Board Meeting: July 10, 2007

PRESENT: *Ben Swan Jr., Chair, *Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, *Stephen Gray, *Luzed Guzman, *Gregory Hession, *Walter Kroll, *Jim Llewellyn, *Denise Moccia, *Liz Stevens, *Cindy Williams, Stephanie Anderson, Sandra Hession, Yeanni Kopellas, Sara Takacs, Raymond Talbot, Stephen Thibeau, Kat Wright, (*Members of the Board)

Guests: Jim Morrissey, preferred developer for 46 Bay St.; Rudy Perkins, HAP; Quintin Fowlkes, Mayoral Aide

Meeting called to order 7:10 p.m. Five sitting Board members present. After swearing-in of new board members, ten were present in total.

SECRETARY'S REPORT, LS reported minutes of June 12, 2007 Annual Meeting were not yet available.

TREASURER'S REPORT: LS reported that currently, MNC savings account holds $2,812.80 and checking account holds $67.04. There is enough to pay MNC insurance premium. Next advance on CDBG funds will be available as soon as reports are filed with Office of Housing; that should occur next week.

SEATING OF NEWLY ELECTED BOARD MEMBERS: KW presented election report (attached). Those re-elected, Abdullah Abdul-Rahim and Denise Moccia, and those newly elected, Stephen Gray, Luzed Guzman, Walter Kroll, Jim Llewellyn, and Cindy Williams, were all sworn in by President Swan. New Board members Sven Martin, Demetrios Panteleakis and Marianne Winters were not present, and will be sworn in at another time.

ELECTION OF BOARD OFFICERS: GH moved to hold election of officers until August meeting, since 3 new members were not present; AAR seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

GUESTS:

1. 76 Bay Street: Jim Morrissey reported this apartment building, the rehabilitation of which MNC approved in early 2006, is very close to completion - and may be occupied as early as August. Parking off-street was the biggest problem to be solved, and is now secured. An awning will be added over front door. Offered to give MNC board a tour when the building is ready.

2. 42 Bay Street: Jim Morrissey was named preferred developer in May 2007; Needs letter of endorsement from MNC in order to proceed. He proposes a 2-family house built on this lot & "land-locked" lot behind, the combination of which provides permit-able conforming lot for this purpose (60ft frontage and deep enough to allow parking). Proposed design is 3-story, one apartment on first floor, and second on second and part of third floors, similar to house at 16-18 Cherry St.) Separate entrances, front and side, which also gives access to divided basement space. Siding is vinyl clapboards with decorative siding in peaks. Energy efficient design & utilities. Does not own property now, but hopes to take title and begin construction by Labor Day. Plan has been submitted to Planning Board. Property is deed restricted to be owner occupied. LS moved to close discussion and vote at August meeting; JL seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

3. HAP- New house on Thompson Street: Rudy Perkins shared plan for a 1-family house to be built on Thompson Street; asked for support at hearing before Historical Commission July 19. Lot is next to 45-47 Thompson (HAP-built duplex that MNC approved in past). Design same as HAP house on Florida St. and several houses HAP is now building in Old Hill and Six Corners (Pembleton, Orleans, Tyler). Plan includes energy efficient heating system, full basement, insulation-full attic; footprint 22x30; to be priced around $115,000 for first-time home buyer only. MNC raised concern whether design appropriate among large Victorians; RP will take message back to rethink mass and architectural details, said HAP is working with Preservation Trust and Historical Commission on design issues.

4. HAP - Other questions: LS asked what HAP needs from MNC today; RP said he is sharing information, does not need a letter of endorsement, but it would not hurt. AAR expressed concern that such projects are going ahead with or without MNC support; RP said his concern is to make good relationships with the neighborhood councils whether HAP is proposing to build one house or 15 houses. DS asked if HAP is considering any rehabilitation on abandoned properties in the neighborhood; RP said they don't have anything in the works now, but are always looking for new projects. Asked about other lots on Thompson Street on which HAP had preferred status, he said that had expired on the lot that abuts the restaurant (Cozy Café) across from 45-47, and HAP had no plans currently for that lot.

Old Business:

1. Block party: LS moved to hear SA on plans for block party; DS seconded. Motion passed unanimously. SA reported she plans to contact SPD tomorrow about closing off the short leg of Dartmouth Street between the Dartmouth triangle and the vacant Mason lot. Date is Saturday, July 28, 2007, from 3 to 7 or 8 pm. Nehemiah Ministries will pay for renting a "bounce house" and generator. Several members present signed up to help plan and run the event; SA plans to contact them with a list of tasks, ideas, etc., including clearing and clean-up of the area. QF suggested Hampden County sheriff's department can clear and clean-up on short notice. MNC's insurance policy covers this event.

2. Volunteer Staff Position: BS informed board that Marguerite Boone has left the position, and that KW has made a proposal to take it up. MNC Executive Committee met last week and agreed to the proposal (attached), which was then read. KW started work today. LS said that supervising the previous person was a burden to her, and she welcomes an independent worker in the job. AAR brought up the fact that the job was once a full-time paid position, then a part-time paid position, and he asked Mayoral Aide Fowlkes to look into making it a paid position again; QF agreed to do so. KW asked for vote of confidence from the board as a whole; JL moved to give KW a vote of confidence; LS seconded. Motion passed unanimously.

3. CDBG Quarterly Advances & FY2008 CDBG Action Plan and Budget: LS & BS meet next week with OHNS to complete.

4. Code enforcement:

a. 79-81 Princeton Street renovation: Board agreed to make this the primary subject of the August meeting; representatives from city will be present to address status.

b. 103 Bowdoin Street: Owner has been unable to sell this former boarding house, but is asking the city for permission to occupy the carriage house; went before City Council on it.

c. 50 Princeton Street: DS asked Mayoral Aide Fowlkes to check the status, since she has been told the person who won the bid has not been able to occupy, and is awaiting some action from the Mayor's office.

5. Office relocation: MNC pays $6,000 in rent plus another $2,000-plus in utilities for current office space, out of total CDBG allotment of $8,500. Question raised is whether MNC should continue, considering how little we use the space, or ought the council seek in-kind storage and meeting space, and use the CDBG grant money more productively. Re STCC -BS said he had a meeting over a year ago with STCC Pres. Rubenzahl who offered meeting space, and suggested contacting the board of the Enterprise Center to ask for office space there. GH proposed a 3-person ad hoc committee to get the task done. QF offered a list of organizations in the neighborhood that might offer in-kind space. President Swan called for volunteers to form an office relocation committee; the following people signed up: Jim Llewellyn, Denise Moccia, Liz Stevens, Abdullah Abdul-Rahim, Steve Gray, Stephen Thibeau & Quintin Fowlkes. KW agreed to disseminate contact information to the committee.

6. By-Laws Revisions: GH, who chairs the committee working on the revisions, reported that the by-laws were written for a larger organization than MNC, and revisions proposed two months ago were meant to simplify. He reported that since the May meeting on the by-laws, other revisions have been brought up, and suggests that anyone who wishes to propose a revision or has an argument to keep a current provision call him to discuss. Noted that more than one option can be proposed for any change to be voted on by a membership meeting, which must consist of at least 20 members to be binding. KW noted that proposed changes must be published before the meeting on which they are voted, and suggested that the vote be taken in stages so that we are not voting on the entire document all at once. BS ruled that 15 minutes be set aside at the August meeting to present changes in the hope that we can vote on them in September.

7. Mason Square Library: The MSL Advisory Committee is standing by until the MSL site search committee is done. BS reported that Site Search Committee has reviewed 9 sites, and narrowed the search to 4 sites. At a meeting last Monday, architect Steve Jablonski presented a cost analysis of those sites, and recommended the old firehouse as his preferred location. The site search committee has scheduled a final meeting for 5:30 p.m., Friday, July 13, 2007, in the Central Library community room to reach its decision on a recommended site to present to the Mayor.

8. Brown Street: ST and RT reported that since the street was changed to one-way (at their request, with support from MNC board), traffic and crime problems have gotten worse. Drug deals are being made at the corner of Brown and Bay, prostitution is occurring, and drivers are speeding the wrong way up Brown Street. Several suggestions were made on how to handle the situation. BS suggested this is an important issue to bring before the Police Beat Team monthly meeting; noted the next such meeting is at 5:30 p.m., Thursday, July 19 at Bergen Circle, 15 Girard Ave. He also said he will try to have someone from the traffic bureau in attendance. AAR suggested they might way to have State Police there as well.

New Business:

1. Newsletter: KW proposed a smaller, more frequent newsletter, and called for volunteers for a communications committee to produce the newsletter. The following people signed up: Luzed Guzman, Walter Kroll, Jim Llewellyn.

2. Board contact list: JL asked that a list of all board members, including contact information, be sent to everyone on the board. KW agreed to do so.

9:35 pm - Adjournment:

GH moved to adjourn; AAR seconded; Motion passed.