First Vice President Ken Love called the meeting to order at 702 p.m.
Present: Kathy Bambeck, Kirky Doblie, Mike Duffield, Nancy Hand, Marcia Leslie, Marianne Fitzgerald, Ken Love,Will Fuller, Susan Egnor, Jim Thayer, John Gibbon; Dorothy Gage, Jim Gardner; Wes McMullen, Jan Weston, Brian Russell, Carolyn Raz, Alexander Ben-Israel, David Gens
Staff: Sylvia Bogert
Michael Boyer
Guests: Lee Perlman, Southwest Portland Post
Patti Waitman-Ingebretsen, Multnomah Historical
Agenda and February Board Meeting minutes approved.
Centennial Celebration Update: from Multnomah Historical Association president Patti Waitman-Ingebretsen updated She provided survey forms to distribute for association collection of information on historic homes and markers.
SWNI Executive Committee Report
Ken Love gave the report.
Retreat and Next Steps: Board needs longer period of time to discuss priorities. Executive Committee recommends the Standing Committees discuss action items for next year and prioritize them. The item on broadening our base goes to the Communications Committee. Reminders: Neighborhood Action Plans and Volunteer Recognition nominations are due May 15 and the Volunteer Recognition party is June 30.
Treasurer’s report: Sylvia Bogert gave the report for Tom Schaper. The spending and income are on target with Board items. The Watershed resource contracts slow to pay but she expects to get that next month. Added donations and umbrella sales bringing in income. She reviewed expenditures reviewed.
SWNI Executive Director Report
Sylvia Bogert gave the report. Small Grants: everybody getting started on projects. ONI Budget process. Commissioner Adams supporting package. He noted the budget’s requirement that neighborhoods raise 20% of their budget to get the final 20% of contract funds. He considers it too complex to track. She noted he appreciated SWNI presentation on how budget dollars significantly leverage support for SWNI projects. Food Drive: Project Hope for Neighborhood House until end of March. Halo LID’s: 5000 letters to residents; 400 responses to surveys so far. Four open houses for Halo LID’s. Candidates not campaign at NA meetings: Advised have candidates to go to SWNI candidates’ fair. She said candidates may come to meetings and campaign before and after but campaign activity as part of meeting could jeopardize tax exempt status of SWNI. Markham Woods subwatershed area
Standing Committee Reports
Land Use Committee – John Gibbon: Land Use Committee suggest starting with the retreat follow up visioning process with vision statement developed in the Southwest Community Plan process. Committee concerned about Portland Plan’s public involvement process apparently developed well before public invited to be involved. Staff seems to be trying to reach beyond usual participants to develop broader based process. City’s latest draft due April 1 and Planning Commission hearing on April 22. Planning Commission will tour SW neighborhoods 7/21. Reported discussion of city-wide Land Use chairs on Hillsdale development work. Need to educate rest of city regarding mixed nature of Southwest community, economically, and other ways.
Crime Prevention/Public Safety Committee – Nancy Hand: Portland Women’s Crisis Line representative addressed committee. CPPS to meet jointly with Schools Committee April 7. There is tremendous support for SW substation. Michael Boyer will attend command staff meeting on April 3 and needs all supporting letters to present before then. This will be the first time command staff has met in SW. Board approved amended CPSS motion as follows:
The Southwest Neighborhoods Crime Prevention and Public Safety Committee is requesting the support of the Southwest Neighborhoods Inc. Board in their efforts to base police officers in Southwest Portland. Currently, police support for the Southwest area is based out of the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Precinct, located in the Downtown area. Because of the absence of locally based officers, there is little neighborhood connection with the Police Bureau in Southwest. Regular police presence in Southwest Portland would improve the effectiveness of community policing in Southwest Portland.
The Ready Safe Go event will be at PCC Cascade.
Transportation Committee – Marianne Fitzgerald gave a Halo LID update. Leonard Gard will facilitate the 4 open houses. Team leaders will determine whether there’s enough energy to go forward. After Committee determined area transportation priorities, with Barbur Blvd. as first, met last week with ODOT and PDOT. Neither has Barbur on its project list. Already demonstrably useful to have projects of interest and priorities in place before meeting with government agencies.
Schools Committee – Will Fuller: Committee will request for Board support for full funding for Robert Gray Middle School SUN program. For the 100 children in the program there, it’s the only help they get. Committee reworking action plan and looking 20 years ahead. Continues working on concept of coverage to non-public schools. Will provide list of schools that serve neighborhoods as well as those in neighborhoods.
Parks & Community Centers Committee – Kirky Doblie Terri Davis attended meeting accompanied by Astrid Dragoy, new director for SW Community Center. Spoke of great service to Parks by April Fong and her lead in habitat restoration for Sylvania park. City approved SDC’s for Parks from commercial development projects. Long-awaited reply from Parks Board to SWNI letter raising many concerns not as responsive as Committee would have liked.
Operation Committee Reports: Communications Committee – Wes McMullen reported on web site changes and their complexity. Upgrades will allow more transparent and more easily used website. Check out Constant Contact tool Allows regular electronic presence with groups. Committee is working on tool boxes and tool kits.
Unfinished Business
Bylaw Revision Committee Update – Susan Egnor summarized changes. Full text to be provided in April and voted on in May meeting.
Nominating Committee: Approved committee of Jim Gardner, Carolyn Raz, and Will Fuller. Five positions will be available.
For Good of the organization:
Sellwood Bridge Update– Dorothy Gage reported on joint meeting of CAC and Policy Advisory Committee and Commissioner Wheeler’s views.
SWNI Candidates Fair: Tuesday, April 29th, for city candidates. John Gibbon suggested a legislative candidates fair in light of need to focus on state level for problems like Barbur Boulevard falling through the cracks. Jim Thayer noted Mary Noland would like to come and listen.
Adjourn 8:52 p.m.