Members present: Lila Valencia, Chair, Luke Downs, Treasurer, Alison Raffalovich, Secretary
Bill Berman, Andrew Clements, Kathy Farley, Audrey Glaser, Bill Kirwin, Evan McLendon, Joan Quenan, Dan Updegrove
Members absent: Preston “Ty” Tyree, Ana Acosta
Guest(s): David Neider
Meeting called to order: 7:05 pm Meeting adjourned: 9:05 pm
Old Business
Item: Greetings Lila Valencia
Item: Approval of previous meeting minutes – Alison Raffalovich Minutes were approved by quorum via email earlier and already have been posted on the site.
New Business
Item: Transportation/Urban Planning Subcommittee update – Dave Neider. Awaiting a recommendation on I-35 with respect to whether to proceed with lane additions. Working with Joan Quenan and Jean Crawford on a Transit Adventure outing to Fareground sometime early in the week (Monday/Tuesday) in April; coordinating with Cap Metro. May also do an informational meeting before that on how to use the system, register seniors for reduced fares, etc. Also may repeat the Adventure after the route changes take place in June. Once dates and details are locked in, we’ll promote it in the calendar, newsletter, etc. Dave has worked with Cap Metro to create a Mueller-centric transit PDF map. Not yet showing on the MNA website; we should post that now and update after the route reconfiguration in June.
The Cap Metro Pickup bus runs from Mueller all the way up to 183 for Target, etc. You call for a pickup time and can get (currently free) transit to a grocery, department store, etc. It’s a pilot program currently, and we will look at doing more promotion of it to raise awareness.
Item: Egg Scramble Update – Lila. At the March general MNA meeting, we’ll encourage people to volunteer. Go to the Facebook invitation and accept the event. A big thank you to our Neighborhood Navigator Sponsors: HEB, Seton, and Neighbors Emergency Center.
Item: Morris Williams Proposed Hike/Bike Trail, possible action – Bill Kirwin. Parks & Recreation said they would not support the idea of the trail, so it’s off the table. Bill and Joe Denton co-chair; with Dan, Joan, Paul Byers and Ron Lipinski attended a meeting and agreed to support better bicycle access along MLK to Springdale to Pershing (along the perimeter of the Golf Course). Bill read for the Steering Committee the draft letter in support of the approach, addressed to Parks & Recreation. Joe will be the point of contact for the city if they want to continue the dialogue. The goal is to support better connectivity conceptually, but we don’t have clear prescriptive recommendations. The MLK East neighborhood group is hoping for the city to do a feasibility study and analysis to see if the perimeter approach is feasible, and if not may seek another path forward, maybe even through the golf course. We’ll remain flexible about potential future conversations. A motion was made, seconded and passed to accept and submit the letter.
Item: Treasury Report and Budget Proposal, possible action – Luke Downs. Opening balance, $8,821.02; dues, T-shirt and tip jar revenues of $96.99, MNA general meeting coffee expense of $36.70, ending balance: $8831. 30. Budget committee: Luke, Lila, Dan, Joan, and Ty. Luke sent the budget March 2. Overriding goals:
- Balanced budget – income and expenses
- Redefine revenue sources – historically dues and specific sponsorships tied to a signature event. Seek to look for more broad-based sponsorships (block grants – targeting $12K) that are not tied to one activity at a single event. The events cost $2K, $3K and $2K respectively. Reporting block grants not tied to a specific event in the budget is a transition. Drafted a two-tiered the budget, optimistic and minimal. If we hit our block grant goals and/or get more participation in membership dues, we can engage more labor to relieve volunteers from responsibility to, for example, set out trash cans, remove them, etc. The budget committee recommends adoption of the conservative budget and if revenues exceed that, support additional expenditure on the signature events. It’s critical for MNA Steering Committee members to encourage neighbors to join the MNA and become dues-paying, engaged members. To engage members, look to the Membership Committee, maybe print half-page flyers with enrollment forms, energize block captains, pass around a sign-up sheet at general meeting to join the committee. We need a committee chair who will lead and coordinate with Dennis Mick who is liaison to block captains. The Block Captain Network was created by the MNA but not all captains are active members. A motion to accept Finance Committee’s conservative budget and revisit the other two events after the Egg Scramble was made and seconded, and passed.
Item: Sponsorships/fundraising update – Lila Valencia
HEB $2500, half in gift cards, half in kind
Seton – $1500 in cash, $2000 in-kind including meeting space (one meeting paid, 8 in kind)
Neighbors Emergency Center – $1500 in cash
DMA – $500
Catellus – $250
Kathy Sokolic – $500
In-kind $1770 (Alamo movie tickets/food vouchers, Haute Salon hair chalking/braiding, Colleen’s, L’Oca Doro, Easter bunny from Kathy Sokolic
Total: $5750 in cash, $1770 in-kind.
Additional sponsors have expressed potential interest but not committed specifics (Frost, Overture, Thinkery, B.D. Riley’s, Staples – need contact person and info). Ty and Kathy Farley will try to populate the spreadsheet with contact information. The event chairs need to coordinate bounce house engagements with Associa in advance. The Steering Committee recognized Lila’s outstanding progress in getting sponsorship commitments to date. Potentially form a standing Sponsorship Committee in future so more people can conduct the outreach. At the next general meeting, seek contacts from everyone in attendance.
Item: MNA Directions Survey and 2018 Goals – Lila
Last year Dave N and Karen S spearheaded effort to seek input from members about where to prioritize budget and goals based on a Saturday team meeting of 30-40 people. The last two years’ inputs identified general trends, which could be a basis for a 2018 survey of the neighborhood, also asking for open-ended input, followed by a summation meeting presenting the results. Surveys are open to all neighbors, not just MNA members – push to our list, and make it available via our Facebook page, Nextdoor, etc. Dan will head up the effort, assisted by Bill Berman, to create a survey on SurveyMonkey based on summary information from Dave, Karen and Lila (or Dave can help create if we opt to go with Google forms). We will announce the survey at the general meeting 3/17 and allow for 3 weeks to gather responses, and be able to discuss results goals at the April and May Steering Committee meetings (or more if needed), followed by presentation of the results at the subsequent general meeting. The current committee structure largely reflects input from the last two years: transition from Catellus, diversity, neighborhood engagement, etc. Externally focused goals that impact people’s daily lives will likely engage members more than internally focused goals.
Item: Mueller Yard Sale – Lila
Optional dates 4/14 or 4/21. Joan will ask Laura Spoor how we can help her organize and what she needs in the way MNA support: Lila still has her signs from last year – does she want us to use them again? What should we put on the Webpage and newsletter? Do they want us to line up a Goodwill truck? Confirm 4/14 date?
Item: Action Items for Next MNA General Meeting – Lila
Lila will not be there so Preston will preside if he’s in town. Suggest agenda items to Lila if we are aware of relevant topics. Andrew can talk about Capital Metro’s Traffic Jam on March 28 at the Main Library. Lila already has some general agenda items identified; bring forward any additional thoughts. Maybe Laura on the yard sale? Luke can present the budget. Local Business Spotlight: Envision Eye Center – Dimple will present.
Item: Bike to Work Day engagement requested by Betsy Hilton – approved by a quorum over email.
Item: Website: Will send info via email from Dusty.
Future Dates:
March Meeting 03/17 10 a.m. at the Seton Administration Building
April Steering Committee meeting 4/4 at 7 p.m. at Aldrich 51
Respectfully submitted
Alison Raffalovich, Secretary