Board Meeting Minutes – September 11, 2019

PRESENT: Matt Ruben, President; Claire Adler, Vice-President; Steve Richman, Treasurer; Janet Finegar, Secretary; Kristen Ainscoe; Avery Amaya; Jacek Ghosh; Joe Mikuliak; Don Phillips; Renya Wasson; Kevin Wilkins.

ABSENT: Melanie Coffman; Michael Coyne; Barbara Saverino; Amy Sweeney.

ALSO PRESENT:  Liz Reed, Liberty Lands co-coordinator

The meeting was called to order by the President at 6:36 p.m.

Motion: By Kristen Ainscoe, seconded by Claire Adler. “To approve the minutes of the August Board meeting as presented.” Passed 9-0-0

President’s Report
Matt Ruben: written report attached and reviewed

NLNA President’s Report, September 2019

1. PLANNING, DEVELOPMENT, AND POLICY

• Construction Impacts – The “Riverwards L+I Coalition” Facebook group continues to monitor and get action on un-permitted and dangerous basement dig-outs and other construction issues. Recently a Stop Work order was placed on 721 N 3rd St. https://www.facebook.com/groups/RiverWardsLandICoalition/
• Business Improvement District (BID) – The BID is proceeding with efforts to get additional Big Belly trash and recycling receptacles; to install banners on 2nd St; to create a sidewalk cleaning and beautification program; and to program events like 2nd Saturdays and a “Poe-rade” in October.
• Germantown Sewer Project – Work continues to get a plan from the Water Dept and its contractor that would minimize disruption to 2nd St next year.

2. FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

• Office Management/Oversight – The Yard is now open most days, and a schedule should be posted very soon.

3. EVENTS AND OUTREACH

• September (or October) General Meeting: We don’t currently have a main agenda item for September 26, and time is getting close. I would like the board’s thoughts on topics, including perhaps a demonstration of the city’s new voting machines, which I think would be useful to neighbors. We also could have the meeting in October instead, to give us more lead time.
• Story Telling Workshops and Story Slam. The final workshop in the latest round is Sep 18, with the Slam to follow on the 19th. Thanks to Caitlin Antrim and Joe Mikuliak!

4. COMMUNICATION AND PUBLICITY

• Update in the Communications/Marketing Committee report.

5. OTHER ITEMS

• Board Polls – Ratification of any online or online board polls since last month’s board meeting.

There was a conversation about a topic for the Sept. 26 community meeting: there was a proposal to discuss issues around dealing with homeless people in our neighborhood. Janet and Liz will explore getting a guest speaker for that meeting and arrive at a final decision with Matt by Friday.

Motion: By Janet Finegar, seconded by Renya Wasson. “To ratify any and all Board polls taken in the previous month.” Passed 9-0-0

Treasurer's Report: Steve Richman
review of proposed FY20 budget during executive session

Motion: By Jacek Ghosh, seconded by Avery Amaya. “To accept the Treasurer's report as presented.” Passed 9-0-0 

NLNA Operations Committee  August 14

Attendees:  Lara, Amy, Jacek, Don and Barbara

• Processes:  Lara has shared the login information for accessing email when she is out of of the office.  The outgoing phone message will include website.  Yard gate schedule has been shared and we will follow up with Marketing to assist with getting word out after NLNA Arts Summer Camp.  Communication among volunteers, office and committee is critical to keep us moving forward.  If there are any rentals with food, a cleaner will be needed. We will request additional funds to cover this.
  • Outstanding:  Need to plan event about yard for neighbors and community. 
• Upcoming year budget request:  
  • Please see below for items we would to add to our current year budget allocation.  $4,100. 
    • $300 for 6 large outdoor plastic trash cans with lids (replace and replenish) 
    • $300 to replace outdoor storage door that has rotted and is off the hinges including labor
    • $ 1,000   (20 additional weekend cleaner after rental) 
    • $2,500 (replace Mac in office)
  • Per a previous conversation, we will ask Lara to purchase 2 outdoor trashcans for the yard with this year's budget.   Note:   Don, while not happy, has agreed to remove the trash from the 2 yards cans we purchase  as well for weekly trash pick up.
• Old Business: 
  • Signs - Kristen shared that the Marketing/Communications committee is working on signs - balance of sharing information in a welcoming/friendly manner.   Monika confirmed windows are being replaced this coming weekend by Scott.  
  • Gate device - Monika has identified someone for a quote - needs help with access during the day rather than after 5/work hours. Jacek and Amy volunteered to assist.  
• New Business:
  • Request to use center for neighborhood drawing class - Committee supports request and will follow up with Anne.  Amy volunteered to assist.
  • Request for Yoga Pop-Up in Yard - -Committee supports and will follow up. 

Cellar/Basement Inventory - Suggestion that all Committee/Event leads  look in basement, do inventory of what they have and toss what is not needed.  

• NLNA Operations meetings will be held the 3rd Wednesday of the month at 7 PM.  

Communications & Marketing Committees Report
Kristen Ainscoe: written report attached

Presentation tabled to the next meeting.

NLNA Marketing Report, September 2019

1. BUDGET PROPOSAL

SIGNS
Yearly Budget $900.00

1 Floor Stand-up (2.5'x6') $67.49

1 A-frame sign (24"x36") $93.74

1 Poster (24"x36") $23.50

1 Retractable Sign. (47"x81" single sided) $172.49

1 Mesh Sign (2.5'x6') $68.24

2 Fitted Tablecloths (6') $266.24

Additional Signs – Yard, trees, etc. $208.30

WEBSITE
Yearly Budget $5,277.00

Migration of Old Website  $600

Planning/research of platforms  $210

Up to three rounds of site design & logo revisions $900

Full site content and feature implementation $1365

One-time Fee      $3,075

12 Months Website Software Subscription $312

$3600 Proposed 3rd party resource/human for site support, digital design, and visual design for print and offline

(10 per) month Monthly Fee  $300

***Note: Kat’s Fee $2000/year would be discontinued and included in this budget.

PROMOTIONAL
Yearly Budget  $1,750

Donor Products/Program - T-shirts, stickers, tote bags, etc.   $1000

Hospitality Items/Food for Events $250

Promotional Gift Cards for filling out forms, surveys and social media contests  $500

iPad (donated)

SOCIAL MEDIA
Yearly Budget  $300

Facebook/Instagram Ads  (1 per month) $300

TOTAL BUDGET PROPOSAL 2019-2020
$8227.00

2. STYLE GUIDE

• How to Use
• Posters/Flyers

Liberty Lands Committee Report
Janet Finegar: written report attached and reviewed

Liberty Lands September 2019 Report

• As probably everyone knows, there's been a man (Socca) camping at Liberty Lands since late July. There has been a lot of discussion of it on Facebook with lengthy status messages: I'm not going to recap it all here. Liz and I have also gotten emails, text messages, FB instant messages, and face to face conversations about it! If you avoid Facebook I applaud you; if you still would like to read through all the messages I will copy and send them to you. As of Monday morning, Socca's stuff that was at the park is gone and the city's outreach services are working on expediting appropriate housing for him. He slept at the park Sunday night but told me that he plans not to do so from now on. 
• I have repeatedly encouraged/berated those offering their opinions about park management on Facebook to attend Tuesday's park meeting. Prior experience suggests that few of them will, but it would actually be interesting to have real conversations and get some additional input and suggestions on handling situations. Len, Laura, and Liz are meeting at 6:15 at the park to discuss community-garden-specific issues and then coming to the Community Center for the full Park meeting. Liz is doing some planning for that meeting to best benefit from any helpful suggestions or information that may be offered.
• Karina and David Reuter donated a lovely “pebble harp” to the park and Ken installed it near the toddler playground. It's a very pretty wooden interactive sound toy and we're hugely grateful for it.
• Two weekends of Weeder's Club in August got the fences around the community garden clear – thanks to those who helped out, especially new volunteer Julius. He'll also be working in the rain garden from now on. 
• The NLArts Gala went off very nicely (despite some concerns about Socca being nearby). Some of the decorations are still hanging at the park and should be taken down relatively soon before they get ratty.
• When the Big Belly cans were installed around the neighborhood, somehow the one at 3rd and Wildey was removed and not replaced. The effect on the park trash is pretty significant – if folks could notify 311 about it being “missing” I'd really appreciate it!
• Trash is otherwise going well with Tom, our new “trash guy.” He and I met up this month to clear out all the built up trash in the corrals. Orianna Hill had an issue with the City discontinuing trash pickup there in August without notice (it seems to have been resolved now) so I'm a bit concerned that it could happen at Liberty Lands, but hope that the precedent of getting it resolved at Orianna Hill will help if it DOES occur here, too. 
• We've received a notice from the Water Department that Liberty Lands owes about $2,000. It's not clear where this bill comes from: we pay a water bill for our usage based on the meter at 928 American Street, but this bill is for 913-961 North 3rd Street (the park's other address). I am working on sorting it out. 
• The gate handles on the community garden fence have been falling off regularly: the fence company is going to replace/repair them.
• As approved by the NLNA Board, Seth will be grading the “machine entrance” to the community garden in mid-September and creating a level path that wheels can get into easily for deliveries, etc. He will do some other re-grading of the new eastern aisle as possible at the same time.
• City Harvest made several donations of greens to Bebashi over the course of the summer. After some conversation, we agreed that we'd add Sunday Love (the soup kitchen run by neighbor Margeaux Murphy) as another City Harvest donation site, since Margeaux can take small amounts of produce and use them to cook with. She is especially interested in any salad ingredients (greens!) that are available and can take donations through the week because she serves daily. 
• The NLNA Finance committee has developed a draft budget for Liberty Lands that is based on past years' expenses and includes an “unpredictable” line item of a few thousand dollars in response to the reality that it's very difficult to guess what one-time expenses will occur in any given year. 
• For sure more than that happened through August, but it's been a little hard to keep it all in our heads during the last week.
• UPCOMING AT THE PARK:
  • Sept. 28: Community Garden workday/cleanup 9-1 Community Garden Guru Sally McCabe from the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society coming to talk with us!
  • Also Sept. 28: E-Waste Recycling and Document Shredding at the park (on 3rd Street)
  • Oct. 5: Benefit for American Cancer Society (I think: details still TBA)
  • Oct. 12: NLBID “Poe Raid” event and party
  • Oct. 27: Fall Children's Festival

There was a lengthy discussion about how Socca, the man who has been sleeping at the park, has been dealt with  by the community. While errors in the process were acknowledged, there was a general agreement that Liz and Janet should continue their attempts to find appropriate housing for him, treating him with respect and humanity but with an eye to having him stop sleeping at the park as soon as possible.

Membership Committee Report
Michael Coyne: written report attached

Membership Committee Report

1. The next Meet & Greet will be held on Thursday, October 3rd, from 7:00 to 8:30 at the center. This is a later start time than usual. Due to renters using the space until 6:15, we had to push back the time an hour from 6:00 to 7:00 pm.

2. Post card invitations will be mailed to people who have purchased homes in the neighborhood in the past 6 months. This is in addition to announcements on Facebook, the NLNA website and email.

3. We may have a restaurant willing to provide some of the food for the event.

4. Going forward, we suggest that Meet & Greet gatherings be held the same two days each year. We have been hosting the event twice a year; once in the spring and once each fall. We’d like to propose fixed days each year such as, for instance, the 2nd Thursday each May and the 2nd Thursday of each October. Suggestions are welcome.

5. We propose that several sound-absorbing panels be installed on the ceiling in the center to help deaden the sound even more. Although the situation is better than it was due to the sound panels on the walls, we think a few on the ceiling are needed.

Zoning Committee Report
Joe Mikuliak. No August meeting

Matt reported on the legal issue arising from 1114 Galloway Street: a lot which had been previously attached to a separate lot as accessory parking was granted a variance for construction on the site (overriding the conditions and provisos negotiated by the Zoning Committee). Larry found a lawyer willing to argue for a reconsideration of their decision in front of the ZBA at a significant discount from his normal fee. Larry has asked the near neighbors to contribute to the cost of the legal defense but reports that they need to understand the issue in full before they make a contribution, so it's not clear how much of the cost will be covered.

Motion: By Janet Finegar, seconded by Jacek Ghosh. “To approve expenditure of up to $1,000 by the NLNA to argue for a reconsideration of decision by the ZBA regarding 1114 Galloway Street, with the understanding that we will seek contribution toward this cost by near neighbors of the property.” Passed 9-0-0   

New Business

• Motion: By Janet Finegar, seconded by Steve Richman. “That the NLNA sign on to the PennFuture letter to the Philadelphia Water Department addressing concerns with potential stormwater rate mitigation approaches being explored for the 2020 rate proceeding.” Passed 9-0-0
• Don reminded the Board that Orkney Park's Fall fundraiser will be Saturday the 14^th.
• Steve Richman announced that Matt is receiving a Community Service Award on October 1 at 6:00 from the PTSSD and encouraged the Board to attend.
• Saturday, September 28 will be E-waste recycling and paper shredding at Liberty Lands, sponsored by the PTSSD and Wilkins Real Estate.

The meeting was adjourned by acclaim at 8:25 p.m.

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