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LICTON SPRINGS COMMUNITY COUNCIL
Minutes
of
Board
Meeting: Directors Present: Liz Kearns, Bert Bradley, Yvonne Pilling Zoretic, JJ Avinger-Jacques, and Ellen Beck. Board Representatives Present: Ken Thompson (North Precinct Representative) and Wally Fosmore (North Seattle Community College Representative). Visitors: David Scheiber (Director of Affordable Housing, Parkview’s Affordable Housing Program), Trent Davis (Area Manager, Greater Residential Options – King County – Volunteers of America), Jean Wirch, Roger Hagarty, Allan Kutoff, and Carol Ruth Summers. President Liz Kearns called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m., welcoming everyone. We then went around the table and everyone introduced themselves. Minutes: Minutes from the January 25, 2003 meeting were approved as presented. Treasurer’s Report: Treasurer Debra Willendorf was not present and there was no Treasurer’s Report. We could not begin work on the 2003 Budget because we were without a quorum due to the excused absences of Debra, Jerry Owens, and Wanda Fullner. Debra asked Board members to review the financial reports and begin discussing the 2003 budget at our February meeting. The Treasurer’s Report was approved. OLD BUSINESS: Design Review. Bert Bradley reported on his investigation into establishing design review guidelines for the community. He said that the steps to be taken were to (1) let the City know the community wants to establish guidelines; (2) receive suggested guidelines from the City; (3) apply for a small and simple grant; (4) hold public meetings; (5) obtain participation of neighbors and merchants; (6) City approves the community’s guidelines. Bert said that guidelines have to work towards preserving what is unique in your neighborhood. Since we have a near impossible task of engaging the merchants along Aurora and we don’t really have “unique architecture” in the neighborhood, it would be difficult for us to qualify for establishing design guidelines. What we can do is attend the hearings of the DCLU. These are held at the Northwest District Office at 85th and Dayton. The hearings take place once every couple months or so. Bert said that he was trying to figure out how to get notice of the hearings. Discussion followed. It was pointed out that the person attending meetings on behalf of Licton Springs should be someone with an architecture or builder background. Bert said that Mike Kimmelberg (staff lead on Neighborhood Plans) would be willing to come to one of our meetings. Bert agreed to write an article for our next Newsletter about the design review meetings. Hopefully someone in the neighborhood has the right background. Website – News Group. Bert next began the discussion about the List Serve or News Group. The community has (i) our webpage, (ii) a quarterly Newsletter, (iii) e-mail communications between the directors; and (iv) an occasional postcard mailing. Last year we spent $1,000.00 for Newsletters, or $250.00 per issue. Liz noted that the $500.00 from Cynthia Sullivan’s office that we will receive this year, is the last of these annual donations we have been receiving. The money pot has dried up! Liz said that she has figured that we can do three Newsletters this year and three next year with the funds on hand. Discussion followed. Bert said that we have about 200 e-mail addresses on hand presently to which we could send out an invitation to participate in a News Group. He said that Greenwood had three people who shared the job of moderator for their group. We would most likely need that many people also. Every e-mail sent to the News Group has to be okayed by the moderator. A non-moderated group could function without a moderator. The advantage of the moderated group is that traffic would be much lower. It was moved and second and passed that Bert begin the necessary steps to form the List Serve/News Group. Northgate. Liz read portions of a copy of a letter that she had received that had been written by the Maple Leaf community to Mayor Nickels. Maple Leaf asked Liz if Licton Springs would do a similar letter to Mayor Nickels, as soon as possible, supporting an open process with regards to developments at Northgate. All were in agreement that we could send such a letter. North Seattle Community College. Wally Fosmore reported that the renovation of the Arts and Sciences Building would begin next September. He said that a roof deck would be put on the third floor for a permanent telescope. They are going ahead with design work for the Child Care Building. On the north side there will be a fenced play area. Work is scheduled to begin June 20th. Wally reminded us that the original college buildings are 30 years old. If money for capital improvements is funded, then renovation would begin September 2003. Arrangements have been made to lease 14 classrooms at Wilson-Pacific or all of the 200 Building. These would be used for art classes. The art lectures would remain at the College. A modular building (to be placed where the old volleyball court is) would house the science classrooms during the renovation. They will lease this modular building. A restroom module may need to be added. Indian Heritage will be staying at the College, but enrollment is such that the College may ask for one of the three classrooms back. Wally said that the money put into capital improvements was a way to bolster the economy all over the State because of the work it provided for the construction trade, etc. It was pointed out that Wally tells the Board about what is going on at the College because we serve as the Master Plan Standing Committee for the College. Wilson-Pacific. Bert mentioned talking to Joseph Olchefske at a kindergarten registration he was attending. Bert said he asked about Wilson-Pacific and was told that there would not be a middle school at Wilson-Pacific. Schools will be organized to have K-8 at other middle schools. Wilson-Pacific will be used for temporary housing for programs that are temporarily misplaced. Wally said that the College planned to have continuing education evening classes at Wilson-Pacific. NEW BUSINESS: Parkview’s Affordable Housing Program. David Scheiber, who is Director of Affordable Housing for Parkview’s Affordable Housing Program, spoke first. He announced that Parkview had purchased the home at 103rd and Wallingford (across from Mineral Springs Park) and would be remodeling it to be suitable for disabled persons. He told us that Parkview was a nonprofit organization that has been active in King County for 35 years. Among other things, they organize a summer camp, the “Stepping Out” program, and create affordable housing for disabled persons. They have 37 homes in King County. Parkview’s role is to locate and purchase the homes, remodel them as needed (adding bathrooms, making the homes wheelchair accessible, etc.), and then maintain the homes. The homes are run by the Volunteers of America. Checks are run on all individuals considered for placement in the homes. They do not allow anyone with a criminal history or a history of violence. They do not allow sexual predators. The persons placed in their homes have varying degrees of disability, mainly persons with Downs syndrome, autism, physical disabilities, or retardation. The people require 24/7 care. The people receive minimal Social Security checks of $552.00 per month. They are able to live in Parkview homes because the rent charged is $149.00 per month. David said that for the first time in these people’s lives they have money to spend! Parkview makes a 50 year commitment to maintain the homes that they purchase for affordable housing. When the home at 103rd and Wallingford is finished and the people have moved in, an open house will be announced for the neighbors. Volunteers of America. Trent Davis, Area Manager for Volunteers of America, told us about his organization. Volunteers of America is a 100 year old nonprofit organization founded by the Booth family (the same family that founded the Salvation Army). They are the second largest nonprofit in the country (after the Salvation Army). They are state funded and are audited every two years. They sponsor food banks, adult family homes, crisis intervention, and medication counseling. The people that they place in Parkview homes have developmental disability that occurred before age 18. The staffs in the group homes have the highest wage ($10.00) for the kind of work they do in King County. All managers have college degrees. Trent said that Parkview was the best nonprofit company he had ever worked with and that Parkview made it possible for the Volunteers of America to help people in our society who have no voice and no money. It allows these people to be taken out of institutional care in many cases. There will be three people moving in the home at 103rd and Wallingford: (1) a young man graduating from Shorecrest who is disabled and has up to this time been living with his family; (2) a woman who has cerebral palsy and has been at home her whole life (she has a wide circle of caregivers who help her); and (3) a woman who has been institutionalized at Fircrest. These people are all disabled and need help with all aspects of their lives. The home will be staffed with two people during the day, two people during the evening, and one person at night. Occupational and physical therapists will also be coming to the home. There will be staff meetings two times a month, which will sometimes occur at the home. Trent said that a flyer would invite neighbors to the home within a month of the three people moving in. The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m. Respectfully submitted, Ellen M. Beck, Secretary Welcome
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