Neighborhood Planning Council 5 - Urbandale

Urbandale Neighborhood Planning Council #5 Council Minutes – October 13, 2014 Meeting at Christ United Methodist Church 65 North Bedford Road Call to Order: The meeting was called to order at 7:02 PM by Robert Whitfield, chair. Attendance: Robert Whitfield, Chair; Johnny Vick; Dale Stratton; Paul Sajtar; Curtis Roberts; Deb Owens; David Moore; Hal Longman; Pat Graw; Kathy Antaya. Excused absences: Sara Schmanske; Joshua Fausey; Fred Bachman; Carl Brockman. A quorum of at least seven members was present. ** Please call 269-963-7148 for “excused absence” (leave message) ** Guests included: Joe Britvec; Karen Evans; Jamie Rugg (2-1-1) City staff included: Dennis McKinley; Sgt. Todd Madsen; Officer J. Barrons; Chief Jim Blocker Previous Minutes: September 8, 2014 minutes were approved by voice vote. Correspondence: Chair Whitfield noted that NPC member Carl Brockman is out of the hospital and recovering at home from the car accident. Chairman also noted that the city is requesting volunteers to assist with the Nov. general election process. Please contact the City Clerk’s Office if you are willing and available. Police Report: Officer Jordon Barrons introduced himself as the new Urbandale area patrolman. Sgt. Madsen provided a written report for police activity in Urbandale in Sept. He said they had made an arrest of a suspect in the recent home-invasion spree. It appears the suspects used bicycles, so be on the alert for late-night bicyclists in the neighborhoods. Chief Blocker gave a brief report on the consolidation of dispatch services and the new dispatch center. 911 calls in our area are routed through this center. A report shows response time for BC Police, through this “9-1-1” call center, was six minutes. Guest Speaker: Jamie Rugg, of Hands On Battle Creek, talked about our 2-1-1 Call Center system. The Call Center tries to connect people who need help with resources and referrals, AND to connect volunteers and donors with opportunities. Our call center, which received 38, 000 calls in 2013, is one of eight that cover the entire state Her big message: “With just one simple call to 2-1-1 you will have access to thousands of programs to GIVE HELP or GET HELP!” Calls are anonymous, but providing a zip code is necessary for accurate referrals. In addition, data collected from calls is used to inform state services (DHS, etc.) on residents’ needs and help shape state-wide policies. Commissioner’s Report: Commissioner Owens reported our new City Manager, Rebecca Fleury, has spent much time meeting with residents, city staff and commissioners, while getting acquainted with city hall. As a direct result of citizen input, a new ordinance has been introduced for a vote by the City Commission. With passage of the new ordinance, snow removal from sidewalks in BC may be performed with a 4w ATV-mounted snowplow. (See the ordinance on BC website for specific language.) Currently, it is a violation to drive a motorized vehicle on public sidewalks. Last winter, a helpful resident was cited when he used a quad-runner to plow sidewalks in his neighborhood. The Ethics Committee has been working diligently for a year on refining the commission’s Code of Ethics. After review by the entire commission, it was returned to committee for further work on key language. Commission meeting schedule is in flux the next few weeks. On Tues, Oct 21, there will be a work session at 5:30pm and regular commission meeting at 7:00pm. The following meeting date has been changed to WED, NOV 5. This will be an “organizational” meeting, where commissioners elect the Mayor and Vice Mayor for 1-year terms. Commissioners may adopt a new schedule for regular commission meeting dates/times. School Report: N/A Code Report: Dennis McKinley distributed a written report. He said the seasonal enforcement of weed/tall grass regulations comes to an end Nov. 1. He noted seasonal yard waste pick up will continue through the end of Nov. He also fielded questions from the group. Membership: N/A Beautiful Battle Creek Award: 86 Taylor as nominated by Dale Stratton Old Business: After making inquiries, Paul Sajtar reports various city departments are unable to assist Urbandale with installation of the holiday lights. However, Commissioner Owens will ask the Festival of Lights Committee for their assistance. New Business: Elections for Executive Committee for NPC #5 will occur next month. Nominations for Chair, Vice Chair, and Secretary were opened at this meeting. Nominating Committee: The following individuals were nominated for these positions: Robert Whitfield for Chair; Hal Longman for Vice Chair; Kathy Antaya for Secretary. Nominations will be accepted from the floor prior to the election. Public Comment: Karen Evans announced she is seeking re-election to the BCPS School Board. Member Comment: Salvation Army is building a new multi-purpose room and sanctuary at Capital and McKinley. Ground breaking ceremony will take place Wed, Oct 22 at 9:30 am. The Tea Party is hosting a Candidates Forum at Burnham Brook on Thurs, Oct 23 at 6:30 pm. A variety of candidates have been invited; final list of acceptances is pending. County Commissioner candidates will debate. Other office-seekers will be given 3-4 minutes to make statements. The meeting adjourned at 8:09 P.M. Respectfully submitted by: Kathy Antaya