Jan 2011 Council Meeting

EEAC MINUTES – MONDAY, January 3, 2011

Call to order
Laurie Keleher called the meeting to order at 7PM. Twenty-two people were in attendance. Laurie introduced special guest Anne Gilton from the Queen City branch of the National Association of Parliamentarians. Barb Rider was appointed Secretary Pro Temp, with no objections. Contact: keleher.eastend@gmail.com

Guest Speakers

Recreation Department
There was no report, as Christian Armstrong Owens was not present. Call the LeBlond Rec Center for latest events and info @ 513- 281-3209. Contact: Christian.Armstrong@cincinnati-oh.gov

Police Report
Officer Love presented crime stats from between Dec 3rd and Jan 2nd. There was a slight uptick in crime (4 Breaking and Enterings, and 4 Thefts from Motor Vehicles), which is normal for December, and expected to go down in January. Contacts: germain.love@cincinnati-oh.gov

Secretary’s Report
There were no minutes, as Secretary Michael Bolan was absent. December’s Secretary Pro Temp, Nick Motz, will present December's minutes at the next meeting. Contact: nick@nickmotz.com

By-Law Changes Mark Allen moved to approve the bylaw changes presented at the December meeting. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously without discussion. Lew Seiler moved to authorize the Bylaws Committee, headed by Patrice Allen, to “correct article and section designations, punctuation, cross-references, and to make such technical and editorial changes as may be necessary to reflect the intent of the EEAC and to assure the accuracy and readability of the (bylaws).” The motion was seconded and passed unanimously.

Elections
Patrice Allen presented the proposed slate of officers, which complies with the revised bylaws. There were no nominations from the floor. Voting was by written ballot; Patrice noted that only those who had attended 3 EEAC meetings in the last calendar year could vote. Nick Motz counted the ballots with a witness, and reported the following were elected for offices for 2011: President – Jackie Weist; Vice Pres – Michael Bolan; Treasurer – Sandy Hoover; Secretary – Barb Rider; NSP Manager – Patrice Allen. The following committee chairs were also elected: Community Development – Bob Little; Community Relations – Ken Corbus; Columbia Tusculum Liaison – Nick Motz; City of Cinti Liaison – Laurie Keleher.

Lewis Seiler, as a former EEAC president, thanked the outgoing officers for their hard work. Laurie said that everyone deserved thanks for being participatory and pleasant.

Patrice moved to destroy the ballots. The motion was seconded and passed unanimously, and Nick was charged with the task.

Unfinished Business
1. 2526 Riverside Drive Burnout Building: Laurie reported that at the 12/17 hearing concerning the apartment building across from St. Rose that burned out almost 2 years ago, the building was declared “condemned”. This means that the owner must make it secured, closed in and structurally sound. The property was not declared a “public nuisance”, which means it would have been razed.
3. New East End Sign Location: Laurie reported that when the ground thaws, the welcome sign for the far east side of the East End will be installed. We have received the OK to put it on the California neighborhood side of the Little Miami River.

NSP Report
Laurie reported that we have not yet received notification of our NSP allotment, as the city budget was just approved on Dec. 30. It is likely to be half as much as previously thought ($2500 vs. $5000). Laurie tried to contact city council members today, voicing disappointment over the budget, but they were all on vacation.

New Business 1. Adopt-A-Block Program - Patrice reported that the Riverside Restoration Project has identified a program in which 100 volunteers will be assigned a block on Riverside Drive between Kemper Ln and Delta Ave to keep sidewalks and curbs clean and weed-free. With the help of Pam Lowe and Sandy Hoover, letters have been prepared to all residents and property owners in this stretch to attend an Open House in February when the effort will be explained. The committee would like the project sanctioned by the EEAC for one year. Melisse May made the motion, which was seconded and passed unanimously. Contact: housedressing1@gmail.com

Treasurer’s Report
Nick Motz – Nick presented the EOY report. We are “on track”. There was a net loss in 2010 of $7.82, which could be offset by final 2010 NSP payments.

There was much discussion of the proposed budget, specifically the $5000 originally expected from NSP funds. Patrice Allen moved that the proposed budget be adopted without the NSP section (moving $300 for Columbia Tusculum and $300 for the newsletter from “NSP Expenses” to general “fundraising expenses”). The motion was seconded and passed unanimously. Nick said he will check with Columbia Tusculum about our pledged $300 for garden supplies; Laurie said she would look into details of the $300 insurance, which is deducted for each neighborhood by the city before sending NSP funds.
The treasurer's reports were accepted & filed. Contact: nick@nickmotz.com

MailCall 1. There is training for the Great American Clean Up in city council chambers on Saturday, Feb. 5 at 9:00. Bring your own coffee mug for a prize.
2. The Veterans’ Memorial Garden received another donation of $5000 from the Hershey Foundation. The EEAC manages this program.
3. There is a workshop at the Forest Park Community Center on Sat, Jan. 29th about running efficient meetings, according to guest Anne Gilton. All are welcome to attend.

Adjournment
Meeting adjourned at 9:00 p.m.