Board meeting: Sept. 11, 2018

September Community Meeting

Heart of Lincoln Square Neighbors Association
September 11, 2018
6:30PM at American Legion Tattler Post 973

Board Members Present:

  • Raminder Chadha

  • Julia Brown

  • Dillon Goodson

  • Adam Kingsley

  • Emily Ransom

  • Allen Schild

  • Emily Stone

  • Paige Worthy

Not in Attendance:

  • Emily Friend

Agenda

  1. Previous Meeting Recap

  2. October Meeting Discussion

  3. Holiday Party

  4. Boundary Restructuring

  5. Policy, Planning & Advocacy Update

  6. LSRCC Master Plan Meeting

  7. Treasurer's Report

  8. Beautification Update

Paige Worthy, Board Member, called the meeting to order at 7:12pm

August Meeting Recap

Consensus among board members that the outreach was not as successful as desired.

May consider having a “summer break” in 2019.

Neighborhood schools page will be added to the website with local school info.

October 18th Meeting “State of the Neighborhood Address”

This meeting will be an opportunity for the community to meet currently elected officials.

There are five confirmed speakers:

  • 19th District Police Commander Marc Buslik

  • 20th District Police Commander Sean Loughran

  • Cook County Commissioner John Fritchey

  • State Representative Ann Williams

  • 47th Ward Alderman Ameya Pawar

Yet to respond:

  • 40th Ward Alderman Pat O’Connor

  • Cook County Commissioner Bridget Gainer

  • Senator Heather Steans

  • Senator John Cullerton

  • Senator Dick Burbin

  • Senator Tammy Duckworth

Theme for meeting:

  • what is happening that affects Lincoln Square residents, and;

  • how can residents be engaged in the political process on a local, state or federal level.

Format:

  • The speakers can pick one or touch on each the themes

  • Speakers will have 5 minutes to talk followed by 5 minutes for questions

  • Questions must be submitted in advance.

Proposed venues:

  • Sulzer (followed by a post meeting meet-up)

  • Dank Haus

December 4th Holiday Party

Location: Nick’s Pizza & Pub

Considering:

  • Sponsored bar package with ticket sales

  • Toy drive or canned food drive

    • Waiting to hear back from Ross Outten about the event partnership

Restructuring our neighborhood boundary rules

Consider keeping current boundaries for our scope of work and influence but opening them for anyone who wants to be a member.

September 20th Policy, Planning & Advocacy Meeting

Location: Nick’s Pizza & Pub

Goal:

  • Develop HOLS mission statement regarding zoning and development

  • Mission statement to be approved by Board

  • Approved statement will be submitted to aldermanic candidates with a request to commit or provide alternate viewpoints.

Timing:

  • Mission statement to be submitted to Board by December 14th

  • Seeking Board approval of mission statement by January 4th

Meeting Agenda:

  • Identify planning/development principles

  • Identify key zoning/development issues of concern

  • Discuss role of Alderman

  • Examine mission statements of other community groups


LSRCC Master Plan Meetings

  • Adam Kingsley attended first meeting on 9/12

  • There will be 5-7 total planning sessions

  • Send Adam’s report to members

Treasurer’s Report

$875 in the bank.

  • Paige implemented new accounting software on the website via Wave Checkouts

Beautification Update

  • 10 people attended the meeting

  • Made a list of qualities to evaluate projects against.

  • Considering a high-profile project to get started

    • Western Brown Line – 311 requests to remove dead trees, re-set tree grates, plant flowers by trees

    • Paint planters under Brown Line and fill with shade-appropriate plantings

    • Corner Gardens: Lincoln/Leland & Giddings/Oakley

  • Project Target: Spring 2019

  • Considering Kickstarter campaigns

  • Dykes with Drills is  interested in building Little Free Pantry or Little Free Library


Meeting adjourned at 8:35pm

Emily Ransom, Secretary


Approved 11-13-15



 

Welcome Announcement

Paige Worthy introduced each of the Board Members present followed by an introduction of Brent Webb, Commander of Tattler Post 973.

News

Treasurers Report

  • By-laws approved, articles of incorporation filed and registered with Federal Government as a 501(c)3.

  • We can now accept dues at a rate of $20 for individual and $35 for household memberships. Due paying members can serve on committee’s, run for board seats, vote in elections for board seats, enjoy complimentary snacks and networking at neighborhood meetings.

  • Memberships roll over at Annual Meeting in February 2019.

  • We are currently offering 10%-off on all dues through the month of April.

Committee Groups

  1. Advocacy

  2. Beautification

  3. Outreach

  4. Events/Fundraising

Advocacy

Participants:

Tess Golden
Sajel
Vanessa
Arnold
Eileen
Jack Lydon
Bernie
Sam (Lovey's husband)
Lovey Reynolds
Carl

Objectives:   

•  Act as a liaison between organization members and government regarding local development projects (zoning/land use, transit, public space, etc.)

 •  Advocate on behalf of the organization on social justice issues, small businesses concerns, and local education

Ideas & Initiatives

Members of this discussion group shared their interest area and motivations for joining the committee:
Police accountability – Advocating for civilian control of the police and improvements to the union contract.

Neighborhood school – Comprehensive K-12 that is accessible to everybody

Housing affordability

Transit Oriented Development and other development issues

Aging in the neighborhood/neighborhood accessibility

Neighborhood safety and friendliness

The group also discussed three main strategies for engagement around these issues:
Engaging with the Aldermen's staffs; demonstrating credibility and expertise in relevant topics so that we become a trusted advisory voice.

Proactive education of committee members on relevant topics (e.g. zoning)

Consistently "show up" to any zoning/exception review hearings and advocate in favor of increased density (within reason). Voices in opposition to projects are often those who attend such hearings.

Beautification

Participants:

Damian Raszewski
Craig Klucina
Christine Perri
Dillon Goodson
Emily Ransom

Objectives:   

  •  Beautify and enhance the public way through public art, landscaping, and other streetscape projects sponsored by HOLS

  •  Organize neighborhood cleanup days

 Ideas & Initiatives

Neighborhood-wide trash cleanup

Under L tracks improvement (art, plants, etc)

Rats are a big issue. Organize neighbors to call 311 and have city take care of issue (same for graffiti)

Plant perennial gardens at corners of intersections

Place sculptures and/or other public art at open plazas

Identify funding opportunities through Chamber of Commerce, Aldermen and organize neighbors to raise matching funding for projects via KickStarter

Need to learn more from GRO about how they organize neighbors behind beautification projects

Next Step: Plan neighborhood walk in May to survey and gain prioritizing projects in neighborhood (public art, cleanup, etc.)
Find way to preserve recycled plant material and transplant it into in-ground beds

Outreach

Participants:

Mark Nach
Barbara Reed
Stephanie Maieritsch
Emily Ransom

Objectives:   

 •  Plan and execute marketing initiatives to promote HOLS to the broader Lincoln Square neighborhood

 •  Develop a membership program with benefits; focus on ways to attract and retain HOLS members

 •  Act as the liaison to other community organizations and stakeholders

Ideas & Initiatives

Distribute/post flyers throughout neighborhood

Tear off info sheets

$75-$100 business membership

Event establishing Apps

Chamber liaison

Table set up at festivals & farmers market:
Local business sponsors donate items for raffle

People who sign up and pay due at event receives a gift bag of HOLS swag and raffle ticket

HOLS info brochures available to distribute

Utilize WBEZ, Channel 11, Channel 9:
Provides stories of unusual/famous people who live/work in Lincoln Square

Events & Fundraising

Participants:

Phil Byers
Jessie Keener
Megan Hagans
Melaina Prest
Emily Friend

Objectives:   

   •  Plan and execute HOLS-sponsored festivals & community programming

  •  Plan future HOLS social events and gatherings

  •  Raise money to support HOLS programming

  •  Identify opportunities for HOLS to have a presence at other community events

Ideas & Initiatives

Newsletter about meeting "local hero”

Teaching kindness as a community

Building community through events

Promote diversity of Lincoln Square

Representing the different stages of life

Expand the block party idea:

Send a team from your block

Captains of the block party

Lincoln square block party (Maybe at Winnemac Park)

June meeting — International Day of Yoga
Bloom
Coconut yoga
One key yoga

Nursing or Veterans home group visits

Story on media story on media/WBEZ  – focus on community

Service lists and suggestions/ideas for community members to get active/take action

WinterFest (since winter is a hard time to connect)
Welles Park Pool Party – meet your neighbors
*Members can meet the cast at Shakespeare Festival

Field day — Maybe in the block party

Yoga in the Parks permit? Welles or Winnemac?
Suggested donation
Maybe a member perk
You can come for free

Easter egg hunt for dogs – Horner too far west?

 

 

Meeting adjourned at 8:35pm

 Approved 5-18-18