DSNA Meeting Minutes: August 2021 Meeting Minutes

Taken by Faffs Riederer

Call to Order 7:00 pm

Sign-In & Introductions - What do you know about the history of your house?

Damian Rawoot, Faffs Riederer, Bill Davidson, Cedar Warman, Lisa Scoblink, Karen Green, Abra Bentley, Desert Ehrhart, Natasha Winnik

Treasurer’s Report

Abra: $960. Funds are still held by the previous officer Anna.

Announcements

Karen: TEP transmission line meeting next Wednesday. Karen can share the link to the meeting if anyone would like. City is looking into creating more bike boulevards.They had public meetings in July. Karen is concerned that she hadn’t heard of this before now, no one from the city came to announce this intention at our meeting, for example. Need to have a mask for going to the library.

Discussion

The community garden at Dunbar Center has a fence going up.

Natasha: It seems like Dru is in charge of everything. What is the status of the garden, still community space? (difficult to hear, connection bad)

Lisa: These decisions are being made without the DSNA involvement.

Karen: In the past the DSNA tried to get more communication and input on decisions on that space and DSNA used to have our run of the garden. Now that has changed and the Dunbar Center owns the land so that’s that. It’s theirs.

Damien: This could be something we want to connect with Sam Brown about.

Sky: There are endless amounts of hours the neighborhood has put into that space, would be a shame to lose access to that space.

Lisa will ask Sam about what the plans are for the space and report back.

Puncture vine at Estevan Park

Abra: There is so much puncture vine there. Reached out to Vitas Sccallis who has some experience fighting this in other neighborhoods.

Natasha: Let’s set some dates for weeding. Faffs: Sat 21st and Sun Aug 29th 8am-9am

Letter to the City about bathrooms at Estevan Park (Possible Vote)

Let’s write a letter asking for operating hours for the bathrooms and suggest a phone number posted or a QR code for when the restroom needs attention.

Damian: motion to write a letter to parks and city to address these concerns

Second: Karen

In favor: 10 (unanimous)

What can we do about the climate emergency?

Damian: Enjoying the water harvesting and neighborhood forest. This would be a good topic to continue to revisit.

Karen: There was a group of retired physicians who were doing workshops on resilience around climate catastrophe. Should I reach out to them to see if they would still be doing that? Natasha: I sent an email about that exact thing to the board. Karen doesn’t need to dig that up, you already have that info.

Sky: They just declared a shortage on the Colorado river water.

Damian: The tree canopy helps with heat island effects, there is more to do on the water harvesting front, I’m curious about what are the other impacts that we should be working on and thinking about.

Natasha: That's kind of the idea that Karen had about having block captains, that way we know how to reach out to each other when catastrophes happen.

Karen: Clay should have a lot of packets for block captains did he drop them off with you faffs?

Faffs: yes. Committee Reports 11th Ave

Natasha: we are still waiting on communication from Ann Chimaka

Reports from the Field

DNARC

Karen: They hired a consultant to do focus groups to talk about improvements for downtown and for the downtown tucson partnership Someone asked if we could get rid of scooters (they are clogging the sidewalks and making them less accessible) There is gonna be a food court in the building at 40 east congress (city park) Accessory Dwelling Units: city is looking at passing a law to allow the construction of small units. There is a public hearing on Sept 14th.

Access Tucson Building on Broadway is in the process of turning into market rate apartments and retail. Neighborhood Foresters Sky: Brad did a workshop today about replanting trees that are coming up on their own. Historic Fourth Ave Coalition (HFAC) Natasha: I missed the last meeting

Dunbar Coalition Damian: Lisa sent out a summary of the meeting to the list. Damian is reading it.

Barrio Neighborhood Coalition

Karen: There is so much going on! The eviction moratorium is continued. The county has been pressured into starting to provide legal representation for people at eviction court. Mayor and council are trying to use GPLET. The Coalition is putting together a resource to encourage communities to ask for big things in the community benefits agreements Trying to create affordable housing bonds. Want to get into the special election. Proposal to build I-11. City is opposed. ADoT is still trying to go ahead with this. It could include taking land from Barrio Anita and other neighborhoods. Sunside Mile Enterprise zone: Barrio San Antonia wanted out of this and they got out.

Downtown Links

Karen: Whole project is supposed to help with water. Stone ave underpass completely filled with water. The reason the underpass is full of water is that it hasn't yet been connected to the Downtown Links project.

There is supposed to be pedestrian/bike access on 5th after hours and it has been obstructed when Karen tried to use it.

Approve July minutes

Sky: Move to approve

Damian: Second

Approve: 8

Abstain: 2

Natasha: What's up with that letter to the city from Cedar/Brad about the repaving on University? It looks like they took out the reflectors.

Cedar: I have been in a slow back and forth with Brad. I will put it on my to do list to send this letter this month.

Adjourn 8:07