BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday, February 28, 2012 At the Home of Brian Habekoss and Jose Gonzalez at 322 Mayellen Avenue
Meeting called to order at 7:15 PM
PRESENT: [9 people present] Members: Brian Habekoss (President) John Leyba (Vice President and NAC Representative) Loui Tucker (Secretary)
Sabine Zappe (Treasurer) Jose Gonzalez (Director) Robert Solis (Director) Brian Ward (Director)
THE MINUTES
Steve Kline Linda Solis
Melrose Cacal representing Pierluigi Oliverio’s office
The minutes of the January 31, 2012 meeting were posted on the website and the yahoo group files section. The minutes were approved.
TREASURER’S REPORT
The current balance is $1027.01 of which $534 is CAP Grant. Grant money is to be used for NAC membership, the newsletter, mailbox rental, website, office supplies.
REVIEW OF THE LAST MEETING
We did some brainstorming at the last meeting. John reviewed his analysis from his notes. This meeting focused on one or two things we can work on immediately.
FOCUS SESSION (1) The park expansion is a very tangible thing we can do that is visible and measurable. Too
many people don’t know we exist. Our newsletter is being delayed so we can plan an event in the park and publicize it. By the way, our new park sign needs all three logos - the Parks Foundation, the City and the BVNA!
(2) Neighborhood blight such as dumping on various streets, parking issues, litter, and graffiti, are quality of life issues.
(3) Getting the residents involved is vital. Jose talked about a man he met with who lives on Scott. He was very happy to learn that someone is doing something for the neighborhood. He is a renter. He works in construction like many renters in his complex. Joe talked to him about some of the things the BVNA is working on. The drawback to contacting them and getting them involved is their limited English skills. Jose believes, however, that if we know how to “push their buttons” we can get them involved. They will be appreciative and help when and as they can, but they will not come to the meetings because of the language barrier.
We can announce clean-up days, publicize it to residents on those on the targeted street(s), and get them involved. They will help because they want to improve their neighborhood. They need the park because they don’t have any green space in their apartments. We need to get them involved in improving their own park, their own street, etc.
(4) We should definitely do the “Ice Cream Social in the Park. We have not had a full-fledged BVNA event in a long time.
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(a) Funding. Membership dues should be coming in this month, so we will get some seed money.
(b) Permit We will need a permit to have an event that is currently planned for May 12. John will get permit, pay for it, and get reimbursed.
(c) Food and supplies. We might be able to get ice cream sandwiches donated. We could use bulk ice cream and scoop onto cones if it’s free or get $120 worth of novelty ice creams, which would be enough. We should get 350 pieces (based on what is used at Halloween), plus napkins, some sort of portable shade, a table.
(d) Connect.We should print some business cards or something similar to pass out to people who attend.
(5) We can do a Clean Up Day. Should we coordinate with the March 17 Litter Pickup on Highway 280 or make it a separate event? If we do a clean up and use AAH bags Loui and Sabine will pick up the filled bags and put them on the freeway.
We should concentrate on two streets: Scott Street and the Chiechi loop, and S. Willard and S. Buena Vista. We should publicize that we’ll supply pizza afterward to act as incentive. The week before we should get someone out to take pictures of the problem spots and then get after photos. Before and after photos should go either in the newsletter or on the BVNA website or on a flier with the caption “Which is better for you, your kids, your life?” If people see the difference, they will want to get the same thing done on their street.
(6) The issue of dumping is complex. We created some of this problem ourselves by calling DOT whenever we saw items dumped. Residence got the message that it was OK to dump because someone would come by to pick it up and cart it away. We need to give people an alternative in addition to saying they might be caught on video and prosecuted.
We should consider contacting the managers of the apartments, telling them about the proposed videotaping, citations, fines, etc. and then stress that they should be taking the items to the dump and paying to dump them. It’s a cost of doing business and dumping in the neighborhood is no longer acceptable.
Brian will coordinate with someone from the City and/or Code Enforcement. We will go in a small group, take a copy of the proposed sign, have someone who speaks Spanish, and tell them about the situation, see if we can get their cooperation.
(7) Reporting problems to the City. The CitySourced software reportedly is overwhelmed because too many people are using it. Melrose handed out copies of the flier that announced the debut of San Jose Clean. It is another smart phone and computer application that focuses on graffiti, litter, etc.. You just log in, take a photo, and email it.
OTHER DISCUSSION
There is a movement within the City to stop giving CAP grants. There are also people in the City who are organizing to get the CAP grants continued, but others are looking for a way to stop the program and put the money elsewhere. A motion to do this is on the Council agenda. They plan to use the money to buy another fire truck.
There was a discussion of a new rapid transit bus route like the 522 that would travel along West San Carlos and Stevens Creek, from the Convention Center to De Anza, with only a few major stops,
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such a Meridian, Bascom, Winchester (it would not go behind Valley Fair). Some cities are not on board with the idea. The plan is to buy new hybrid buses and create a dedicated bus lane. The idea comes from several large South American cities where it works well. People are verbal about not wanting to have it, but they like it once the system is in.
There was some discussion about creating an access to the shopping center through Chiechi. The point was made that just because it is private property does not mean it won’t happen. The neighbors would really like it. It could happen. It could be made a condition of improving on or developing the property being vacated by the post office.
It was suggested that in addition to posting the minutes to the website and the yahoo group Files section, that we post some “sound bites” from the BVNA meeting in email.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
United Neighborhoods is having a spring mixer on Saturday March 31, 9:00-12:00 AM at Santa Clara County Water Company property at 5750 Almaden
The Neighborhood Watch Meeting is March 28 at the home of Dolores Rodriguez; the Neighborhood Development Conference next year will be November 10, 2012.
The meeting was adjourned at 8:43 PM.
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