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SUMMIT MEETING NOTES May 14, 2009 Location: Aiken College & Career High School
Approved Summit minutes can be found at the following website: collegehilloh.net
ACTION ITEMS The key action items as agreed to in this meeting are as follows: Item Responsibility 1. Arrange for more in-depth discussion of CH housing situation Ron Cowgill at a future Summit meeting. 2. Arrange for someone to facilitate the June Summit meeting, since Ron Cowgill Ron & Valerie will both be out of town.
ATTENDEES: (in alphabetical order) Name Organization Represented Karen Barrett Aiken College & Career High School Pete Bauer CHCURC Ron Cowgill Facilitator Valerie Hershberger Facilitator Fr. George Jacquemin Ministerium, St. Clare Catholic Church Phyllis Schoenberger Forum Paula Sherman Pleasant Hill Academy Dan Weyand-Geise CCCH, Ministerium Hope Wilson WIN
AGENDA Welcome and Introductions Host Greetings Opening Prayer Special Announcements Previous Minutes Review/Approval Action Items From Previous Meeting CPOP/COP/CPD CHCURC Update Schools Updates Library Update CH Business Association Children’s Hospital Update Ministerium Housing Team Update Discussion Topic: Improving Community Involvement Community Activities & Announcements
DISCUSSION:
1. Special Announcements None
2.
Review of April 2009 Minutes
3. Review of Action Items from Previous Meetings Nothing discussed.
4. Citizens on Patrol/CPD/Probation/Court Watch No one was present at the meeting from COP or CPD, so no update was given.
5. CHCURC Update – by Pete Bauer Pete reviewed a number of items: o The Summer Fete will be Friday, June 26 at Laurel Court. This is a fund raising event for CHCURC, so there is an entrance fee. There will be food, drinks, and a silent auction. Everyone should attend! o NSP (Neighborhood Stabilization Program) has allotted $388,000 to CHCURC. This will be apportioned as follows: ~ $40,000 for demolition to WIN ~ 4180,000 for new buildings to WIN ~ $168,000 will be used by CHCURC, mostly for demolition. o The annual 5K Rhythm Race will be held Saturday, August 8. This is also a fund raising event for CHCURC. o The new Fire station is going up quickly. It may be done in calendar year 2009, including the South Gateway element. The city wants a few changes to the design. o CHCURC did get an extension to the Façade Program to complete the 3 facades which applied just before the deadline: the A&S building, Elisha Hall, and the College Hill Coffee Company. o CHCURC has a meeting with Episcopalian Housing about the Eastern Star Property. There were no decisions made; discussions are continuing. o The Guest Bartender Night was a success, taking in about $3500. o The College Hill signs will be installed very soon. A contractor has been selected. o A Marketability Study was contracted for by the City, and it has just been completed for the corner of Hamilton and North Bend. The City has not released it to CHCURC yet.
6. College Hill Schools Updates Aiken High School – by Karen Barrett Today (May 14) is Senior Awards Day. There are 68 graduates with approximately $300,000 in scholarships. The baseball team won the league championship this year, the first time in 20 years. The May 2 Community Appreciation Breakfast went well. There was one student with a talent for poetry, who had won an NAACP talent competition, who performed at the breakfast. UC is ready to enroll her. Nate Foster has been helping her to obtain new clothes and get her hair done. Aiken has been doing a lot for incoming 9th graders. There are fewer 9th graders than last year with 165 incoming freshmen vs 180 freshmen last year. But Aiken marketed itself a little differently this year, with a greater emphasis on serious study and less on fun, and therefore believes that this will be reflected in the attitudes of this incoming class. Parent involvement has increased, with 12 parents at the most recent LSDMC meeting. The focus of discussions at LSDMC in on involvement in childrens’ education and not on involvement in the school. May 28 is the last day of school
7. Library Update NEP funding of $1000 has been allotted for cameras at the Library. Ken Lyon is coordinating this project. Four cameras have been located which can be used, but waiting for approval from the Hamilton County Library leadership. Money is needed for TV monitors too, and there is optimism that money can be found.
8. CHBA Update No one was present to give the CHBA update. Sheena Parton has resigned her position as President in order to focus on working with CHCURC to develop the business district. Phyllis Schoenberger has similarly resigned her position of Secretary for the same reason. CHBA has not yet decided on a replacement to attend the Summit.
9. Ministerium Update – by Fr. George Jacquemin The most recent Building Bridges dinner was last Tuesday. The newest project is joining the Interfaith Hospitality Network, in which churches temporarily host homeless families. They toured Glendale Episcopal Church and learned from their experiences. There is a meeting May 28 at the 1st United Church of Christ with Pauline Getty. CCCH is looking for a new Director. Rev. Will Hagans is in a reduced role, primarily focused on the pantry. Ron Whitt is running the annual Summer Program for neighborhood kids. The Clean Cut program, in which youth are trained to mow lawns to earn money, is being resurrected. They are also looking to see how to continue to partner with Nate Foster and the End Zone for next year.
Fr. George’s update was followed by a brief discussion by Summit members about the Bridges dinners. Some people expressed how race relations continue to be critical to the current and future health of the community, and their hope for the Bridges dinners to help build this in a positive way in the community.
10. College Hill Housing Team – by Hope Wilson The two new homes built by WIN have been sold and both families have moved in. Two additional properties at 5918 Lantana and 1402 Cedar are being readied for work. Duke Energy employees are volunteering all over the city, and were supposed to work on some properties for WIN today, but are being rescheduled due to the weather. WIN is looking at whether 1192 & 1302 Cedar can fit in the NSP. There are Federal regulations for the use of this money, and the City also added some restrictions. WIN will hold Homebuyer classes at St. Clare Church on June 20 & 27, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. A continental breakfast will be provided. A flyer was handed out. WIN will also hold their 10th Annual Celebrate Housing event on June 6, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm at Ethel Taylor Academy.
11. Discussion Topic: Increasing Community Involvement Highlights of the discussion included the following points: - People are stressed in the current economic environment, there is less volunteerism in all situations, even at church. - There doesn’t seem to be a clear, agreed-on vision for the future of the community. In fact, there may be multiple visions or just a general fuzziness. There is always going to be a lack of energy when there is no clear vision. Some are “looking in the rear-view mirror”, but College Hill is never going to be what it was. The future will be different from the past, but could be even better. - Eric Thomas has done a great job at Aiken. He has a laser-like focus and quickly discards what doesn’t work. He has a very clear vision. Wish for more of that in the community. - It seems like just as College Hill is on the verge of major progress, a negative reactionary element starts tearing down everything. There’s too much passivity in the community, people are letting this happen. - CH leaders should talk to other communities about these points and find out how they are handing issues like common vision and negative elements. - Churches could be a source of leaders for the community; this means individuals from the congregations, not the institutional church. Perhaps the ministers/pastors could help identify more potential community leaders. - Maybe we should have seminars or a series of structured conversations on “how to build better communities”. Perhaps something is already available somewhere so we wouldn’t have to develop it.
12. Community Activities and Announcements Ø The Shhh! opening ceremony is tomorrow; the mayor and other City leaders will be present. Ø Summer Fete, a CHCURC fund raiser, will be held June 26 at Laurel Court. Ø The annual 5K Rhythm Race will be held Saturday, August 8. Ø WIN will hold Homebuyer classes at St. Clare Church on June 20 & 27, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm. A continental breakfast will be provided. Ø WIN will also hold their 10th Annual Celebrate Housing event on June 6, from 8:30 am to 1:00 pm at Ethel Taylor Academy. Ø The last day of school at Aiken is May 28.
Next Summit Meeting: June 11 @ 8 am at Llanfair.
Summarized by: Valerie Hershberger June 9, 2009
Summit Meeting Schedule
2009
General Meeting Time: Second Thursday of the Month, 8:00 am to 10:00 am.
Location Rotates
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