November11, 2002 MLPA Board Meeting Minutes - draft

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MLPA Board Members in Attendance:
Norman McKay, Bob Silvia, Ruth Alexander, Mike Carew, Joelle Spain, Jon Schwartz, Kerry Brown, Bill Ellis, Joe Giardina, Steve Rowell, Pat Gardner, Mae Reich, Trav Carter, Mike Banick, Karen Schaefer

1. Norman McKay (chairing the meeting in President Dianne Olansky's absence) opened the November meeting at 7:32 PM on November 11, 2002. Bob Silvia took minutes.

2. The October meeting minutes were approved with no changes.

3. Council Member Anne Fauver reviewed the following:

A. Sanitation schedule. If your trash is scheduled to be picked up on either Monday or Tuesday then your rubbish pickup will be the 1st and 3rd week of the month. We are not supposed to put out bags of leaves, branches, etc. until the day of pickup.

B. Special events ordinance - it's a work in progress. Original was not well received due to high up front costs.

C. Budget. The hearings with Department Heads starts on 11/14/02. Council expects to have a budget to present by the first week of December. There will be a hearing on the budget on 11/20/02 at Grady High School from 6pm to 8pm. Proposed cost curtailment measures:  police department will be saving money by taking suspects they arrest directly to the Counties' jails, saving millions from the City's budget.  A total of 112 jobs have been eliminated in the draft, but that consists of 50 vacant jobs being done away with and another 32 jobs which will simply be funded with someone else's budget.  

Norman also recognized and congratulated Board member and MLPA member Pat Gardner on her re-election as State Representative.

4. Committee Reports

Security Patrol - Mike Carew. Mike reviewed the crime report and reminded everyone that it is available on the website (http://www.mlpa.org). Reminder - it is the Holiday Season and now is the time that many people have items taken from cars. PLEASE DO NOT LEAVE ITEMS IN YOUR CAR!  There were 6 burglaries in October.  Mike did not know of any particular pattern.

The MLPA picnic was a great time. Police from MSP and from Zone 2. A big thanks to Publics, George's Bar and Grill, and to Dianne, Joelle, Bob and Mike for cooking. At the December meeting Mike will be recognizing the three (3) officers who have been with the MSP since its conception - 10 years ago!

Membership - Joelle Spain. Email was sent out to entire membership. You get 10% off of price if you join MSP prior to 12/31/02 (celebration of 10th Anniversary of MSP). We already have 120 people signed up for MSP. We are also mailing out the renewal reminder notice on Monday 11/18/02.  A Big Thanks to Kate Gaddy for doing the artwork for the membership package! Also - thanks to Coldwell Banker for putting the renewal reminder on their sign on Highland.

Newsletter - no report.

Parks - Karen Shaefer. Tree's Atlanta (and anyone else who'd like to volunteer) will be planting trees on 2/8/03. If you'd like to help or if you'd like a tree, contact Karen Shaefer.

Julian Bene reviewed the status of the tree ordinance. New proposal has caps that remove any payment for removal of trees. City Council is to vote on 12/2/02 and after lots of discussion the attached motion was made.  (Through a snafu, the motion is not attached to this email message but will be included in the next MLPA email). Vote was 6 for, 1 against and 4 abstain.

Beautification - Kerry Brown. Big Thanks to Leah McKay and everyone else who worked on the Wildwood Gardens cleanup!  Kerry is checking with Habersham Gardens to see where they are on refurbishing the traffic circle near Wildwood Gardens park. They are a recurring Tour of Homes sponsor and have graciously agreed to sponor plantings and overall maintenance of the island.  Kerry also asked for and got unanimous approval for $700 to place Red, White and Blue holiday wreaths on our Markers.

Schools - Joe Giardina. 11/20/02 is the 25th Anniversary of CINS 12:30 @ Morningside Elementary School. Thank you letter from Grady for the MLPA $1000 donation.  Based on a written request from the PTA, Joe requested $1000 for Morningside for scholarship ten (10) Fifth graders to attend the Rock Eagle Trip, an annual tradition at Morningside for the graduating 5th grade class. Motion passed (6 for, 1 against, 3 abstain).

Special Events - Norman for Daniel Cherrix. Last June's Celebration of Summer sponsor pledges still being collected.  Event should end up being break even or slight profit.  As a part of their ongoing community outreach effort, the ASO will be performing at the Morningside Presbyterian Church on 2/3/03 at 7 PM.

Tour of Homes - no report.

Traffic - Bill Ellis. After five (5) emails, 3 phone calls and intervention by Anne Fauver to finally have their quarterly meeting with the BTSS on Wed. Nov. 13th at 1:30pm at the Bureau of Traffic & Transportation offices downtown.  Also met with Lt. Tolson to discuss special operations changes and how it might impact MLPA.

North MLPA/Sidewalks - no report

Treasurer's report - Ruth Alexander. Tax Return for 2001 is available. Insurance renewal time is here. Current policy is $5056.48 and includes the Celebration of Summer but not the separate rider for the Tour of Homes event. Ruth will check with insurance company to check if Board Members are covered (as "actors" while staffing volunteer events, etc.) and determine what, if anything, is excluded. She will renew the policy and answer the questions at the next meeting.  

Zoning - Steve Rowell

V-02-270 1117 Zimmer Drive, Dr. Stuart Hoffman. Reduce side setback. Passed via voice vote.

V-020272 1014 McLynn Ave, Joel Craft. Passed via voice vote.

Trav Carter asked that people drive by the DOT on Cheshire Bridge and then email our State Representatives to complain about the razor wire fence that has been erected along the roadway.  This industrial looking security fence certainly not in keeping with the much discussed, carefully crafted long term development plan from the Cheshire Bridge Task Force.

New business consisted of the reminder to all of the Budget hearing (see above) at Grady on 11/20/02 and also a reminder that the hearing to hear The Masters Club appeal of the City's sign ordinance violation citation is scheduled for 1 PM 12/6/02 at the BZA downtown.

Meeting ended at ~ 9:30 PM.

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