Woodlawn Neighborhood Association General Meeting Agenda
Tuesday, May 7, 2024 at 7:00 pm
Please make every effort to join us In Person at Classic Foods: 817 NE Madrona
Or join the meeting online via Zoom (now with improved audio): https://zoom.us/j/3014662210?pwd=d3VKbXkzVldqYzNWU2RwVm9OUkZyZz09
Meeting ID: 301 466 2210 , Passcode: WNA
Streamed/recorded on our Youtube channel: youtube.com/@woodlawnneighborhoodassoci5818
Welcome and Vision: “In the future, Woodlawn will be a place where people live harmoniously, respectfully, and in support of one another. The neighborhood will be a clean and thriving community… All Woodlawn residents will share and pursue the common values of health, efficiency, beauty, equity, and justice.”
7:00 – 7:15 Introductions
- Ice cream provided by neighborhood ice cream vendor Sweet Curmudgeon
- Please share name, pronouns, & what brought you to tonight’s meeting
- Quick share: “What is a cause or purpose you deeply believe in?”
7:15 – 8:00 General Business
- Approve April meeting notes
Linde makes a motion to approve. Keith seconds. Motion passes.
- Presentation & request for petition volunteers for Participatory Budgeting proposal for Portland by Jim Labbe
Jim Labbe of WHAT ORG gave a presentation on the participatory budgeting (PB) proposal. Form of democracy first developed in the late 1980s/ Allocations toward municipal budget. Community assemblies to deliberate. Decisions to share power. People are selected from the community to work with the city on projects. Following through on what people decide. Came out of working-class communities to attempt to build a democratic culture. NYC has over 100K people involved in this. Equitable outcomes with more people involved. About giving everyone a direct voice in decisions. How did PDX end up without this?
- Collaboration with Concordia and Vernon Neighborhood Associations for a presence at Sunday bikeways at NE 37th & NE Alberta Court. Volunteers needed, June 16th
We have been invited to staff a street corner with other NAs for the Sunday Parkways. Who wants to help? Melissa, Keith, and Nancy will volunteer for Woodlawn.
- Updates on current projects – as available – Donor fundraising, Venmo, Free yard tree giveaway contract application, Neighborhood cleanup, Dumpster Day, Movie in the Park(ing Lot), Youth Board Member, Neighborhood Socials, Neighborhood Night out, CEI Hub activity and any others.
Donor fundraising letters to neighborhood businesses.
Dumpster Day is June 29th. We will do outreach via Buy Nothing groups to accompany that event with cleanup or recycling adjacent. Neighborhood cleanup and will extend to NE Columbia with SOLVE support – more information to come on that. Will collect recyclables etc. for that event. Sunday the 30th = in the morning = the cleanup. Neighborhood member Üma is hoping to do a community-wide yard sale on June 1 & 2. There is a signup form in our newsletter. Could the board consider a small support re: advertising for this? Participating households can submit their addresses and they will be listed on a map.
Movie survey going out in the next Woodlawn NA newsletter. Movie scheduled for July 11th in the parking lot at For Good and Company.
Neighborhood social. Popular! Successful gathering at Good Neighbor Pizza. Next one at Tamale Boy on May 22nd at 6:30pm. Bring a friend! June Social will be at Café Eleven. Working on the date and time with ice cream from Sweet Curmudgeon
T-shirt fundraiser. Up net $90. We are contemplating a second order.
Critical Energy Infrastructure (CEI) hub concerns were gathered up. Comments from the Woodlawn Neighborhood Association along with many other NAs and concerned neighbors were registered with the city.
Tuesday, August 6th = Woodlawn Neighborhood Night Out.
Venmo. Barbara needs to connect with Dennis to set this up.
Fundraising summary = Shelby update. We need to do more outreach. A spirited discussion ensued.
- June meeting will feature Leah Benson speaking about ranked choice voting for our district representatives
- Ideas for hearing from District candidates
- Time for Neighbor open comments
8:00 – 8:20 Board Business
- Treasurer’s Report – Dennis Spent $177 on Easter Egg Hunt expenses.
- NECN Report – Anjala
The organizational hub of the new District 2 is being designed around NECN and many N and Central North neighborhoods. What do we in Woodlawn most want to see happen once the new form of district representation takes effect? Let our District 2 Champion Linde know your important wishes to carry forward.
- Secretary Report – Nancy
Shelly switched Go Woodlawn website over to the updated WordPress version about a week ago and Nancy is currently learning how to interact with its many new, groovy features. Stay tuned!
- Outreach and community engagement Report – Linde is at the District 2 Champion’s meeting
Champions gather to discuss how to strengthen our NA representation with the city. Goal is to create task forces to share ideas and capabilities. Transition from just being NECN to being the beginning of District 2 happens July 1 whether or not we are ready!
- Coalition activity – WNA champion Linde
- Land Use and Transportation Report – Anjala
Nothing new to report!
- Farmer’s Market Update – Keith
Come support the market, which opens the first week of June. Great vendors. Ramping up new ones. Erin Cooper—good news, we have found a place to store market items such as tents and tables this year. We ALWAYS need volunteers to help the market manager with set up or take down and during the market day, or if you have other skills can contribute, there’s a signup sheet for folks who are interested. They currently need help putting a shed together in the lot where Dekum Street Doorway used to be.
Question from a neighbor about a Maker’s Market last year? Will it happen again this year? Also will there be a community table? After a bit of discussion, it was discovered that what the neighbor is calling the Maker’s Market was really the one-time North Star Village Crafter’s Bazaar. Could the Farmers Market sponsor a Maker’s Market, or more tables for makers to sell their things? It’s a possibility.
BEECN update from Erin Cooper. Emergency radio communications set up in case of an earthquake or other disasters. We have a location for this at Woodlawn Park. Anjala and Erin are volunteers. More participants are needed.
Donation fundraiser for Jazz Night. Posted this class – 8 neighborhood kids – and decorated bird houses. Goodwill. It spreads. Lovely!
Neighborhood parkway – Tom was wondering if neighbors were interested in helping with a PedalPalooza event that could involve Woodlawn. Anjala said she’d work with him on that.
Anjala is putting her history walks on the calendar tomorrow! Her three free tours. Tips are allowed and somewhat encouraged. We are also going to try to add nature and garden tours this year too per Barbara.
8:20 – 8:30 Additional agenda items and announcements
