GGNA Board Meeting Minutes
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 6/10/08
1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on June 10, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Bryan Hill, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof and Neil Trifunovski were in attendance. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM.
2. Approval of Minutes from May 13th Meeting – John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the May 13, 2008 BOD meeting and they were unanimously approved.
3. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) distributed a copy of the GGNA’s Profit and Loss Statement which showed a current balance in the GGNA’s checking account of $2,147.89.
4. Committee Reports:
a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. Joe Kopera was in attendance at the meeting and provided an update to the ongoing issues with certain homes in Sector 1. There are three homes in the Sector that house suspected gang members: 2108 Bingham, 2074 Stave and 2117 Point. These homes continue to be the root of the problems in the area. CAPS Officer Sergeant Gambroni and Jerry Gabrielatos from Alderman Flores’ office are aware of the problems and the police have been “showing a presence” along Bingham Street during the past few weeks. Sally also said there has been increased gang activity at the playground at Goethe School. Sally said gang members have been recruiting at the school and can be seen with their lookouts along both Talman and Rockwell Streets. The BOD discussed the possibility of relocating one of the police cameras from either Bignham or Stave Streets to Goethe School. Sergeant Gambroni and Jerry Gabrielatos from Alderman Flores’ back the idea; however, Goethe’s LSC has opposed the idea (with the exception of Jim Rhodes). John Burns said he would contact Jim Rhodes to ascertain what the LSC’s objections to relocating the camera are and would then contact Jerry Gabrielatos and Sergeant Gambroni to discuss the idea.
b. Zoning and Planning Committee – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the ZAPC’s activities. She said the owner of 2425 North Rockwell had accepted the ZAPC’s ideas with regard to the re-zoning of his property and would be presenting at the next ZAPC meeting. The ZAPC’s recent vote of 4/4 on the 2154 North Maplewood project was also discussed. Doug read a letter from ZAPC member Gabrielle Sutton which expressed her dissatisfaction with the letter John Burns had written to the Alderman in support of the project (a copy of John Burns’ letter to the Alderman dated May 30, 2008 and a copy of Gabrielle Sutton’s letter are attached to these minutes).
c. Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias led a discussion on the committee’s proposed activities. The summer youth basketball tournament will be held on two consecutive Saturdays in August (9th and 16th). The tournament will be co-sponsored by CAPS and held in the police parking lot on North California Avenue. Johnny also announced that Alejandra Geraldo will be coaching a youth soccer program commencing in mid-July and running through mid-August. The soccer camp would meet two days a week; one day of coaching and one day for games. Raquel Geverola provided an update on the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative, which will begin on Monday, June 16th. Raquel has recruited students from Roberto Clemente High School to act as tutors for the program. The students will work in shifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Twenty-two senior citizens have already signed-up for the program. Raquel was commended for the hard work she has done in getting this program underway. Johnny Elias to update everyone on the planned summer youth programs. Raquel Geverola to update everyone on the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative.
d. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns provided a recap of his discussions with Logan Square Chamber of Commerce President Paul Levin. Paul is very supportive of the GGNA’s efforts to reach out to our local business owners. Paul suggested a program similar to one the Chamber has with other neighborhood groups; a two-for-one membership fee for the business owners and a sharing of fees collected. The businesses in turn would then be able to take advantage of the benefits from both the GGNA and Chamber. A draft of the GGNA Business Membership application was distributed for comment by all GGNA BOD members. The BOD also discussed general membership dues and when those dues should be billed and collected. A motion was put forth by Doug and seconded by John Burns to bill the membership fees in September for a fiscal membership year of October thru September. The motion was unanimously approved. Further discussions on the GGNA teaming up with Logan Square Chamber of Commerce will be on the agenda for next meeting.
5. New BOD Business – open to all BOD Members
a. GGNA Summer Social – The BOD discussed the proposed Summer Social and it was determined the June 21st would not work because of the St. John’s summer party. The BOD decided to investigate the possibility of piggy-backing on the Maplewood Block Party which will be held on July 19th. Johnny Elias to check with the party’s organizers to see if this idea makes sense. The BOD will reconvene to discuss the Summer Social and how it can assist the residents of Maplewood after it hears back from Johnny.
6. Change to By-laws – There were two items on the agenda to discuss. Those items are as follows:
a. BOD Member Attendance – A discussion was held about BOD member attendance. John Burns proposed a motion which was seconded by Bryan Hill. The motion is as follows: “A BOD member will be removed from the BOD if he or she: 1) misses three BOD meetings in a row; or 2) does not attend at least 7 of the 12 monthly meetings during the BOD’s fiscal year (November through October).” The motion was approved by a vote of five to one (Sally Hamann was the only dissenting vote and Doug vanderHoof had to leave the meeting early).
b. Eliminating Absentee Balloting – The BOD unanimously decided to defer discussion on this item to the July BOD meeting because of time constraints.
7. Future BOD Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 8th at Goethe School. A reminder was given that all meetings begin at 6:00 PM.
8. Meeting Adjourned – Johnny Elias adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM.
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 5/13/08
1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on May 13, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof and Neil Trifunovski were in attendance. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM. John Burns announced that he did not have minutes from the April BOD meeting. The board members recalled conversations about Club 2047; there were no pressing issues discussed and no votes taken.
2. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) was not in attendance at the meeting. However, Bryan did communicate with John Burns prior to the meeting to let him know the only activity for 2008 has been total deposits of $154.44 for membership dues. The current balance in the GGNA’s checking account is approximately $2,100.00.
Committee Reports:
a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. Sally said that the topic of graffiti was discussed, as well as the police camera being moved to Goethe School from Stave Street which has been turned off at this time. She said a written report could be found on GGNA’s website. Johnny Elias said gangs have been targeting people at Danny’s, the liquor store on Western and Lyndale.
b. Zoning and Planning Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent ZAPC community meeting where Raymond Valadez from the Alderman’s Office was present to run the meeting. The meeting was regarding the requested zoning changes for 2154 N. Maplewood. An RT-4.5 zoning was requested for the installation of dormers to expand the top floor. The few neighbors that attended the meeting did not object to the owner’s plans. ZAPC will make a recommendation on the zoning changes at the May 19th ZAPC meeting.
News from the ZAPC’s April monthly meeting included the following:
2425 N. Rockwell – An RT-4 zoning was sought by the property owner (3 stories). The ZAPC requested a RS-3 zoning and will possibly grant an RS-3.5. The crucial point was the owner wanted to add a separate unit in the basement which the RS-3.5 will allow them to do. The zoning would then be adjusted down to RS-3 after the completion of the project.
Sally also mentioned that the representatives for 2660 W. Armitage never showed up for the meeting.
Officers were selected at the meeting. Sally Hamann – Chair; Doug vanderHoof – Secretary; and Gabrielle Sutton– back-up person.
c. Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias led a discussion on the committee’s proposed activities. Raquel Geverola and John Burns discussed the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative, which will begin on Monday, June 16th. John Burns discussed the Youth Basketball Tournament to be held in mid-July in the parking lot of the police station. Johnny Elias discussed forming a soccer training camp with Alejandra Geraldo being the coach. Alejandra attended the BOD meeting ans was commended by the BOD for her desire to volunteer her time. The soccer camp would begin sometime after July 13th and will include children ages 8-15.
d. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns
distributed an outline of goals/objectives for the GGNA Membership Committee.
Membership Social - It was decided the Membership Social would be held on Saturday, June 21st; John will call Barbara Kargas (principal of Goethe School) to confirm use of the school’s playground for the event. He will prepare an outline of ideas for the social in Word format and forward it to everyone for their feedback. Local restaurants will be asked to supply food and drinks for the event. Door hangers with details about the social will be printed in both English and Spanish to promote the social. Additionally, a notice will be posted on the listserve.
Business Owner Memberships – John Burns discussed putting together a Business Member Package to encourage businesses to join the GGNA. Sally Hamann suggested contacting Paul Levin of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce to vent the idea. John Burns will arrange a meeting with Paul and notify other board members.
Updating the website – John Burns to send an e-mail to Jon Wetterstein regarding the update of the GGNA website.
3. Club 2047 Update –
Jerry Gabrielatos with Alderman Flores’s office provided an update of the latest Club 2047 meetings. It was recommended that V-Live join the listserve. Jerry said traffic flow still needs to be addressed. V-Live will devise a “smoking pen” similar to the one in the Congress Theatre to accommodate smokers. V-Live will also make parking passes available for purchase on-line. Vicky Schmidt suggested setting up a cab stand.
In other news, Vicky Schmidt and Paul Levin will be organizing a tavern league so bar and restaurant owners along Milwaukee Avenue between Western and California Avenues may address issues among each other.
4. Presentation by Reverend Ray Maldonado -
Reverend Maldonado discussed the problem of permit parking around Urban Vineyard Church (2145 N. Maplewood). Some members of the congregation have been getting ticketed during church services. Reverend Maldonado is suggesting zone parking be made exempt on Sundays from 9:00A to 9:00P. The Alderman’s Office suggested he talk to the neighbors in homes surrounding the church (Maplewood and Shakespeare). Reverend Maldonado started a petition and has collected 18 signatures so far. Doug vanderHoof suggested posting a notice on the listserve. Sally Hamann will make Reverend Maldonado a member on the listserve.
5. New BOD Business –
a. May 27th GGNA General Members’ Business Meeting – The committees will report their statuses at the meeting. John Burns will call Goethe School to confirm use of the facilities for the meeting. The agenda for the meeting to include (but not be limited to) the following: Committee Reports; Announcements of Youth Summer Programs; Discussion on the GGNA’s 501C-3 Status; and the Members Social on June 21st.
b. Eliminating GGNA’s 501C-3 status – Sally Hamann brought up the idea of eliminating the 501C-3 status. There was no formal information provided to allow an educated discussion of this idea. It was suggested an attorney and/or accountant prepare a list of the pros and cons relating to this idea. Doug vanderHoof suggested beginning a dialogue on the 501C-3 status on the listserve and at the May 27th meeting.
6. Open Floor –
a. Joe Kopera and Vicky Schmidt suggested that GGNA’s BOD should have requirements with regard to meeting attendance, just as the ZAPC does.
b. Joe Kopera also suggested using Yahoo’s general poll feature for non-binding issues. It can be a useful tool to get a feel for various topics. Sally Hamann liked the idea and might try it for ZAPC. Doug vanderHoof suggested a sample poll. The BOD commended Joe for all of his hard work on the poll.
7. Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 10th at Goethe School. As usual, the meeting will begin at 6:00P and conclude by 8:00P as the janitor leaves the school at that time.
8. Meeting Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned at 8:03P.
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 3/11/08
1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on March 11, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor and Doug vanderHoof were present. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM. The minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved as read.
2. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) was not at the meeting. However, Bryan did communicate with John Burns prior to the meeting to let him know there were no credits or debits for the month of February. A written Treasurers Report will be attached to the Minutes when approved at the April Board of Directors meeting.
3. Zoning and Planning Committee – The four BOD members discussed the pertinent information regarding the revised timeline for the selection of the new ZAPC members. The ZAPC application, the revised timeline and the selection process was previously agreed to by Alderman Flores and his Chief of Staff Raymond Valadez.
i. Friday, February 29th: Cover letters and ZAPC Applications were prepared by the BOD and mailed (from the Alderman’s office) to all current GGNA members.
ii. Monday, March 3rd: A notice was posted to the GGNA listserve notifying members of the ZAPC application process. The notice included the cover letter and ZAPC Application.
iii. Monday, March 17th: Deadline for all ZAPC applications to be received by the Alderman’s office. The previous deadline had been set for Friday, March 14th. However, Sally and Doug requested the deadline be pushed back until Monday evening. Sally proposed a motion, Doug seconded the motion and a vote was taken. The proposal was unanimously approved.
iv. Wednesday, March 19th: A Special GGNA BOD meeting to be held at the Bucktown-Wicker Park Library for the selection of the new ZAPC members. The meeting will be begin at 6:00 PM and conclude at 9:00 PM. A motion to call a Special Board meeting was presented, seconded and unanimously approved.
v. Monday, March 24th: The first ZAPC meeting will be held at Goethe School at 6:00 PM; past ZAPC items will be addressed. A temporary secretary will be appointed to take notes for this meeting. Sally reminded the BOD that it needs to reach out to the three groups with requests before the ZAPC. John volunteered to contact these three groups.
vi. Monday, April 21st: ZAPC members will vote on its officers.
ZAPC Guidelines – Drafts of the revised ZAPC Guidelines were distributed via e-mail
prior to the meeting. The BOD members discussed the various issues contained in the
revised ZAPC Guidelines. Johnny Elias to lead a discussion of the new guidelines for
the ZAPC (if everyone has had an opportunity to review the document). Doug and Sally
had issues with the “oversight” language contained in the document. The oversight
language contained in paragraph 5 of the document was to allow the BOD to have a
dissenting position should the greater neighborhood not agree with the recommendation
rendered by the ZAPC. Paragraph 5 reads as follows:
5) The ZAPC will render its recommendations independently of the GGNA Board of Directors. Recommendations of the ZAPC cannot be overridden by GGNA members or GGNA's Board of Directors. However, the GGNA’s Board of Directors may issue its own opinion should the ZAPC’s opinion be contradictory to the desires of the neighborhood as determined by a vote at a publicly held neighborhood meeting. A copy of the ZAPC’s recommendation shall be posted to the file section of the GGNA listserve (along with notification of the posting to all GGNA members via the GGNA listserve) within 24 hours of being delivered to Alderman Flores.
The language Doug and Sally want omitted from the document is highlighted above. A
discussion ensued and with the flowing viewpoints: Doug and Sally said the GGNA
BOD should not have any oversight whatsoever with regard to ZAPC recommendations.
John and Raymond believe the BOD needs the ability to issue a dissenting opinion if it is
determined that the ZAPC has acted in opposition to the majority of neighbors’ desire as
determined by a vote at a public meeting. After a lengthy discussion, John suggested
that either Doug or Sally draft language that would accommodate an option for the BOD
to implement should the ZAPC render an opinion contrary to the desire of the greater
neighborhood as determined by a vote of the neighbors which would be held at a
previously announced public meeting. Doug volunteered to get back to everyone within
the next two days with a draft of the proposed language.
Guidelines for Selecting New ZAPC Members – A discussion was held regarding the
selection criteria for new ZAPC members. It was understood that the criteria must be
crafted to achieve Alderman Flores’ mandate of a diversified ZAPC membership. The
following criteria was discussed:
· Ethnic: The Alderman desires to see a balanced ZAPC reflecting the neighborhood’s diverse ethnic make-up.
· Gender: The ZAPC should be balanced with regard to gender.
· Socioeconomic: The ZAPC should also have a good balance of professionals, working men/women, retirees, etc.
· Geographic: The ZAPC should have representatives from the entire geographic areas within the GGNA. Sally suggested we try to have at least one ZAPC member from each of the CAPS sectors.
· Contributions to the Neighborhood: Consideration should be given to other volunteer and community service work with which the applicants have been involved.
· Professional Background/Education: Because the new ZAPC guidelines exclude developers and real estate agents, the BOD might give certain weight to professionals that have real estate experience. That experience could include architects, attorneys, builders, contractors and other professionals with real estate experience. Other experience such as being a member of another zoning board (not ZAPC) in the past should also be considered.
· Time in Community: This is a sensitive issue on both sides of the coin. There are members of the community that think time in the community should be a major factor in the decision making process (i.e. the longer the better). Others think the new ZAPC should have a balance of “old and new.” This is a criterion that needs careful and balanced consideration.
Selecting the New ZAPC Members – Alderman Flores and the BOD has agreed to
make the selection of new ZAPC members a joint effort. Sally said she would be
recusing herself from the voting process since she will be applying for a position with the
new ZAPC. It was agreed that all BOD members applying for a position would recuse
themselves from the voting process.
ii. Final Report on Fall 2007 Fundraiser for Goethe School “After School Music Program” – After numerous requests from the BOD’s Treasurer for the follow-up paperwork, the BOD still does not have the final accounting of the Fall 2007 After School Music Program fundraiser. Sally had made various requests but has been unable to obtain the paperwork. Friends of Goethe had been the recipient of the fund raising; this organization has been going through the process of achieving its 501C-3 status. The status has been achieved and the paperwork will be provided by the BOD’s April meeting. Congratulations are due Elise Doody-Jones and her associates for their hard work in organizing this group.
iii. Committee Reports:
a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. The minutes from the meeting will be posted to the listserve this week. Sally said the major topic of discussion at this month’s CAPS meeting was the parking issue at the Congress Theatre. Please check the CAPS minutes for a complete update.
b. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented his ideas for the formation of the Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee. An outline of John’s initiatives were distributed and John asked the other BOD members in attendance to get back to him with their respective thoughts and ideas.
Spring Fling – The BOD agreed to host a member social party this spring when the weather is nicer. The rough timeline discussed was late-April. The idea is to have an outdoor get together on a Saturday afternoon when parents and their kids could attend. The party would be a “barbecue type” event possibly to be held at the Goethe School playground. Local restaurants would be asked to supply food and drink for the event. John will inquire with Goethe School as to the possibility of utilizing the school’s grounds for the event.
March 25th Neighborhood Meeting – Doug suggested we have a neighborhood open house to discuss community issues and BOD initiatives. Sally suggested having someone from the post office come to speak to the group. Sally will be contacting the head of the California Avenue post office and will report back to the BOD. Some suggested that the meeting was too close to get it fully organized in time. Doug did not see this as a problem. Doug was asked to provide an agenda for the meeting which he said would be drafted and distributed.
March 29th Milwaukee Avenue Expo- On Saturday, March 29, the Logan
Square Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the first Milwaukee Avenue
Community Expo. The Expo will be held at the Congress Theater, from 10AM to
3 PM. The Expo is an opportunity for the businesses, residents, institutions and
organizations of the neighborhood around the Fullerton-Armitage-Western-
California area to come out and learn about each other, to meet, greet, discover,
or get re-acquainted with each other. The owner of the Congress Theater is
donating the use of his lobby, and he’s promised to get us some musical
entertainment. More than a dozen merchants, restaurants and institutions have
already signed up to be with us. Doug suggested the GGNA BOD take part in
the Expo. The decision to attend was unanimous.
iv. Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8th at Goethe School. The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM as the janitor leaves the school at 8:00 PM.
v. Meeting Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 PM.
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 2/19/08
1) Call to Order - A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on February 19, 2008 at Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), Pedro Borrero, John Burns (Secretary), Bryan Hill (Treasurer), Sally Hamann, Neil Trifunovski and Doug vanderHoof were present. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:15P. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as read (5-2). Voting to approve the minutes were PB, JB, JE, BH and NT with SH and DV voting no.
2) Zoning and Planning Committee – Alderman Flores was in attendance. He said that as of right now there is no one on the ZAPC. He handed out copies of proposed GGNA Zoning and Planning Committee bylaws to all that were present and welcomed any recommendations. Recommendations are to be sent to the Aldermanic Office by Friday, February 22nd.
Alderman Flores suggested that the ZAPC implement an application process to select new board members. John Burns volunteered to draft the ZAPC application and submit to Alderman Flores by Friday, February 22nd. Alderman Flores will then get a revised draft of the bylaws and an approved application out to the BOD by Monday, February 25th, by which the BOD has until Monday, March 3rd to approve for distribution. Alderman Flores will assist in conducting interviews for new board members at the March 11th ZAPC meeting. A motion was set to authorize this process and was unanimously approved.
3) Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) reviewed the Treasurer’s Report for the month ending in 1/31/08. It showed a balance of $2,065.66. Written copies of the Treasurer’s Reports were distributed and the Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved by the BOD. A copy of that report is attached to these Minutes.
Bryan also said that acknowledgements for 2007 donations made to the GGNA will be sent out this week.
Sally Hamann brought up a request from the Haas Park advisory committee. They are throwing a fundraiser at Fireside Bowl and would like GGNA’s assistance. She did not have all the details of GGNA’s accounting obligations in agreeing to help Haas Park. Sally motioned to approve the principle of the request and will wait to hear from Haas Park to work out the details. It was seconded and approved (6-1). BH was the one no vote.
4) Follow-up on BOD Business from the January 8th Meeting:
a) Discussion on Listserve Update – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the following issues:
i) Updating the Leadership List – Sally will update the Leadership list to include John Burns and Neil Trifunovski. John and Neil will e-mail their information to Sally so that she may add them.
ii) Updating the ZAPC List to include BOD members – Alderman Flores suggested that BOD members be kept apprised of ZAPC’s recommendations to the aldermanic office, so once the members are selected, the listserve will be updated to include the BOD members.
iii) Single vs. multiple listserves – Doug vanderHoof motioned to keep one listserve for general communication. It was seconded by Sally Hamann but after discussion was unanimously denied.
iv) Updating the website – John asked Sally to e-mail him the contact information for John Wetterstein, the website’s moderator.
b) Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented an outline of his objectives for the Membership Committee, one of which would be maintaining the website. He asked that everyone e-mail comments to him with any suggestions.
5) The meeting was adjourned at 8:03PM.
GGNA MEETING MINUTES 1/8/08
1) Call to Order - Johnny Elias (President) opened the meeting, thanked the numerous residents attending the meeting and advised non-BOD members they will have an opportunity to comment, ask questions, etc. during the “Open Floor” time later in the meeting. Johnny notified BOD members and the audience that the BOD members prohibit the taping recording of BOD meetings.
2) Approval of Minutes from December 11th Meeting – John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the December 11th BOD meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved.
3) Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) reviewed the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report. Written copies of the Treasurer’s Report were distributed; the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved by the BOD. A copy of that report is attached to these Minutes.
4) Follow-up on BOD Business from the December 11th Meeting:
a) Discussion on Listserve Update – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the following issues:
i) Updating the Leadership List – Sally will update the Leadership list; Sally requested that all BOD members forward their current e-mail addresses to Sally.
ii) Updating the ZAPC List – Sally is not the moderator of the ZAPC list. Clarence Fraher is the moderator; the Secretary will ask Clarence to update the ZAPC list for the current members.
iii) Updating the Address and Phone Number for GGNA – Sally will update the website with the GGNA’s P.O. Box. No phone number will be put on the website as the GGNA does not receive any phone calls.
b) Update on Fall 2007 Fundraiser for Goethe School “After School Music Program” - Sally Hamann provided a verbal summary of the fund raiser; $461 was raised for the program. These dollars were transferred to Friends of Goethe. Sally will provide a written receipt of these funds at the February BOD meeting. Friends of Goethe will provide written evidence that the funds were transferred to the Goethe School.
c) Terms of Positions – BOD Members drew straws to determine 1-, 2- or 3-year terms. Straws were drawn for BOD members not present (Doug vanderHoff, Pedro Barrera, Mary Escobar and Neil Trifunovski). The terms for BOD members are as follows:
i) 3-Year Terms: Juan “Johnny” Elias, Bryan Hill and Ramon Tembledor.
ii) 2-Year Terms: Pedro Barrera, Sally Hamann and Neil Trifunovski.
iii) 1-Year Terms: John Burns, Mary Escobar and Doug vanderHoof.
5) Committee Reports:
a) Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the January 3rd CAPS meeting. The GGNA’s beat continues to have the lowest crime rate in the district. The only issues were in Section 1 which encompasses Bingham Street. A car was fire-bombed by suspected gang members. No suspects have been arrested as of yet.
b) Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias provided an update on the committee’s recent activities. GGNA purchased and will be donating a computer and printer to Campbell Terrace Apartments. The computer will be presented to the residents in February after the renovation of the first floor common areas has been completed. Students from Clemente High School will be recruited to train residents on the use of the computer. The students will assist residents in setting-up e-mail accounts and will work with them on learning aspects of utilizing the computer. Raquel Geverola is working with the Service Learning Coaches and Guidance Counselors of Clemente High School to identify students interested in participating in the program. These students will take shifts at Campbell Terrace working with the residents during the evenings after school and on the weekends. These students will receive community service credit which will be applied towards their graduation requirements. We hope this program will foster short- and long-term relationships between the area’s seniors and youth. Johnny Elias was nominated as the Senior/Youth Committee Chairman. Johnny was approved by a vote of 3 “for’s”, 0 “against” and 1 “abstain.” We congratulate Johnny and the Committee to be on their way to implementing the Senior/Youth Committee’s first successful program of 2008.
c) Healthcare Committee – Bryan Hill presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of a Healthcare Committee. Bryan will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Healthcare Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.
d) Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of the Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee. John will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.
e) Neighborhood Beautification Committee – The BOD members discussed their desire to form a Neighborhood Beautification Committee. Volunteers for the committee and its Chairman will be solicited during the next month. All neighbors attending the BOD meeting were encouraged to participate in the committee and help solicit potential members.
f) Zoning and Planning Committee – Doug vanderHoof reviewed the minutes of December 17th ZAPC meeting. Sally Hamann presented a preliminary outline of the proposed changes within the ZAPC. A motion was set before the BOD to approve the proposed changes. The motion was seconded. The BOD voted and the proposed changes were not approved. The vote was 2 “for’s” and 4 “against.” Reasons voiced by BOD members for their vote against the motion were as follows: The BOD members dissenting sighted their desire to have the changes reflect what Alderman Flores requested during a December 17, 2007 meeting with both old and new ZAPC members. Additional items sighted as not being included in the proposed changes were as follows: 1) the Alderman requested the ZAPC be comprised of a diverse group of GGNA residents (a mechanism to insure this was not clearly delineated in the proposed changes presented to the BOD); and 2) the Alderman requested an advisory panel be formed to include professionals actively involved in the real estate business which would be available to advise the ZAPC on various issues (this panel would include realtors, developers and others that will not be ZAPC members or able to vote on ZAPC matters – this issue was not addressed in the proposed changes). Johnny Elias also proposed that ZAPC members must be property and/or business owners within the GGNA’s boundaries. The BOD asked that the proposed changes to the ZAPC be revised to include all of Alderman Flores’ suggestions. The proposed changes would then be presented to the BOD for a vote at either the BOD’s monthly meeting to be held in February or at a special BOD meeting prior to the regularly scheduled February BOD meeting.
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