10.19.2007 Neighborhood Meeting Minutes

Neighborhood Meeting Minutes – September 19, 2007, 7:30 p.m.
The Neighborhood meeting was held at The Susan Bailis Center, Mass Avenue and St. Botolph Street.About 25 people were in attendance.
VP Chris Coffin started the meeting by inviting participation in Neighborhood and Board activities.  His two-year service will end July I, and the Board is looking for a new President and/or Vice President as Chris has served as both the last two years.  Duties include setting meeting agendas, attending monthly Board and Neighborhood meetings, and supervising the work of the Membership Chair, Clerk and Treasurer.  About one hour a week, on the average.
Membership Chair, Claire Dargan, collected dues at the door, to start the September-June year.  Annual dues are $5.  Additional donations are welcome to help defray the cost of two annual events, meetings and neighborhood communications, a budget of about $10,000 a year, break even is our goal.
The neighborhood voting location has been changed from the YWCA to the Northeastern Matthews Arena, 238 St. Botolph Street.

Update on 99 St. Botolph Street B&B Project.
This project broke ground in April, 2006 and some initial demolition was done and foundations poured for the new corner annex on the empty lot on St. Botolph Street.  Project Manager, Keith Beardsley, Heath Properties, and Architect Patrick Sharkey were at the meeting to answer questions and explain that the previous contractor has “dropped the ball” on the project and been replaced by Maggiore Company in Woburn.   Keith assured those in attendance that the sidewalk surrounding 99 St. Botolph will be cleared and sanded during the winter months, and gave a revised 9/08 completion date.  When asked, Keith said that they are looking for a good name for the building/residential inn.  Contact with ideas: 
Keith Beardsley, [email protected]
SBNA Goals for 2008In response to numerous inquiries and complaints, the Board of the SBNA is focusing on quality of life issues and neighborhood beautification, with particular interest in trash issues.  Chris invited response to this idea and also to the comments of the following speakers.  The neighborhood initiatives are as follows:
·Circulate an information pamphlet on trash rules.
·Recommend using clear trash bags, 3ply/30gal. John Morse offered to help with this strategy to help with people scavenging in the alleys, ripping open bags.  Residents can leave bottles/used goods aside for easy access.

• Educate and remind residents and businesses through Neighborhood meetings such as this.
• Consider organizing an “Adopt a Block” program and call ISD Hot Line when problems surface.
• Approach key neighborhood businesses—711 and Cleaners—to do their part in trash control.·Put bold marks on recycling bins to prevent theft.
• Styrofoam and plastic bags CANNOT be recycled.  Avoid, or use cloth shopping bags.
• Provide Moving Day Info kits each Fall to educate new residents, especially students.  Good will incentive coupons, etc.  The board will research this.  They Mayor’s Office offered to help.

Other neighborhood service numbers are as follows:
Trash/Sanitation Department: 617-635-7475.  Trash collection is 6 a.m-3 p.m. only, M/Th’s.
Neighborhood Improvement Panel Discussion
Chris introduced the following speakers to inform the group and answer questions, which were many!
Will Ohuoha (an-o-ah), Community Liaison from the Mayor’s Office.  617-635-4500.  Call often!·John McCarthy, Recycling Department, 617-635-4959
·Latifa Ziyad,  Inspectional Services Department (ISD), 617-961-5300, call code violations.  If need be, call this number from your cell phone after trash pick up to get inspectors and citations to improve resident behavior.
After lengthy discussion, the group came to the conclusion that an investment in two “big belly” trash compactors @$3K each would be worth considering, one machine at 711 and one at Mass Avenue and St. Botolph.  Once paid for, the city does trash collection regularly, for free, using a monitoring system on these trash compacting machines.  Household trash would not be accommodated, litter only.  Beacon Hill Neighborhood Association has done this, paid for by themselves; the Board will look into this.  Getting neighborhood businesses involved would be important for this program, to make them aware of the role that THEY play in the creation (and removal) of litter, perhaps sharing the cost.
The meeting adjourned at 9:15 p.m.
Respectfully Submitted, Helen Powell, Clerk