January 2020 Meeting Minutes

1. Call to Order

2. Sign-In & Introductions

3. Treasurer's Report

• $1074.67

4. Announcements 7:00 pm

• April 20th meeting – newsletter needs to be completed by March 26th, call for articles and layout effort much beforehand – get started soon.

• Letter of support sent in for TEP wall went around. FYI—Letter was already sent in.

• The “Remain in Mexico” protest held on Friday Jan 31st at 4:30 pm at Federal Building.

5. Committee Reports

a. DNARC— City manager talked about GPlats. If developer wants to build, not enough money/doesn’t pencil, they can go to City of Rio Nuevo and ask for a GPlat. How it works: Building gets built and then City owns for 8 years, so no property taxes for developer. Rules: developer needs to improve value of property by 100%, metrics figured out beforehand, benefit must be less to developer than to City. Eight years of no paying taxes for developer, max, then developer owns again. Could be other rules imposed by City Council.

b. Downtown Links— Nothing to report. Pre-construction activity is happening.

c. Dunbar Coalition— Elections happened and all the same folks re-elected. Debi Chess-Mabie no longer with the UA and may be paid by the Dunbar Coalition directly in the future. Construction has begun on the old part of the building. Building is to become part of Vision Quest, kids 5 through high school.

d. Neighborhood Foresters— Hands-On Pruning & Mulching Workshop held Saturday, February 22, 2019. Meet at Dunbar/Spring Community Garden. Details here.

e. 11th Ave— See Discussion item a (below).

6. Discussion 7:30 pm

a. Liz Morales, Housing Dept Director to discuss 11th Ave project plans with possible VOTE (30 min)— No Show – will reschedule for February.

b. Deron Beal to discuss pilot project for sharing library for Freecycle (this ties in to a potential tool library) with possible VOTE (10 min)— Freecycle is re-designing website and beta testing to incorporate way for members to create a circle of friends for lending items. Testing out the new website in 3-4 months. Dunbar people can be testers of the new system. Email Deron if your interested in testing out the program – deron@freecycle.org

c. Update from Thrive in the 05 meeting Jan. 12th (15 min)-- Thrive in the 05 plan goes one block south of Speedway, so includes some of Dunbar. Report is Due on March 5th. After that, they would apply for grants to perhaps renovation of Tucson House. Discussion about Estevan Park with the Thrive in 05. For SW corner of Speedway and Main, cost is 1.8 million. It’s an opportunity zone.

d. Update on tree planting in chicane at Main & 2nd Street with possible VOTE (5 min)-- Brad Lancaster already had been working with the Idea School with trees etc. He had already talked to Idea School about replacing tree in Chicane that had been hit and removed by them. The tree is already getting replaced, so letter may not be necessary. Following much discussion 3 motions made:

i. Motion: Write a letter to the Idea School about thanking them for planting tree and giving history of tree planting and public space as well as neighborhood responsibility and history with ROW (right of way) maintenance services, etc. Motion passes 5 to 1.

ii. Motion: Karen to inform Brad L. to try to report back to Dunbar/Spring Board, through the Neighborhood Foresters committee, about its efforts. Motion passes 5 to 0.

iii. Motion: To write a letter to Idea School to place a 15 gallon or larger tree. Motion fails 1 to 5.

7. Approve December minutes—Minutes approved. Motion passes 5 to 0.

8. Adjourn 7:56 pm