Meeting Minutes

Board Members

Allan Whiting and Nikki Ricks

Neighbors

11 neighbors in attendance

Bob, Joyce, Maggie, Julie, David, Linda, Bob, Kendall

Speakers or Guests

Bob and Joyce

Action Items

Email committees to start conversation and organizing

MEETING SUMMARY

The Vernon Neighborhood Association convened on September 20th, with a strong turnout of 11 neighbors, including special guests Bob and Joyce. The meeting progressed as follows:

Introductions & Additional Agenda Items (6:00 pm)

• Nikki, VNA Co-Chair, initiated the meeting, and neighbors introduced themselves, sharing their thoughts and concerns.

Guest Speaker: Bob and Joyce Introduction (6:15 pm)

• Bob and Joyce provided valuable insights into the history of the neighborhood and showcased historical photo archives.

Art Walk with Samir on October 7th (6:30 pm)

• Nikki discussed an upcoming Art Walk with Samir scheduled for October 7th.

Board Elections in October (6:40 pm)

• Nikki informed attendees about the upcoming board elections, set to take place in October.

New Committees and Roles Based on Survey Results (6:45 pm)

• Nikki delved into the survey results and suggested the formation of new committees and roles within the neighborhood association.

• Neighbors signed up for the following committees:

  • Walkability/Bikeability (1)

  • Traffic and Street Racing (1)

  • Lack of Street Trees (1)

  • Trash/Litter (4)

  • Gentrification (1)

Updates (7:00 pm)

• Various concerns and topics were discussed during this segment of the meeting:

  • Trash Committee & Adopt A Block: Linda highlighted the Trash Committee's efforts and mentioned her participation, along with her 5-½-year-old daughter, in Adopt A Block initiatives.

  • Leaven Organizing Trash Pickup: The group recalled Leaven's involvement in organizing trash pickups in the past.

  • NECN Update: Allan updated the group on NECN and discussion around the changing of neighborhood boundaries

  • Sidewalk Cleanup: Maggie proposed organizing sidewalk cleanup events to enhance sidewalk safety, particularly addressing issues related to walnuts.

  • Fruit Tree Project: There was a discussion about exploring the Fruit Tree Project for street tree cleanup initiatives.

  • Committee Renaming: The idea of renaming the Trash/Cleanup Committee to the Beautification Committee was proposed and discussed.

  • Traffic Committee Meeting: It was announced that a Traffic Committee meeting is scheduled for October 23rd to address issues on Killingsworth and 15th. David expressed his interest in joining the board to represent this committee.

The meeting concluded with action items set for emailing committees to initiate conversations and organize efforts in line with the discussed topics.