SUMMIT MEETING NOTES
July 12, 2007
Location: Mercy Hospital Powel Crosley Mansion

 ACTION ITEMS

The key action items as agreed to in this meeting are as follows:

ATTENDEES: (See Abbreviation Key)

ABSENT:

AGENDA

• Welcome and Introductions
• Host Greetings
• Agenda Review & Modification

• Review of Minutes from Last Month’s Meeting

• Opening Prayer

• Special Announcements

• Review of Action Items from Last Month’s Meeting

• CHCURC Update

• CPOP/COP/Court Watch

• CHBA Update

• CPOP/COP/Court Watch

• Debrief Meeting with Mayor Mallory

• Plan for Meeting with Dale Mallory

• Community Activities

• Discussion Topic: Ground Rules for Break Down Barriers/Build Relationships

DISCUSSION: 

1.   Special Announcements

None. 

2.   Review of June 2007 Minutes
The June minutes were approved and will be sent to Tom Strothers for posting on the website. 

3.   Review of Action Items from Previous Meetings

Cameras – Jim reported that the cameras belong to the City of Cincinnati, but City Council plans to give them to College Hill soon through resolution at an upcoming meeting.   The progress that Walnut Hills has made with a camera system was completely through community initiative; Cincinnati is not going to pursue camera systems any further.

Rep. Dale Mallory – this was covered later in the meeting. 

4.   CHCURC Update – by Marty Weldishofer

·        Linden Park – As reported before, no sales office has been opened because Neyer is re-examining the project.   Neyer is working on an agreement with Bluefield Shawn so that Neyer will manage the development of the east side Hamilton and Bluefield Shawn will do the west side.   All prior condo reservations have been lost, as deadline dates have passed.  

·        Gateway – As reported before, the north end property has been acquired.  Now the team is working on contract documents to go out for bid  

·        Tom Jackson – After many years of excellent support and coordination with Cincinnati neighborhoods, Tom is leaving city government for a new job with the National Development council.  No replacement has been identified yet.   A flyer was handed out for his farewell party on Friday, July 13.

[Note: Later in the meeting, it was shared that Tom Jackson will attend next month’s Summit meeting.]

·        Façade – This program is moving slowly.  No business has completed their projects yet.  Hollywood Apts has a large project being developed.

·        NKU Marketing Plans – NKU has come up with a Marketing Plan for the business district.  The first step is a professional brochure, with a map of current business locations.  The goal is to have this ready for the Rhythm Race. 

5.   CPOP/CPD/COP/Court Watchers – by Jim Bodmer

Jim reported first:

§         Elisha Hall continues to be the biggest problem in the community.  No cooperation with anyone.   They are in arrears for back taxes.    

§         Young drug sellers are starting to be seen back on the Avenue, now that some other streets have been cleaned up.

§         Right of Entry Forms and stickers will be available at the next Forum meeting. 

CPD reported on crime in College Hill:

§         Officer Williams handed out the May crime statistics.   Robberies, auto theft, and domestic violence showed an increase.  Overall thefts and aggravated burglaries were down.

§         The Diary Mart at Hamilton and Llanfair will be getting rid of the pay phone.   They are cooperating with police.

§         Elisha Hall is now a focus for CPD.

§         The next COP training will be in August. 

6.   CHBA – by Sheena Parton

·        CHBA is continuing to hire detail offices.   To help guide them in their duties, CHBA gives them an outline of district “hot spots”.  A copy was handed out.

·        They’ve talked to kids playing football on the Avenue and asked them to move to a parking lot. 

7.   Debrief Meeting with Mayor Mark Mallory

The meeting occurred on July 5.  The agenda for the meeting with the Mayor included:

-         Elisha Hall

-         Housing / B&I

-         Probation Officer Needed

-         Courts / Court Watch

The meeting went well, with the Mayor listening to the CH representatives.  One of the outcomes is that College Hill will be the next neighborhood focus area for B&I, after the current work is done.   Another outcome was that there is now a Forum Quality of Life member on a city task force. 

8.   Meeting with Dale Mallory – by Sheena Parton

There will be a pre-meeting with Rep Mallory tomorrow (July 13) with Phyllis and Sheena to finalize the agenda topics and ground rules for our group meeting with him.  Key agenda items will likely include:

-     Crime

-     Youth

-     Housing

-     Education

Further discussion on possible location for the meeting resulted in most Summit members leaning toward having it at Pleasant Hill Academy, if possible, since it is a new building and there is a lot of parking available. 

9.   Announcements & Community Events

o       4^th Annual Block Party – will be Aug 7-9, Tues-Thurs.   Chris Miller is coordinating.

Tuesday will be National Night Out.

Wednesday will be a Big Band concert and Ice Cream Social.

Thursday will be a basketball clinic by Ric Shroer at St. Clare’s gym.

Llanfair is providing hot dogs & buns, local churches are providing water.   COP will be there all three nights.  A poster is being done, which will be hung in many places around the neighborhood.   Anita Triggs is working on a flyer.

o       CHPC – College Hill Presbyterian Church has hired Chris Miller to be Director of Community outreach.   She can be reached at 541-5676, ext 127.

o       Pleasant Hill Academy – has good news in that the school has moved up this year from Academic Emergency to Academic Watch.   Originally they had been told they moved up two levels, but that was corrected.  

Summer school is over July 13, and then Pleasant Hill is closed until Aug 9 when Summit meets there.

o       Rhythm Race – is on Aug 18^th, more volunteers are needed.

o       CPD substation -  is opening up in Northside with Probation Officers, will also cover College Hill.

o       Parolees – came to Grace Church last month to do labor around the church.  It was a positive experience for everyone involved.

o       Garden Tour – feedback from last month’s Garden Tour was very positive.   Over 300 people attended, and some people from outside the community were surprised at how nice College Hill is.   “I didn’t know College Hill was like this.” was one of the comments received.

10. Discussion Topic: Break Down Barriers/Build Relationships

Marty handed out the CHCURC mission statement, and read a statement from CHCURCon racial diversity.   CHCURC has been focused on the physical development of College Hill, and has found this to be a unifying activity across racial and ethnic boundaries.   The CHCURC Board includes 6 African Americans, 7 Caucasians, and 1 Native American.  

Anita shared that the Community Events team is working to recruit persons of color, since the team is currently not as diverse as members would like it to be.   They are also working to make sure any community publications include photos of a diverse mix of people, reflective of the actual mix in the community. 

There was a discussion stimulated by this sharing.   Some key points were:

-         Fundamental to participation is having a relationship with those people that you want to participate.

-         There seems to be poor marketing/communication to the community of events or even of the groups who are currently active.   Many people who might participate just are not aware of what is going on.

-         There are people skilled at marketing to diverse populations.   Perhaps we should find them and use their skills to help us.

-         Is the Currents, the Forum newsletter, distinguishable from junk mail?   Does it get pitched in the trash unopened?   Should we revise it somehow to make it more attractive or noticeable?

-         New strategies for communication may be needed.   One idea may be to utilize the schools more (clubs, after school programs, parents).   

-         Person to person communication seems to be much more effective in today’s society versus printed materials.   We need to find ways to communicate more through the natural networks of the community. 

Next Summit Meeting: August 9, 2007 @ 8:00 am at Pleasant Hill Academy.   

                                                                                                Summarized by:

                                                                                                Valerie Hershberger

                                                                                                Aug 7, 2007

Abbreviation Key: