Neighborhood Reports: 

• Dot Berning reported that Shawn Dickerson, the city arborist, will work with the Mt. Auburn association to plan maintenance and restoration of their wooded areas. She said that Silgan Containers is working with the association to reduce odors by raising their smoke stacks.
• Sam Wentzel reported that the Western Terrace Association is waiting for the environmental inspection and appraisal before transfer of ownership for the land trust. It will likely be held by the Wabash Heritage Trust.

Committee Reports:

• Traffic—Linda Cleek presented the April accident statistics for the Lloyd Expressway.
• Fall Festival - - Padget reminded us that the Fall Festival is the first full week of October. We have three day captains and need three more.
• Land Use & Planning - Chairman Michael Lockard reported the collaborative approach to rezoning and land use, encouraged by city and county officials, is having some success:
  • The South Red Bank rezoning has been modified to include a number of covenants regarding buffer zones, lights, noise, etc.
  • Agreements on traffic control, drainage, etc., have been reached for the North Red Bank (111 North) rezoning.
  • The Corradino Group traffic study is looking at the possibility of a warning light near Dorothy Drive and a flashing light at Red Bank and Upper Mount Vernon Roads.
  • Discussion followed concerning the very considerable amount of empty commercial property on the west side and the inappropriateness of rezoning agricultural or residential areas for additional commercial development. Some discussion was devoted to the proposed Goebel retirement apartment development planned for Middle Mount Vernon Road.
  • BFI has filed suit, as expected, in the denial of expansion of the counties allowed to dump at the Laubscher Meadows landfill.
• Parks – Shirley James reported:
  • A plan is underway to plant trees along the Greenway near Bee Slough.
  • Bids for construction of the Greenway from Sunrise Park to the Four Freedoms Monument and from the riverfront to Ohio Street will be let in August.
  • The Evansville-Vanderburgh School Corporation has a project underway at the Howell Wetlands and has developed a web site as part of the project. There is a link on the WIA web site.
  • The Parks Committee will continue to visit the various west side parks for the next few months.
    o The Greenway may be designated as a “linear park.” The project has resulted in the planting of 4,500 trees so far.

Other Business:

• National Night Out: Padget reported on behalf of Pat Conner that WIA will participate in the event to be held on Tuesday, August 6, at Garvin Park.
• A Pollution and Conservation Committee is being formed with Trina Roedel and Martha Peak as co-chairs. Their first project will involve Carpentier Creek drainage.
• Padget thanked Mayor Lloyd for attending and invited him to make a few remarks. The Mayor did so:
  • He will veto closing of 9th Street for the construction of a new jail.
  • Development needs to focus on redevelopment for the foreseeable future. Policies to encourage re-use need to be put in place.
    • James commented that the Area Plan Commission membership needs to be more broadly based and that the Commissioners frequently ignore the expert advice of the APC staff.
    • Lockard expressed concern about the lack of accountability to the citizens of the APC members.
    • Roedel pointed out that trees are a major way of reducing air pollution and the current spate of development of previously “green” space is worsening the problem.