Minutes

Tenney Lapham Neighborhood Association Council

December 6, 2006

 

Council Members Present:  Patrick McDonnell, Sandy Ward, Bob Sommerfeldt, Richard Linster, Richard Freihoefer, Sean Gutknecht, Jim Sturm, Diane Milligan, Cheryl Wittke, Nancy McLean, Susan Bauman Duren, Ruth Rohlich.

 

Guests: Ed Jepsen, Brenda Konkel

 

Call to order at 7:00   

  1. Introductions were made.  Welcome to Jim Sturm, new chair of the parks committee.
  2. Minutes of November approved unanimously with one modification.
  3. Neighborhood Plan update (Pat)
    1. Linda Horvath said the resolution is still being prepared because staff were pulled away to other projects and therefore havenÕt yet finished it.
    2. The resolution will go to the Common Council in February 2007.
    3. The Council will refer it to committees and commissions for review.
    4. Then it will come back to the Council for adoption, likely in May after the ÒnewÓ Council is in office.
  4. EINPC Representative:  Sean Gutknecht volunteered to be our representative to EINPC for 2007.
  5. Annual budget (Nancy)
    1. The rough numbers for 2006 are:

                                                     i.     Income was $5,000 instead of the expected $8,000.

                                                      ii.     Expenses were $6,700 instead of the expected $10,000.

                                                        iii.     Balance:

1.     $17,854 in January 2006.

2.     $16,994 in October 2006.

    1. Susan gave an update on the monument

                                                     i.     Text, maps and location are set.

                                                      ii.     Design has not been done.

                                                        iii.     Money allocated in the 2006 budget should be carried forward to 2007.

                                                        iv.     Historic Society may be willing to give us $1,000 for this project Ð they had agreed to this several years ago but we didnÕt get the project done and so the money never came to us.

    1. The 2006 budget showed donations that we had agreed to make if they were requested, but they werenÕt requested.  Sandy moved and Nancy seconded that we give the intended 2006 donations to Safe Communities Coalition (SCC), Tenant Resource Center (TRC), and Salvation Army (SA).  After some discussion, the motion was amended so that each item could be discussed and voted upon separately and amended to add EINPC. 

                                                     i.     SCC.  11 in favor

                                                      ii.     TRC.  10 in favor, 1 opposed

                                                        iii.     SA 11 in favor

                                                        iv.     EINPC.  10 in favor, 1 abstain

    1. Diane moved and Richard L. seconded that for 2007 we set a monetary amount ($2,200) and develop criteria for evaluating whether to make a donation.

                                                     i.     Possible criteria were discussed:

1.     The need for our support.

2.     The potential benefit to the neighborhood.

3.     The organization itself makes a request.

                                                      ii.     Discussion ensued.

                                                        iii.     Vote was 6 in favor and 5 against.

    1. There was further discussion regarding the idea of waiting until January to decide the specific amount and to discuss how much we wish to allocate to the 4 schools.

                                                     i.     Richard L. moved that we reconsider the previous motion in January.  All in favor.

                                                      ii.     Richard L. will write a newsletter article seeking suggestions about making donations, including the issue of what criteria to use in evaluating requests.

    1. We briefly discussed the budget implications of mailing the newsletter instead of hand delivering it.

                                                     i.     Sandy will dredge through old minutes to locate our previous discussion of this matter.

                                                      ii.     Richard L. will ask Bob Shaw for any information he has about costs.

    1. Pat asked that all Committee Chairs and anyone else with expenditure ideas for 2007 should send those ideas to Nancy and Pat so that by the January meeting we can finalize the budget.
  1. Alder report
    1. Well 3 meeting.

                                                     i.     A repeat of content from previous meeting.

                                                      ii.     Well 3 has been off since September 6.

                                                        iii.     EPA standards were never exceeded.

                                                        iv.     Plan:

1.     Find a new site and dig well deeper (a very likely outcome).

2.     Put filters on the old well (not a likely outcome).

    1. James Madison Park.

                                                     i.     Budget approved ($1.2 million).

1.     $200,000 for this year.

2.     $1,000,000 for next year.

                                                      ii.     Mayor will appoint a committee (surplus property committee) to guide the plans for selling the properties.

                                                        iii.     TLNA should develop a plan as to what we want in the park.

    1. Train horns.  The city as money to upgrade Johnson and Fordem into being a quiet zone.
    2. Conservation districts.

                                                     i.     Ordinance goes to the Plan Commission on Dec. 18th.

                                                      ii.     Then goes to Common Council in January.

                                                        iii.     We should start thinking about what area we want to have as a district.

                                                        iv.     There was discussion of the possible wisdom of holding back so as not to be the first neighborhood to go through the process.

    1. E. Washington BUILD design district ordinance.

                                                     i.     Goes to Common Council on Jan. 2.

                                                      ii.     Then goes out to committees.

                                                        iii.     There is still time for amendments.

                                                        iv.     Brenda received a request from David Waugh that the BUILD height limits be brought into alignment with our neighborhood plan.

    1. Flooding of streets.  L. Nelson says nothing more can be done about the situation.
  1. Barbara Vedder was not able to attend tonightÕs meeting but sent information that the county has the Tenney Lock light shields but installation is still on the Òto doÓ list.
  2. KidÕs holiday shopping day.
    1. Parents and kids will meet at Glitter Workshop at 1 p.m. this Saturday (Dec. 9th)
    2. Teen chaperones will watch over groups of 4 or so kids in stores while parents wait outside.
    3. Hot chocolate will be served at Company of Thieves.
    4. Sandy moved and Bob seconded allocating up to $100 to cover the costs of this event (e.g. the hot chocolate).  All in favor.
  3. Parks Committee
    1. Jim referred us to BrendaÕs report (above) regarding James Madison.
    2. Ed Jepsen (Friends of Yahara Parkway [FYP]) gave an update on some parkÕs issues.

                                                     i.     The bike path along the Yahara is done except for the E. Washington underpass and this will be done in about 6 weeks. In June we will be asked for about $100 for a grand opening of the path.

                                                      ii.     The last mess needing attention along the Yahara is the Southeast corner next to the E. Johnson St. Bridge.  Maybe TLNA and FYP could send a letter to Parks asking that they address this problem. No action was taken at this time.

                                                        iii.     Tour

1.     FYP received a $2,000 grant from Dance County Cultural Affairs for a walking tour of Tenney Park and the Neighborhood (both paper and web based).

2.     Ed will come back to us with a request for a monetary contribution to this effort. 

  1. Housing (Diane)
    1. Diane is taking the lead on the goal of having our two national districts become local districts too.
    2. Work will not start until after the holidays.
    3. The committee working with her is :

                                                     i.     Gigi Holland

                                                      ii.     Bob Somerfeldt

                                                        iii.     Jim and Sonya Roper

                                                        iv.     Joe Lusson.

    1. Pat will send an email via Yahoo to invite others to join in this effort in 2007 when Diane is ready to begin.

Adjourned by consensus at 9:00

Minutes submitted by Sandy Ward

 

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