Buckman Community Association

BCA General Meeting 01/11/07

BCA General Meeting 01/11/07

BCA General Meeting
January 11, 2007

Attendance (according to sign in sheets)
Linda Rhoads, Mike Wolfson, Jim Andrews, Brianne Eastburn, Cathy Lamb-Mullin, Susan Lindsay, Ann Bowling, Gilly Burlingham,
Loran Lamb-Mullin, Lee Pearlman, Leslie Pohl-Kosball (Parks), Sheila Baraja, Adam Zucker, Joe Meyer, Elaine Cohen, Denyse McGruff (PDC), Gabriel Rosen, Lucy Hardiman, Richard Bosch, Terry Glenn, Alice Meyers (BES), Rhetta Drennan (BES), James Rieas(sp?), Steve Stevens, Seth Rockwell, Joe Cotter, Kristen Wiener (SEUL), Gary Berger (SEUL), Mary Francillon, Annne Hughes.

Meeting called to order

Introductions

Approval of minutes from December general meeting
Motion made by B. Eastburn, 2nd by M. Wolfson; carried unanimously.
Approval of Biwa (new Japanese restaurant opening @ 215 SE 9th) GNA
Motion made by M. Wolfson, 2nd by G. Burlingham; carried unanimously
Police report
BCA to send a letter of “concern” to Commander Foxworth RE: increase in burglaries
Motion made by M. Wolfson, 2nd by L. Rhoads; carried unanimously

Report from PDOT
Resurface work (curb to curb, no realignments, etc) Hawthorne to Morrison / 12th to 20th

Demolition of Washington High School Buildings (Richard Bosch)
Parks & Rec. has begun demolition of newer buildings on the site; expect completion in March 07; will create more “grassy field space” for time being.

Introduction of new SEUL contact – Kristen Wiener. More details to follow regarding re-organization & who to contact for what at SEUL at a later date.
SEUL Small grants report.

CBO Grant Request (application deadline Feb 5, 2007)

Project Votes Yes Votes No
Joe Cotter to apply for $20k to repaint mural on Plaid Pantry wall 6 1
Steve Stevens from St. Francis to apply for $150k for rain garden / bio swale project 3 4
Community garden expansion @ Colonel Summers Park $17K 7 0
Sandy Blvd. Streetscape $150K (board voted on this project in Dec. 06)



"Routes to the River" streetscaping / sidewalk improvements (Denise McGriff, PDC)
· Salmon or Stark Streets or combo are favored

Clay street project
· Not applying for BES grant, would like support of BCA
· Motion made by M. Wolfson, 2nd by J. Andrews; carried unanimously

20th & Alder Street development
· Adjustment hearing Jan 25, 9am; 1900 SW 4th Ave.
· Request that BCA retain services of an attorney to work on adjustment appeal (see attached note #1 below)
· J. Andrews moved that BCA engage land use attorney, Gary Shepherd for “intervention” services only as long as work does not exceed $100; G. Burligham 2nd; carried unanimously

Give a Buck for Buckman Campaign (see attached note #2 below)
L. Rhoads moved that BCA back the campaign in its request to SEUL for fiscal sponsorship, 2nd by J. Andrews; carried unanimously




Announcements
· Light House event January 19, 2007 8pm
· Upcoming meetings
· BCA Board Feb 1, 6pm – 7:15pm, Central Catholic Teacher’s Lounge
· Liquor Committee, Feb 1, 7:15pm – 8pm, Central Catholic Teacher’s Lounge
· General BCA, Feb 8, 7pm – 9pm, Central Catholic Library
· Historic Designation Group, Jan 22, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, 225 SE 13th (subsequent meetings same location, but the 1rst Monday of the month)
· Land use Committee, Jan 25, 6:30 pm – 8pm, Central Catholic Teacher’s Lounge (always the LAST Thurs. of the month, no meeting in Dec.)




NOTE #1
January 11, 2007

Re: Request for BCA to retain legal services

Dear BCA Board Members,

We are requesting that BCA approve retaining the legal services of Gary Shepherd on behalf of the BCA in the adjustment appeal filed with the city on behalf of the BCA December 28, 2006. The appeal hearing is January 25, 2007.

Gary's specialty is land use law. He has a special rate for neighborhood associations.

Up to now, the bulk of the legal analysis has fallen on Steve Knudsen, and a smaller amount on Christine Yun, both of whom are not lawyers and do not have Gary's legal expertise.

An alternative is to retain Gary's services for a LUBA appeal. If the outcome of the appeal hearing is unsatisfactory, we can then take the issue to LUBA, where Gary's services would be useful. There are 2 possible LUBA appeals at this point. One is from the result of the adjustment. The other deals with the non-adjustment code interpretations made by Sheila Frugoli, the planner who wrote the adjustment decision. Christine has applied for an appeal with stay on these interpretations as a private individual, challenging some of these interpretations. The BCA may intervene on her behalf. (I think this means support her.)



NOTE #2
Re: Request for BCA sponsorship of Buck for Buckman

Dear BCA Board Members,

Buck for Buckman is requesting the backing of the BCA for our application for fiscal sponsorship from SEUL. The stated mission of SEUL is
To assist the citizens and neighborhood associations of Southeast Portland to create communities which are livable, socially diverse, safe and vital. Southeast Uplift provides an organizational structure and forum to empower citizens to effectively resolve issues of livability and community development.

Buck for Buckman is raising money for 3 purposes:
1. We want to create a conservation and/or historic preservation district for the Buckman neighborhood.
2. We want to educate citizens, city government and agencies of the value of old historic neighborhoods.
3. We want to create a fund for legal expenses associated with development issues.

Why does Buck for Buckman require BCA sponsorship?
1. Grants under the fiscal sponsorship of SEUL may only be written by neighborhood associations or subgroups of the neighborhood associations.
2. Name recognition of the BCA will help in soliciting donations. The non-profit status of SEUL will help in obtaining donations from people interested in a tax-deduction.
3. Name recognition of the BCA will assist in having events organized to raise money or create awareness be listed with various community calendars and with the media.
4. Name recognition of the BCA will assist in obtaining resources, such as copyright permission, which may be necessary for literature and research.
5. A website which would address development and historic preservation issues could be linked to the BCA website.

Disbursement of funds:
An initial discussion with Cece Hughely Noel at SEUL regarding disbursement of funds does not present any difficulties. If desired, we can create sub-accounts which would earmark funds for specific projects, e.g. Legal fees or the historical survey. Processing of payments would require paper work submitted to SEUL, so that justification of payment happens as part of the way things are organized. Cece said that the details of setting up could be dealt with once we applied for SEUL sponsorship.

Projects for fundraising:
1. lawn signs. Elaine is suggesting that these could eventually be made available for a small fee.
2. Contest to identify historic house types. This project would ask people to identify as many houses of a particular historical type as possible in the neighborhood. This serves double duty of outreach as well as providing an initial database for the historical survey. Prizes would be solicited from area businesses.
3. Raffle for prizes solicited from area businesses.
4. Ask local restaurants to have a Buck for Buckman night in which a percentage of the profits go to Buck for Buckman.
5. Passive income from signs, website and list-serve solicitations.

Projects for fundraising will be cleared first with the BCA Board.