January12, 2004 MLPA Board Meeting Minutes (draft)

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Board and Committee members present:  Norman McKay, Dianne Olansky, Charlotte Gillis, Ruth Alexander, Mike Carew, Alan Perry, Susan Drake, Barry Berlin, Karen Schaefer, John Schwartz, Mae Reich, Pat Gardner, Joe Giardina, Martha Porter Hall, Kerry Brown, Tad Christian, Trav Carter, Daniel Cherrix, Bill Ellis.

President McKay called the meeting to order at approximately 7:32 pm.  He welcomed everyone and wished everyone a happy new year.  First order of business was the approval of December minutes.  Moved, seconded and passed.

Anne Fauver recognized.  As the result of a stroke of genius by Ansley Park volunteer Sue Olszewski, 3 million dollars obtained for traffic calming because of impacts of 17th Street bridge.  Now Ansley Park has obtained initial approval from ARC for a plan that offers to a few neighborhoods 125,000 on a matching basis and that is then matched 4 to 1 by federal funds.  Anne has proposed legislation that will give the neighborhood 125,000 from impact fees.  But all of those funds can only be used for construction.   Another 125,000 still needed for design costs.  Ansley is talking about including only 4 other neighborhoods: Morningside could be one of them but the final design is not done.  Discussions were had about the potential contributors to help get us this money.  Fundraising becomes the issue.

Complaints about people living in Georgia Power-owned house on Lenox Road but checks by Security Patrol officer as well as by GP have not turned up any evidence of trespassing.  If anyone seen there, call 911.        Question raised regarding Graffitti hotline and why Burger King restaurant not cleaned up yet.  Anne agreed to check on it.

Pat Gardner recognized and spoke on upcoming issues at the State Legislature.  Budget is big issue but HOPE and tort reform will also be on the plate.  January 15th hearing for any Fulton County resident, 6:00 pm (6:30?) to testify about what legislation is needed for the area. The hearing will take place in Room 606 of the Legislative Office Building, 18 Capitol Square, the building across Mitchell Street, just south of the State Capitol.  Email pat@patgardner.org for additional information or for comments or questions.     

Committee reports:

Motion made to move budget discussions up front. Passed.  Ruth Alexander presented proposed budget.  Current budget has MLPA spending 54,000 more than what we have coming in, but we have about 80,000 in reserve so MLPA should not go broke.  Ruth of the opinion that this year MLPA may actually spend according to the budget and so MLPA will dip into the reserve.  Question regarding eating in to the reserve, given that it is healthy to have such a reserve.  Spending is discretionary, it was observed, and if MLPA doesn't have the money, then it won't spend it.  Motion made to approve MLPA and MSP budgets.  Passed 12-0-0.

Security/Public Safety: Mike Carew reported.  No crime stats due to the holidays but they will be forthcoming.  Unfortunately, burglaries and car breakins continued, despite the lack of statistics. Concern about increasing drug activity in neighborhood and reports of drug selling on Windemere and north on Lenox.  Now some calls on Barclay.  Tag numbers are being processed.  Appeared at Citizens Advisory Committee last week.  Police department seems very responsive to heavily developed commercial areas but residential areas play second fiddle.  Exploring ideas about getting a miniprecinct in the neighborhood.

Membership: President reported that membership renewal forms coming in well.  Motion made to approve postage for annual mailing in amount of 540.  Passed.

Newsletter: Martha Hall reported.  Committee reports needed.  Next issue will be on restaurants in neighborhood and adjacent areas.  80 potential restaurants.

Parks: Karen Schaefer reported.  February 7 is next tree planting.  Let Karen know of any spots that could use trees.  Haygood will be redoing parking lot and will include tree plantings.

Beautification: Kerry Brown reported.  Effort to be made to get volunteers to work on greenspaces near their homes. Thanks going out to those already working on spaces.

Schools: Joe Giardina reported.  Next CINS meeting will be at John Hope Elementary at 7 pm on January 28th.  Dr. Hall will speak.

Special Events: Daniel Cherrix reported.  2/2 is next event with 4 members of Symphony putting on concert at Morningside Presbyterian Church.  Membership material should be available and a table staffed.

Tour of Homes: no report.

Traffic: Bill Ellis reported.  To clarify traffic calming plan - it sat dormant for a while but now has caught fire and is moving quickly.  Question regarding Sidney Marcus Park and prohibiting parking on one side of the street for the length of the park.  City will be asked to determine which would be the safer side.  Dianne Olansky reported that on 1/22 from 4-6 is next meeting about Beltline, at Emory School of Public Health.

North MLPA/Sidewalks: no report.

South MLPA: Barry Berlin reported.  More bricks going in at Sidney Marcus Park.  Kids should return to the park once weather improves.

NPU Rep.: question regarding necessity for replacement of Dianne as NPU Rep.  Discussion regarding replacement.

Treasurer's Report: Ruth Alexander reported again. Annual report presented.

Zoning: Tad Christian  reported.

607 E. Morningside. Application Number V-03-380. Applicant seeks a variance to reduce the west side yard setback from 7 ft.(required) to 4.8 ft. to allow for the construction of a 2nd story addition.  In zoning committee, motion to approve west side yard setback with no portion of the addition to exceed the existing west side yard encroachment and with a condition that the front yard sidewalk be replaced.  In zoning committee, passed 8-0-0.    Footprint of house is not being changed.  Letters of approval presented from neighbors.    Motion made to approve per action of zoning committee, seconded and passed 8-0-2.

New business.  Discussion of proposed addition of policy statement on use of MLPA database, email and email addresses.  Motion made to approve policy, seconded and passed.  (Policy attached to end of minutes).  Mae and perhaps others will work on condensing the policy to make it more concise for inclusion in the policy sheet.  Policy approved with understanding that a more concise version will be presented at next month's meeting for formal inclusion.

Mambo's, Horizon and Oldtown Pizza cited for serving liquor to underage undercover agent.  Hearings taking place. Request made for Board to send letter to License Review Board stating that restaurants have been good neighbors and that we want to see them continue in the neighborhood.  Suggestion that we send a "condolence" letter to the businesses for their use as they see fit.  Motion made to send such a letter, contingent upon the approval of the text by the board, passed with one abstention.

Old business: Georgia Power will return in March to give us an update about the potential substation.  Meeting adjourned at 9:15 pm.

Question from the secretary/email person:  have you renewed your membership?  Next month, these minutes will likely only go to those who have!

Policy referred to in minutes: MORNINGSIDE LENOX PARK ASSOCIATION POLICY ON USE OF THE DATABASE, EMAIL, AND EMAIL ADDRESSES

MLPA maintains a database of member addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses and other pertinent information.  This information is obtained from membership forms completed by members upon joining MLPA or renewing their membership.  MLPA recognizes the benefits of both maintaining this database and email communications by its Board with MLPA members.   The purpose of this policy statement is to put in written form certain understandings and limitations for the use of the database, particularly email addresses.

The MLPA database is a valuable Association resource.  Its integrity is essential to the workings of MLPA.  The MLPA Membership Committee is charged with the responsibility of maintaining the accuracy of the database.  The official copy of the database resides with the Membership Committee Chair or the Chair's designee.   Copies of the database should never be provided to anyone outside of MLPA.  Within MLPA, certain persons, including the President and the Public Safety/Security Patrol Chair, are periodically provided with updated copies of the membership database.   The MLPA database is not available for commercial use or for any non-MLPA use unless specifically approved by the MLPA Board and/or the Executive Committee.

Membership-wide email communications must be approved, except in extraordinary circumstances, by both the President and the Board member responsible for the handling of email.  MLPA Board and Committee members may use the email addresses and other information from the database as appropriate to their duties in MLPA.   These duties never include any commercial or advertising functions for any entity other than MLPA.  MLPA is committed to providing information to its members without flooding mailboxes with MLPA emails.  The MLPA Board welcomes input from the membership regarding the use of email and this policy.

MLPA undertakes to remove email addresses from its database promptly upon request.  Mass email communications are communicated to the membership only on a "bcc" basis so that the email address list is not transmitted to any email recipients.

MLPA members are encouraged to communicate with Board members by email (as well as otherwise) as deemed necessary.  Names, street addresses, phone numbers as well as email addresses for all Board members (and their respective responsibilities) can be found in the annual Membership Directory and on the website, www.mlpa.org.   General email inquiries to MLPA are forwarded to the appropriate Board member for handling and, as with any volunteer organization, responses are forthcoming when time permits.  Emailing Security Patrol vacation requests by MSP members is not appropriate and will not result in coverage.

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