Monte Sano Civic Association Newsletter June · July · August 2019 Civic Association Potlucks MSUMC Recycles Cans for MADD So many of you came to the last potluck in Monte Sano United Methodist Church April, and we’re hoping to see as collects aluminum cans for recycling, many or more of you at the next proceeds of which are used within Alabama gathering on ​Tuesday, August 20th to promote the mission of MADD: “To aid at 6pm at the Monte Sano Lodge​. the victims of crimes performed by Just as last time, paper products will individuals driving under the influence of be provided. Please bring a dish to share. If alcohol or drugs, to aid the families of such you wish, bring a bottle of wine to share as victims, and to increase public awareness of well! Babysitters will be on hand for the problem of drinking and drugged activities for the kids, so families of all ages driving.” This project is in memory and and sizes are welcome! Kem Robertson will honor of Chris Hall, a mountain resident be speaking about the new Monte Sano whose injury by a drunk driver resulted in State Park Association, a Friends group that quadriplegia. The bin for cans in located in will support the park. (See page 2.) the parking lot at the back of the church. Mark your calendar for the final potluck of the year: Tuesday, December 10th, also at Welcome to our NEW Monte Sano Lodge. More details to come. and RETURNING members! Kids In the Creek At the April potluck, we had 24 households either join or reinstate their Kids of all ages can hunt for aquatic critters MSCA membership. Thank you for being a in the Flint River from 9-11am, Saturdays part of what makes this community great. August 24th and 31st at Brown Bear Canoes and Kayaks on Winchester Road. If you would like to check on your current Sponsored by the Flint River Conservation standing as an MSCA member, please Association, registration is required: call contact: ​[email protected]. Soos Weber at 539-3747 by August 15th. 1 Monte Sano State Park Has a Friends In addition to the State Park Group: Monte Sano State Park Association Manager/Ranger Brian Moore, MSSPA has a (MSSPA)​ by Kem Robertson five-member Board: Bob Crook, Anna DiPlacido, Kem Robertson, Elizabeth Monte Sano State Park now has a Thornton and Greg Wright. The mechanism for direct support from the Incorporation papers allow MSSPA, per the surrounding community: the direction of the Park newly-formed Monte Sano Manager/Ranger, to develop State Park Association. State a membership base, Park Rangers Randy Stults establish specific volunteer and Brian Moore asked the efforts and organize Civic Association in 2015 if fundraising events. the MSCA could form a Currently the Park Ranger 501(c)3 Friends group to needs the board to collect support the park and to donations for Monte Sano collect donations that would State Park improvements be used specifically for this and emergency funds. park. All donations at the time went directly to the Alabama State Please support Monte Sano State Park with Park system, which dispersed them a donation to ​Monte Sano State Park throughout the state parks. The Civic Association (MSSPA)​ which has the same Association had at various times in the past address as the park: ​5105 Nolen Avenue, considered forming a supportive group, but Huntsville, AL 35801. there were tax issues that prevented it. The 2015 board determined a 501(c)3 organization would have to be a separate Little Green Store Gallery Nights entity, much like the Monte Sano Club grew from the MSCA. Rickie Higgins’ work (pictured below) will be featured at the next Gallery Night on An independent group formed in early 2016 July 11, from 5-8pm. began researching existing Friends groups around the country in order to development a local Friends organization. There was only one Friends organization in Alabama at the time, so there was little-to-no guide to success. After a year of research, Monte Sano State Park Association, Inc. was formed, incorporated and registered as a 501(c)3 with the IRS by the Fall of 2017. A Other upcoming shows include: proposal was sent to the Alabama State Park System for their technical and legal ● August 1: Diana Werts review. MSSPA had a signed cooperative ● September 5: Sanctuary Artists agreement with the State Park system by ● September 12: Alan Davis January 2019. 2 Speeding on the Mountain Monte Sano Supper Club Speeding motorists on the boulevard On August 10, the Monte Sano Supper continue to be a danger to pedestrians Club members will meet at the pool for a and other motorists. ​Please consider potluck dinner. Anyone interested in calling the police at their joining the Supper Club and/or attending non-emergency number: 772-7100 and this potluck is most welcome. New ask to speak with Officer Michael members are invited to join the club by Johnson.​ The more calls they receive, the September. Feel free to call Cam Scales better! (256-213-7052) or Laurel Karr (256-539-8364) for more information. MSCA Board Member David Hollander recently wrote City Council Member Frances Akridge about the incessant Rain Barrel Workshop speeding motorcycles and cars on the The Flint River Conservation Association boulevard, and a need for a crossing is sponsoring a free rain barrel workshop guard for the elementary school so on the use and installation of these children can ride their bikes and walk to water conserving barrels on Tuesday, school safely. In response, she’s she’s Sept. 10th from 5-6:15pm at the State reached out to HPD Chief McMurray to Park Lodge. If you wish, you can buy set up “speed traps” and has forwarded rain barrels for $45 each (55 gals.). David’s letter to Beth Wilder of the Register and/or reserve your rain barrels: Board of Education. call Soos Weber at 539-3747. If you are interested in joining the MSCA’s efforts in some capacity to Splash for Trash on the Flint River address this issue, please reach out On Saturday Sept. 28, for National Public (​[email protected]​) — we can Lands Day, the Flint River Conservation use all the help we can get! Association will hold "Splash for Trash" on the Flint River. Canoes and lunch will be provided by the TVA. Paddling experience is required or you can be a Landlubber — cleaning up at the bridge crossings. Call Soos Weber for more information or to register by Sept. 26th at 256-539-3747. 3 Updates from City Council Member Frances Akridge It’s budget season! While we put capital improvements on a 5 & 10 year plan, the operating budget is a yearly event. In the past, there were long sessions for budget hearings when department managers and the public would make pleas for their priorities. Now, the Mayor sends a budget to the Council in September for the final approval. Rather than wait to see what the Mayor and his cabinet come up with, I've repeated what I used to do on behalf of the Northeast Huntsville Civic Association: I sent a list of requests based on observations and conversations with the people around me. Here's what I sent: We all know that Paving and More Paving money is critical. Council is unanimous on that need. We need a small paving truck in the Public Works fleet to attack some of the very bad patches like the one on Nolan Ave. They are throughout the city and that work is too piecemeal to put out to bid. I'm also advocating for these items next year: Safety and Security ● ​​Mental Health care: Increasing the allocation to Wellstone by $200K Losses in productivity and the legal system will be reduced with an investment here. ● School Resource officers: Hiring retired officers and increasing the numbers to at least put one in every school. ● Freeing traffic police from event duty and replacing them with parking/traffic staff ● Cameras and card readers in city garages to replace staffing Infrastructure ● ​Rebuilding some roads for longer life and less paving in the future ● Attack localized drainage problems by adding at least $100K ● Surveying existing conditions for street drainage in Five Points to plan for new storm drain system Quality of Life ● ​Update at Crawford park to accommodate seniors in Edmonton Heights and neighbors who are students at A&M 5-8 yrs ($800K/ 5 year CIP) 4 ● Rebuild Bankhead Parkway from Maysville to Tollgate to create a multi-use path protected by a guardrail, linking 3 neighborhoods to the downtown core ($800K /10 yr CIP) ● Increase allocation to Arts Huntsville competitive grant program ($20K) Our budget is dependent on sales taxes: 54% comes from that source, so yes, please buy local! I'm also eager to improve the process for enforcement of city ordinances for property owners to meet the minimum building standards by including public notification of appeals, and tightening up ordinances for reducing blight including vacant buildings and empty sign armature. Our future workforce is in a crunch for all levels of wages; we need to attract more people of all skill sets, so workforce housing is a topic on the minds of restaurant owners hotel managers. I'm in touch with property owners / developers to consider co-living apartments: think upscale dormitories for adults. I'm also nosing around in the planning office to encourage conversations about making the apartments in Five Points "legal" to encourage renovation of the existing structures. As they sit now, they cannot replace structures or improve the structure with added floors as they are situated in a zone for single family houses.