Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council

Neighborhood Improvement Advisory Council Meeting Minutes Wednesday, March 9, 2016 7:00 P.M. City Hall Annex, 120 Washington Street, 3rd Floor Members Present: Hope Carpenter (for BSNA), Nina Cohen, Christian Haselgrove, Jim Kearney, Barbara Lewis (for MPNA), Barbara Mann, Jerry Smith, and Anne Sterling Staff Present: Dominick Pangallo (Mayor’s Chief of Staff) Guests Present: Emily Chee, Wendy Kent, Larry Ramdin (Health Agent), Patricia Zaido Approval of January 13, 2016 Meeting Minutes: Unanimously approved. Council Updates: Anne Sterling asked members to think about interest in a community bocce ball league and potential court locations in their neighborhood. Barbara Lewis announced that MPNA would be holding a candidates’ forum for Essex County Sheriff candidates (date TBD), and invited other neighborhood associations to contact Rosemary O’Connor if they wished to co- host. Public Comments: None Guest Speakers: Nina Cohen showed the WalkBoston presentation “Walk Your Way to Health” (http://www.walkboston.org/sites/default/files/WalkYourWayToHealth_6-8-12.pdf) and led a group discussion around the health benefits of walking and how the community can encourage walking. Patricia Zaido provided an update on the City’s Age Friendly initiative, a designation from AARP and the World Health Organization that recognizes Salem’s focus on healthy aging. The initiative is preparing a master plan that will focus especially on transportation, communication, parks and outdoor buildings, and housing. A survey of Salem residents 50 years of age and older is now online to gather feedback to help develop the master plan and a series of public meetings are being planned. The survey is online at http://www.salem.com/council-aging/links/age- friendly-salem-survey. Larry Ramdin and Wendy Kent provided some background information on the regional opiates task force that Salem participates in with Lynn and Peabody. After reviewing how the task force came about they talked about the task force’s focus on education, prevention, and access to treatment. DVDs and informational brochures were distributed. Salem resident Ed Moriarty shared his own personal story related to opiates’ impacts on families, resources available for families with a child struggling with addiction, and encouraged neighborhood associations to get involved. City Updates: Salem Police Department Lieutenant Conrad Prosniewski has been promoted to Captain. A meeting took place on March 1st for the public to provide input into the design of a memorial at Proctor’s Ledge. Feedback from the meeting and additional information is available at http://www.salem.com/proctors-ledge-memorial-project. Design alternatives for the memorial will be posted at that website in early April. The goal is completion of the memorial by June 2017 for the 325th anniversary of the executions of 1692. The National Grid cable replacement project has completed the installation phase and will be energizing the new cables shortly. The removal of the old cables is scheduled to get underway March 22nd and will last until approximately mid-May. There will be a public information meeting regarding the feasibility study conducted relative to a potential South Salem MBTA commuter rail stop, on March 22nd, 6:30 p.m., at Salem High School. The 2016 resident survey is online now through April 22nd at http://www.salem.com/mayors- office/links/2016-salem-resident-survey and in Spanish at http://www.salem.com/mayors- office/links/2016-encuesta-de-residentes-de-la-ciudad-de-salem. Results are published in the FY2017 proposed City budget published in late May. Street sweeping begins with entrance corridors in mid to late April and neighborhood streets after that through May. Details will be posted shortly at www.salem.com. Line striping begins after the streets have been swept. The Transfer Station will be open again starting Saturday, March 12th, for yard waste drop off. Hours will again be Saturdays and Sundays, 7am to 4pm. No residential or construction trash/debris is permitted, only yard waste. Those dropping off should bring a Salem ID. Do not leave yard waste outside the gates after hours. Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 11, 2016 Adjournment: 8:35 p.m.