
Specific and ongoing problem with illegal on-street parking at store
block near Brown and Bay Streets, causing dangerous congestion and obstructing
traffic flow. Parking authority will
monitor.
·
Residents to follow up and continue to report issues.
OFFICER REPORTS
o SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Jesse Lederman)
Jesse L submitted the minutes of the Board
Meeting Octorber 09, 2012, for acceptance. Call for corrections or additions.
MOTION: (EK moved) to accept as presented;
(DJ seconded); (WK called ;) Unanimous vote.
o TREASURER’S REPORT: (Elizabeth Stevens)
Bokul B
who has undertaken the bookkeeping distributed copy of the CDBG budget
monies. Will include entire budget with
discretionary funds included in next months budget report. MOTION: (LC moved) to accept as presented; (WK seconded); (WK
called ;) Unanimous vote to accept.
NEW BUSINESS—Open to the Floor
o
Jesse L reporting that MNC has been asked to co-sponsor a public forum with Partners for a Healthier
Community and Arise for Social Justice at the Mason Square Library on December
6. The purpose of the forum is to report
the results of last year’s work to identify Brownfields in the McKnight/Bay
neighborhoods.
MOTION: (JL moved) that MNC
co-sponsor forum; (EK seconded); (WK called ;) Unanimous vote.
o Ed K raised the
possibility of establishing a dog park on one of the City owned vacant lots in
McKnight—reporting that he has visited several dog parks in surrounding
towns. Will be meeting with the director
of the board for the East Longmeadow dog park to get more information about
their town’s involvement, the rules, liability, etc. Agreement to move forward and make inquiries
with the Parks department once we have more information.
NEW BUSINESS—Board
o
Newsletter preparation—articles should be submitted by 11/30—
·
Liz S contributing article on the renovation of the shops at Catharine
and Bay
·
Walter K, public safety article discussing the events at 287 St James
and how they were resolved through effectively community/police networking
·
Elizabeth L, article on the Community Service Award recipients Jesse
Lederman and Ariel Perez
·
Demetrios P to do article on Preservation Trust, and a housing and
code update
·
Brandi G, article on home sales in McKnight
·
Ed K, article on dog parks
o
Holiday Pot Luck and Community Service Awards scheduled for next
monthly meeting 12/11—
·
Discussion of award recipients, so far Springfield Preservation Trust,
Jesse L, and Ariel P
·
Decision made to add Arise for Social Justice in light of their 25th
anniversary, and especially their work on ward representation and biomass
opposition
COMMITTEE REPORTS
STANDING COMMITTEES
o Rail Trail (Elizabeth
Stevens, Chair)
·
Liz S reporting meeting
with Walter K and Parks Director Pat Sullivan on Monday 10/15. A landscape planner from the City also
attended. City is matching $1800 grant
from Partners for a Healthier Community to develop a master plan for the trail.
This will provide a visual plan to begin developing support as the project
moves forward.
·
Next meeting on Monday,
12/03, Pioneer Valley Planning will also be in attendance.
·
Liz S meeting
with Congressman Neal on November 19 to update him on plans.
o Public
Safety (Walter Kroll, Chair)
·
Walter K
reporting Sector F Police Beat meeting, reporting that generally crime
statistics are down in McKnight, lower than the City averages.
o Housing
& Code (Demetrios Panteleakis,
Chair), absent, Walter K reporting:
·
Next meeting Thursday, 11/15, at 6pm at
Demetrios P’s house.
o Food Access
Committee (Synthia Scott-Mitchell, Chair)
·
Synthia S giving history of Farmer’s Market, now
in its seventh year.
·
Second major project is the Food Justice
Initiative, working to establish a full service grocery store in Mason Square
area. Extensive groundwork established
with community forums, including feedback to the big box stores to encourage
them to locate here. Focus on employment
for local residents as well.
·
Reported on Food Policy Committee which works on
issues of nutrition, including school lunches, community gardening projects,
and a “corner store” education project for small stores addressing what they
market and how they display it to customers.
FINAL BUSINESS/WRAP UP—Open to Floor
8:00 ADJOURNMENT: MOTION:
(JL moved) to adjourn; (DJ seconded); (EK
called); motion carried.
Submitted by Elizabeth
Lederman, Administrative Staff, 12/11/12
