DSNA Meeting Minutes: October 2020 Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order 7:00 p.m.

2. Sign-In & Introductions: Clay Morgan, Anna Cirell, Christy Voelkel, Karen Greene, Yu Yu Shiratori, Roland Gutierrez (TPD), Richard Foster, Erin Peters (TPD), Natasha Winnik, Kermit Smith, Nicholas Huppe, Bradford Trojan, Lisa Scoblink. Sky Jacobs

3. Treasurer's Report: In process of creating new business account $1074.00

4. Announcements

a. Tucson Police Department (TPD) Update: The biggest thing in the past six months is Disorderly Conduct and Trespassing: September (19 calls), August (14 calls) July (18 calls), and June (7 calls). TPD partnered up with CDI and addressed a lot of drug activity in DeAnza Park, and arrested the main player for drug dealing, and it has impacted the number of people, some of whom are trickling into other nearby parks (Catalina and Estevan Park). We are taking drug abuse/homelessness community outreach resources (La Frontera and CDI) that often are turned down. Studies show that it takes about seven contacts for people to accept offers of help. Call TPD if you see anything suspicious: Desk line 837-7225 Dept. cell 484-4424 You can call in anonymously or request a callback. Please call; this helps the department. There is also a list of the most recent 100 “events” that helps neighbors be aware: https://www.neighsupport.net/topics-2/crime-and-disorder/police-incident-listings/ There seems to be an uptick in breaking into cars, perhaps because of the construction and now that 9th is a dead end. Also students are not as careful to lockup and sometimes thieves follow them.

b. Halloween Hunt: Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the Pima County Health Department is not recommending door-to-door trick or treating on Halloween. Instead of passing out candy we will try to create a scary scavenger hunt by asking neighborhood residents to decorate their yards and include one specific item that kids should try to spot among the decorations while viewing the house from the street. They just have to see the item, not take it. For example, we plan to decorate our house with fake spider webs and black bats, but will hide one orange bat among the decorations. We've started a simple form: https://forms.gle/R86wJLHnDoMNGbLWA which allows neighbors to add their address and what item kids should be trying to spot when they get to the yard. A map with the participating houses and items to be spotted will be sent out before Halloween. Parents of the children can choose to provide treats for each house that they find the hidden item.

c. TEP transmission line update: will not be running down Speedway

d. Richard Foster would like a discussion next month on incongruences between website and listserve and actions taken by the neighborhood.

d. Next month perhaps discuss Tiny Porch Concerts, although it is a lot of work (Karen and Natasha did it last time). Perhaps have a side committee.

5. Committee Reports

a. DNARC Report: There were thousands of applicants for loans and mortgage help. Over 25 grants for outdoor cafes so they can have more outdoor dining. Richard asked Karen why she didn't share the discussion about a potential lawsuit against the neighborhood. Karen indicated that she didn't think that was public information. Richard indicated since it had been shared at DNARC she should share it tonight. Karen had asked other DNARC participants if any neighborhoods had been sued and if so what happened and if any of them had board insurance. Nicholas asked that Karen share what sparked this. Nicholas and a member of the DSNA board had a conversation about watering the new basin. There was a misunderstanding as to the tone of the conversation, as to whether it was a friendly greeting or a hostile threat. The previous owner had signed an agreement with the Neighborhood Foresters to care for the basin. Nicholas indicated that the Board should not include themselves the document that is filed, unless they have insurance. Many people in the neighborhood are not aware that the Foresters are a separate organization. The realtor when selling the house did not make clear the responsibilities connected to the document which was filed with the city when the permit for the new basin was filed. Richard pointed out that any document that violates FHA cannot be passed along by the realtor. It is a fine of $16,000 and is a federal offense. Karen pointed out that since the realtor didn't pass the information along, that is not part of the situation. Karen pointed out that the misunderstanding is escalating and either Richard/Nicholas said it was going to get bigger. Brad from Foresters is working with the city to clarify the Neighborhood Foresters agreement.

b. Downtown Links: Ninth and Ash are closed; you must go downtown on Stone or Main. There were some concerns about bike safety and the City has been very responsive. Karen expressed to the city her hope that Ninth will be opened as soon as possible. Natasha spoke to Ward 1 about how it was difficult for pedestrians to go downtown, possibly opening a small space on Ninth for pedestrians and bicycles. Stone Ave. is closed the evening of October 19th at 8pm to work on a sewer line.

c. Dunbar Coalition: Rotary Club would like to help Dunbar develop a capital campaign, to raise the critical money needed to continue operations and build out the spaces in our facility. They will help with the garden, the playground and the basketball court. All three new board members were accepted. Sam Brown is working on the lease for the Urban League. They moved their move-in date to October 1, 2020.

d. Neighborhood Foresters: (will be part of discussion)

e. 11th Avenue: We have not heard yet from the city about any responses from developers to the Letter of Interest request.

6. Discussion

a. Vote to donate $50 for Morgan Maxwell to the Dunbar Coalition: Moved, seconded. 9 yes, 1 abstention

b. Update on Franklin Docks Development, Tom Warne (postponed until next month)

c. Neighborhood Foresters status as committee: Karen shared the history, that Brad and Sky have been involved with annual tree-planting events for over twenty years (Trees for Tucson), as well as neighborhood cleanups, tree trimming (for chip and mulch) and water harvesting. But trees need to be watered. Over the course of years, there used to be holes drilled into the streets to to catch water from runoff. Then it was recognized that basins were more successful in supporting trees, and over the years, the basins were expanded as well as curb cuts. As things became more expensive, some people would donate money for the curb cut, but they would also need permits, and Brad would help with the application. As an FYI, not everyone who wanted a basin would get one. If water would be running over the right of way to get to the basin, or if there was no room in the right of way for a basin, then you could not be part of this project. Brad began to get a bigger vision of how this could be done in other neighborhoods, and this is how Neighborhood Foresters came about. Separately, a Walkability Committee was formed by the DSNA that created a form letter to send to neighbors who had issues that went against City code in their right of way that blocked walking access such as large boulders, larger size gravel, overgrown vegetation, etc. That caused a huge uproar, and the letters were never sent again. In addition, the Walkability committee itself had differences of opinion as to their direction and stopped meeting. During that time, since the Neighborhood Foresters were active, they were added to the agenda in order to give a means to discuss tree trimming and walkability. Nicholas: the Board should not be handling property rights, but should allow the City to use its process. The letter was intended to be a friendly neighborly thing versus potentially having someone need to pay for a citation for having a City violation. Since the Neighborhood Foresters are their own group and not a Dunbar/Spring committee, Karen thought we should disband their listing as a committee. Richard again pointed out the incongruences between the by-laws the website and the actions of the board. He indicated that the by-laws need to be amended to allow the Board to remove Foresters from a “committee” status, since there is no means of disbanding a subcommittee according to the current by-laws. Because the Foresters appeared on the minutes and are listed as a committee, and the Board approved the minutes, it is a committee. Karen pointed out that we are volunteers and trying to do the best we can. Sometimes there are “sub- committees” to address short-term concerns, and then they fade when they are not needed. Richard would like us to discuss this next month after we address amending by-laws. Everything should be archived on the website. Sky said that minutes are archived since 2005. Nicholas wanted to know if Sky had run the “score” on the website; Sky indicated he had no idea what "score" Nicholas was referring to. Sky will share the website access with the board so that the meeting agenda can be added monthly to the website by the secretary. Everyone should read by- laws before the next meeting. We will Invite Ian Fritz (former DSNA president who was involved in the last by-laws revision process) to the next meeting to review history.

 

d. Lighting at Sahara: Bradford Trojan summarized the new lighting that was installed in July. He spoke with the new manager Larissa (cordially) about shielding the lights or getting amber lights. She offered to buy blackout curtains, which was not acceptable. About 20 people filed a complaint online. Bradford spoke with Andres who spoke with manager who said that they have spent a lot of money and can’t do anything. There will not be code adjustments, so we are waiting for code violations to follow through. Andres is also speaking with Dark Sky Association. If you have more input, please contact Bradford: btrojan00@aol.com

e. Update on Road Diet and No Whistle Zone will be on next month’s agenda.

July, August, September minute approval will be on next month’s agenda.

Adjourn - 8:34 p.m.