DSNA Meeting Minutes: March 2024

Minutes Date

Call to order: 7:03pm

Attendance/Introduction question: What is your favorite pool? Christopher Rolla, Christy Stewart, Eddie Barrón (Ward 1), Karen Greene, Faffs Reiderer, Nicholas McCullough,  Lisa Scoblink, Abra Bentley, Sky Jacob, Natasha Winnik,  Noemie Despland-Lichett, Brendon 

Changes/approval of previous month’s minutes: approved

Treasurer’s report: $663

Announcements (external and internal)

  • One of Abra’s students, Zephyr, won the Tucson Board of Superintendents Art Contest
  • Bike check today, Burritos on Saturday

Discussion

  • Request for extended pool hours at Oury Pool. Can we write a letter to Parks and Recreation? Eddie will bring more information to next meeting. Motion: we will write a letter to P&R to extend the hours to 6pm and through August. (9 votes yes)
  • Should we switch from zoom to google meet? - Christopher: The Free Account allows for 60 minutes, rather than 40, the neighborhood would pay $94 rather than $149. Our account ends in November. Christopher researched free options and found none. Voted to allow votes today, even though minutes were posted late. (8 yes, 1 abstain) Should we switch to Google in the fall? (9 yes)
  • Should we print up some more Historic Homes of Dunbar pamphlets? Karen: We used a grant for this project to print trifold. We are hoping to give them to Block Pals, but we are down to very few. We can print it on regular paper at library 10 cents a page, in color. Christopher: Does it need to be updated? Karen: very outdated, probably twice as many houses now. Christopher: Would it be worth throwing it out to listserve to see if anyone is interested? Karen: Great idea. Moved to print 100 pamphlets: ( 9 yes, 1 against) Karen will pay the bill.
  • Community Benefits Agreement with 941 N Stone Ave - POSSIBLE VOTE - Faffs: We have not heard back from the developer, Central Barrio Development. Christopher: City doesn’t not have procedures in place to enforce the franchise element. Natasha: it is enforceable through lawyers, by suing each other. Karen: If the City is requiring this, will the City support us in following through if they don’t follow through? The whole point is to prevent the neighborhood from getting screwed over. This is new, the GPLT, so we are serving as a model, as other neighborhoods move into this. Therefore, this one because they offered everything we wanted, it doesn’t model the give and take example. Sky: I agree with what Karen said. This is early and we need to figure out with the City what these agreements mean, in addition how do we hold them accountable for pricing? That needs to be enforceable as well. Christopher: Did we vote against GPLT when we were voting for Stack House? Yes. Natasha: I think it is important to put in that we have regular meetings put in the agreement. Faffs: I think it will not be affordable housing, but just going rate. They are “low cost” because they are smaller units. Can the City Office of Development come and speak to us? Christopher: I agree with what has been said. I DO NOT want to discourage building housing in this neighborhood. I mean it is a dirt lot that serves no one. Karen: Can we see if someone can speak at our May meeting?
  • elections - Karen: run, run, run. Faffs: The meeting will be held at Splinter in the backyard. 
  • newsletter update: Christy will send it out with Faffs, Natalie’s articles.
  • Block Pals: Be KInd
  • quarterly meetings in person - when and where? No idea.

Reports from the field

DNARC (Downtown Neighborhoods and Residents Committee) 

  • Downtown Links: Faffs: David Burbank said are on track to finish in December, with final acceptance in January, when they will submit to railroad, which has six months to respond to Quiet Zone request. 
  • Dunbar Coalition
  • HFAC (Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition)
  • Stone/Speedway
  • Splinter Collective: we had a Close Neighbors Dinner which was really nice. We have been collecting signatures for the mural and have enough signatures to go forward. Karen: Can you send us the designs? Christopher: Do you update your website? We do update it every month, and we are sending out newsletters. 
  • WAMO (Warehouse Arts Management Organization)

For the good of the cause - future topics

Adjourn: 8:09pm