Board Meeting: September 11, 2007

PRESENT: *Gregory Hession, Chair, *Stephen Gray, *Walter Kroll, *Jim Llewellyn, *Sven Martin, *Denise Moccia, *Demetrios Panteleakis, *Rodrick Shubrick, *Liz Stevens, *Ben Swan Jr., *Marianne Winters, Jesse Carman Jr., Sandra Hession, Shelly Hill, Alonzo Kenney, Ceil Lewonchuk, Stephen Thibeau, Michael Wiersma, Kat Wright, (*Members of the Board)

Guests: Carl Dietz, Acting Director of Springfield Department of Housing; David Gaby; Patrick Markey, candidate for City Council

Meeting called to order 7:12 p.m. 10 Board members present

SECRETARY'S REPORT, Board member MW noted correction: change initials on 8/14/07, Page 2 of 3, from MW to Michael Wiersma. DP moved to approve minutes of both August 14, 2007 board meeting as corrected and August 28, 2007 special board meeting; LS seconded. Motion passed.

TREASURER'S REPORT: MW thanked past treasurer LS for her work in cleaning up MNC accounts.

MW presented a new format for financial report (Attached), showing FY08 budget, CDBG share, other income; and actuals for July & August 2007, total YTD, and current payables and receivables. She reported that MNC is operating on a deficit budget and that because City is now paying out CDBG funds as cost-reimbursement rather than advance payments as before MNC will have to address the change in the cash flow situation. MNC will need to address budget issues by: (1) approving a revised budget, (2) adopting a reasonable fundraising strategy that builds the fund balance, and (3) adopting a board fundraising strategy as first step with board pledges. These issues can be addressed by a finance/fundraising committee.

Current month's strategy will be to pay only expenses that are covered by CDBG funds. For October MNC will receive balance sheet for FY07, more complete cash flow projection, and possibly a small amount (approx. $200) carried over from FY07. Currently, checking account is at $91.17 and savings at $64.24 for a total of $155.41 as of August 31, 2007.

DP suggested MNC ask City for the employee part of the CDBG funds up front for the year. That would amount to $5,000 cash on hand, would earn interest, and would ease cash flow. JL so moved, DM seconded. Motion passed.

OLD BUSINESS: Hearing no objection to changing the order of the agenda, Chair GH invited Carl Dietz from City Dept of Housing to address specific property issues.

§ Porch handrails, which standard obtains, historic district guidelines or safety/building code? CDietz reported no official word from Massachusetts Historical Commission, but did get official statement from Dept. of Public Health. DPH says minimum liability standards are applicable to all properties, even those in historical districts. The state sanitary code, pre-1997, applied then; since 1997 the building code of that year applied.

LS asked for clarification: if it is necessary to rebuild handrails on a building built in 1895, for example, do you follow the Historic Commission and replace them exactly as they were in 1895, or are you now expected to meet newer safety codes?

CDietz was unable to get a clarification whether replacement of parts or the whole system was allowed either way.

DGaby said no local government can mandate code different from a higher body; and that the issue needs to be argued with local building inspectors who have ordered non-historical replacements.

DP agreed and also added that state law cannot violate federal law; suggested MNC set a process via committee to develop and opinion on how to advocate for the neighborhood in this matter.

PMarkey suggested MNC could ask for a legal opinion from the city solicitor.

SG noted that people chose to live in McKnight because of the historical style of the homes

DP said the city Historical Commission has granted a hardship waiver from requiring historical replacements if necessary.

§ Consensus was that this is an issue the board should pursue

§ 79-81 Princeton Street: CDietz stated he turned investigation over to the ‘environmental contractor' who determined the cost to do in-place remediation was about $55,000, as previously suggested. Housing department has no money to do that; but they do have money for demolition, which would cost about the same amount; Housing Dept may have a ‘package available' by mid-November, and should be able to take the building down and reseed the lot next spring.

GH asked for the opinion of the board.

BS asked for clarification on the cost of demolition, and the difference in cost between remediation and demolition.

CDietz said the costs are about the same; about $55,000 would cover the tear down and removal of oil.

DGaby said an empty lot is less valuable for sale; said City has money to demolish but not rehabilitate properties because of language in a home bill that doesn't mention alternatives.

ST said saving questionable 2-family houses is not helping the neighborhood; concentration should be on saving good single-family houses.

Abutter AKenney said the house has been vacant for years, many raccoons are living there; kids have tried to set fire to it.

Abutter SHill said a squatter is using the house; resident raccoons have ruined her garden. The house is too far gone; It is either going to burn down or fall down.

BS said we should not miss the boat on opportunities for funding to rehabilitate properties, generally, rather than to demolish; argued that MNC should be more pro-active to avoid demolitions.

LS said there are properties that if we can save we should do so; called for a clarification of the law to let City remediate or demolish. In the case of 79-81 Princeton raccoons and fire hazard give us no time to argue about it; the remedy has to be taken as soon as possible - before winter.

CDietz noted that Housing Dept is "definitely looking at other options for saving these things."

JL asked if the City would put the lot up for sale for construction, would abutters have first options, and would a builder be allowed to build a 2-family house to replace that 2-family house.

CDietz replied that the City RFP would have to be competitive.

§ DP moved that the sense of the council is to tear down 79-81 Princeton Street; DM seconded. Motion passed.

§ Jesse Carman Jr., 48 Thompson St. complains (1) Mayor's office told him he had first option when the City sold the lot next to his, that he cared for over the years, yet suddenly a house was built there without anyone notifying him; (2) excessive noise and traffic of tractor trailer trucks on the street, trucks parking in empty lot across the street from his house, Traffic Dept says they can do nothing; (3) loud noise and music coming from the Cozy Courtyard (an open-air entertainment venue at 666 State St., just behind Carman's house), last time until 2:30 a.m.

DP said the whole neighborhood deals with noise, litter, speed, reckless driving, no enforcement, no traffic lights or other safety measures - and that these issues can be taken on aggressively through the MNC committees.

DM said MNC should write a letter to owners of Cozy Courtyard, noting that they promised this council they would keep the entertainment there low key and over by 10 p.m. each night.

LS said MNC should send letter to City and to the Boyntons regarding what they promised us regarding the operating limitations.

BS suggested MNC can petition that Thompson be declared a non-commercial street; noted the owners of Cozy Courtyard have a liquor license and the City License Commission will enforce the terms of it; suggested MNC can write a letter to Lic Comm regarding any violation by a business neighbor, but that it would be good courtesy to contact the business neighbor first.

§ DM moved to write such a letter to Mr. And Mrs. Boynton reminding them of the promise they made to this council, DP seconded. Motion passed.

JCarman asked about the garbage and litter issues.

GH said he would like MNC to deal with business nuisances, city nuisances and residential nuisances differently, considering different origins.

SM noted that when he lived in Worcester, that City declared zero-tolerance zones to clean each area by dispatching several city departments at once, including sanitation, police, etc.; suggested MNC could encourage Springfield to do the same; would like to see his street, Girard Ave., cleared of drugs and speeding traffic.

MW said MNC should look at nuisances in a comprehensive way; work on them through committee; build a critical mass to address at City level with more impact.

§ Consensus was that these nuisance issues can be addressed by MNC Public Safety Committee

COUNCIL BUSINESS:

§ Election of Assistant Secretary: GH deferred election of assistant secretary to another meeting.

§ Committee Assignments: GH called for discussion of committee structure to address neighborhood needs; and presence by MNC board members at key City council, boards, & commissions: those suggested are City Council, Historical Commission, License commission, Planning Board (noting that board member Swan is a member of that board), Building Code Enforcement, Community Development, DPW/Public Works, Housing Dept, Parks & Recreation, Planning & Economic Development Dept, Police Dept.

DP suggested committees to focus on three major areas: Housing, Safety & Neighborhood Development; suggested people on MNC committees could rotate attending City boards & commissions.

GH noted a need for Grants/Fund-Raising; old Events committee could come under that; Communication, including newsletter, website, email, etc.

MW said MNC Exec Comm can make assignments to City meetings

DM said it is important for someone from each district of McKnight to be on the housing committee

§ Consensus was to have five committees; GH asked for volunteers to chair each committee:

1. Development - Demetrios Panteleakis

2. Housing - Denise Moccia

3. Public Safety - Walter Kroll

4. Communications - Sven Martin

5. Fund-raising/ Grants - Marianne Winters

§ Yahoo Group: JL reported he has set up a free Yahoo group for communication among the board of directors and asked if the board wants to activate it.

BS noted that decisions cannot be made outside the public forum of the MNC; there was agreement by consensus

JL volunteered to moderate the group and to set up another group for the neighborhood at large.

§ Consensus of the board was to activate both groups.

§ By-Laws Changes: GH said MNC by-laws need to be changed to reflect the needs of this council, and not some boiler-plate corporation; asked board for sense of how that can be done soon.

SHession said that MNC is required to notify the membership when the voting will take place and publish proposed changes; this board has not yet had a discussion about the proposed changes and needs to do that. It was noted that the proposed changes worked out a few months ago are posted on the website.

GH asked the board come to the October meeting prepared to discuss the proposed changes.

ST asked that the term "resident" in the by-laws be specifically defined.

LS said that at ‘meeting #1' MNC will discuss changes, at ‘meeting #2' members (neighbors) might want to ask questions, too; suggested changes be dealt with in sections.

GH proposed to see at the next meeting what changes we have that need to further discussion and consensus; most of the changes are not controversial.

MW suggested an open, public special meeting of a sub-group of MNC to address the changes

SHession said the major by-law up for discussion is the one requiring MNC to provide indemnity insurance for every board member, noting we do not have it and have not had it for a long time because we do not have the money for it. She checked with the insurance company and found the premium would be about $1000.

§ It was agreed that the board will discuss the proposed changes to the by-laws at the October meeting.

§ New office space: GH asked for a motion to set up an ad hoc committee to come back to the October meeting with possible places and costs.

LS volunteered to chair the committee; board members have already signed up to serve and a good deal of work has already been done to locate sites.

§ LS moved that the office relocation committee find a new location for MNC by next meeting; MW seconded.

BS offered amendment that the purpose is to better allocate our resources; LS accepted the amendment.

GH offered amendment that the location be in the McKnight neighborhood; LS accepted the amendment.

Motion passed.

NEW BUSINESS:

§ DGaby reported a ‘rumor' that the old Byron Funeral Home building was to on the agenda of the Historical Commission, to consider demolition. LS will call Scott Hanson and let board know.

§ JL reported that at last Hist Comm meeting, unanimous approval was granted for new windows at 103 Bowdoin St.

9:15 pm - Adjournment:

JL moved to adjourn; WK seconded. Motion passed.