Madison Park

March 10th, 2008 Madsion Park HOA Minutes

Mar 11, 2008

March 10th, 2008 Madison Park HOA
www.neighborhoodlink.com 28210
Madison Park HOA

Welcome. Meeting called to order at 7:30. 42 people in attendance, plus 2 speakers and 1 officer

Westover Police Crime February Stats given by Officer Hairston:
?• 5400 block of Milford. Damage to property- a fence was cut
?• 5300 block of Murrayhill. Hit and run- vehicle parked on street was damaged
?• 5000 block of Murrayhill. Hit and run- vehicle parked on street was damaged
?• 4800 block of Murrayhill. Narcotics violation. The tenants are now moving out
A few suggestions from Officer Hairston:
?• Take all valuables from your vehicle- even if you are just parked in your driveway. Be sure to remove GPS units if you have one. Remove suction cups from windows (they tip
thieves off to gadgets)
?• If someone unknown knocks on your door- do not open the door. Ask who it is to let them know that someone is at home
?• If you have solicitors at your door- usually they will leave if you tell them to. But if they are rude, call the police.
A resident asked Officer Hairston about a car that was damaged recently while parked on the street. Officer Hairston said that would be in the March report



Guest Speaker
Erin Oliverio
Water Quality Educator
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Storm Water Services
700 N. Tryon St. Charlotte, NC 28202
704-336-5595
http://stormwater.charmeck.
Erin Oliverio spoke about the Adopt a Stream program offered in Mecklenburg County. Groups sign up committing to remove trash from the creek. Supplies are given (such as hip waders, trash pick-up sticks, and trash bags) and the city will pick up the filled trash bags. There were 96 clean ups last year in Mecklenburg County. For more information, please contact Erin at 704-336-5595 or erin.oliverio@mecklenburgcountync.gov


Neighborhood Symposium 3/8/08
Cheryl Furr, Dee McCandlish, Martin Doss, Ingrid Lachner, and Denise Presley all attended from Madison Park.
Cheryl attended a session on ?“Green is Gold?”- about how to reduce waste and conserve water. Dee attended a session about zoning regulations. Marty helped lead a session called E-savvy. He did a presentation on neighborhood link.

During the Awards Ceremony Madison Park was honored as the 2008 Neighborhood of the Year for the City of Charlotte! Congratulations to us all for being chosen the Neighborhood of the Year. They were way over 150 neighborhoods participating in the symposium this year.

Thank you to the group who wrote up the nomination for our neighborhood!

Ada Nicolay
Mecklenburg County Commission Candidate- District 5
Ada Nicolay spoke briefly about her candidacy for country commission. For more information, visit www.voteadanicolay.com or join her 3/29/08 at the Bojangles across from South Park from 7:30-10am for biscuits and coffee.

Queens University Sports Complex Update
?“We are working on a design for the entrance sign and a new entrance gate to provide more security. We are also revising the design of the Field House and the Press box with the hopes of getting under construction in 2008.?”

--
Mallory C. Benz
Assistant Director for Media and Public Relations
Queens University of Charlotte

Community Police Awards Nomination Period
Nominations are now being accepted for Community Police Awards
Residents can nominate deserving officers online by filling in the form at http://www.charmeck.org/Departments/CRC/Forms/2008+Within+Online+Form.htm
Both our community officers Officer Patrick Hairston and Gene Lim are great candidates for the award.
Please consider supporting them for their service to our community. Nominations are due by 4/01/08.

Individual Street Light Request
Request for Edith Clarke 5211 Londonderry Road UPDATE 3/3/08
From:
Doreen Szymanski
CDOT
Public Service & Communications Div. Mgr

Mr. Doss:
Thanks so much for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the delay. It appears Duke provided us with the location for the pole at the end of December, and they can place the light in the location Ms. Clarke requested. We also have found the original petition Ms. Clarke sent in. We will accept that petition, and Chip (Gallup, CDOT) will send Duke Authorization ASAP

National Night Out Change of Plans by National Association Of Town Watch
We had previously reported that in 2009 some cities would experiment with a Sept. 15, 2009 National Night Out Date. This was after President Doss was sent a letter on 10/16/2007 stating the plan.
On Feb. 16, 2008 President Doss received the following info from NATW Communication Center Tuesday August 5, 2008 is the date for National Night Out in 2008 except in Texas. Texas is testing an Oct. 7, 2008 date.

President Doss requested clarification form NATW, and received on 2/16/2008, the following message
The September date in 2009 was voted down by coordinators this past fall. Therefore, the following has been adopted in an effort to deal with the weather/temperature issue in southern states.

National Night Out 2008 is August 5th. Texas will celebrate NNO 2008 on October 7th as a test. If the test is successful, next year communities will choose one of two official NNO dates -- either the first Tuesday in August or first Tuesday in October next year.

NATW
Communications Center

President Doss will be applying for a matching grant from the city to help with our National Night Out party. The grant can help pay for some entertainment (could help pay for the inflatable toys and slides for the children). The volunteer hours are eligible to be matched under the grant. The application is due next week. Target has already agreed to participate again this year- they will be sending volunteers for the party.


Cankerworm Spraying
It appears Madison Park will be in the upcoming spray zone. The City of Charlotte provides the following information on the spraying and past banding efforts. The information states the spraying is safe, and there is no need for humans or animals to be inside during the spraying. That said President Doss intends to remain inside during the aerial spraying and keep his dogs inside. We will watch for information on the dates our area is planned for the spraying, and post it on our web site. The one thing the officials do recommend is spraying off your car as soon as possible after the spray. The information goes on to state that no known damage has been reported to vehicles paint.

Working Together to Save our Trees
Let's Band Together

Thank you to all of our residents, businesses and organizations who helped band our trees this fall. Tree Banding is an important first step in controlling the fall cankerworm population.
Even with Charlotte's best efforts, the fall cankerworm populations are still high enough to endanger our trees. With the support of the City Council, the City recommends a second step in the infested areas - aerial spraying.

Aerial Spraying
The spray we will use contains Bt, a naturally occurring substance used for decades by organic farmers and gardeners. This natural control, which reacts with the acids found in the digestive systems of cankerworms, has no adverse affects on humans, honeybees, pets, wildlife, fish or groundwater. The spraying must be done in the early spring when a large number of cankerworms are hatched and feeding at the tops of our trees.
The dates for spraying will be determined by local weather conditions and the hatching of the cankerworms. The City will work with the local media to notify residents when the spraying will occur.
To receive cankerworm updates, sign up for the Notify Me service on this webpage. You will be notified of any updates to the cankerworm website.
Residents can also call 311 in late March for more specific spraying information.
Questions and Answers about Aerial Spraying
?• Why is the City conducting an aerial spraying? Charlotte has been experiencing infestations of the fall cankerworm for the last 20 years. By eating the leaves off of large, old trees in the spring, the cankerworm weakens the trees and causes them to die. We have been able to help slow them down with our banding programs. However, their numbers and the size of the affected area have increased to the point many of our trees are at risk.
?• When will the spraying occur? The aerial spray will take place between late March and early April depending on weather and the emergence of the caterpillars.
?• What material will be sprayed? The City will be contracting to aerially spray a naturally occurring, organic substance called Bt (Bacillus thuringiensis).
?• What are the effects of Bt on the environment? The variety of Bt we will be using only affects caterpillars that are actually feeding at the time of the spray. Sunlight quickly deteriorates Bt until it is gone within 48 to 72 hours of the spray.
?• How will citizens be notified of the spraying dates? The City will work with the local media to notify citizens of the parts of Charlotte that will be sprayed and when. Updates will also be posted on our website, cankerworm.charmeck.org, and residents can get up-to-date spraying information by calling 311.
?• How safe is it to fly low over the city? The FAA will have to approve the qualifications and congested area plans for the aircraft that will be used over Charlotte. Many cities and towns throughout the United States are sprayed by low-flying aircraft every year.
?• Has Bt been sprayed in Charlotte before? The City has sprayed for fall cankerworm in 1992 and 1998.
?• Has Bt been sprayed over populated areas before? Bt has been sprayed annually in North Carolina for the control of gypsy moths. Areas in and around Hendersonville and Morganton were sprayed for the moths last year at a much higher rate than we will use in Charlotte, with no detrimental effects.
?• Have there been any problems with spraying over populated areas? Bt has been used for decades over cities and towns throughout the United States and Canada. There have been no reports of any adverse effects of these sprays.
?• Will the spray aircraft and materials be protected from potential terrorists? The contractor that is awarded the bid will be held responsible for securing their aircraft and equipment. The City will be inspecting these locations for compliance.
?• Will the spray affect my children? There have been no known affects of the aerial spraying of Bt around children.
?• Should I bring my children inside during the spray? You are welcome to do that, but it is not required.
?• Will the spray affect my pets? There have been no known affects of the aerial spraying of Bt around animals or fish.
?• Should I bring my pets inside during the spray? You are welcome to do that, but it is not required.
?• Will the spray affect my car's paint? Over the many years of use of Bt in aerial spraying, there have been no documented cases of harm to automotive paints.
?• Should I wash my car after the spray? The carrier for Bt is similar to tree sap. The sooner you wash your car after the aerial spray, the easier it will be to get off of the paint.
?• Will the entire city be sprayed? The treatment area covers almost 70,000 acres or 40% of Charlotte. There are some exclusion areas within this zone, such as the interstates, heavy industrial areas and uptown Charlotte, that are not necessary to spray since they have no trees. For a copy of a map of the spray area, see our website at cankerworm.charmeck.org.
?• Why are only certain neighborhoods sprayed? The City has been monitoring the cankerworm populations every winter for the last 15 years. We use this information to predict heavy defoliation the following spring. We also use this information coupled with aerial surveys of damage to determine the neighborhoods where aerial sprays need to be applied. Your neighborhood has not shown high enough readings to warrant an aerial spray. We will continue to monitor the populations in the future. If your neighborhood becomes heavily infested, it will be scheduled for programs by the City to help control this destructive insect.
?• If the City is not spraying certain areas within the infested areas, won't that cause the fall cankerworm to re-infest our neighborhoods? Certain urban areas that have very few trees are being excluded from the spray. This saves the cost of aerial spraying in places where the cankerworm is minimal. The exclusion areas will not provide a place for cankerworms to re-infest surrounding neighborhoods.
?• How much will the aerial spray cost? This will depend on which bidder is accepted for the aerial spray. Bids are due March 3rd. The selection will take place that week.

School Zone Flashing Light Tyvola Road
Flashing School zone light was damage once again on 3/3/08. Apparently a truck hit it breaking it in half. President Doss once again reported the problem. Doreen Szmanski with CDOT responded, ?“Thanks for reporting it! It seems the flashing zone signs have been hit a few times. We may need to review whether to do side, ground mounts at this location.?” The sign was replaced and working again in a couple of days.

Web Site Changes
www.neighborhoodink 28210 Madison Park HOA
Neighborhoodlink made changes to the discussion pages recently. You now must be signed up as a member to post on the discussion page. You user name will post to the left of your postings. You now have a choice of selection where your post can be seen. You can select Madison Park, Surrounding Neighborhoods, Charlotte, North Carolina or USA. President Doss said he would think the majority of the discussions would be limited to our community, or possibly neighboring communities, but fill free to post as you see fit. You can still read and look at all our site without registering. Registration to be a member of Neighborhoodlink is free.

Treasury Report
Sue Valentine- Plyler. We have $1,221.58 in the bank with all bills paid. It?’s time to pay your 2008 dues- $20 a year. You can mail a check to: Madison Park Homeowners Association, 5026 Currituck Dr, Charlotte 28210. Your dues help pay for upcoming events and pay for expenses of the meetings. All board members and officers donate their time to the community and association. Renters are welcome to join. We have several that are paid members.

New Attendees- Welcome

Concerns/Issues/Problems
A new attendee from Seneca Place asked about what to do when neighbors park their cars in the front yard. You should report this to 311 (either by phone or on-line). You have to give the time of day that the incident occurs since either the city officials or the police must witness the act.
311 uses new procedures for handling parking in yards at night and on weekends, which is different, form the past procedures! You can no longer do after hours (night time) parking in yard or weekends online.

When you call 311 give them the exact time and address of the problem. If it is happening at the time you call it will probably be even better.

311 now transfers you to another number immediately. After the call was made on behalf of the new attendee the police immediately came out to handle the complaint. This is much faster than the old procedure that took up to a week to investigate by the police.

The city is working hard to make improvements to 311 and this apparently is some of the positive improvements.


Housing Code Petition

http://www.charmeck.org/NR/rdonlyres/ebvz764ge3ycvxlvuxl3kcxufseki64zj66xdi2u4rmhic6qaq7ny2mat4im6zmjvaodlqwnzul6cmjdgm7s5ebolpe/Housing+Code+Petition.pdf
There were two different inquires on Housing Code Enforcement at tonight's meeting by different residents.

The City of Charlotte Housing Code requires homeowners and landlords to keep their homes in good condition. The code also applies to abandoned commercial structures. Code inspectors check dwellings to insure that the structure meets the minimum standards prescribed by the ordinance. Infractions can range from repairable situations such as broken windows to major structural integrity issues. Depending on the situation, inspectors will determine if a house needs to be repaired or in some cases demolished.

Housing code violations require the submission of a petition. Print and complete the petition below and mail to the address at the bottom of the petition. 5 adults 18 years of age must sign to validate the petition.

Inspection Process
?• A Code Enforcement inspector will visit the property within three working days.
?• The inspector will contact the property owner with a status report.
?• In addition, you will be notified of scheduled hearings regarding the property, as you have the right to attend these hearings.
Use the link above to get a copy of the petition form. You can also go to the City of Charlotte Web Site and click on 311 online services. Then simply click on the link for Housing Code Enforcement, and then click the link for Property Inspection Petition.

For anyone who is currently scheduled to vote at the Smith Academy school- the location will be changing for the next election to the Wedgewood church. You should be receiving a postcard in the mail explaining the change.

All of the new street lights along Murrayhill and White Oak are now up and working (except one). We expect that one to be working soon!

Adjournment