McKnight
Neighborhood Council, Inc.
Board of
Directors Meeting
Tuesday, September
11, 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—7:00 pm: GUESTS
o
David Chevalier, Nash Mfg. & Grinding Services, Inc, presenting
information on expanding this business which is presently located in Holyoke,
to a second location at 572 St. James Avenue.
o
Representatives
from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission presenting information on a new initiative
within the Mass Save program, called Home MPG. The state-sponsored program
provides homeowners with a no-cost home energy assessment, an energy
performance score (essentially a miles-per-gallon rating for your home), and
access to a variety of resources and incentives for energy savings.
7:00—7:15pm: OFFICERS’ REPORTS
o PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Walter
J. Kroll)
o VICE-PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Demetrios
Panteleakis)
o SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Jesse
Lederman)
·
Minutes of August 14, 2012, meeting (see attachment)
o TREASURER’S REPORT: (Elizabeth Stevens)
·
Monthly financial report
7:15—7:30 pm: New Business— Open to 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)
·
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: September 11, 2012
Meeting
Called to order 6:00 p.m.: (WK verified
quorum present)
Board Members Present (9): Walter
Kroll (Pres), Demetrios Panteleakis (Vice Pres), Jesse Lederman (Secy/Clerk), Liz Stevens, (Treas), Lloyd Creswell, Ed Kelly ,Ceil
Lewonchuk, Ben Swan, Jr, Stephen
Thibeau, {Elizabeth Lederman, Adm.
Staff}.
Board Members Not Present
(4): Brandi
Gamble-Lucas (Asst Secy), Corey Singleton (Asst Treasurer), Donna Jordan, Synthia Scott-Mitchell
Guests: Jan Nash,
Matt Nash, David Chevalier, Catherine Ratte
Welcome
by Walter K; board member introductions; audience introductions.
GUESTS
o David Chevalier and Matt
Nash of Nash Manufacturing & Grinding Services, Inc, presented information on their move from
Holyoke to a new location at 572 St. James Avenue.
·
Business founded in 1996—engaged in custom manufacturing of precision
machine parts.
·
Relocating to expand manufacturing space.
·
Currently employs 5 individuals—move will create 2-3 new positions.
·
Will be investing $435,000 in the move, renovation of property and
upgrade in equipment.
·
Seeking Special Tax Assessment under the Economic Development Incentive
Program, which will give them a sliding scale tax assessment for five years.
·
Asking MNC for a letter of recommendation to the Springfield City
Council.
MOTION: (DP moved) to submit a
letter of support to the City Council on behalf of Nash Manufacturing; (JL seconded); (WK called the question); Unanimous
vote to accept.
o
Catherine Ratte, a representatives from the Pioneer Valley Planning Commission, presented information on a
new initiative within the Mass Save program, called Home MPG.
·
Open to all Springfield residents—free home
energy audits, eligible to receive every two years.
·
Double the incentives of previous programs for
equipment purchase with 0% loans to homeowners.
·
No income requirement--$2,000 of free insulation
and weatherizing. (Note: for homes with knob and tubing wiring,
program cannot offer blown in insulation.)
·
Program available from now through December 31,
2013.
·
Contact Mass Save at 866-527-SAVE to schedule
Home Energy Assessment.
OFFICER REPORTS
o
PRESIDENT’S REPORT: (Walter Kroll)
No remarks.
o VICE-PRESIDENT’S
REPORT: (Demetrios Panteleakis)
No remarks.
o SECRETARY’S REPORT: (Jesse Lederman)
Jesse L submitted the minutes of the Board
Meeting August 14, 2012, for acceptance. Call for corrections or additions.
MOTION: (LS moved) to accept as presented;
(EK seconded); (WK called ;) Unanimous vote to accept.
o TREASURER’S REPORT: (Elizabeth Stevens)
Liz S reporting that Fiscal Solutions has been
notified of their termination for bookkeeping services and that she and Bokul
are working on updating records—updated report will be forthcoming.
NEW BUSINESS—Open to the Floor
o
Lloyd C inquiring on status of casino discussion, noting MGM’s
extensive outreach to community. Board
consensus that all casino applicants should present to MNC at the same
meeting. Demetrios P recommending that invitations
and presentations wait until application deadline of September 30, to see which
companies actually submit their $400,000 application fee.
o
Walter K reporting that October meeting will include recognition of
city officials who helped arrange grant funding for the façade improvements to the shops on
Catharine and Bay—will invite landlord and shop owners also.
COMMITTEE REPORTS
STANDING COMMITTEES
o Rail Trail (Elizabeth
Stevens, Chair)
·
Last meeting with
Pat Sullivan in Parks was in June; meeting scheduled for September 17.
o Public
Safety (Walter Kroll, Chair)
·
Letter sent to
owner of 287 St James asking for information on status of property; re:
complaints of neighbors about partying, noise, and numerous apparently
unsupervised and under aged youth on premises.
o Housing
& Code (Demetrios Panteleakis,
Chair)
·
Demetrios P reporting on STCC parking lot on
Worthington and Armory. Will be
contacting STCC and Appleton Management about the need to pave the lot and
improve the landscaping since it has obviously become a permanent transportation
and parking hub for the college.
·
Ed K reporting on Historical Commission
hearing on Sept 06, re: mail boxes at
SMOC housing at 175 Bowdoin Street.
Historical Commission informing SMOC that 14 mailbox cluster on front
porch unacceptable; alternative solutions suggested, issue tabled for future
hearing. Also tabled: replicating bannister for front porch and
garage door replacement. EK also
reporting that de-leading, window replacement, and repairs at 21 Clarendon St
approved at hearing.
·
Walter K reporting that he and Demetrios P
were accepted for RFP at 62 Bay Street.
·
Next meeting for Housing & Code
scheduled for 6pm, Sept 18.
FINAL BUSINESS/WRAP UP—Open to Floor
o Ben S inquiring about
status of River Inn on State Street; presently vacant, with owner to correct
numerous code violations; disposition likely to end up with City.
o Ben S reporting that last
Neighborhood Collaborative discussed casinos.
o Walter K discussing how
to improve attendance at monthly meeting.
Suggesting board members display sign notices in their yards a few days
before each meeting. Also discussed
employing the City’s robo-call system if possible.
8:00 ADJOURNMENT: MOTION:
(JL moved) to adjourn; (BS seconded); (EK
called); motion carried.
Submitted
by Elizabeth Lederman, Administrative Staff, 10/09/2012.
