Sunset Hill Neighborhood Association
2019 Annual Meeting
7:00 p.m. Tuesday, April 16, 2019
West Middle School Cafeteria

Meeting Minutes

Click here to view or download the meeting minutes in pdf format.

Approximately 71 in attendance

• Welcome and introductions of Executive Committee (Webber)
  • Gary Webber, 4^th year member, President
  • Matthew Paul, 2^nd year member, Vice President
  • Clint Idol, 5^th year member, Secretary (leaving this year)
  • Joanna Wiorkiewicz, 3^rd year Member, Treasurer (leaving this year)
  • Paula Kellogg, 3^rd year Member  (leaving this year)
  • Faye Hale, 2^nd year member
  • Marlene Merrill, 5^th year member
  • Eliza Darmon, 1^st year member
  • Marianna Nieto, 1^st year member
  • Jeanne Pees, Past President
• Guest presentations & questions from floor
  • Mark Hecker, LPRD Assistant Director –Parks, Ludlam Park, Centennial Park Adoption
    • Dereck Rogers, Director, in attendance
    • Plans for Ludlam: 40 playgrounds were surveyed, and Mark identified those that need changes, and nominated Ludlam Park to be removed.
      • What do we want there that is not there? (There are currently no plans to eliminate the park altogether)
        • Playgrounds? Toddler or Elementary age?
        • Doggie waste bag dispenser
        • More Maintenance
        • Neighborhood garden
        • Oregon trail commemoration
        • Boys and girls club usage (Bs and Gs club not allowed to use the SH Elementary playground
        • Basketball or tennis court
      • Dereck Rogers: We are keeping the park and other pocket parks and we will make it ADA compliant, but that eats a lot of the budget for something like this. Maintenance is also expensive the more facilities we add. Please contact us with suggestions and ideas.

• Michelle Dillon, Jayhawk Area Agency on Aging
  • JAAA is a place where seniors can get resources and information on aging in place, in the home. One way this is done is through case management, to manage with help paying bills or applying for Medicare, etc. Other ways are support groups and funding offered to help with needs like supplies.
  • CHAMPS: (Choosing Healthy Appetizing Meal Plan Solutions for Seniors) Program that allows opportunity to make a donation that goes to Dillon’s or Hy-Vee for them then to provide meals planned by nutritionists. Over 4000 people currently take advantage of this program.
  • Information Outreach Program: Offers guidance for services like transportation or care when the recipient may not be aware of the possible solutions.
  • Red File: Medical information that individuals can have fixed to their front door that would inform Emergency Medical Services upon arrival
  • Medicare Fraud information available
  • Surveys available to assess struggles in obtaining healthy food and medical care, the results of which could inform future policy decisions and related programs
  • Satellite office located at Independence Inc. on Haskell
  • Helen Schnoes, Sustainability & Food Systems Planner, Douglas County, KS
    • Program initiated by the city to explore and resolve barriers to urban agriculture
    • Food Policy Council: Advisory board of residents that works with city to update food policy and study other cities’ programs.
      • Facilitates food access in the community
      • One example of this is a reference booklet that describes some possibilities for growing crops. Available online.
      • The city weed ordinance was updated so that the definition of weeds does not include food crops. There are height requirements for site lines in front yards
      • Produce stand policies were updated to allow urban farmers to sell/distribute small scale produce.
      • Citizens of Lawrence United for Chicken Keeping allowed for policy change by allowing chickens and ducks to be considered pets, with respect to humane treatment and nuisance awareness. There is an area ratio with regard to the number of birds.
      • Urban bee-keeping policy changes allow more bees per defined area
      • Requirements for smaller hooved animals allows a minimum of 2 animals
      • Common Ground program allows residents to enter into a lease of city property to create gardens
    • Question from the audience – are we any closer to being able to compost food waste along with our garden/yard waste.
      • Food waste is a topic that the county is exploring. Commercial recycling is the topic at the forefront of solid waste currently.

• Treasurer’s Report (Wiorkiewicz)
  • Bank balance was $910.87 last April
  • $655 from membership dues was the income for the year
  • $100 donation made to student gardens
  • Organized neighborhood potluck, 191.93 went to main course provided by the association
  • Annual dues $25 went to LAN (Lawrence Association of Neighborhoods)
  • Operating costs: $236.87, copies, stamps, envelopes, etc.
  • Total Expenses: $598.80
  • Fiscal year ending assets in savings account: $587.45
  • $395 membership dues deposited before 4.16.19
  • $982.49 is current bank balance
  • $1017.45 in total assets which includes undeposited checks/cash
  • 124 SHNA members at this time last year; for 2019/2020 there are 80 members, 55 renewals and 14 new members.
  • Treasurer Report is available at SHNA.org
• Old Business (Webber)
  • Just over 1000 Annual Meeting Flyers were delivered prior to this meeting.  Could I please have a show of hands for everyone who attended the meeting because they received the flyer?  –  approximately 21 raised hands
• New Business (Webber)
  • Summary of 2018 SHNA Executive Committee actions
    • Published SHNA quarterly newsletter, including new articles on SHNA businesses and places of worship
    • Donated $50 each to Sunset Hill Elementary and West Middle School gardens
    • Sent a card and $25 donation to the Robert W Lichtwardt Student Research Award.
    • Presented 9 Applause Awards for exemplary homes
    • Held first annual SHNA potluck at Centennial Park
    • Nominated Sunset Hill for “Best Neighborhood in Kansas” competition.  The neighborhood received an honorable mention.
    • Worked with Public Works to advocate for street maintenance
    • Worked with West Middle school to eliminate traffic stopping on Crestline between Yale and Harvard for after-school pickup
    • Worked with Westar to improve response to electrical power outages in SH
    • Worked with Lawrence Parks & Rec. on future of Ludlam Park
    • Volunteers cleaned Centennial Park 3 times, adopted the park in 2019 with Cub Scout Pack 3055 providing volunteer workers

A few more volunteers are needed to help clean the park. Sign up sheet is passed around.

• Hand-delivered  29 “Welcome Neighbor” packets to new SH property owners
  • Attended monthly LAN meetings
  • Election of Nominees to SHNA Executive Committee (3 3-year terms)
    • John White has volunteered to serve a 3-year term
    • Chris and Betsy Ostrander have volunteered to share a 3-year term between them
    • Nominations from the floor for one 3-year term
      • Jesus Garcia volunteers from the audience
    • All nominees were voted in unanimously

• Sunset Hill eligible for Community Development Block Grant funds
  • CDBG funds are awarded to low income neighborhoods for infrastructure improvements and home renovations
    • 750,000 available each year for recipients throughout the city
      • Question: Could the money be used to improve Ludlam Park?
  • Upcoming Events
    • SHNA Potluck (May 4, 2019): The potluck will be held at 5:30 pm, Saturday, May 4, in Centennial Park East Shelter.  The East Shelter is just west of Biemer’s Barbecue and access is off of Ninth St.  SHNA will provide the main dish (barbecue) and lemonade, and we ask Sunset Hill residents to bring side dishes or desserts.  This is a great opportunity to meet fellow SHNA members and the SHNA officers and executive committee.
  • Neighborhood Issues & Concerns – Common questions
    • Westar power outages – report outage by phone or online every occurrence
    • Cars speeding on streets – submit online complaint on city web page, contact David Cronin, City Engineer
    • Noise – contact Lawrence Police Dept.
    • Drug or suspicious residences – contact Lawrence Police Dept.
    • Code violations – contact the Code Enforcement Division or complete the online form
    • Dog waste – contact the Code Enforcement Division.  NOTE: city Ordinance 7125 requires owners of animals to remove waste and to be in possession of a means to remove waste when outside their property.  Exception for physical disability of visual impairment.  Minimum fine is $10 plus court costs.
  • Questions/Comments from the floor
    • Please update us on the QuikTrip planned to be built at Ninth and Iowa that could eliminate the 9^th St. Terr. cut-through which allows traffic to turn off of Iowa and connect to Ninth St.. The city recommended a turn lane be added to ninth. The Hillcrest neighborhood is concerned that traffic may cut-through their neighborhood if 9^th Terr is eliminated.
    • Parking on Crestline north of Harvard related to West Middle school student pick-up is a concern. The Principle of WMS shares concern, and an audit by the neighborhood resource officer failed to collect data that supports this concern. One of the issues that complicates this is that the streets north of the school have no sidewalks, and parents want students to have a direct path to their ride.
    • What is the ordinance that requires that city trash and recycling cans be brought back near the home and be less conspicuous?
      • 24 hours is the time limit imposed by the city for duration of time these containers can remain at the curb after trash pick-up.
• Meeting adjourned at 8:05pm.

Click here to view or download the meeting minutes in pdf format.