Minutes of Board Meeting:
February 18, 2004
NSCC President's Board Room

Directors Present:  Liz Kearns, Jerry Owens, Debra Willendorf, Yvonne Zoretic, Ted Pickett, Wanda Fullner, Bert Bradley, and Ellen Beck.

Board Representatives Present:  Ken Thompson (North Precinct Representative), and Wally Fosmore (North Seattle Community College).

Visitors:  Darlene Flynn (Seattle School Board Member), Jean Wirch, and Shannon Snider.

President Liz Kearns called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m., welcoming everyone.  We gave introductions around the table.

Minutes:  The minutes from our November 19, 2003 meeting were approved as presented, as were the minutes from our January 21, 2004 meeting.

Treasurer’s Report: 

Treasurer Debra Willendorf had no report, but provided copies of the December 31, 2003 financial statement, plus the 2003 approved budget.  She reminded directors of the need to study the budget and requested that we let her know any thoughts or suggestions we had concerning the 2004 budget.  We ended 2003 $56.28 in the black and need to consider where costs can be cut since funding will be reduced this year.  We do have a total of 10,107 copies in our account at the UPS Store.

In connection with the budget, Bert Bradley said that he a new housemate who has volunteered to work on the list serve for LSCC.  Her name is Rita Ruffle, and she is a computer science student at NSCC and the University of Washington.  She babysits for Bert and his wife and has agreed to set up the system for us.  Bert commented that he had been a member of the Greenwood list serve for a year and that it has worked well.  He has been told that it takes very little time for the “moderator” to maintain the list serve.  Discussion followed.  Bert said a larger list serve to link the north end of the city would be useful.

Also, Bert confirmed that in connection with the Newsletter, we have no restrictions on accepting paid advertising.

In connection with the picnic, there is now a new assistant manager at Larry’s Market.

NEW BUSINESS:

Seattle School Board:  Darlene Flynn, our new representative on the Seattle School Board, spoke next.  She stated that the School Board is working on changing the environment/culture that has existed at the School Board in the past.  Darlene said she knew that Wilson-Pacific was an important concern and focus for our community.  She said school programs were being moved in response to cost cutting efforts.  In the near term, she did not see Wilson-Pacific returning to being a regular school.  She told us Susan Llewellyn is the person to contact regarding questions about Wilson-Pacific.  Lots of discussion followed.

 Liz referred to an e-mail from Ms. Llewellyn, Program Placement Coordinator, regarding present and upcoming use of Wilson-Pacific.  We very much appreciate getting detailed information like this from the School District.  Liz said we would like to see the Indian Heritage program increase.  There is a good cultural connection to this community for the students in that program.

Yvonne Zoretic recapped the recent gunshot activity at Wilson-Pacific.  Ken Thompson also had information.  The young people involved were from south Seattle and had stolen cars from that area to drive up to our neighborhood and do burglaries, plus steal cars in our neighborhood to take the stolen goods back to south Seattle.  The gunshots were apparently not intentional and everyone scattered after they took place.  The North Precinct officers were able to apprehend one suspect and obtain information that allowed them to subsequently arrest nine others.

 Darlene asked if a “drug free zone” had been established for Wilson-Pacific.  She said that such a zone would be in effect 24/7 and cause higher mandatory sentences for crimes committed in the “drug free zone.”  Darlene said she would send us information about the drug free program.  There is cost involved because of the signage required.  She said it is a City/police matter more than a school district matter, so she will find out how we proceed with establishing such a zone.

 Darlene said her focus on the School Board was to (1) improve how the School Board interacts with neighborhoods; and (2) improve academic performance.  She said the passage of the technology levy enabled the School District to purchase a new financial system.  She said all members of the School Board now study the budget.  Moss Adams has written programs and made recommendations which the School District is following.  New people had also been hired.  We should be aware that budget issues are very complex.  Darlene said the Board was looking at how to make budget cuts from the central operations.  Seventy percent of the budget was made up by teacher salaries.  She said that $9 Million will be cut this year.

 Liz said that schools are empty at night.  It would be great to have educational programs and community activities in the evening.  Presently, it is too expensive for community groups to use space at Wilson-Pacific.

 Wally Fosmore said that NSCC has a ten year lease at Sand Point Elementary School and had tried hard to move their art program to Wilson-Pacific during renovation since the school was originally built as an “arts junior high” and had many features that would make it work well for the college.  But in the end, every cost came back to the College, including the cost for asbestos abatement.  This was too expensive for the College.  At this same time, the College had provided space to the Indian Heritage students for two years at no cost to the School District.  When NSCC was unable to arrange to lease space at Wilson-Pacific, the Indian Heritage students had to be moved back to Wilson-Pacific because NSCC, absent leasing space at Wilson-Pacific, needed to use on-campus space during their renovation projects.  Darlene said that this is part of the culture that the School Board was working to change.  A vision of the greater picture is needed.  Darlene believes that things are changing.  She said the property managers in the past were not creatively thinking of the capital program.  This needs to be the case.  She hoped that the opportunity would be available in the future for projects like this to be possible.

Darlene was asked about student standards and testing.  She said that the situation in Seattle could be summed up as prep school standards on public school budgets.  She said that the School District needs to develop methods to bring all students to the same standard.  Because of the mobility of students, we have to have continuity between schools.  Discussion followed.

Board Members.  Bert Bradley announced that he would be joining the Greenwood Community Council and so would be not be continuing as an officer of our Board.  Thank you for all your hard work and contributions, Bert!

 Shannon Snider said that he would be willing to join the Board.  Welcome, Shannon!

OLD BUSINESS:

Next Meeting:  David Della will be on our agenda for our March meeting.  Discussion followed.  Procedures and standards for the Council’s participation in rezone efforts were discussed.  It was agreed that Ellen would e-mail Cory Johnson, Jon Beahm, and Greg Baltzell concerning our procedures/standards and tell them that they could not be on the agenda, but, of course, could speak to Mr. Della after our meeting.

Our procedures/standards include:  (1) that the owner of the property should make the request, or someone acting with the authority of owner; and (2) that evidence that there has been public process must be presented, i.e., the neighboring property owners have been surveyed and agree to the rezone.  If these standards are met, the Board will accept the rezone request for review.

Northgate Stakeholders Group:  A representative is needed to participate in the Northgate Stakeholders Group.  They would need to attend an initial meeting on Thursday, March 18, 2004, from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.  Shannon Snider agreed to investigate working with Jerry Owens, who previously agreed to be our alternate, on this group.

The meeting was adjourned at 9:00 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,

Ellen M. Beck, Secretary