Neighborhood Planning Council 2 - North Central

Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. DRAFT 1. Call to Order & Welcome: 6:02 pm Pastor French calls to order. Welcomes. Introduction. 2. Attendance: NPC 2 Members (E = Excused - notified an officer/member, X = Present, O = Absent): X Mary Bourgeois X Church of Scientology (Jeff Breedlove – Secretary) O Frank Drury O Faith Temple COGIC (Joe Hooper) X Dr. Monique French - Chair O Grace Health (Eric Gestring ) O Samuel Gray X Larz Martin-Bey - Vice Chair X Patricia Martin O Neighborhoods Inc. of Battle Creek/NIBC (Whitney Wardell) O Bettie Robertson O Gary McKinley X Ron Sweet O Prentice Thompson O Karen Todd X Cynthia Wyatt O Andre Robinson O Debra Evans Guests: X Rodney Beckom X Kim McFate X Amy Evans TACC Presentation X Mariah Bell X John Kenefik X Marlene Thomas City Representation: X Cpl. Brad Gentry X Cpl. O’Bryant X Comm Jenashia Morris 3. Adoption of the Agenda: Breedlove motion to approve. Cynthia second. Voted unanimously. 7 for 0 against. 4. Approval / Amendment of Minutes: Sweet motion to approve. Larz second. Voted unanimously. 7 for 0 against. 5. Correspondence (sent/received) & Announcements: No Announcements NAACP Freedom fund banquet Oct 25th (Please submit all correspondence/announcements in writing whenever possible) 6. Committee & City Staff Reports: a. Police Department/Fire Department: • Cpl. Gentry gives report. Total events 4 of 9. • CPL O’Bryant: Been busy in district. Traffic stops and drug crimes. Summerset problem house. One of them moved out. Then two weeks later search warrant on other Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov  Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. house. Those arrests are up because of that. Pulled out 11 people of house. Discussion of steps taken. • Progress at Claude Evans park. • Tent near Washington school? They had an event with tent at school. Business event. b. Elected Officials: Comm. Jenashia Morris: Wondering community block grant not awarded to NPC? Stopped process because they stopped getting dollars from grant. Jenashia is willing to advocate for us. Would like to know who got grant? Discussion. Which NPCs got money? c. Neighborhood Services: Cpl O’Bryant: worked hard. Handing out as many parking ticket violations as much as possible. When snow is coming, need street clear. Gives out report. If you have any questions give Yolanda a call. Please report homeless encampment. Behind 20 Redner. Dealing with now. Consumers energy puts sticker and gives them 3 days. People on Boyd complaining of people walking around at night. French: 39 W. Roosevelt. Pending. Discussion. If you see a vacant house and not boarded. Call police. House on Howland. d. Beautiful battle creek awards. (4) nominations Cpl O’Bryant Nominates: Eric Smith 53 Greenwood Ave BC, 49037 Jenise Furman 138 Ann St BC, 49037 Keith and Sheryl McDonald 165 Ann St. BC, 49037 Pastor Joe Hooper Faith Temple COGIC 382 N Washington. BC, 49037 e. Membership: None Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov  Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. f. Committees: Bylaws. Discussion. Quorum 5 or 7. Keep it at 7. Will send out bylaws to everyone to review. Battle Creek Public Schools: Mariah Bell. K-12. Really glad to be here and listen and learn. And support. g. Landbank. None h. Grace Health none i. 7. Presentation Jenashia Morris; on behave of transportation authority. Ride Calhoun. Will be what transportation is branded if millage passes. Introduction. Did study. Current conditions fragmented. Not sustainable. BC, Marshall, Springfield. Albion. BC Go was created to be county wide. Book online and car will pick you up. 5800 users. With ride Calhoun. Big buses. Then para transit. (smaller buses). On demand (black vans and cars for BC go). Public transportation needs improved. Healthy and modern communities have adequate transportation. We don’t have that. Lists reasons for better transportation. A lot of students have to walk to school. Some it takes 30 minutes. Some kids are not coming because they don’t want to walk. Want to be able to connect people who want to come to work to Fort Custer. Bring back weekend service and better on demand service. Been connecting with service providers. Trying to get more bus drivers. If you are within a mile and half, you have to walk to school. French: times of operation? Closing around 11pm or midnight. Huge increase. That is the goal. TACC doesn’t have any money. Can’t make any promises. French: will transportation be limited to those areas? Yes, it will be. All surrounding municipalities opted out. It wasn’t an option to opt out for us. Currently get grant dollars need to keep them. Discussion. This is a 12 million dollar ask. That is a lot. But it is what is needed. 2.66 millage request. Average family that is $200 more/year. But I think this something that is needed in the community. Discussion about vehicles. Currently building resources by looking for donations. Can use that for marketing and consulting. Rodney Beckhom asks for copies of finances. Nov 5th will have millage request. 8. Old Business: Already discussed. Morris will check to see who got funds. 9. New Business. Rodney Beckom: Water testing tools and radon. CBGD dollars to provide them. Will bring in more people with what we are doing. Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov  Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. 10. Public Comments/Member Comments: Rodney: Water testing. Water fluctuates in community. Are you aware? Tools pass around. A lot of things that are going on, need to focus on health. Carry detector for radiation. Used it in military. Never stopped using. Water testing tool is less than 11 dollars. Radiation $30. Need to have around because it is real. Help yourself, help your family and help others. O’Bryant. Home Depot has water test kits. They emailed hers back. O’Bryant Introduction. Marlene Thomas. From Chicago. Been here for 3 months. Big difference in cities. Whitney invited me. Property is in Washington Heights. John Kenefik: Talk about transportation. He found most money is from federal money. Discussion. Talks about commissioners. Hands out paperwork. Talks about Godfrey and property. Talks about housing. Against city attacking low income people. Discussion of topics. Larz: Point of order. Let him state what he is trying to state. John finishes comment. Members comments: Pastor French: We were part of the planning for renovations of the park. Want to thank commissioner Morris. Larz: one of your responsibilities of a member is to attend city commission meetings. If you would participate, you would know your people. Tells of presentation at commission meetings. Transit is bad in BC. There are things we have to recognize and get behind. Once you participate you know. Have to get youth. Need to get people. Tells of how the NPC used to be. Standing room only. Had the people. But didn’t know what to do with them. French: This NPC is the most active NPC. People are starting to come back. Kimberly: very happy to be here. Thanks Larz for letting her know about commission meeting. Rodney: ran for city commission. I did this. I know what’s coming and know the storm. I am riding along with it. Talks about what happened. Knows this is real and that is why I am back. French: although I am not at city commission meeting. Sit on the county commission. I am very active. There will be presentation for TACC at county. We will be making great strides. Gentry: Change of pace. Been in neighborhood for 11 years. Promoted to Sergeant Working nights. Loved the Heights. Had a house here. Love the park. Will be last NPC2 meeting. Hopefully will have someone to replace. Cythia. Washing heights dream team. Oct 31st. 5-7pm. Costume prizes. Trunk or treat. 11. Next Meeting: Monday, Nov 11th. 6 PM @ Washington Heights UMC. Last meeting of year. Bring some goodies. Kimberly plates and cups. Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov  Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. 12. Adjournment: Moved Breedlove. Second by Sweet.. Motion Carried Unanimously. 7 votes for. Meeting adjourned at approximately 702pm PM Minutes recorded and submitted by: Jeff Breedlove NPC2 Secretary NPC 2 Mission: To improve the quality of life by listening and engaging residents. NPC 2 Vision: A safe, friendly, family-driven neighborhood where everyone wants to live. The City of Battle Creek will provide necessary reasonable auxiliary aids and services, such as signers for the hearing impaired and audiotapes of printed materials being considered in the meeting upon reasonable notice to the City of Battle Creek. Individuals with disabilities requiring auxiliary aids or services should contact the City of Battle Creek by writing or calling the following: City Clerk Office (269) 966-3348/TDD Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov  Monday, the 14th of October, 2024 Meeting Minutes NORTHCENTRAL NEIGHBORHOOD PLANNING COUNCIL #2 Washington Heights – Hub of Hope, 153 N. Wood St. Mailing Address: City Hall, 10 N. Division St., Room 104, Battle Creek, MI 49014 Phone: (269) 966-3315 Fax: (269) 441-0380 Web: www.battlecreekmi.gov