Southside Neighborhood Associations: Cowart Place, Fort Negley, Jefferson Heights
Time: April 04 2013 (Wed) @
6pm
Location: Church on Main
Agenda/ Minutes
1) Welcome: Heidi Hefferlin, President
welcomed residents of Jefferson Heights and Fort Negley to first joint meeting
of the three neighborhood associations and three guests. (Joe Graham, County
Commissioner for District 1 of the two county districts in the association area
and our host owners of Church on Main)
2) Voice of Southside: Introduction of the
approximately 28 participants (see sign up sheet) was conducted with a nominal
question: “What is main benefit and challenge in living in Southside
neighborhoods?”
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Benefits
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Challenges
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Energy
- new construction, people and things happening (6)
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Traffic
flow and speed
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Smart
growth
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Friendly
people (6)
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Affordable
housing & education
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Un-maintained
lots, unoccupied housing and buildings
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Community
(3)
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Need
more trash receptacles
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Crime
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Walkability
(3) - to local shops; exercise; downtown
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Overcoming
negative perception
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Double
taxation
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Diversity
(3) - age, income, race etc.
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Jaywalkers
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More
night and weekend life/ openings
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Mixed
use housing
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Sewer
and chicken plant odors
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Repurposed
buildings; historic preservation
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Parking
- Free vs paid
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Arts-
public and commercial
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3) Report on Cowart Place NA 2012 Priorities:
Heidi Hefferlin
Of the the 12 priorities, three were reported
in green or success status; four in yellow or cautiously progressive and four
in low or no progress status.
- Priority 1A – Clean Up Corner of Market and
20th priority was highlighted as yellow due to marginal progress but
was addressed with two Clean and Green events in April and September 2012 and
continuous effort with Saturday clean sweeps.
-Priority 1B – Speed Control priority was
successfully addressed with installation of stop signs at corner of 18th
and Cowart and 17th and Long.
-Priority 2 – Sidewalks priority was
successfully addressed by having three of the ten trip hazards addressed by
Public Works.
-Priority 6 – Pocket Park priority was
successfully addressed with construction of the park framework and the
continuing fund raising campaign.
Recognition of the successful “Between The
Sidewalks” dinner celebration project conducted by Teal Thibaud as part of her
Leadership Institute class.
4) The Treasurer’s report was given by Cynthia
Nesson indicating a First Tennessee bank balance of $3089.00 in the General
Organization Fund and a balance of $21,262.50 in the Cowart Place Park Fund
held in the Community Foundation Inc.
5) Establishing 2013 Priorities: Lloyd Longnion
Using the committee structure as a basis for
designating categories of task force work to be initiated and/or on-going for
2013, Longnion applied some of the Voice of the Southside input to define task
force priorities for 2013.
Liaison Task Force 2013:
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Longnion will be
surveying members of Jefferson Heights and Fort Negley Neighborhood
Associations to determine the level of satisfaction/ desire to have combined
meetings like this one.
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Chris Anderson,
Councilman-Elect for District 7 gave a brief statement of his intentions to serve
this area and address some of the benefits and challenges gathered during the
Voice of the Southside discussion.
He invited all to attend the inauguration session on April 15th at the
Tivoli.
-
Commissioner Joe
Graham indicated his wish to be involved with the neighborhood associations.
Open Space Task Force 2013:
- Pocket Park activity continuation requires on-going
fund raising. Cynthia Nesson and
Heidi Hefferlin presented a report showing the current donation sources and
expenses encumbered to date and in near term:
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Donations:
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Lynhurst & The Well & ChooChoo Partners
(Carry Forward)
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$10,700.00
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Other Donations:
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Area 203
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$6,000.00
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ArtTech
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$ 750.00
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Anonymous
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$ 750.00
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Chattanooga Engineering
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62.50
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MainX24 Pancake Breakfast
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$3,000.00
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Total Donations:
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$ 21, 262.50
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Commitments:
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Yerby Concrete (Walkways)
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$ 18,000.00
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Fill Dirt & Sod-Immediate Need
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$3, 679.36
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Total Commitments:
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$21, 679.36
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Short-Fall
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$146.50
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Action:
Heidi Hefferlin requested that a
vote of the membership be conducted via the SCPNA web site to authorize the
expenditure of up to $2,500.00 from the General Fund to the Cowart Place Park
Fund at the Community Foundation to cover the short-fall.
Ö
St. Georges Update:
Heidi Hefferlin presented status of communication between the Association and
Cornerstone regarding the proposal submitted by SCPNA. A letter of response will be posted on
the Association’s website.
Ö
Clean & Green
Event:
- Longnion distributed a sign up sheet for participants
in Saturday, April 4th event.
Participants were invited to meet at corner of Main and Market at 9am
Saturday morning. Complimentary
coffee will be served at the Mean Mug to participants in the event. In addition, the new Southside Cowart
Place Neighborhood white cap would be available for participants in this and
the regular Saturday morning trash sweeps.
Safety Task Force 2013: Teal Thibaud reported on the Neighborhood Walk
program that she had conducted over the past year and indicated that next Walk
is scheduled for 7pm on April 29
and following on each last Thursday of the month.
Public Relations Task Force 2013:
-A
brief discussion regarding the feasibility of continuing our involvement with
Main X 24. A final decision will be made at next
meeting in July.
-A
brief discussion about taking a position on the use of the Southside Heritage Society’s NEXT DOOR web site to communicate new
developments and crime within
the neighborhood. No decision was
made.
-”Between
the Sidewalks” celebration continuation will be discussed at next meeting. Jefferson Heights will be having their
July 4th celebration the week of on 18th and Adams.
6) Wrap Up
NOTICE: Next meeting: July
2013