Board of Directors Meeting – March 4, 2019 Minutes

PRESENT: Matt Ruben, President; Barbara Mulckhuyse, Vice-President;  Janet Finegar, Secretary; Claire Adler;  Melanie Coffman;  Monika Kreidie;   Joe Mikuliak; Don Phillips; Barbara Saverino.ALSO PRESENT: Jeanette Brugger, Office of Transportation and Infrastructure; Amy Palamara, Mott McDonald (consultant to the Water Department).                           ABSENT: Steve Richman, Treasurer; Kristen Ainscoe; Avery Amaya; Michael Coyne; Aisha Loeks; Ben Mann.The meeting was called to order by the President at 7:05 p.m.Motion: By Monika Kreidie, seconded by Barbara Saverino. “To approve the minutes of the February Board meeting as presented.”  Passed 8-0-0President’s Report: Matt Ruben.Matt updated the Board on some non-official progress in conversation on waterfront issues, the proposed development of the Rodriguez Library site, and the rollout of the BID.It was agreed that we should shoot for a very interesting April general meeting, perhaps with a candidates' night, rather than try to hold a meeting in March that may not be well attended.Presentation by Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability:Jeannette Brugger from the Office of Transportation, Infrastructure and Sustainability presented information about a plan to improve the Germantown Avenue flood relief and safety project (planned by the Water Department) by including improved pedestrian and bicycle infrastructure and a traffic signal at Girard and Germantown Avenue. She reviewed the project and requested a NLNA letter of support to City Council for the three critical issues of the project: taking a lane of traffic, taking a lane of parking, and eliminating southbound traffic from Girard to 2^ndSt.There was a great deal of concern about taking a lane of parking from the section from Girard to 2^ndSt. and the Board asked Jeannette to provide specific dimensions on the proposal to help the Board understand the proposal better. Jeannette promised to provide those more specific details to both the NLNA and the BID as soon as possible, with the continued goal of introducing the proposal to Council during this session.Matt raised the question of whether the Water Department's project would create such disruption to Germantown Avenue near the Piazza that it would destroy any hope of success for businesses within the Piazza. There was some conversation about this; Amy Palamara suggested contacting the Water Department directly to discuss the logistics of the project: the work is anticipated to begin in May and the contractor will present a plan to the Water Department that includes pedestrian access specifics.–TREASURER’S REPORT – FEBRUARY 2019

1. Significant Items

• February’s Winterfest generated gross receipts totaling $8,500; while this fell approximately $1,500 short of the budgeted level, all of the event’s expenses were fully covered by the Penn Treaty grant we received.
• The Annual Appeal (including Operation Santa) has produced income totaling $17,400, which is $1,600 short of the budgeted amount. With income from recurring donations expected to continue through the balance of the year it is reasonable to assume that we will meet our fundraising goal for the Appeal.
• With the 3rd floor apartment now rented (as of the end of January) our income stream from rentals has stabilized. While we are running slightly behind in income from community center first floor rentals, we will be receiving rent from NL Arts for their camps, which was not budgeted.
• We are still waiting for a check from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the $24,500 we advanced for the Liberty Lands fence project. Following our submittal of a payment request DCED asked us for additional information, which we have provided.

Motion: By Janet Finegar, seconded by Barb Mulckhuyse. “To accept the Treasurer's report as presented.” Passed 8-0-0  Communications & Marketing Committees Report: Claire AdlerNo significant report, but the committee has been meeting and is working towards streamlining the process of getting things promoted on the email list and social media. Election Committee Board Member Voting: Meeting Minutes  2/25/19Attended by: Don Hoegg, Avery Amaya, Shelley Marcus, Paula Gansky, Don Phillips, Sasi Judd and Rick AngelliTo promote more meaningful engagement in voting participation, the Election Committee will be making the following adjustments to the registration process and voting process as follows, and, are asking the NLNA Board of Directors to consider the proposed Voting Member eligibility adjustments:

1. Meeting Voting Procedure
2. Ballots will be passed out after Board candidates make their presentations.
3. After voting, the Committee will collect ballots and count votes.
4. Once the vote counting has commenced, there will be no more opportunities to vote at that meeting.
5. Voters will have signed in for a ballot at the beginning of the meeting. Any one not registered to vote will register at the beginning of the meeting as well.
6. To be implemented at the next election in May, 2019
7. Proposed Voting Member Eligibility Criteria Changes
8. In addition to the other existing criteria stated in the Bylaws, in order for Voting Members to be eligible to vote, there are two additional criteria proposed to the BOD with unanimous support from the Election Committee:
9. To have attended at least one General Meeting within 24 months prior to the voting meeting.

Or1) To have participated as a Committee member within 24 months prior to the voting meeting.          1) Committees include Zoning, Membership, Election, Liberty Lands, Safety, Marketing and Communications, and Operations.          2) Committee Chairpersons will identify members.2) Proposed with the intent to be implemented sometime shortly after the next election in May, 2019 NLNA March Fundraising & Membership Committees ReportFundraising Committee:

1. Sincere thanks to Oron Daskal and his family for once again generously donating the use of North Bowl for the 2019 Winterfest. In addition to this he donated all the food, beer, wine and beverages. Truly amazing.
2. Thank you as well to the Penn Treaty Special Services for the generous sponsorship of the event which helps underwrite our costs.
3. Special thanks to all the people who volunteered and worked so hard to make the event another great success. Thanks to Paula Gansky, Shelley Marcus, Mary Galgon, Michele Brown, Sasi Judd, Barbara Saverino and Maria Bell. It takes a lot of time and persistence to contact the various businesses and follow up and through with them for donations.
4. We are very grateful to all the neighborhood businesses who generously donated items to be auctioned and raffled off. We had the most donations in terms of number of items donated, ever, from the businesses in Northern Liberties. 
5. Kristen Ainscoe and I met last Wednesday afternoon to discuss putting together an events calendar that would contain the most pertinent information and a checklist of things to think about ahead of time. We want to create an online Google workbook that will list all the event and be accessible by invitation. We will be seeking input from those who lead an event.

-Liberty Lands Committee Report: Janet Finegar: written report attached and reviewed.Joe Mikuliak and Claire Adler were appointed to the NLAC Board of Directors.Liberty Lands Report   March  2019

• We held the first “mandatory community gardeners meeting” of my memory on February 12. Attendance was excellent (though not 100%): we reviewed the rules for the garden, discussed the reasons behind some of the policies, and went over what's going on with the fence project. We plan to hold a small make up meeting for those who could not attend.
• New gardeners Roi Frankel and Marie Bell have volunteered to head up the City Harvest program for this year. They (and Janet) attended PHS' meeting about the program on Feb. 20. We're hoping to see good participation from the gardeners for this important program.
• The fence project is starting to have a schedule! Railroad ties were supposed to be removed on Friday, but the snow pushed us back to Wednesday the 6th. The rep from the fence company has done a final look at the site and is starting fabrication of the fence – he should be ready to start installation in 3 weeks. Meanwhile, Mark Romaniw of Ventura Construction has planned out a “skirting wall” that will run along the new sidewalk to prevent erosion and make installation of the fence on that side (where there's significant concrete and rebar) easier. He should be able to start right after the flower show (around March 11). This disappointingly puts us with the fence not quite finished by the March 23 “garden cleanup” workday, but we should, at least, be able to get many things done that day.
• We are still looking for a contractor to deliver the approximately 44 yards of soil we need to fill in the beds of the sinkhole garden, but have some leads thanks to George Petropolis. The goal is to get that done before the fence goes in, obviously.
• Reservations are starting to come in for events: there will be a community Easter Egg hunt, a performance for World Dance Day in April, a series of puppet-making workshops in July culminating in a performance at the beginning of August. Plus many private parties, of course. We're trying a policy of asking for a $50 (refundable) trash deposit from every private party. If anyone is interested in taking on the job of handling reservations, I'd be delighted to give it up!
• The lock on the shed door keeps malfunctioning and probably needs to be replaced. Frown.
• Because all the money for the sidewalk needed to be fronted from the Liberty Lands account and we have not yet received the reimbursement from our state grant, the account is somewhat cash poor right now. I've been in communication with the grant officer and am confident that the check will come in, but we're waiting right now. Once it arrives and we are flush again, we'll schedule another round of tree pruning to take care of the honey locusts that are over the toddler playground: they need extra attention this year. We will also add new safety surfacing to the playground this year (and I will apply for a PTSSD sponsorship to cover the cost).
• FOR NLNA BOARD ACTION: We need to appoint two new members for the NLAC Board of Directors. Anne Waginger and Lystra Harris have resigned. The rest of that Board is Don Phillips, President; Janet Finegar, Vice President; Liz Reed, Secretary; Rick Angeli, and Barbara Saverino.

 Operations Committee Report: Monika KreidieThe committee met and is working on creating a manual for operations of the community center. They did a cleanup of the basement. Joe is taking the lead on getting the quilt repaired and will also contact the Fabric Workshop for advice on display methods that might be better for the quilt's protection.-Public Safety Committee Report: Melanie CoffmanMelanie reported that a second CPR class was held in February and 12 people attended. Zoning Committee Report: Joe Mikuliak; written reportMotion: By Janet Finegar, seconded by Barb Mulckhuyse. “To ratify the recommendations of the Zoning Committee in the matter of  973 N. Leithgow St., i.e.: 'We require a 9 feet deep rear yard for the existing dwelling on Lot A. Please deliver new drawings to the Zoning committee chair that show a 9 feet rear yard on Lot A in order to receive a letter of support for the subdivision from the NLNA.'”  Passed 8-0-0Motion: By , seconded by. “To ratify the recommendations of the Zoning Committee in the matter of  901 N. Front St., i.e.: 'Please return with the following: 1) A plan for waste storage and removal with no trash cans on the sidewalk or street; 2) The number of dogs your property is allowed to have during the day and overnight; and 3) Plans for a fence that is not totally opaque and will allow graffiti to be easily removed.'”  Passed 8-0-0 Motion: By Monika Kreidie, seconded by Claire Adler. “To ratify the recommendations of the Zoning Committee in the matter of 518 W. Girard Ave., i.e.: 'We can support a variance for a tattoo parlor on the 2nd floor of 518 West Girard Ave if the owner agrees with the following provisos: 1) The tattoo parlor will only be located on the 2nd floor of 518 Girard Ave.; 2) Signage for the parlor is limited to the front door; 3) Hours of operation open for customers is 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.; 4) The body art service is limited to a maximum of 3 chairs, and 5) There will be no outdoor speakers or music projected to the outside. In addition, the owner must agree to make the following improvements before opening the new tattoo parlor: a) repair the damaged area on the exterior wall above the first floor; b) repaint the 2^ndand 3^rdfloors exterior walls a solid color; c) plant a tree in the empty tree pit in front of the building; d) repair the hole in the sidewalk in front of the building.'”  Passed 8-0-0-Old BusinessDon reviewed the proposals by the Election Committee to address the issue of “drive-by voting” in Board elections (submitted as the Election Committee report). The proposed change in procedure for voting was discussed with some concern about how seriously it will offend latecomers who are refused a ballot. The suggestion was made that the voting portion of the meeting not begin until 7:30 in order to give people a little more time to make it to the meeting. Matt suggested that the committee be asked to also change its vote counting procedure to make the process shorter (having only 2 or at most 3 people count the ballots). There was conversation about the proposed change to the bylaws requiring people to attend a general meeting or participate in an NLNA committee in the 24 years before an election. The issue will continue under discussion. New Business

• Joe reported that the Police will be bringing out a “wish list” of items they need for their bicycle cops and suggested that the NLNA sponsor an item in the future.
• He also suggested that the NLNA hold a Red Cross First Aid certification class for neighbors.

 The meeting was adjourned by acclaim at 8:34 p.m.Addenda:NLNA Zoning Committee Minutes Feb. 25, 2019Members present: Larry Freedman, chair; Joe Mikuliak, rec. sec. Jonathan Sher, Melissa Magness; Kenny Grono; Christine Furman  Member absent: Charley Abdo, Sharon Richman, Ira Upin, Chris Isaacson, Jared Foreman, Abbey Spector973 N. Leithgow St. Lot runs from 4th St. through to Leithgow St. South of George St. Presentation by Kenneth J. Fleisher, attorney. Property is zoned RSA 5 Proposal is to create 2 lots from 1 - Lot A will be along Leithgow and 1401 Square feet (approx. 20’ x 70’.) It has an occupied 2 family dwelling on it. The 9’ yard has a 3’ bay overhanging it so it is non-compliant. Lot B will be along 4th St. and 990 sq. ft. (approx. 20’ x 49’.) It is currently a vacant lot with a cinderblock wall and a door to the sidewalk. Refusal - the lot sizes are under 1440 sq. ft. and the rear yard on Lot A is less than 9 ft. Ten neighbors were present. Questions/answers: The owner lives in N.L. and has no plans to sell either property at this time. A new house could be built on Lot B without another variance if it complied with the code (38 ft high, 9 feet deep rear yard, etc.) The city requires a 9 feet deep rear yard to allow sunlight to reach that property and nearby neighbors.Motion by Joe M 2nd by Kenny G:  We require a 9 feet deep rear yard for the existing dwelling on Lot A. Please deliver new drawings to the Zoning committee chair that show a 9 feet rear yard on Lot A in order to receive a letter of support for the subdivision from the NLNA. Passed 5 - 0901 N. Front St. New construction at Front and Poplar Presentation by Rachel Pritzker, architect. Property is zoned CMX-3 Proposal is for an overnight kennel for approximately 20 dogs in an already approved doggie day care for about 40 to 50 dogs. They also want an eight feet high fence. Refusal - overnight boarding is not allowed. An 8’ fence is not allowed Eight neighbors were present. Questions/answers: Hours requested are 7 AM to 7PM for the doggie day care. Outdoor area is 45’ x 35’ and is on the corner, away from adjoining homes. Fence would be wooden and opaque. The three-story building will have residences above. Presenter did not have information about trash storage and pick-up. No specificity was given about the number of dogs or what the code would allow.Motion by Joe M. 2nd by Jonathan S.: Please return with the following:

1. 1. A plan for waste storage and removal with no trash cans on the sidewalk or street. 2. The number of dogs your property is allowed to have during the day and overnight.
2. Plans for a fence that is not totally opaque and will allow graffiti to be easily removed. Passed 5-0
3. 518 W. Girard Ave. Store between 5th and Randolph. Presentation by Vincent Velez, owner and operator Property is zoned CMX2. Proposal is for a tattoo parlor on the second floor above an existing airbush store. Refusal – Tattoo parlor (Body art service) is prohibited in this zone. Seven neighbors were present. Questions/answers: Vincent said there will be no signage on the street; customers would come by appointment only. The shop would be on the second floor and have a maximum of three chairs. The requested hours are 10 AM to 7 PM. There are no residences in this building. The building’s façade was damaged and repaired poorly. Several neighbors did not want any more low-life uses on the 500 block of Girard. The straw poll was three against, four in favor with provisos. The date of the ZBA hearing is March 20.

Group Motion:  We can support a variance for a tattoo parlor on the 2nd floor of 518 West Girard Ave if the owner agrees with the following provisos: 1. The tattoo parlor will only be located on the 2nd floor of 518 Girard Ave. 2. Signage for the parlor will not be visible from the Girard Avenue Sidewalk. 3. Hours of operation open for customers is 10AM to 7PM. 4. The body art service is limited to a maximum of 3 chairs. 5. There will be no outdoor speakers or music projected to the outside. In addition, the owner must agree to make the following improvements before opening the new tattoo parlor: 1. To repair the damaged area on the exterior wall above the first floor. 2. To repaint the 2nd and 3rd floors exterior walls a solid color. 3. To plant a tree in the empty tree pit in front of the building. 4. To repair the hole in the sidewalk in front of the building. Passed 4-0

• March 6 ZBA hearing for 1151 N. 3rd Street was discussed.• Election of Zoning Committee officers: Co-Chairs; Larry Freedman and Kenny Grono Recording Secretary: Joe Mikuliak   Passed unanimously