South End Neighborhood Council

South End Neighborhood Council (SENCo) Minutes of the Board Meeting held April 15, 2013

Present: Earl Brydson, Chair; Cary Nilson, Vice Chair; William King, Corresponding Secretary; Katherine Sutalo, Secretary; Kristin King; Brian Kilen; Janis Clark.

The Board voted to adopt the minutes of the March board meeting. Tacoma Fire Department Liaison: March call volume is yup compared to February. TFD is accepting applications for a list of firefighter candidates. They are not hiring yet, but will need a list of qualified candidates when they do, and the qualifying process takes months. They have about 1,200 applicants so far. Tacoma Police Department Liaison: There was no Police representative at the meeting, but Sector Commander Corey Darlington sent an e-mail report: there was an armed robbery/carjacking at 38th & Yakima April 5 and a serious collision at 38th and Pacific April 11th. There have been complaints about criminal activity at a house in the 4600 block of M Street – police found a stolen car there and the residents are being evicted. Police assisted the Pierce County Prosecutor’s office with a 2012 abduction and robbery at 4314 Portland Avenue – the suspect has now pleaded guilty. Metro Parks Liaison: Charlotte’s Blueberry, Swan Creek and Wapato Parks will be among the ones where citizens can volunteer on Parks Appreciation Day this Saturday (April 20). Summer program guides are available. Please keep in mind that fall sports and other programs start registering in July and August. City Council Member Joe Lonergan: Mr. Lonergan is on the Council’s Fiscal Sustainability Task Force. He participated in the Cambodian New Year celebration yesterday, and a South Alaska Street Safe Streets group cleanup of an abandoned property. The City is working to get the State Legislature to change the law that governs property liens for City abatement after property owners fail to meet City codes. Currently, the City has only secondary lien ability, which can only be construction liens, which need to be renewed every 3 years, which costs the City $2,000-$3,000. The County can place permanent liens; we hope the City can get approval to do the same. The legislature did not vote on the issue this session; the City will re-work it and try again. There is a new law making it illegal to try to force undercover police officers to reveal that they are police. At least one person has been arrested under this law already. Questions asked of Mr. Lonergan:  Potholes: the 5th District had the second-highest number of potholes filled, but funds are still lacking to do more.  There have been break-ins on M Street between S 38th and 48th.  Is there currently a task force working on meth houses? Mr. Lonergan will look into it. He is talking with the County in hopes that they will participate in Tacoma’s tracking of metal recycling. It works in Tacoma, but metal thieves can take their stolen goods to recyclers outside the city.

SENCo Minutes 4-15-2013 Page 1 of 2 New Board Member: Shanell Ball introduced herself, and was elected unanimously to the SENCo Board. Speaker Justin Mayfield from LocalLife talked about the City of Neighborhoods conference coming up at the downtown post office on May 18th. Co-sponsored by Go Local and LocalLife, the focus will be on grassroots community development training and participation. The conference will be from 9am to 4pm and cost $20. The first City of Neighborhoods conference was last year, and had 140 participants and 40 speakers. One if this year’s speakers in Jim Dier, who wrote a book called ‘Neighbor Power’. More information at cityofneighborhoods2013.com. Mr. Mayfield is asking neighborhood councils to donate $500 each toward this event. The board will consider a written request and decide via e-mail vote, to get the money sent before the event if the Board approves the donation. LocalLife is also planning their annual block party for this August. Community Concerns – None were brought up. General Business SENCo made a $200 donation to Giudrone Middle School, approved via e-mail, to help children who can’t pay the school’s $20 activity fee. Mr. Brydson circulated a Safe Streets flyer and SENCo’s community survey from a couple of years ago, to ask if board members want to use a similar template to one of these, or a postcard, to send notices to homes within SENCo’s district. The City may help with part of the printing cost, and we should be able to mail about 100 notices, and suggested sending to the south half of our district, since we have had less participation from that area. We have $5,400.95 in our checking account, with $180 still to be paid to Ms. Clark to cover her attendance at a conference for people to learn about operating non-profit groups. Gia Casto sent a list of upcoming TV12 programming via e-mail. SENCo received 2 letters: one from the City seeking nominees for the Human Rights commission, and an invitation from the Family Growth Center to their one-year anniversary party April 18th.

Minutes submitted by Katherine Sutalo, April 16, 2013.

SENCo Minutes 4-15-2013 Page 2 of 2