DSNA Meeting Minutes: December 2021 Meeting Minutes

Minutes Date

2021-12-20

Call to Order 7:09 pm

Sign-In
1. Faffs Riederer
2. Cedar Warman
3. Karen Greene
4. Lisa Scoblink
5. Jon Bauer
6. Natasha Winnik
7. Brad Lancaster
8. Natalie Dailey
Approve Nov Minutes 7:09 (5 min)
1. Karen motions to approve minutes with name spelling corrections. Cedar seconds motion.
  1. 7 in favor
  2. 0 opposed
  3. 1 abstention
  4. Minutes are approved
Treasurer’s Report (1 min)
1. Treasurer is absent, no changes reported.
2. Faffs proposes reaching out to Ward 1 to provide support for finances.
  1. Recap: previous bank account closed, we don’t have bank account
  2. Nobody wants to associate the bank account with their social security number.
  3. Finances remain unresolved.
Announcements 7:15 (5 min)
1. TEP Home Energizer Workshops - straw poll to gauge interest
  1. TEP is reaching out to our neighborhood association for free virtual home energizer workshops. They are looking to schedule presentations in December and January with interested neighborhoods. Presentationsa re 1.25 hours long and cover ways to reduce energy usage.
    1. Straw poll: Natalie Dailey may be interested. Karen Greene says they used to be held at the library and they are decent workshops, with potentially free light bulbs.
2. Downtown Links Deck Plaza Pianophone meeting- recording and reports available
  1. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ejonTMVUu1xFqeVWkg0wJSNa-lEvsC7Q/view?usp=sharing
  2. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1EIkg2AHJxYy1WjPhK9eLbfIO95VYkuRG/view?usp=sharing
3. Take YOUR Shot Campaign - Pima County Council on Aging
  1. No announcement.
Discussions 7:20 (20 min)
1. Possible Vote-Proposal to write a letter in support of a potential designated camping program championed by the TPD Sargent in charge of Homeless Outreach - Karen Greene (10 min)
  1. Discussion (10 min)
    1. Karen Greene: at the last DNARC meeting the homeless outreach and park safety teams (Sgt. Jack Julsing) mentioned that they want to put together a program called SPOT (Safe Place Outdoor Tenants). People don’t want to live outside. Long waits for housing. Proposal: Make a place outside that is safe where people can also keep their stuff while they try to get housing. Austin TX has done this successfully. They’re proposing one sanctioned camping area in each ward on vacant land that the city owns, on bus lines, in more commercial areas. Either tents or tiny homes, bathrooms, electricity, etc. Staffed during the day, at night police there for safety. Tiny homes not allowed by zoning in city limits, but they have talked to city council about doing a pilot program (with exception to city zoning for tiny homes). Golf Links near Swan this is happening to some extent already (unofficially, without service). City wants to spend money on affordable housing and not the homeless population. Karen: affordable housing takes too long. How to support this idea? Contact ward office. Not necessarily in our neighborhood because we have the Salvation Army.
    2. Sgt. Jack Julsing’s email address: tpdhot@tucsonaz.gov
    3. Natasha Winnik, Cedar Warman, Faffs Riederer, Brad Lancaster voiced support.
    4. Karen Greene proposes motion to write letter of support to Ward 1.
      1. Natasha Winnik seconds motion.
      2. 8 in favor
      3. 1 opposed
      4. Motion passes
    5. Karen Greene says she can help write letter to Ward 1
Committee Reports 7:40 (1 min)
1. 11th Ave (Plots of vacant land behind Salvation Army)
  1. 11th Ave committee: every 3 months Karen Greene reaches out to city about the 11th Ave plot. She contact Anne Shineka (spelling is probably wrong) at housing department. She said they have hired a consultant to help them called BAE Urban Economics. Getting ready to release request for proposals. Co-developers for 11th Ave and Menlo park sites. January for RFP. Someone from the neighborhood should sit on selection panel. The University of Arizona might be interesting in bidding on the project, but might be too big for them. Karen asked if someone can bid on both or just one, and if the nieghborhood can see RFP before it goes out, and if we can have more than one person on the panel. Natasha Winnik and Karen heard from them that they may design 1 or 2 then build them one at a time. Karen has not heard back from them.
  2. Natash Winnik says Mary Harden, who runs the design program at UA, and Mary said she was interested in it but can only build two houses per year, and they’re very excited about it (as opposed to Anne from the city who said UA had a more tepid reaction)
Reports from the Field 7:41(9 min)
1. DNARC
  1. Nothing else to report besides the new camping program described above.
2. Neighborhood Foresters
  1. Brad Lancaster says they’re taking sign ups for the annual rain tree understory native food tree plantings. Doing sign ups a month earlier than they usually do. Last year the permitting process took over two months, so they are starting earlier to maximize availability of plant material and finish work before it gets too hot. Brad requests we spread word to any neighbors, people need to sign up by December 30th. dunbarspringneighborhoodforesters.org.
  2. For just private property, people can potentially order just a tree, but less/no support for basin creation. However, yard tree program will probably happen in September of next year. In cool months focus will be on public right-of-way stormwater plantings.
  3. In West University: Neighborhood Foresters has expanded, so programs are also available there (see website). Right-of-ways are large in West University, so good potential for Neighborhood Forestry.
  4. At some date in February (TBD) there will be the twice-a-year pruning workshop.
3. Historic Fourth Ave Coalition (HFAC)
  1. Natasha Winnik says Made in Tucson market was successful (first in two years). They are working on community surveys asking people what they would like to see around 4th/6th Ave areas and what needs more attention. If people are willing to take it it would be greatly appreciated. Findings from survey will be presented to city at the end of January. Natasha will post survey to listserv.
4. Dunbar Coalition
  1. Lisa Scoblink sent Dunbar Coalition notes to the listserv. Sam Brown: at every meeting they will cover a portion of by-laws. Sam proposes an executive director position. More details available on the listserv post.
  2. Brad Lancaster asks about palm trees potentially being removed. Karen Greene says notes don’t mention which palms. Brad says shoots can be sold for 200$ a piece (there’s a specialized tool to separate the shoots, maybe Drew (Drewtopia) could be involved. Lisa thinks the palms are in the old part of The Dunbar. Brad will talk to Drew.
  3. Natasha Winnik asks Lisa Scoblink which tree might be potentially removed. Lisa is not sure, but she will find out.
5. Barrio Neighborhood Coalition
  1. Karen Greene is not facilitating that group anymore. However, they did take December off from holding a public meeting to do some long term planning.
6. Downtown Links
  1. Karen Greene wants questions from the Deck Plaza meeting answered, she requests Faffs Riederer asks Ward 1 to respond.
    1. Karen proposes a vote to ask the president to contact Ward 1 about following up unanswered Desk Plaza questions.
    2. Vote to have special circumstances vote:
      1. 8 votes in favor
      2. 0 opposed
      3. Motion passes
    3. Discussion
      1. Natasha Winnik supports Karen’s measure
    4. Vote to ask Faffs to contact Ward 1 about following up unanswered Desk Plaza questions
      1. Faffs proposes vote
      2. Natasha seconds
      3. 8 votes in favor
      4. 0 opposed
      5. Motion passes
Adjourn 7:50
General Discussion if Desired
1. Brad Lancaster asks Neighbors to be alerted to upcoming Brush & Bulky pickups:
  1. January 24 and July 25th