Woodlawn Neighborhood Association September 2020 meeting minutes (draft until approved at next meeting)

7:00 – 7:10 Welcome and Introductions (note: Meeting is recorded)

Board members present: Beth Heins, Dennis Kennedy, Anjala Ehelebe, Keith Baich, Melody Randolph, Elizabeth Kennedy, Maija Spencer, Thelma Diggs, Shirley Minor, Nancy Flynn

Francisco Gadea, Diana Larsen, Erin Cooper, Justin Lovero, Nancy Flynn, Mayan McDermott (Farmer’s market board), Leonard Goering

7:10 – 7:15 Approve August notes (from informal meeting) – Anjala motion, Keith second, all approve. September agenda:   Beth move to approve, Shirley second, all in favor

7:15 – 8:00 General Business

1. Woodlawn Neighborhood Farmer’s Market Break In: the trailer was broken into and a lot of the contents were stolen. We haven’t been using all of the items anyway because of Covid, so some things were in storage elsewhere. A few tents and tables were stored so the market has been able to proceed. This was the second break-in this season (the first time, nothing was taken). Keith can be a main point of contact for future ideas of how to store/assist.

The items stolen were worth approximately $2000. $1000 was the 5 pop-up canopies, so that’s the majority of the money needed. Speaker & stand were 200; tables and odds and ends are the rest; there isn’t an insurance policy to file a claim against.

Beth moves the board contribute $300 to address immediate needs; Anjala second, all in favor. The rest of the topics will be covered later.

1. 1. 1. What, exactly, needs to be replaced? Priority? Cost? Replace/donate from community? $300 for the hand-washing station and to print banners.

 

• To keep functioning this year/in the short term: hand sanitizer, a new hand-washing station, and replacement banners. These are the immediate concerns for the remainder of this season.

• To reopen fully next year/whenever we can fully reopen: Audio equipment, four-foot tables, larger tables.

 

1. 1. 2. Securing safe storage for trailer/Market items?

 

• Items are being stored in various houses right now, but it means that a lot more vehicles are involved with every setup and breakdown. The trailer is probably not a good option long-term, it’s too obvious.

• Shirley knows the person with the property across from Breakside.

• What about at Classic Foods?

• Beth lives around the block from the market and is willing to help out as well/is open to suggestions.

• Nancy knows someone who rigged a cellphone alarm on a trailer he used for storage, in case we want to gather information about that.

 

1. 2. Fundraiser? Mentioned by John and Nancy at informal August meeting
   3. Use of WNA funds to bolster these projects (only Board can vote for funds)

 

1. 1. September is National Preparedness month
      1. Brief review of Neighborhood Emergency Teams (NET) and Basic Earthquake Emergency Communication Node (BEECN) see also PublicAlerts.org
         Information about NET: neighbors with training to help provide response post-natural emergency. BEECN is a radio communication network set up across the city.
      2. Please check in on neighbors and consider exchanging phone numbers in case of emergencies. Woodlawn PTA suggested neighbors share phone information. Melody is interested in adding a form to GoWoodlawn.com to let people voluntarily share their contact information with neighbors.
      3. Nextdoor Help Maps, COVID outreach https://www.portlandoregon.gov/article/757041, PODS?
      4. Free Basic CPR training for Woodlawn neighbors at Woodlawn Park
      5. Sharing resources-put in chats and they will be added to website (ex. St. Andrew’s Food Pantry on Alberta, Food box at Woodlawn Community Garden, etc)
      6. Free Red Cross Presentations every Monday (can also set up Woodlawn specific webinar if there is interest), password for all is Prepare1
         1. 9/7 @ 6-7 pm Home Fire Safety https://tinyurl.com/y5ppxe65
         2. 9/14 @ 6-7 pm Earthquake Safety https://tinyurl.com/y4uc5avk
         3. 9/21 @ 6-7 pm Wildfire Safety https://tinyurl.com/y2qk5vl7
         4. 9/28 @ 6-7pm Flooding Safety https://tinyurl.com/yyqy9nc8
   2. October Elections for WNA Board
      1. Review of positions and duties – we have non-profit status and have bylaws that control some of our behaviors. We can have up to 12 members and have 3 open seats currently. When we have elections in October we must fill Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and Treasurer, then the other 8 positions can be at-large or representative roles (as in the farmer’s market liaison, Land Use and Transportation chair).

 

• Review of positions and duties:

• Liaison to the farmer’s market: currently Keith Baich. This is someone who is associated with the market and can provide updates on the financial state of the market to the board. The market is associated with the non-profit that is the neighborhood association.

• Treasurer: reports on the financial status of the association, writes any checks needed, and fills out three federal forms annual for tax and non-profit status purposes. Dennis is willing to serve in the next year as well.

• Secretary: takes meeting minutes, shares on GoWoodlawn, sometimes makes the events on facebook and sends out the MailChimp invitations. Beth is currently serving and is willing to continue.

• Land Use and Transportation Chair: Anjala is currently in this role and is willing to continue; this committee meets separately from the neighborhood association and is always looking for more volunteers.

• Chair: responsible for creating the agenda, managing the time on meetings, can be time-consuming creating the agenda and covering all topics the neighborhood may be interested in. Melody has been serving in this role and is willing to continue.

• Vice-chair: steps in when the chair can’t fulfill their duties, provide support to the board.

• Shirley is an at-large member; she and Dennis attend the Northeast Coalition of Neighbors meetings and report back to the board. NECN and the Office of Neighborhood Involvement seem to be having a lot of issues – see article in Willamette Week: https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/08/31/records-show-city-received-city-ombudsman-received-unprecedented-volume-of-employee-complaints-about-office-of-community-and-civic-life/

 

1. 2. Confirmed with NECN, online/email voting will be allowed
   3. Elections will take place during General Meeting on October 7th on Zoom
2. Halloween in the time of COVID – can we do anything or join neighbors in doing something that’s socially distanced? Ideas:
   1. Trunk or Treat – cars park in a lot and decorate their trunks, kids walk from car to car to get candy. This might be easier to help space people out. There are several parking lots in the area that might be used.
   2. Halloween decorations map for socially distanced walks?
   3. Some kind of parade in the park, with stations to pick up treats?
   4. Another neighbor suggested decorating with positive messages to encourage people walking and driving by.

 

1. Other Community involvement opportunities – please contact the board if anyone wants to help organize or participate in one of these items:

• • Coordinating a Neighborhood Clean-up? Can anyone take point? (someone did express interest via email and we’ll follow up with her)
  • Apply to Charter Review Commission, deadline Sept 14th. This is to join a 2-year volunteer group to review the city’s charter. The city does this every ten years and one item they are likely to reconsider is our form of government which is typically used for smaller cities. An overhaul might include assigning council members to geographic districts. Voters would approve suggested changes. More information and application: https://www.portland.gov/civic/advisorygroups/events/2020/7/15/apply-charter-review-commission
  • Portland Police Bureau Business Services Group seeking volunteers for Police Bureauwide Advisory Council (PBAC) info and application here: https://bit.ly/2ELdygL
  • Ideas for more engagement:
    • Volunteers to flyer neighborhood (including bus stops & businesses) for next meeting
    • Volunteers to represent WNA at Farmer’s Market: confirm with Sharon, the market manager, at woodlawnfarmersmarket@gmail.com to be sure there is space for us those weekends. We’ll need to bring our own table/chair/tent.

 

• Nancy and Anjala both said they could volunteer Saturday the 5th to talk about the neighborhood association

• Melody has volunteered to work a table at the market on the 19th

• Thelma and Beth can volunteer on the 26th

 

 

8:00 – 8:20 Board Business

1. 1. Treasurer’s Report – Dennis Kennedy – we have about $8000, no expenditures last month. He’s looking for bills from Bloody Monster – they’re maintaining our email service.
   2. Land Use and Transportation – Anjala Ehelebe – nothing that needs action at this time. She’s going to set up a meeting soon to discuss Tree code, Inclusion in historic district
   3. Farmer’s Market-  Keith Baich

 

• Have about $3000 in their accounts, staying pretty solid

 

2. Northeast Coalition of Neighbors (NECN) – Dennis Kennedy – nothing to report
3. Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET) – Erin Cooper – nothing to report

8:20 – 8:30 Final thoughts, announcements, other upcoming events

 

• When might we meet in person again at Classic Foods? What are the guidelines? We think it’s 25 people, but realistically are going to be meeting in Zoom for the foreseeable future.

• Might people want to have our October meeting in the park, just for something spaced out but social? It would require good weather and a sound system. Daylight may be an issue – it will be getting quite dark. We could shift the time, perhaps, to make it work in daylight. Sunset is 6:38.

• Maybe we should have something social between now and then instead.

• Thelma is volunteering to help consume fruit if people’s yards have extra.

• Melody recommends a documentary on YouTube called How To Love Your Enemy – a city in Colorado uses restorative justice in very specific cases.

 

8:30 Meeting adjourns

Thank you for coming! Hope to see you Wed, Oct 7th at 7pm for our next Meeting and Elections!!

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Addendum added Sept 8th 2020: September 4th the board approved in an email conversation: paying $150 to Bloody Monster. This will let them port WNA email services from Bloody Monster to Google. By completing this step, WNA will no longer have any web hosting or email business with Bloody Monster. Our webmaster Shelly Caldwell (who hosts the GoWoodlawn site) confirmed that this should work.