DSNA Meeting Minutes: September 2024
Minutes Date
Call to order (7:03 PM)
Attendance/Introduction question: Prefer Sunrise and Sunset? Karen Greene, Ernesto Portillo (City of Tucson), Nicholas Mccullough (Supervisor Adelita Grijalva’s staff), Christy Stewart, Faffs Riederer, Thomas, Noemie Nyguyan, Sarah Meggison (housing and community development), Natalie Winn, Eryck Garcia (Mayor Romero), Gail, Brendon, Violet, Margie Donovan, Andrew Chirch, Natasha Winnik, Tim Hagyard
Changes/approval of previous month’s minutes: no changes, approved.
Treasurer’s report: amount is same
Announcements (external and internal)
THS 1970’s reunions this October
Swap Stories September 25th at 4:00 PM at Beyond Bread (3026 N Campbell Ave)
Splinter courtyard is available for next month’s meeting in person
6. Discussion
Introduction and Q & A from Tucson Police Department Community Resource Officer Eryck Garcia (715): any questions about the most recent Mayor and Council Meeting? Please feel free to text me if you have any positions or questions.
Update from Mayor’s Office - Eryck Garcia (730)
Update on housing on 11th Ave - Sarah Meggison, City of Tucson Housing and Community Development (740) We now have four staff members, which is great. Now we have support to get this project off the ground. We will build off of previous input and guidelines submitted by the neighborhood, and we will work with this neighborhood … when we get to the next stages of development. 100% affordable housing. The lot next to Salvation Army has been “in development” ever since SA has been there. elpueblo.org is where you can look for updates. Slated for 14 units, and we have a lot of work to do, but hope to move forward more quickly. Karen: Who ultimately will make decisions? Sarah: The City will make the final decisions, but we could have a member of the neighborhood on the committee to procure the architect and plans. We also hope to procure an owner’s rep with project and development fees. Karen: Is it still possible that the UofA will do the design work? Sarah: It is still part of the discussion. Karen: Clarifying that the Owner’s Rep will not suddenly be the architect as well. Sarah: Correct. This additional person plays a very important role in the planning. Affordable housing will be income restricted with an application process that might also include homeowner classes, and if it is sold, it will be sold to another qualifying family. But we get subsidies and grants to subsidize the difference in price, and possibly we might include two or three market rate homes to help with the pricing; we will send out HUD numbers to share with the neighborhood. We will be self-developing as a non-profit, and we or another non-profit partner agent will evaluate the applications. Natasha: Thank you for standing up for what we so strongly believe in.
POSSIBLE VOTE to reprint neighborhood meeting signs (7:33) Will not be able to vote because GlooFactory did not give us the price for double-sided signs. We might be able to use some neighborhood money, and perhaps some people will donate to get signs printed.
Report back from neighborhood survey - Karen Will wait until in-person meeting
POSSIBLE VOTE - Write a letter to City about the delayed Downtown Links project. Sky is not here to present his concerns. Natasha brought up that contractors sometimes have to pay a penalty fine if it is delayed, such as this has been delayed a year and a half. Christy moved to write and send letter; Faffs seconded. Passed 9-0.
POSSIBLE VOTE - to write a letter about the library closing proposal (7:40 PM) Library closing is NOT happening in December. Nicholas: The City actually did not know about the plan to close the library; there have been no decisions made, nothing has been approved. There are NO timelines. The libraries are funded until July, end of fiscal year. There might be changes, but nothing will be happening right away, and nothing will happen without robust public forums. Karen: they are working on a survey to get public opinion to inform decision. If this is something you care about, let me know so I can add your name to a Focus Group. Nicholas: please share your input. Library.Board@pima.gov Natasha: Do you think our neighborhood should write a general letter? Karen: They are looking at different locations; our staffing is disappearing at an alarming rate. The main library might stay open, but it might look different. Noémie: I think we should write a letter now, and express our feelings. Faffs: Perhaps Nicholas can share our strong feelings with Grijalva, and we can write a letter in the future.
Dunbar Dog Calendar - Noémie (7:49PM) In my neighborhood in Canada, we had a calendar with pictures of neighborhood dogs, and perhaps people would want to buy it. I will send a letter, and you can send pictures of your favorite Dunbar dogs. I would send out a PDF and people could print up their own copies. Natasha: Maybe it would make a very cool fundraiser for our neighborhood. Faffs: Natasha, please put your dog in it. And I can help with the printing, as I have a lot of contacts for printing.
Reports from the field
DNARC (Downtown Neighborhoods and Residents Committee) Tim: DNARC met this month and we spoke about mural on Benjamin Supply Building; the underlying plaster needs to be repaired. Perhaps the owners can get some fundraiser support. We are also concerned about the Downtown Library being closed. It has a large collection about Tucson history that could be lost if it is split up. Nicholas, please bring up that this collection is kept intact. Karen chatted: I'm fighting like hell to make sure that it isn't lost! DNARC is meeting next Monday, if anyone would like to come. We still don’t have a firm location.
Downtown Links
Dunbar Coalition
HFAC (Historic Fourth Avenue Coalition) Natasha: trying to figure out what is next. Should we change by-laws or structure?
Stone/Speedway
Splinter Collective: Natalie: we have a lot of exciting events coming up this fall, and will have neighborhood dinners. Check out our website: https://splintercollective.org/
WAMO (Warehouse Arts Management Organization)
Nat volunteered to join the WAMO board. Karen will put them in touch.
For the good of the cause: Natasha: we are hosting writing election letters next Sunday 12-2 at Originate. If you have any pens, envelopes, stamps at home, please bring them to contribute.
Adjourn: 8:00 PM