SUMMIT MEETING NOTES
June 12, 2008
Location:  Powell Crosley Mansion, Mercy Hospital

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 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

• CHBA Update

• CPOP/COP/CPD

• CHCURC Update

• Housing Team

• Schools

• Ministerium

• Forum QoL

• 2008/2009 Focus Areas

• Community Activities & Announcements

DISCUSSION: 

1.   Special Announcements

§         Paul Hiltz welcomed us to Mercy Hospital for our meeting, and shared some information about the plans for Mercy.   Mercy is planning a new hospital for the west side, with details to be announced in the next 90 days.   The current hospital functions will be moved to this new location.   However, the thinking is that the current site will not close, but be refocused, probably on skilled nursing/assisted care or converted into a retirement center.  Decisions don’t have to be made for 3 years.

§         Dave Scharfenberger shared briefly about the June 5 Groundbreaking event by the Housing Team.  The weather was clear and sunny, and the morning groundbreaking was attended by the vice mayor and councilwoman Laketa Cole.  It had good media coverage.  The evening dinner for residents of the immediate area went well also, with about 50 people attending.

2.   Review of May 2008 Minutes
The minutes for the May meeting were approved, and will be forwarded for uploading to the website.

3.   Review of Action Items from Previous Meetings

Both are in progress.  Nothing specific to report.  

4.   CHBA Update – by Phyllis Schoenberger

CHBA is submitting a grant request to CNBDU (Cincinnati Neighborhood Business Districts United) for $30,000 to reactivate 5 security cameras in the College Hill business district.   Sheena and Capt Bailey are working on this together. Preliminary review of the request is on June 25 at 6:30 pm.  Sheena Parton will attend.  There will be a bus tour of all neighborhoods that are applying for funding in competition with our request will be on July 12.   On July 21, 22, 23 is a major meeting with CNBDU, which will include the presentations by College Hill and all other neighborhoods who are requesting grants.

Llanfair’s groundbreaking is July 15 for a new Wellness Center and Chapel.

CHBA’s Monthly Meeting is Tuesday, June 17.  The speaker is Jim Klingman, who will cover ways for small businesses to cope with the economic challenges of a recession.

5.   CPD/CPOP – by Jim Bodmer  and Off. Jason Pechiney     

§         Homicide is still investigating the shooting at Shakers.  There are many rumors, but currently no one is talking.   Apparently the dead person shot 3 people before being shot himself.

§         There is an issue of street garbage cans filling up and overflowing before the regular pickup time.  Residents should call to get them emptied.

§         A big party was planned at Elisha Hall, but never happened.

§         Kendricks, the man who previously raised pit bulls in a house on Lantana, was found guilty on all counts.   Sentencing hasn’t been done yet, but could be as severe as 20 years in prison.

§         A pit bull mix attacked some teen girls this week.   Jim witnessed it and used his mace on the dogs to stop the attack.

A review of May crime stats showed an increase in B&E and burglaries, but CPD also reported some recent victories in their efforts against copper theft and drugs.   Because of a resident report of noise in a vacant apartment building on Cedar, the police investigated and caught a copper thief in the act.  Police are also doing a trial project in Northside of painting copper pipes with a paint that can’t be removed.   This has been done with some success in other cities.

CPD also conducted a raid on a house on Ambrose where they had a report of drugs being cooked.   The raid was successful.

6.   CHCURC – by Pete Bauer

Linden Park –Two condos have been sold, and conversations are ongoing with 16 interested families.

Gateway Project –  The issue of parcel ownership relative to the North Gateway is in progress to resolve.   The South Gateway will be built with the new planned Firehouse.

Signs – The final design review for the signs is done, and was approved by the CHCURC Board.  The next step is to go out to bid. 

Façade – Despite a slow start, the façade program ended up being a great success.

Fund Raiser – CHCURC will be holding a fund raiser at Laurel Court on June 27 called Summer Fete.

7.   School Update   

Barbara Gordon reported that College Hill Fundamental Academy is moving to the old Pleasant Hill school building on July 14 as a transition location while the current building is renovated and expanded.   A lot of work is underway to make sure this goes well, such as meeting with the Traffic Director.    CHFA doesn’t have test scores back yet, but they are hopeful the school will achieve an “effective” rating this year.   It came very close last year.

Pleasant Hill Academy is also waiting expectantly for this year’s test scores.  Principal Cherese Clark has brought the school from “academic emergency” to “academic watch” in a relatively short time, and hopes to be rated “continuous improvement” this year.

Aiken is expecting to break ground on a new school building in about 3 years.   This year Aiken College & Career is hoping to be rated “effective”.   The school has moved rapidly from “academic emergency” to “continuous improvement” under the leadership of a new principal. 

8.   Northside Information

Several guests from Northside Community Council and the Northside Safety and Livability Committee presented their Comprehensive Safety Plan, and handed out copies.   

9.   Ministerium – by Fr. George Jacquemin

-         The third Bridges Dinner, aimed at enabling conversations between Caucasians and African-Americans, is tonight (June 12).

-         The Ministerium will be sponsoring the Unity Walk on Friday night of this year’s block party.

10. Forum QoL (Quality of Life Committee) – by Phyllis Schoenberger

Phyllis asked members of the Summit for help.   Phyllis works with the state parole officer for College Hill & Northside to provide community service opportunities for parolees.  Up until now, she has done all the planning and coordination herself, but it has grown so large that she can no longer do it all.  Specifically, she needs a community person to be present and work alongside each group of parolees as they do their community service.  (There is already a parole office with each group.)   The community provides lunch for each group, and the community volunteer has lunch with them.

The results of this work so far have been very positive.   A couple of the parolees have gotten permanent jobs, and a couple of them have come back to participate in these community service projects even after they are off parole.

11. Community Events & Announcements

Ø      CHG Garden Tour is June 21, from 10 am to 3 pm.   Tickets are available from the College Hill Coffee Company.

Ø      Northside House Tour  will be the first weekend in October.

Next Summit Meeting: July 10 @ 8 am.  Location is Children’s Hospital College Hill Campus.

                                                                                                Summarized by:

                                                                                                Valerie Hershberger

                                                                                                July 8, 2008

                                                                                                Revised July 10, 2008

Abbreviation Key: