Steering Committee Minutes – November 13, 2018

Steering Committee Meeting 11.13.18
Present:
Omar Elhagmusa
Laura Bidwa
Steve Sterrett
Lydia Yoder
Susan Colbert
Laura Kogan

Possible Change in Feeder Pattern for Weinland Park Elementary School

Dominion Middle School is at 130% capacity, and it can no longer support all the students in the six schools that feed into Dominion.

The plan was for Dominion to move into the North International High School building; Columbus Alternative High School would now like to relocate temporarily to North International High School building until they can have a newer building. There is a parent-initiated petition going around trying to advocate that Dominion be kept where it is and two schools be cut from the feeder pattern, likely Como and Weinland Park. There will be a school board meeting on Tuesday (Nov 20th at 5:30pm at 270 E State Street) that Laura Kogan will attend to advocate that Weinland Park and Como be kept at Dominion.

Laura Kogan will keep us posted on developments regarding the school board’s decision and any ways the WPCCA can advocate for keeping Dominion as the middle school Weinland Park students will attend.

Report of the Discussion of the Future of Community Gardens

John Turner of the Land Bank has taken over the Wildflower Garden on North 5th Street and the garden with columns, also on North 5th Street. Currently there are twelve community gardens in Weinland Park, and many of the spaces are neglected or in need of volunteers to maintain it. Moving forward, the committee and other neighbors will need to decide whether to keep the gardens and find volunteers committed to their upkeep, or whether we need to eliminate some of the spaces to make things manageable. If the gardens are eliminated, the Housing Committee plans to advocate for affordable housing to replace these spaces. More details from this meeting are available in the Housing Committee meeting minutes taken by Steve Sterrett.

Feedback on Expenditures in 2018 for the WPCCA

Steve Sterrett prepared a financial report on funds spent on resident engagement. This report will allow for the Steering Committee to advocate for funds needed in the future for resident engagement. Steve suggested that the Steering Committee put a budget together for our funding needs for 2019 and speak with Matt Martin of the Columbus Foundation about it. We can also be thinking about ways to make the WPCCA sustainable long-term—possibly by writing grants, or partnering with local businesses.

Update from Community Connectors

This group of five members continues to meet faithfully once a month, and they are looking for more ideas to help bring neighbors together and help plan events that would create community (apple picking, etc.). Currently, they make phone calls to remind neighbors of WPCCA meetings, and they are going to pass out flyers to neighbors promoting the Holiday Potluck on December 5.

Planning the Holiday Potluck

• Laura cant get in touch with the drumming group. Joe Swora (Godman Guild) has a band that would be willing to play at the Potluck free of charge. Laura Bidwa moves that we offer Joe’s band $400 to play at the potluck, Lydia seconded it. The movement passed 4-0. Update: Joe Swora’s band is unable to play at the potluck.
• The Columbus Foundation will provide meat/main dish and water, neighbors provide the sides/desserts.
• Steve Sterrett will verify that we will be having the potluck on the first floor rather than the second floor.
• At the potluck, make an announcement about start of food being 6:15 p.m. and meeting start time of 6:30 p.m. at all future monthly meetings
• Matt Adair will create a flyer promoting the potluck and also create an e-newsletter announcing the potluck.
• Community Connectors can also make phone calls to neighbors to remind them about the potluck and disperse the flyers;
• Susan Colbert will ask the Community Connectors to help with setup and teardown.
• Outstanding Neighbor Nomination forms dispersed at the Holiday Potluck. Have a good neighbor gnome as a prize that gets circulated. Lydia will print off and bring the nomination forms and purchase a gnome/prize.
• Weinland Park letters for the banner can be laminated at Lakeshore. Laura Bidwa will develop a ballot voting system and laminating
• We need to discuss more the order of the meeting and programming for the potluck. Laura Bidwa will create a suggested order of the program for the potluck.

Steering Committee Retreat in January

Laura Bidwa would like the Steering Committee to take some time to reflect on the past year and what we still need to accomplish, what we loved and what we didn’t, etc. Laura also suggested each of us talk to 10 people and ask them what they think about the civic association, and ask for suggestions/ideas to improve it.

Omar will host the retreat at his house on Saturday, January 26 at 10 a.m.

Other Announcements

• Lower Lights will not fund the Zumba classes on Saturdays in 2019.
• Steve Sterrett will no longer be taking minutes at the sub-committees. Volunteers needed to take minutes at these meetings.
• The Steering Committee will not be meeting on Tuesday, December 11 because there is no WPCCA monthly meeting scheduled at the end of December.