University Parkway Development - Smart Growth?

Westside Improvement Association
Board Meeting
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Red Bank Branch Library

President Fred Padget called the meeting to order at 4:05 p.m.

Attending: Berning, Dot; Cleek, Linda; Euler, Skip; Farmer, Paul; Gerteisen, Wayne; Harty, Bill; James, Shirley; Jeffers, Brenda; Kolb, Bonnie; Moers, Joyce; Nurrenburn, Roger; Outlaw, DeAnna; Padget, Fred; Rolley, Randy; Runge, Mel; Sensmeier, Bernice; Wentzel, Sam; Williams, Marie

Excused Absences: Baumgartner, Betty; Lockard, Michael; Musgrave, Shelby;
Stagg, Carolyn

Secretary’s Report: Minutes of the January 2005 meeting were approved on a motion and a second from Harty and Moers.

Treasurer’s Report: Bernice Sensmeier presented the treasurer’s reports for February of 2005.

Associations – Announcements and Comments

• Joyce Moers announced that federal grant money is being requested for the Burdette/USI walking and bike path connection. Moers also reported that the Discovery Trail is in progress and will join the path and eventually will tie into the Greenway.

• Dot Berning announced that Mt. Auburn will meet on Saturday, March 26, about cleanup of Buchanan Road and St. Joe.

• Shirley James said that the National Guard Armory has helped clean up Buchanan Road with its heavy equipment.

Law Enforcement

• Randy Rolley, Evansville Police Department, reported that a sweep west of St. Joe Avenue will be conducted and tickets issued for trash and debris, and abandoned cars will be tagged.

• Officer Rolley also reported that abandoned homes will be documented.

• At the West Sector meeting, the discussion surrounded autos being shot with BB guns.

• Officer Rolley said that West Sector suspects students, and it hopes to wrap up these offenses on March 24.

President’s Report

• Recycle Day will be held at old Walmart on Saturday, April 2, 8 a.m.-12 noon.

• “Meet Your Legislators” will take place on Saturday, April 2, 10 a.m., at the C. K. Newsome Center.

• Tox-A-Way day is held every month at the Laubscher Landfill. The charge is $1 per ton.

• Tire Amnesty day will take place Saturday, May 21, 8 a.m.-12 noon.

• A public hearing about the construction to Indiana 62 (Lloyd Expressway) will take place Wednesday, April 13, at Mitchell Auditorium on the USI campus. The Orr building will be addressed since it is on the National Register.

• The Indiana 62 project will include adding another through lane from Eichoff to Barker. The project will need 25 acres of new right-of-way, and residential and commercial properties will need to be eliminated.

• A community forum “Democracy of America” will be conducted Thursday, April 7, 7 p.m., at the Kleymeyer Lecture Hall.

• “Keep Evansville Beautiful” cleanup days will take place April 16, May 3, and June 18.

• Earth Day will be celebrated on April 22. Canoe Evansville will host festivities at Howell Wetlands, and Mayor Weinzapfel will make a presentation at 9:30 a.m.

• Zeller’s Alcohol and Beverage Commission (ABC) license was approved by the local ABC Board. This license is being appealed at the state ABC Board level. Busler’s ABC license (St. Joe and Diamond) was denied.

Action Items

• Shirley James said that she received a letter from the Westside Youth Soccer Club requesting monetary support for land repairs at Motoux Park. James said the Club estimates around $6,550 is needed for upgrades. The Club needs electricity, and the Parks Department said it would provide lights if Moutoux Park provides the electricity. Other upgrades include grading and disking the land and cutting drainage swales.

• DeAnna Outlaw asked James what the Youth Soccer Club is doing to raise its own money. James said she knows of no grant writing program, but the Club does have volunteers.

• Fred Padget asked that since the Club has its 501C nonprofit status, what is it doing as far as fund raising?

• James will be meeting with the Club on March 24 and will present the above questions.

• Joyce Moers asked if WIA has guidelines for donating money to organizations. Padget responded that WIA has no policy. Dot Berning said that in the past WIA has examined each request on its own merit. Padget mentioned that possibly WIA should develop a policy.

• Linda Cleek expressed that she believes that since WIA has just given the Youth Soccer Club $1500, it should try to find the money elsewhere.

• Roger Nurrenburn felt that the Club is an important program for the west side and should be supported in any way possible.

• Padget said that a Club representative should come to a WIA Board meeting and make a presentation about the Club’s goals.

• James responded that at the Youth Soccer Club meeting on March 24, she would tell the Club that WIA has just given money, and it wants to see what the Club’s plans are for raising money on its own.

• Berning reiterated that she feels the WIA money donation policy should remain examining each request on its own merit.

• James suggested that WIA may want to think about setting aside a certain amount of money for donations, for example, 8 percent of the Fall Festival receipts. Moers responded that it would be helpful to know how much money WIA has for donations.

• Berning suggested that WIA may want to set a date by which organizations and people make monetary requests.

• James announced that the Pathways Pigeon Creek Greenway Passage expires March 31. Newsletter will be changed—sending out too many. The distribution list had not been updated. The distribution will be limited to four copies per year. USI is donating 250 copies.

• Padget entertained a motion to continue dues to Greenway Passage. Berning moved to continue dues and Cleek seconded the motion. The Board voted to continue dues.

Committee Reports

• Call – no report

• Web Site – Cleek reported

  • Cleek mentioned that she has changed the look of the Web site somewhat. She invited the Board to view the changes after the meeting on her laptop.

• Transportation – Padget reported

  • Padget reported that Bill Harty wants to get involved with transportation and will attend Evansville Urban Transportation Study (EUTS) meetings. Padget thinks Harty’s attendance is a good idea since the area has a lot of transportation issues.

• Scholarship – no report

• Membership – Berning and Outlaw reported

  • Berning reported that membership cards were mailed to everyone who had paid dues through March. Approximately 95 people have paid dues.

  • Concerning the WIA newsletter, Padget said that 100 copies are being distributed as gratis, and 200 copies are going to members and others. Padget said he thinks a search should be conducted to find those who have not paid dues for some time.

  • Outlaw said that those people who have not paid dues will be contacted by mail.

  • Padget said he would like to see the list first before the committee contacts those who have not paid. He said that some on the list are neighborhood presidents.
    o James suggested sending out newsletters to libraries.

  • Paul Farmer asked that if people need application to the organization and they do not have a newsletter, what do they do?

  • Cleek responded that there is an application on the Web site.

• National Night Out – Jeffers reported

  • Jeffers and Wentzel attended a meeting at the West Sector on April 16. A checklist of participants and supplies needed were discussed.

• Pollution and Environment – Jeffers reported

  • Jeffers reported that she had talked with Trena Roedel, and Roedel is waiting to hear from RC&D concerning the nature park.

  • Roedel told Jeffers that Carpentier Creek cleanup is still an agenda item.

• Parks – James reported

  • There will be a blind draw for organizations wanting to use parks for parking during Fall Festival. James said there are four parks available.

  • James asked if WIA wanted to submit an application to do parking as a fund raiser during the Fall Festival. Applications have to be submitted by August 31. There is no fee to use the park. Organizations must provide the parking plan and the manning staff. The park must be well maintained and cleaned up.

  • Berning responded that a parking project would probably interfere with the WIA Fall Festival booth.

  • Some of the soil from the General Waste site will be going to a hazardous waste landfill in Michigan, and some of the soil will go to Laubscher Landfill. This project is to be completed this month.

  • The Greenway got the permits for Casino to West Franklin extension. James said because of cost, the pathway will only go to the south side of West Franklin.

  • The Highway 62 projects will cause the Orr Building to be demolished. Therefore, $500,000 for mitigation is offered toward constructing a pavilion, which has to have elements of the Orr Building.

  • Mead Johnson offered $250,000 to help with match needed for grant.

  • The new Zoo building on Mesker Park Drive will take away parking from the amphitheater. A grassy area in the park is being looked at for additional parking.

  • A student from USI is drafting the plan for the bike way from USI to Pearl Drive.

  • Bike way should be part of the plan for expansion of Highway 62. James tried to institute this idea, but EUTS ignored it. Padget said that this is just another reason for people to attend the Indiana 62 meeting.

  • There will be a dance on the river June 10.

• Land Use Planning – Padget reported

  • No rezoning for last month and this month

  • Detroy Road resident wants to build pole barn for commercial use. The property is not zoned commercial. Resident says that the building is for parking a race car, although the building plans show a barn larger than needed for this purpose. This request is continued until next month.

  • Felstead Road individual wants to build a communication tower.

  • Dennis Owens is back in business regarding KOHL’S. Rob Brown (SWCD, DNR) concerned about the sediment control.

  • Moore and Associates project – WIA expressed its concern to the County Commissioners about party house for USI students. The developer said that marketing to students is not in the plan, but students are being recruited.

  • Mead Johnson withdrew petition for rezoning the Marine Hospital.

  • Apartment complex on Broadway raised the land and is causing drainage problems. Padget contacted Marvin Goebel, and he said he would look into the matter.

• Fall Festival – no report

The meeting was adjourned at 5:24 p.m.

Respectfully submitted,


Brenda Jeffers
Secretary
 

© 2008 Westside Improvement Association, Inc.