Alcatraz Avenue Neighborhood Association

August 2002 Minutes

Alcatraz Avenue Neighborhood Association

Minutes of Meeting: August 14, 2002, 7:00 p.m.
Location: Over 60 Health Center: 3260 Sacramento St. Berkeley, CA 94703
Attendees:
City of Berkeley: Ofc. Robert Rittenhouse, Margaret Breland, Patricia Duncan-Hall
AANA Officers: Ron Casimere (Chair), Fredia Street-Smith (Treasurer) and Lori Lott (Secretary)
13 Alcatraz Avenue Neighbors/Visitors

1. Meeting called to order at 7:15. Roll Call of AANA officers.

2. Introductions of those attending the meeting.

3. Reading of the minutes: Presented by Lori Lott. Correction was made to the financial report: "Current Balance = $281.26". Motion to adopt the amended minutes passed unanimously.

4. Financial Report: Presented by Fredia Street-Smith. She reported that only 4 people have paid the AANA dues ($25 per household). She reminded us that the dues are not mandatory, but do help with operations.
Balance Carried Over = $ 280.26
Current Balance (checking and savings) = $ 305.26

City of Berkeley Police Update: a. Ofc. Rittenhouse reported that several strong-arm and bank robberies took place in the last few days. He will keep us updated. b. He is now the Area Coordinator for South and West Berkeley, so he will be very busy, so if he doesn’t call back right away, try again. Emails work best! c. Ofc. Rittenhouse reported problems with auto burglaries. Don’t leave any valuables (even spare change!) in the car. This is related to drug activity, as people are desperate for money to buy drugs. He stressed the importance of knowing your neighbors! Report suspicious activity to the police, and they will find out whether the person belongs. May not be able to arrest them, but it could prevent a crime. c. Tenants of the Mable Howard apartments reported problems with car burglaries in the locked garage. Ofc. Rittenhouse mentioned ways to deal with it, and is willing to meet with the tenants and building management to discuss the issue. d. A question was raised about why we can’t have more police officers (specifically, more bike patrol officers). This complicated issue has been discussed before (i.e. police retiring, it takes a long time to train new officers, budget issues, etc). e. Ofc. Rittenhouse was asked whether King Street murders have been solved (not yet). He is willing to check on other specific cases with detectives.

5. City of Berkeley Update: Councilmember Breland was present to hear our concerns. She is glad we are still together, and willing to work hard to help us with our issues. Council is on break until Sept. 10. Ms. Breland is working on getting us the extra pedestrian street lights for the block and a half we are missing. The bike lane will be on either King or California Street. She recognizes that traffic is still bad, and encourages us to keep complaining!

6. 62nd / 63rd Street Neighborhood Association Update: Representatives reported that things have been somewhat quieter around Stanford Liquor Store, due to recent BPD arrests, but there is a new group of dealers hanging around. Ofc. Rittenhouse reports that this often happens: displacement from one area to another, and reminds us to use THE-COPS line to report (or if ongoing, contact him or Drug Task Force officers).

7. Old Business: Ron spoke to Mathew Nichols from Transportation about the grant (The announcement is expected Dec. 2002), and the specific traffic calming issues (Staff met with AC transit re: the traffic calming device. They have concerns and will do modifications to develop a workable plan. This is their #1 priority).

8. New Business: a. Fredia spoke to an AC transit official about installing extra bus stop enclosures: In particular, near the Over 60 Center. b. Tree trimming along Alcatraz is scheduled for this coming winter. c. One neighbor reported being busy doing walks to raise money for breast cancer research. She will bring pledge forms to the next meeting, for those who wish to support her efforts. d. The M&B Liquor store now closes at 12 am. Has this had an impact on the problems in this area? e. The ABC has a new district administrator (Everest Robillard) who is very responsive to the needs of the community. f. The group was asked whether they would support a letter being sent to the ABC attempting to block the liquor license transfer of J & B Liquors. Motion passed unanimously. g. There was a recent situation where another group’s meeting notes specified someone’s name. Councilmember Breland suggested that we make sure all names (except board members and City Officials) are removed from hard copies or website copies of the minutes. h. A representative from a neighborhood watch group in the area near the 1400 block of Alcatraz was present. He reported that they usually meet the 1st Tuesday of each month.

9. Next Meeting is scheduled for September 11, 7:00 pm at the Over 60 Health Center.

10. Meeting adjourned at 8:40 pm.