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
Previous Meeting Recap
October Meeting Discussion
Holiday Party
Boundary Restructuring
Policy, Planning & Advocacy Update
LSRCC Master Plan Meeting
Treasurer's Report
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
Advocacy
Beautification
Outreach
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