Board Meeting: August 12, 2008

PRESENT: *Gregory A Hession (President) Chair, * Tony Anthony, *Chip Gorra, *Jim Llewellyn (Vice Pres.), *Stephen Gray, *Walter Kroll, *Denise Moccia, *Demetrios Panteleakis, *Liz Stevens, *Ben Swan Jr., *Marianne Winters (Treas.), Karen Bogdanovich, Anne Bradley, Walter Crutchfield, Buddy Crutchfield, Caroline Cunningham, Marjorie Guess, Sandra Hession, Mary Kirby, Ceil Lewonchuk, Donald Mitchell, Ray Talbot, Stephen Thibeau, Michael Wiersma, Kat Wright (*Members of the Board)

Guests: David Panagore, Springfield Chief Development Officer; City Councilor Tim Rooke; John Slosek; Ruth B. Loving; Morris Jones; John Malone

Meeting called to order 7:10 p.m. 10 Board members present

NEW DIRECTOR: Pres. GAH swore in Namer "Chip" Gorra, who assumed his seat on the board.

PRESIDENT'S REPORT: President GAH cited need to restaff the standing and ad hoc committees of the board, tabled until later in the meeting. Then introduced guest David Panagore.

GUEST: D.Panagore addressed the subjects of (a) Housing related issues, (b) the Primus Mason historical lot, (c) UMASS Dartmouth Urban Initiative project, and other issues. Notes on Mr. Panagore's remarks are attached to these minutes.

GUEST: John Slosek offered to forego his presentation on insurance for older Victorian homes because of the Council's time constraints; GAH thanked him and agreed to place him on the agenda for October meeting.

SECRETARY'S REPORT: Minutes of July 8, 2008: JL moved to accept minutes as written, LS seconded. Motion passed.

TREASURER'S REPORT: Treas. MWinters: Proposed FY09 budget attached: MWinters moved to approve the FY09 Budget, which began 7/1/08 and runs to 6/30/09; TA seconded. Discussion: MWinters explained changes and new line items - reduction in insurance premium because MNC no longer maintains an office, reduced telephone cost, increase in communication costs include all printing and website, increase in stipend for office manager and addition of consultants. The budget as approved will be submitted as part the Council's CDBG funding contract with the City of Springfield. In the current FY08 budget, although MNC anticipates a surplus by the end of FY09, current cash flow is negligible because we are still waiting for 3rd and 4th quarter payments on our FY08 CDBG grant. Vote was called. Motion to approve the FY09 budget as proposed passed unanimously. Budget attached.

FY09 CONTRACT WITH CITY OF SPRINGFIELD:

1. JL moved to approve the contract with the "Scope of Service" as written; SG seconded. Discussion: BS asked that a few items be amended:

a. Objective 2, Action 1: Asked to change "involving 20% of residents" to "involving 5% of residents" as being more achievable. Consensus was to make the change.

b. Objective 1, Action 1: Asked that number of properties to be improved be changed from "10" to "5" as being more achievable. Some discussion ensued; final consensus was to change the number to "5 to 10".

c. Objective 1, Action 1: Asked that list of ‘Partners' also include Department of Economic Development, other city departments and other agencies; final consensus was to add to the list, "and others as appropriate".

Vote was called. Motion was amended to approve the contract with the changes to the Scope of Service as cited. Motion passed unanimously.

2. JL moved to authorize President Gregory A. Hession to sign the Contract with the City of Springfield for FY09; SG seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

OLD BUSINESS:

· MASON SQUARE LIBRARY: (Liz Stevens, Chair, MSL Advisory Committee):LS made the following motion, M.Winters seconded:

Whereas: The Mason Square Branch Library does not have enough space in its current location to house its full collection nor to fully service the Mason Square community;

And earlier this year this council supported the acquisition of the McKnight Home at 684 State Street for a new location for a branch library, using the power of eminent domain if necessary.

And at the request of the Springfield Library Foundation, an architectural review was done of the McKnight Home and the former Mason Square Fire Station.

And that architectural review of the McKnight Home and the former Mason Square Fire Station indicates that neither building is suitable for a public library branch,

I move that the McKnight Neighborhood Council support acquiring the former Mason Square Branch Library by the City of Springfield, using the power of eminent domain.

Discussion: Former City Councilor Morris Jones, Ruth Loving and Marge Guess addressed the issue positively; LS noted that library site search committee had looked at all available options and had run out of suitable possitilities, and that the one building that fits and suits is the one constructed to hold the weight of a volume of books, i.e. the former library building at 765 State St. Marge Guess noted that as citizens we are still paying off the bond raised to renovate that building for public use eight years ago. It was also noted that the African American collection built up over the years is in storage and unavailable to the community. Asked how the eminent domain taking would be financed, LS informed that the money would come from the Annie Curran Fund managed by the Springfield Library Foundation. Noted that the process regarding eminent domain is for a City department (e.g. the Library Dept.) to make the request to the Executive (i.e. the Mayor) who then files the eminent domain taking.

Vote was called. Motioned passed unanimously. President GAH will write letter to inform the Mayor, City Council, Finance Control Board., and copied to Springfield newspapers.

· FOLLOW-UP ON 380 BAY ST.: Car repair business - Cars are moved from city property but the business is on-going; operator has been served by DEP & OSHA; R.Talbot noted that Bay Area council is also concerned, as this is on the border between our councils, and they will press for compliance as well.

· ZONING ORDINANCE CHANGES TA volunteered to read and report back next meeting.

· REBECCA JOHNSON SCHOOL PLAYGROUND LS volunteered to represent MNC on the steering committee

· SPRINGFIELD KIDNEY WALK KW passed around a sign-up / pledge list; noted MNC board has already approved participation; date Oct. 18.

· GIRARD AVE. CLEAN-UP BS asked for additional volunteers to work on Humanics in Action Day project; City departments and resident group from Bergen Circle are signed on.

COMMITTEE REPORTS:

§ HOUSING (Denise Moccia, chair): DM reported 33 Florida St was taken by the City; Lot on Dorchester St did not sell in the recent auction, but an abutter wants to buy it; and the City GIS website has changed so that some information is not longer available, which is not a good thing.

§ FURTHER COMMITTEE REPORTS TABLED

§ COMMITTEE CHAIRS: Pres. GAH asked committee chairs to reach out and recruit people to serve on each committee

§ GOOD NEIGHBOR COMMITTEE: GAH will call a meeting soon, wants at least 10 members; reiterated that in addressing problem properties there will be no unofficial communication by members of the GN committee or by individual board members.

NEW BUSINESS:

§ BROWN ST. S.Thibeau asked that his proposal to block Brown St. be included on the next agenda.

TA moved to adjourn; JL seconded. Motion passed.

8:55pm - Adjournment

Notes on Remarks by David Panagore at August 12, 2008 Meeting of McKnight Neighborhood Council

David Panagore, Springfield Director of Economic Development, was invited to address the subjects of (a) Dep. Dir. of Neighborhoods, (b) McKnight Rail Trail, (c) Housing tax title & other related issues, (d) the Primus Mason historical lot, (e) UMASS Dartmouth Urban Initiative project, (f) zoning modifications, & (g) next city property auction. The following notes are from that portion of the meeting:

a. Neighborhoods - His department will hire soon a deputy director of neighborhoods who will report directly to him; wants strong neighborhoods, to attract business & revitalize the city.

b. Rail trail - There is money in budget for UMass student design department to study the 2-mile rail trail site this fall.

c. Housing - tax title process - The city as landowner wants to move these properties along; city has moved to RFP, especially the larger properties. McKnight is special because the historic district already has an RFP process the other neighborhoods do not; noted that every property in the historic district will have to go through the Historic Commission.

Through zoning modifications that are being worked on, there will be a site plan review process, the community will get to comment on the look of any development, something McKnight already has through Historical Commission. Planning department is trying to expedite the process so the city is not left with empty lots or dilapidated houses; they are developing a ‘pattern book' of house designs / ‘general principles' guide for developers. Cited 3 basic categories: (1) gable front vernacular (standard New England design in Victorian, Colonial or Craftsman styles), (2) bungalow, and (3) duplex.

In CDBG FY09 grant a total of $150,000 (city-wide) is set aside for historic rehabilitation for "significant properties" - so the city does not lose housing stock, considering it will cost $150K-$200K to build new. Over time, department hopes to identify more sources of funding (but has not done so to date) for purpose of doubling staff in housing department, residential development in tax title department and more outreach.

Q from DM: In or out of the historical district, what standard applies? Can we extend the historic district to the rest of McKnight? A: It is tough to impose strict rigorous standards; barring that, the pattern book (cited above) can give design review on tax title properties, tell developers to follow good design principles & confer with neighborhood associations on design. Hopes to get people to adopt good design voluntarily over time; has asked for money for consultants to develop more house designs (up to 12).

d. Primus Mason lot, 294 Bay Street, as an historic site. The right sort of house should be built there because it is in the historic district.

Q from SG: The question was whether the lot can be developed as a park incorporating the history of Mr. Mason, perhaps including a model based on Mason's home. A: Can take it up with Pat Sullivan (Director of Parks and Buildings Management). This year McKnight will get money for the rail trail so there will not be funds for a park not on the city plan; with tax title properties there are approvals required (not so on non-tax title properties).

Q from LS: McKnight council requested that the Primus Mason lot be taken out of the recent auction (which it was) because we have a long-term idea for a park there; several years ago UMass design students incorporated the lot as a park in their design studies for the Bay Street project. A: City planners ask the neighborhoods to tell them their priorities.

Q from D. Panteleakis: Last thing we need is another park, rather have a new neighbor build a house, live in it and pay taxes; suggested the discussion be tabled to another meeting. ST noted a park would be better than another 2-family house that failed.

e. Urban Initiative by UMass Dartmouth: through Mass Insight think tank - $200K to study how to help mid-sized cities; doing analysis to assess the strengths and weaknesses of Springfield to answer question of what will the next economic driver be for Springfield. Comparing to ‘like communities' (150,000 people, "center of our own universe") to establish benchmarks, create some targets. Second phase next year will be to build a roadmap to a model healthy community, from the community itself, wide spread process of community engagement to develop a consensus. By September, hope they will be doing more visible outreach.

f. Zoning modifications: It is a process, will move forward only with community input; in 45 days, have received 225 comments so far; will go to Planning Board not before October.

g. Next city property auction - date not set, will be posed on website, hope to have each month.