Historic South Park Inc. General Membership Meeting

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Meeting Minutes

Call to Order and Welcome

Board Members Present: Mark Keller, Robert Spangler, Abby Reed and Rachel Booth

Approval of minutes from June meeting – motioned and seconded.  Motion passed.

Neighborhood Safety Updates

Prosecutor’s Office (Lynda Dodd):

  • Ben Brewer was granted parole today. He is set to be released on September 23.
  • You can contact Lynda at [email protected]

Officer Introduction

Officer Brandon Bunch is now assigned to attend our meetings.  He can be reached via email at [email protected].  He said that he did receive an email about the gazebo and has been checking it regularly.  He has not found anyone there during the day, but his night time crew has been finding people around midnight.  Mark said that he would email him a list of properties that have been problematic.  Abby added that vagrants are using the land behind the Dollar General.

Officer Bunch said that an arrest has been made in regards to the bicycle theft case.

Committee Updates

Crime Prevention: Jeff Peterson said to call 333-cops (2677) if you see anything suspicious around the neighborhood.  Police are dispatched based on the number of calls for service in a given area.

Someone asked if homeless people are allowed to have grocery carts.  Mark and others answered that these belong to the grocery store from which they were taken.  If they clearly belong to a specific grocery store, call that store and they will send someone to pick it up.

Housing: Mark said that Tony Oppy from the city continues to patrol the neighborhood for historical guidelines violations on a weekly basis.  If new neighbors have questions about historical guidelines, they can contact us, get a bluebook or contact Rachel Bankowitz.  It was pointed out that the whole west side of Wayne is overgrown.  Mark said that this can be reported via the Dayton Delivers app or contact Tony Oppy.  Dollar General has gotten rid of the outdoor power outlet that has been used by undesirables.  They have also been working with DPD.

Social: The next PPD party will be on Saturday, August 10th, 6-9pm at 32 Alberta Street (at Hickory).  Ian and Kaitlyn are our hosts at their lovely cottage with a yard for your kids to romp.

Neighborhood parties are food carry-ins, (bring a favorite folding chair if you like) with beverages provided. Cost is $10 for all neighbors; $5 for HSPI members, free to children under 12.

Parks: As submitted by Jill Davis:

VOLUNTEER APPRECIATION

Nothing gets done without our volunteers! Thank you to new volunteer Michelle Bullock for leading the recent neighborhood yard sale.

Suzy Richardt is thinking ahead to December. She’s assembling a party planning team for the Hot Toddy Party, Dec 14. Send her a PM on Facebook if you’d like to help with a creative holiday project.

Many neighbors have suggested that South Park make greater use of its Gazebo, by featuring events there.  If you’d like to volunteer to lead that effort, there’s plenty of creative opportunity. Suggestions have included : flashmobs at the gazebo for whimsical reasons: karaoke, games of chance, brown bag beverage drinking, ice cream eating, improv workshops, hanging out for half an hour to count the squirrels…

Whatever your idea, volunteers like you make it happen. It’s a fun way to socialize, too.

  • Got our sponsor signs on the dog bag stations. Jill needs to collect the sponsorship money.
  • Green space maintenance this month has been all about battling weeds, picking up litter and making sure City trash cans get emptied.
  • Tonight volunteers are cutting back the yew hedges around the fence at both ends of Park Drive Boulevard, and limbing the redbuds by the gazebo.
  • Continuing our work to implement the Montgomery County recycling grant.

New dog poop boxes have signs!

Marketing: The dog waste bag stations now have their own signs which are branded to the neighborhood.  The newsletter is being worked on.  There is not a budget to print what they are designing, which is a 6-page trifold 8 and 1/5 by 11.  David said that they have a grant for part of it but he still needs to go over the rest of it with Jill.  It will contain news about good things happening around the neighborhood as well as information regarding historic guidelines and the bluebook.  He thinks that the printing bill will be about $450.

He said that there is a way to subscribe to the web site so that you can receive an email whenever the minutes and videos are posted.  The URL is historicsouthpark.org.

Mark said that we will wait until David and Jill meet to determine a final cost before entertaining a motion for the cost of printing.

Reports From the Board

Mark said that a mini grant has been approved for Preservation Dayton.  They are redoing a program that they have done in the past.  They previously identified properties in the neighborhood which are unique historically or architecturally, or had important people from the past who may have lived in them.  They are asking for people to contribute as it relates to their property or anything they may know about it.  Get in touch with Mark if interested.

We are short a Vice President.  If anyone is interested in stepping up, please do.  The term is up in November.

Announcements and Public Comment

South Park Urban Drinkers is having an end of summer celebration August 8 7:00 pm at Coco’s Bistro, 250 Warren Street.

What other neighborhood has their own resident theater troupe?

On September 6, 7 and 8 starting at 6:30 pm Shakespeare in South Park is performing Tartuffe 1664 from French restoration Comedy.  This takes place in South Park Green.

Twin Towers is having a street party on August 10 10:00 am – 3:00 pm.  Part of Xenia Avenue will be closed.

Rapid Fired Pizza is going into the former Cassano’s Pizza location on Brown Street.

A UPS store will open on Warren by South Park Flats.

Motioned to adjourn and seconded.  Motion accepted.

Adjourned: 7:32 pm

Next Meeting: Tuesday, September 24, 2019, 7:00 pm, at Hope Lutheran Church

NOTE: There will be no August meeting.

Saturday Aug 10!