BUENA VISTA NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Meeting Tuesday,, January 31,, 2012
At the Home of Shelby and Larry at 395 Menker Avenue
Meeting called to order at 7::110 PM
PRESENT : [114 people present]]
Members :
Brian Habekoss ( President))
John Leyba (VVice President and NAC Representative))
Loui Tucker (SSecretary))
Sabine Zappe (TTreasurer))
Jose Gonzalez (DDirector))
Shelby Palms (DDirector))
Brian Ward (DDirector))
Leo Alvarez
Rica Alvarez
Karen O’Mara
Bruce Stevens
Ruth White
Candace W hite
Ed Yu
Melrose Cacal representing
Pierluigi Oliverio’s office (PPierluigi Oliverio arrived at 8::115 PM))
THE MINUTES
The minutes of the November 29 meeting were discussed and action items were reviewed.. A change was made to the section about voluntee r hours at the Buena Vista Park.. The minutes were approved..
TREASURER’S REPORT
The current balance is $11027.01 of which $5534 is CAP Grant.. New account was opened and the old account has been closed..
BRAINSTORMING
This meeting was primarily a brainsto rming session to focus on issues that the Association wants to address in the coming year.. There was a general feeling the Association should be looking ahead for some goals instead of reacting to situations and challenges as they arise..
1.. We should try to produce and distribute a newsletter more regularly
2.. There might be interest in getting the home tour restarted
3.. We need to be clear about the Association’s role in the neighborhood and see if we can represent and address the needs of a broad demographic
4.. We should be recruiting new members
5.. To get neighbors involved,, do we have to offer them something tangible.. Lower income residents may not want to get involved unless they get something out of membership
6.. The BVNA should be come a primary information sour ce in the neighborhood
7.. We need to make efforts to avoid misunderstandings due to cultural differences
8.. We must appear to be proactive rather than always reactive - such as developing signage to cut down on dumping on Willard and creating and distributing the Citysourced fliers
9.. The BVNA’s main goal recently has been getting the Park doubled in size.. Residents need to know this and that the park will not happen just the City feels like being nice to the neighborhood
10.. How about an “IImproving the Neighborho od”” contest??
11.. Translating fliers into Spanish is a great start,, but we need to go door - to - door and interact with the residents,, and specifically go beyond the houses that are immediately around us.. We cannot seem to go more than five doors in any directio n from our own residence..
12.. We should also acknowledge that it’s hard for anyone to talk outside their comfort zone
13.. We need to build personal relationships with as many neighbors as possible..
14.. We should make it clear that the BVNA is the ONLY the group th at’s working on our neighborhood issues.. There is strength in numbers and groups get more done than individuals working alone..
15.. Home tours in the past have helped people get people involved and become aware of the neighborhood.. It is a very tangible,, posi tive activity..
16.. Historically,, we have tried leaving newsletters at group mailboxes and posting fliers announcing meetings and landlords took them down (‘‘YYou’re littering!!’’)).. The landlords do not want their tenants to become activists.. This is why we had to start mailing newsletters,, etc....
17.. We need to take on little things so we and the residents can see progress.. It is demoralizing to work on a project that will take years to complete..
18.. The law is that a property owner has to maintain “hhabitability”” - hot//cc old water,, sewage,, heat,, sound roof,, weather tight doors and windows.. Physically,, however,, it can look like a dump..
19.. What about reaching out to landlords themselves?? After all,, they have an interest in maintaining,, if not increasing,, the value of their p roperty and if tenants are trashing their property,, wouldn’t they want to know??
20.. We need to address the speeding up and down the street,, which is a both a quality of life and a safety issue??
21.. There was a recent “NNeighborhood Development Conference”” that di scussed ways of dealing with problem properties.. Other neighborhood associations have found ways to get the ‘ggood’’ landlords to pressure the ‘bbad’’ landlords to change.. Resources are available,, and there are lots of creative solutions that have been tried and worked.. We need to connect with people who have addressed this problem and get help from them..
22.. Renters probably use our park more than the homeowners because they don’t have access to a yard in their apartments.. We should get them involved in maintai ning and improving the park..
23.. How do we publicize the BVNA?? Is it on the banner at the Park?? We produce a newsletter very occasionally.. How else can we tell people about the BNVA??
24.. We can add information and links to our website,, but people have to kno w the website exists..
25.. There have been issues with the CitySourced programs - problems get reported and nothing happens.. It appears that the City doesn’t know how to deal with data it is receiving!! What other resources do we have for reporting problems to the City??
26.. Do we want to consider permit parking again??
27.. What about posted time limits on parking,, say 8::000 AM - 6::000 PM?? This might solve the problem with the used car lots that would not be able to park overstock cars on the neighborhood streets..
28.. We sh ould start using the City’s “VVehicle Spotters”” program.. Go to the City’s website for information..
ACTION ITEMS
Investigate what other neighborhood associations have done about cleaning up poor conditions in rental properties..
Use the Park to get peopl e involved.. Plan something that will get people to gather and get to know each other at the Park.. Organize a picnic or an ice cream social..
Get the banner up first..
Let’s plan something to celebrate Cinco de Mayo on Sunday May 12
Have clipboards and get names and email addresses and commitments then and there!!
We will need to get a permit!!
PARK UPDATE
John anticipates there will be on - going delays.. Part of the delay is because we are getting grass and not fake turf.. John Leyba checks in regularl y with Evelyn about progress.. Meanwhile,, we still have to keep the park clean.. John wants to work on the schedule..
We have $66000 in the San Jose Park Foundation.. If we could get it up to $110,000 we could just write the City a check and tell them to bui ld the park!!
John described changes coming,, including improvements to the existing park..
DUMPING ON SOUTH WILLARD
There continues to be dumping at the San Jose Water Company property that faces South Willard and the vacant lot at 435 South Willard.. Can we petition//ccoax//wwork with the Water Company to get them to make that property look better,, something like the one at the corner of West San Carlos and Bascom Avenue.. Can they at least face the property nicely?? If the lot looks better will it still be us ed as a dump site??
435 South Willard has items tossed over the chainlink fence as well as dropped on the sidewalk and parking strip in front.. Can we get the current owner to put up a different,, higher fence,, something that will make dumping inside the fe nce harder?? A solid wooden fence would not be a good idea because,, while the items dumped inside won’t be visible,, neither will anyone jumping the fence and congregating behind the fence..
(PPierluigi Oliverio had arrived by this time and he was brought up to date on the situation with these two problem properties on South Willard..))
The City’s Department of Transportation is in charge of picking up items that are left in the public right - of - way.. Code Enforcement has to deal with dumping on private propert y..
Pepe is working on a sign in Spanish and English to warn of the penalties for dumping.. Can we add language suggesting that the lots are under video surveillance??
MEETING DATES
There was a discussion about keeping the BVNA meetings on the LAST Tuesday of the month versus moving the meetings to the FOURTH Tuesday.. A motion was made to move the BVNA meetings to the FOURTH Tuesday of each month.. The motion was seconded.. The motion carried.. Loui will reprogram the yahoo group automatic notice to go out before the FOURTH Tuesday and will also change the website to reflect the new meeting dates..
The meeting was adjourned at 8::338 PM..