GGNA: Board Minutes

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 7/8/08

2008-08-25T13:10:00.002-05:00

1. Call to Order. A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on July 8, 2008 at Lazo’s Tacos. Johnny Elias (President), John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof and Neil Trifunovski were in attendance. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10P.

2. Approval of Minutes from June 10th Meeting. John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the June 10, 2008 BOD meeting and they were unanimously approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report. Bryan Hill (Treasurer) was not in attendance at the meeting. However, he will distribute an electronic copy of the Treasurer’s Report to the leadership listserve.

4. Committee Reports:

a. Public Safety Committee. Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. Gunshots have been heard in Sector 2; it was discussed that a phone tree should be implemented. On August 7th, a quorum will convene at Campbell and McLean at 6:30P to promote positive loitering. “We Call Police” stickers were distributed at the meeting.
b. Zoning and Planning Committee. Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the ZAPC’s activities. She said the sponsors of 2660 West Armitage have not responded to the ZAPC’s request to resubmit their proposed zoning changes. Also, Adriana Mroczka quit from the ZAPC, so there is an opening on the committee. Two people were asked to be considered; Doug wanted to open up the process to other people. The new member will be selected at the next ZAPC meeting.
c. Senior/Youth Committee. Johnny Elias led a discussion on the committee’s proposed activities. With regard to the GGNA/CAPS basketball tournament, there has been very little interest shown from the students at Goethe and Chase; Johnny will solicit volunteers at the block party. The soccer camp will begin on Thursday, July 24th at 4:30P-6:30P and will run for six weeks. With regard to the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative, approximately 30 residents were tutored on the computer; Raquel Geverola will continue to monitor the progress of the program.

5. New BOD Business – open to all BOD Members

a. Maplewood Block Party on Saturday, July 19th – GGNA members were assigned different sectors to pass out fliers once they are printed. The fliers should be ready for distribution on Friday, July 11th and will be in English on one side and Spanish on the other. Festivities at the party include DJs, a mariachi band, and a jumping jack, a water balloon toss, and a chalk drawing contest for the kids. GGNA members were also assigned to vendors in the area to solicit participation/food donations. Esme Borrero will speak to Raymond Valadez from the Alderman’s office with regard to the liquor license issue so that we may sell beer; if it is feasible, bracelets will be used to identify those who are 21+ years old, and tickets will be sold for the beer. Raquel Geverola spoke with Officer Julio Velgara from the CAPS department at the police station and he has confirmed that CAPS will set a table up at the party. Requests for types of music/songs for the DJs should be made through the listserve.
b. Other events - Joe Kopera informed us of CAPS events in the area in August. On August 5th, “National Night Out” will be held at the parking lot of the police department from 5:00P-9:00P. More details will be posted to the listserve. On August 23rd, the Saturday Block Club Convention will be held at Humboldt Park; the recently-appointed Commander Lucio Martines will be in attendance to meet the attendees.

6. Future BOD Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, August 12th at the Wicker Park-Bucktown Library at 6:00P.

7. Meeting Adjourned – Johnny Elias adjourned the meeting at 8:00P.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 6/10/08

2008-06-16T12:10:00.000-05:00

GGNA MEETING MINUTES 6/10/08

1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on June 10, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Bryan Hill, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof and Neil Trifunovski were in attendance. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM.

2. Approval of Minutes from May 13th Meeting – John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the May 13, 2008 BOD meeting and they were unanimously approved.

3. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) distributed a copy of the GGNA’s Profit and Loss Statement which showed a current balance in the GGNA’s checking account of $2,147.89.

4. Committee Reports:

a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. Joe Kopera was in attendance at the meeting and provided an update to the ongoing issues with certain homes in Sector 1. There are three homes in the Sector that house suspected gang members: 2108 Bingham, 2074 Stave and 2117 Point. These homes continue to be the root of the problems in the area. CAPS Officer Sergeant Gambroni and Jerry Gabrielatos from Alderman Flores’ office are aware of the problems and the police have been “showing a presence” along Bingham Street during the past few weeks. Sally also said there has been increased gang activity at the playground at Goethe School. Sally said gang members have been recruiting at the school and can be seen with their lookouts along both Talman and Rockwell Streets. The BOD discussed the possibility of relocating one of the police cameras from either Bignham or Stave Streets to Goethe School. Sergeant Gambroni and Jerry Gabrielatos from Alderman Flores’ back the idea; however, Goethe’s LSC has opposed the idea (with the exception of Jim Rhodes). John Burns said he would contact Jim Rhodes to ascertain what the LSC’s objections to relocating the camera are and would then contact Jerry Gabrielatos and Sergeant Gambroni to discuss the idea.

b. Zoning and Planning Committee – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the ZAPC’s activities. She said the owner of 2425 North Rockwell had accepted the ZAPC’s ideas with regard to the re-zoning of his property and would be presenting at the next ZAPC meeting. The ZAPC’s recent vote of 4/4 on the 2154 North Maplewood project was also discussed. Doug read a letter from ZAPC member Gabrielle Sutton which expressed her dissatisfaction with the letter John Burns had written to the Alderman in support of the project (a copy of John Burns’ letter to the Alderman dated May 30, 2008 and a copy of Gabrielle Sutton’s letter are attached to these minutes).

c. Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias led a discussion on the committee’s proposed activities. The summer youth basketball tournament will be held on two consecutive Saturdays in August (9^th and 16^th). The tournament will be co-sponsored by CAPS and held in the police parking lot on North California Avenue. Johnny also announced that Alejandra Geraldo will be coaching a youth soccer program commencing in mid-July and running through mid-August. The soccer camp would meet two days a week; one day of coaching and one day for games. Raquel Geverola provided an update on the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative, which will begin on Monday, June 16^th. Raquel has recruited students from Roberto Clemente High School to act as tutors for the program. The students will work in shifts on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 10:00 AM until 3:00 PM. Twenty-two senior citizens have already signed-up for the program. Raquel was commended for the hard work she has done in getting this program underway. Johnny Elias to update everyone on the planned summer youth programs. Raquel Geverola to update everyone on the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative.

d. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns provided a recap of his discussions with Logan Square Chamber of Commerce President Paul Levin. Paul is very supportive of the GGNA’s efforts to reach out to our local business owners. Paul suggested a program similar to one the Chamber has with other neighborhood groups; a two-for-one membership fee for the business owners and a sharing of fees collected. The businesses in turn would then be able to take advantage of the benefits from both the GGNA and Chamber. A draft of the GGNA Business Membership application was distributed for comment by all GGNA BOD members. The BOD also discussed general membership dues and when those dues should be billed and collected. A motion was put forth by Doug and seconded by John Burns to bill the membership fees in September for a fiscal membership year of October thru September. The motion was unanimously approved. Further discussions on the GGNA teaming up with Logan Square Chamber of Commerce will be on the agenda for next meeting.

5. New BOD Business – open to all BOD Members

a. GGNA Summer Social – The BOD discussed the proposed Summer Social and it was determined the June 21^st would not work because of the St. John’s summer party. The BOD decided to investigate the possibility of piggy-backing on the Maplewood Block Party which will be held on July 19^th. Johnny Elias to check with the party’s organizers to see if this idea makes sense. The BOD will reconvene to discuss the Summer Social and how it can assist the residents of Maplewood after it hears back from Johnny.

6. Change to By-laws – There were two items on the agenda to discuss. Those items are as follows:vanderoofvanderHoofvanhaus

a. BOD Member Attendance – A discussion was held about BOD member attendance. John Burns proposed a motion which was seconded by Bryan Hill. The motion is as follows: “A BOD member will be removed from the BOD if he or she: 1) misses three BOD meetings in a row; or 2) does not attend at least 7 of the 12 monthly meetings during the BOD’s fiscal year (November through October).” The motion was approved by a vote of five to one (Sally Hamann was the only dissenting vote and Doug vanderHoof had to leave the meeting early).

b. Eliminating Absentee Balloting – The BOD unanimously decided to defer discussion on this item to the July BOD meeting because of time constraints.

7. Future BOD Meeting Schedule – The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, July 8th at Goethe School. A reminder was given that all meetings begin at 6:00 PM.

8. Meeting Adjourned – Johnny Elias adjourned the meeting at 8:00 PM.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 5/13/08

2008-06-16T12:09:00.000-05:00

GGNA MEETING MINUTES 5/13/08

1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on May 13, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof and Neil Trifunovski were in attendance. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM. John Burns announced that he did not have minutes from the April BOD meeting. The board members recalled conversations about Club 2047; there were no pressing issues discussed and no votes taken.

2. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) was not in attendance at the meeting. However, Bryan did communicate with John Burns prior to the meeting to let him know the only activity for 2008 has been total deposits of $154.44 for membership dues. The current balance in the GGNA’s checking account is approximately $2,100.00.

Committee Reports:

a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. Sally said that the topic of graffiti was discussed, as well as the police camera being moved to Goethe School from Stave Street which has been turned off at this time. She said a written report could be found on GGNA’s website. Johnny Elias said gangs have been targeting people at Danny’s, the liquor store on Western and Lyndale.

b. Zoning and Planning Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent ZAPC community meeting where Raymond Valadez from the Alderman’s Office was present to run the meeting. The meeting was regarding the requested zoning changes for 2154 N. Maplewood. An RT-4.5 zoning was requested for the installation of dormers to expand the top floor. The few neighbors that attended the meeting did not object to the owner’s plans. ZAPC will make a recommendation on the zoning changes at the May 19^th ZAPC meeting.

News from the ZAPC’s April monthly meeting included the following:

2425 N. Rockwell – An RT-4 zoning was sought by the property owner (3 stories). The ZAPC requested a RS-3 zoning and will possibly grant an RS-3.5. The crucial point was the owner wanted to add a separate unit in the basement which the RS-3.5 will allow them to do. The zoning would then be adjusted down to RS-3 after the completion of the project.

Sally also mentioned that the representatives for 2660 W. Armitage never showed up for the meeting.

Officers were selected at the meeting. Sally Hamann – Chair; Doug vanderHoof – Secretary; and Gabrielle Sutton– back-up person.

c. Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias led a discussion on the committee’s proposed activities. Raquel Geverola and John Burns discussed the Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative, which will begin on Monday, June 16^th. John Burns discussed the Youth Basketball Tournament to be held in mid-July in the parking lot of the police station. Johnny Elias discussed forming a soccer training camp with Alejandra Geraldo being the coach. Alejandra attended the BOD meeting ans was commended by the BOD for her desire to volunteer her time. The soccer camp would begin sometime after July 13^th and will include children ages 8-15.

d. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns

distributed an outline of goals/objectives for the GGNA Membership Committee.

Membership Social - It was decided the Membership Social would be held on Saturday, June 21^st; John will call Barbara Kargas (principal of Goethe School) to confirm use of the school’s playground for the event. He will prepare an outline of ideas for the social in Word format and forward it to everyone for their feedback. Local restaurants will be asked to supply food and drinks for the event. Door hangers with details about the social will be printed in both English and Spanish to promote the social. Additionally, a notice will be posted on the listserve.

Business Owner Memberships – John Burns discussed putting together a Business Member Package to encourage businesses to join the GGNA. Sally Hamann suggested contacting Paul Levin of the Logan Square Chamber of Commerce to vent the idea. John Burns will arrange a meeting with Paul and notify other board members.

Updating the website – John Burns to send an e-mail to Jon Wetterstein regarding the update of the GGNA website.

3. Club 2047 Update –

Jerry Gabrielatos with Alderman Flores’s office provided an update of the latest Club 2047 meetings. It was recommended that V-Live join the listserve. Jerry said traffic flow still needs to be addressed. V-Live will devise a “smoking pen” similar to the one in the Congress Theatre to accommodate smokers. V-Live will also make parking passes available for purchase on-line. Vicky Schmidt suggested setting up a cab stand.

In other news, Vicky Schmidt and Paul Levin will be organizing a tavern league so bar and restaurant owners along Milwaukee Avenue between Western and California Avenues may address issues among each other.

4. Presentation by Reverend Ray Maldonado -

Reverend Maldonado discussed the problem of permit parking around Urban Vineyard Church (2145 N. Maplewood). Some members of the congregation have been getting ticketed during church services. Reverend Maldonado is suggesting zone parking be made exempt on Sundays from 9:00A to 9:00P. The Alderman’s Office suggested he talk to the neighbors in homes surrounding the church (Maplewood and Shakespeare). Reverend Maldonado started a petition and has collected 18 signatures so far. Doug vanderHoof suggested posting a notice on the listserve. Sally Hamann will make Reverend Maldonado a member on the listserve.

5. New BOD Business –

a. May 27^th GGNA General Members’ Business Meeting – The committees will report their statuses at the meeting. John Burns will call Goethe School to confirm use of the facilities for the meeting. The agenda for the meeting to include (but not be limited to) the following: Committee Reports; Announcements of Youth Summer Programs; Discussion on the GGNA’s 501C-3 Status; and the Members Social on June 21^st.

b. Eliminating GGNA’s 501C-3 status – Sally Hamann brought up the idea of eliminating the 501C-3 status. There was no formal information provided to allow an educated discussion of this idea. It was suggested an attorney and/or accountant prepare a list of the pros and cons relating to this idea. Doug vanderHoof suggested beginning a dialogue on the 501C-3 status on the listserve and at the May 27^th meeting.

6. Open Floor –

a. Joe Kopera and Vicky Schmidt suggested that GGNA’s BOD should have requirements with regard to meeting attendance, just as the ZAPC does.

b. Joe Kopera also suggested using Yahoo’s general poll feature for non-binding issues. It can be a useful tool to get a feel for various topics. Sally Hamann liked the idea and might try it for ZAPC. Doug vanderHoof suggested a sample poll. The BOD commended Joe for all of his hard work on the poll.

7. Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 10^th at Goethe School. As usual, the meeting will begin at 6:00P and conclude by 8:00P as the janitor leaves the school at that time.

8. Meeting Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned at 8:03P.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 3/11/08

2008-06-16T11:07:00.001-05:00

GGNA MEETING MINUTES 3/11/08

1. Call to Order – A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on March 11, 2008 at the Goethe Elementary School. John Burns (Secretary), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor and Doug vanderHoof were present. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:10 PM. The minutes of the previous meeting were unanimously approved as read.

2. Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) was not at the meeting. However, Bryan did communicate with John Burns prior to the meeting to let him know there were no credits or debits for the month of February. A written Treasurers Report will be attached to the Minutes when approved at the April Board of Directors meeting.

3. Zoning and Planning Committee – The four BOD members discussed the pertinent information regarding the revised timeline for the selection of the new ZAPC members. The ZAPC application, the revised timeline and the selection process was previously agreed to by Alderman Flores and his Chief of Staff Raymond Valadez.

i. Friday, February 29^th: Cover letters and ZAPC Applications were prepared by the BOD and mailed (from the Alderman’s office) to all current GGNA members.

ii. Monday, March 3^rd: A notice was posted to the GGNA listserve notifying members of the ZAPC application process. The notice included the cover letter and ZAPC Application.

iii. Monday, March 17^th: Deadline for all ZAPC applications to be received by the Alderman’s office. The previous deadline had been set for Friday, March 14^th. However, Sally and Doug requested the deadline be pushed back until Monday evening. Sally proposed a motion, Doug seconded the motion and a vote was taken. The proposal was unanimously approved.

iv. Wednesday, March 19^th: A Special GGNA BOD meeting to be held at the Bucktown-Wicker Park Library for the selection of the new ZAPC members. The meeting will be begin at 6:00 PM and conclude at 9:00 PM. A motion to call a Special Board meeting was presented, seconded and unanimously approved.

v. Monday, March 24^th: The first ZAPC meeting will be held at Goethe School at 6:00 PM; past ZAPC items will be addressed. A temporary secretary will be appointed to take notes for this meeting. Sally reminded the BOD that it needs to reach out to the three groups with requests before the ZAPC. John volunteered to contact these three groups.

vi. Monday, April 21^st: ZAPC members will vote on its officers.

ZAPC Guidelines – Drafts of the revised ZAPC Guidelines were distributed via e-mail

prior to the meeting. The BOD members discussed the various issues contained in the

revised ZAPC Guidelines. Johnny Elias to lead a discussion of the new guidelines for

the ZAPC (if everyone has had an opportunity to review the document). Doug and Sally

had issues with the “oversight” language contained in the document. The oversight

language contained in paragraph 5 of the document was to allow the BOD to have a

dissenting position should the greater neighborhood not agree with the recommendation

rendered by the ZAPC. Paragraph 5 reads as follows:

5) The ZAPC will render its recommendations independently of the GGNA Board of Directors. Recommendations of the ZAPC cannot be overridden by GGNA members or GGNA's Board of Directors. However, the GGNA’s Board of Directors may issue its own opinion should the ZAPC’s opinion be contradictory to the desires of the neighborhood as determined by a vote at a publicly held neighborhood meeting. A copy of the ZAPC’s recommendation shall be posted to the file section of the GGNA listserve (along with notification of the posting to all GGNA members via the GGNA listserve) within 24 hours of being delivered to Alderman Flores.

The language Doug and Sally want omitted from the document is highlighted above. A

discussion ensued and with the flowing viewpoints: Doug and Sally said the GGNA

BOD should not have any oversight whatsoever with regard to ZAPC recommendations.

John and Raymond believe the BOD needs the ability to issue a dissenting opinion if it is

determined that the ZAPC has acted in opposition to the majority of neighbors’ desire as

determined by a vote at a public meeting. After a lengthy discussion, John suggested

that either Doug or Sally draft language that would accommodate an option for the BOD

to implement should the ZAPC render an opinion contrary to the desire of the greater

neighborhood as determined by a vote of the neighbors which would be held at a

previously announced public meeting. Doug volunteered to get back to everyone within

the next two days with a draft of the proposed language.

Guidelines for Selecting New ZAPC Members – A discussion was held regarding the

selection criteria for new ZAPC members. It was understood that the criteria must be

crafted to achieve Alderman Flores’ mandate of a diversified ZAPC membership. The

following criteria was discussed:

· Ethnic: The Alderman desires to see a balanced ZAPC reflecting the neighborhood’s diverse ethnic make-up.

· Gender: The ZAPC should be balanced with regard to gender.

· Socioeconomic: The ZAPC should also have a good balance of professionals, working men/women, retirees, etc.

· Geographic: The ZAPC should have representatives from the entire geographic areas within the GGNA. Sally suggested we try to have at least one ZAPC member from each of the CAPS sectors.

· Contributions to the Neighborhood: Consideration should be given to other volunteer and community service work with which the applicants have been involved.

· Professional Background/Education: Because the new ZAPC guidelines exclude developers and real estate agents, the BOD might give certain weight to professionals that have real estate experience. That experience could include architects, attorneys, builders, contractors and other professionals with real estate experience. Other experience such as being a member of another zoning board (not ZAPC) in the past should also be considered.

· Time in Community: This is a sensitive issue on both sides of the coin. There are members of the community that think time in the community should be a major factor in the decision making process (i.e. the longer the better). Others think the new ZAPC should have a balance of “old and new.” This is a criterion that needs careful and balanced consideration.

Selecting the New ZAPC Members – Alderman Flores and the BOD has agreed to

make the selection of new ZAPC members a joint effort. Sally said she would be

recusing herself from the voting process since she will be applying for a position with the

new ZAPC. It was agreed that all BOD members applying for a position would recuse

themselves from the voting process.

ii. Final Report on Fall 2007 Fundraiser for Goethe School “After School Music Program” – After numerous requests from the BOD’s Treasurer for the follow-up paperwork, the BOD still does not have the final accounting of the Fall 2007 After School Music Program fundraiser. Sally had made various requests but has been unable to obtain the paperwork. Friends of Goethe had been the recipient of the fund raising; this organization has been going through the process of achieving its 501C-3 status. The status has been achieved and the paperwork will be provided by the BOD’s April meeting. Congratulations are due Elise Doody-Jones and her associates for their hard work in organizing this group.

iii. Committee Reports:

a. Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the recent CAPS meeting. The minutes from the meeting will be posted to the listserve this week. Sally said the major topic of discussion at this month’s CAPS meeting was the parking issue at the Congress Theatre. Please check the CAPS minutes for a complete update.

b. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented his ideas for the formation of the Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee. An outline of John’s initiatives were distributed and John asked the other BOD members in attendance to get back to him with their respective thoughts and ideas.

Spring Fling – The BOD agreed to host a member social party this spring when the weather is nicer. The rough timeline discussed was late-April. The idea is to have an outdoor get together on a Saturday afternoon when parents and their kids could attend. The party would be a “barbecue type” event possibly to be held at the Goethe School playground. Local restaurants would be asked to supply food and drink for the event. John will inquire with Goethe School as to the possibility of utilizing the school’s grounds for the event.

March 25^th Neighborhood Meeting – Doug suggested we have a neighborhood open house to discuss community issues and BOD initiatives. Sally suggested having someone from the post office come to speak to the group. Sally will be contacting the head of the California Avenue post office and will report back to the BOD. Some suggested that the meeting was too close to get it fully organized in time. Doug did not see this as a problem. Doug was asked to provide an agenda for the meeting which he said would be drafted and distributed.

March 29^th Milwaukee Avenue Expo- On Saturday, March 29, the Logan

Square Chamber of Commerce will be hosting the first Milwaukee Avenue

Community Expo. The Expo will be held at the Congress Theater, from 10AM to

3 PM. The Expo is an opportunity for the businesses, residents, institutions and

organizations of the neighborhood around the Fullerton-Armitage-Western-

California area to come out and learn about each other, to meet, greet, discover,

or get re-acquainted with each other. The owner of the Congress Theater is

donating the use of his lobby, and he’s promised to get us some musical

entertainment. More than a dozen merchants, restaurants and institutions have

already signed up to be with us. Doug suggested the GGNA BOD take part in

the Expo. The decision to attend was unanimous.

iv. Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The next meeting will be held on Tuesday, April 8^th at Goethe School. The meeting will begin at 6:00 PM as the janitor leaves the school at 8:00 PM.

v. Meeting Adjourned – The meeting was adjourned at 7:56 PM.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 2/19/08

2008-06-16T11:02:00.000-05:00

GGNA MEETING MINUTES 2/19/08

1) Call to Order - A regular meeting of the Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association was held on February 19, 2008 at Goethe Elementary School. Johnny Elias (President), Pedro Borrero, John Burns (Secretary), Bryan Hill (Treasurer), Sally Hamann, Neil Trifunovski and Doug vanderHoof were present. A quorum being present, the meeting was called to order at 6:15P. The minutes of the previous meeting were approved as read (5-2). Voting to approve the minutes were PB, JB, JE, BH and NT with SH and DV voting no.

2) Zoning and Planning Committee – Alderman Flores was in attendance. He said that as of right now there is no one on the ZAPC. He handed out copies of proposed GGNA Zoning and Planning Committee bylaws to all that were present and welcomed any recommendations. Recommendations are to be sent to the Aldermanic Office by Friday, February 22^nd.

Alderman Flores suggested that the ZAPC implement an application process to select new board members. John Burns volunteered to draft the ZAPC application and submit to Alderman Flores by Friday, February 22^nd. Alderman Flores will then get a revised draft of the bylaws and an approved application out to the BOD by Monday, February 25^th, by which the BOD has until Monday, March 3^rd to approve for distribution. Alderman Flores will assist in conducting interviews for new board members at the March 11^th ZAPC meeting. A motion was set to authorize this process and was unanimously approved.

3) Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) reviewed the Treasurer’s Report for the month ending in 1/31/08. It showed a balance of $2,065.66. Written copies of the Treasurer’s Reports were distributed and the Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved by the BOD. A copy of that report is attached to these Minutes.

Bryan also said that acknowledgements for 2007 donations made to the GGNA will be sent out this week.

Sally Hamann brought up a request from the Haas Park advisory committee. They are throwing a fundraiser at Fireside Bowl and would like GGNA’s assistance. She did not have all the details of GGNA’s accounting obligations in agreeing to help Haas Park. Sally motioned to approve the principle of the request and will wait to hear from Haas Park to work out the details. It was seconded and approved (6-1). BH was the one no vote.

4) Follow-up on BOD Business from the January 8th Meeting:

a) Discussion on Listserve Update – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the following issues:

i) Updating the Leadership List – Sally will update the Leadership list to include John Burns and Neil Trifunovski. John and Neil will e-mail their information to Sally so that she may add them.

ii) Updating the ZAPC List to include BOD members – Alderman Flores suggested that BOD members be kept apprised of ZAPC’s recommendations to the aldermanic office, so once the members are selected, the listserve will be updated to include the BOD members.

iii) Single vs. multiple listserves – Doug vanderHoof motioned to keep one listserve for general communication. It was seconded by Sally Hamann but after discussion was unanimously denied.

iv) Updating the website – John asked Sally to e-mail him the contact information for John Wetterstein, the website’s moderator.

b) Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented an outline of his objectives for the Membership Committee, one of which would be maintaining the website. He asked that everyone e-mail comments to him with any suggestions.

5) The meeting was adjourned at 8:03PM.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 1/8/08

2008-06-16T10:41:00.000-05:00

GGNA MEETING MINUTES 1/8/08

1) Call to Order - Johnny Elias (President) opened the meeting, thanked the numerous residents attending the meeting and advised non-BOD members they will have an opportunity to comment, ask questions, etc. during the “Open Floor” time later in the meeting. Johnny notified BOD members and the audience that the BOD members prohibit the taping recording of BOD meetings.

2) Approval of Minutes from December 11th Meeting – John Burns (Secretary) read the minutes from the December 11th BOD meeting. The minutes were unanimously approved.

3) Treasurer’s Report - Bryan Hill (Treasurer) reviewed the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report. Written copies of the Treasurer’s Report were distributed; the Year-End 2007 Treasurer’s Report was unanimously approved by the BOD. A copy of that report is attached to these Minutes.

4) Follow-up on BOD Business from the December 11th Meeting:

a) Discussion on Listserve Update – Sally Hamann updated the BOD on the following issues:

i) Updating the Leadership List – Sally will update the Leadership list; Sally requested that all BOD members forward their current e-mail addresses to Sally.

ii) Updating the ZAPC List – Sally is not the moderator of the ZAPC list. Clarence Fraher is the moderator; the Secretary will ask Clarence to update the ZAPC list for the current members.

iii) Updating the Address and Phone Number for GGNA – Sally will update the website with the GGNA’s P.O. Box. No phone number will be put on the website as the GGNA does not receive any phone calls.

b) Update on Fall 2007 Fundraiser for Goethe School “After School Music Program” - Sally Hamann provided a verbal summary of the fund raiser; $461 was raised for the program. These dollars were transferred to Friends of Goethe. Sally will provide a written receipt of these funds at the February BOD meeting. Friends of Goethe will provide written evidence that the funds were transferred to the Goethe School.

c) Terms of Positions – BOD Members drew straws to determine 1-, 2- or 3-year terms. Straws were drawn for BOD members not present (Doug vanderHoff, Pedro Barrera, Mary Escobar and Neil Trifunovski). The terms for BOD members are as follows:

i) 3-Year Terms: Juan “Johnny” Elias, Bryan Hill and Ramon Tembledor.

ii) 2-Year Terms: Pedro Barrera, Sally Hamann and Neil Trifunovski.

iii) 1-Year Terms: John Burns, Mary Escobar and Doug vanderHoof.

5) Committee Reports:

a) Public Safety Committee – Sally Hamann provided an update of the January 3^rd CAPS meeting. The GGNA’s beat continues to have the lowest crime rate in the district. The only issues were in Section 1 which encompasses Bingham Street. A car was fire-bombed by suspected gang members. No suspects have been arrested as of yet.

b) Senior/Youth Committee – Johnny Elias provided an update on the committee’s recent activities. GGNA purchased and will be donating a computer and printer to Campbell Terrace Apartments. The computer will be presented to the residents in February after the renovation of the first floor common areas has been completed. Students from Clemente High School will be recruited to train residents on the use of the computer. The students will assist residents in setting-up e-mail accounts and will work with them on learning aspects of utilizing the computer. Raquel Geverola is working with the Service Learning Coaches and Guidance Counselors of Clemente High School to identify students interested in participating in the program. These students will take shifts at Campbell Terrace working with the residents during the evenings after school and on the weekends. These students will receive community service credit which will be applied towards their graduation requirements. We hope this program will foster short- and long-term relationships between the area’s seniors and youth. Johnny Elias was nominated as the Senior/Youth Committee Chairman. Johnny was approved by a vote of 3 “for’s”, 0 “against” and 1 “abstain.” We congratulate Johnny and the Committee to be on their way to implementing the Senior/Youth Committee’s first successful program of 2008.

c) Healthcare Committee – Bryan Hill presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of a Healthcare Committee. Bryan will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Healthcare Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.

d) Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee – John Burns presented a few of his preliminary ideas for the formation of the Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee. John will be drafting a plan for the committee and will present his proposal for the committee at the February BOD meeting. A vote on the Committee’s Chairperson was tabled until the February BOD meeting.

e) Neighborhood Beautification Committee – The BOD members discussed their desire to form a Neighborhood Beautification Committee. Volunteers for the committee and its Chairman will be solicited during the next month. All neighbors attending the BOD meeting were encouraged to participate in the committee and help solicit potential members.

f) Zoning and Planning Committee – Doug vanderHoof reviewed the minutes of December 17^th ZAPC meeting. Sally Hamann presented a preliminary outline of the proposed changes within the ZAPC. A motion was set before the BOD to approve the proposed changes. The motion was seconded. The BOD voted and the proposed changes were not approved. The vote was 2 “for’s” and 4 “against.” Reasons voiced by BOD members for their vote against the motion were as follows: The BOD members dissenting sighted their desire to have the changes reflect what Alderman Flores requested during a December 17, 2007 meeting with both old and new ZAPC members. Additional items sighted as not being included in the proposed changes were as follows: 1) the Alderman requested the ZAPC be comprised of a diverse group of GGNA residents (a mechanism to insure this was not clearly delineated in the proposed changes presented to the BOD); and 2) the Alderman requested an advisory panel be formed to include professionals actively involved in the real estate business which would be available to advise the ZAPC on various issues (this panel would include realtors, developers and others that will not be ZAPC members or able to vote on ZAPC matters – this issue was not addressed in the proposed changes). Johnny Elias also proposed that ZAPC members must be property and/or business owners within the GGNA’s boundaries. The BOD asked that the proposed changes to the ZAPC be revised to include all of Alderman Flores’ suggestions. The proposed changes would then be presented to the BOD for a vote at either the BOD’s monthly meeting to be held in February or at a special BOD meeting prior to the regularly scheduled February BOD meeting.

6) New BOD Business:

a) Communicating with BOD Members and the General Membership – John Burns introduced a proposal to limit the dissemination of inter-BOD correspondences to the general GGNA membership. The proposal was withdrawn for lack of support from BOD members.

7) Open Floor – The BOD discussed having the “Open Floor” GGNA members and attendees to have the opportunity to ask questions of their BOD.

8) Future BOD Meeting Schedule - The February 12^th meeting must be pushed back to Tuesday, February 19^th because Goethe School will be closed (March and April dates are okay).

9) Meeting Minutes Read and Approved – John Burns read the preliminary minutes from the evening’s meeting and will be drafting them for distribution to the membership. The official minutes to be approved at the February BOD meeting.

10) Meeting Adjourned – Johnny Elias adjourned the meeting.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 12/11/07

2008-06-16T10:39:00.001-05:00

Dear GGNA Members and Interested Parties,

The following contains the minutes from the GGNA’s Board of Directors (“BOD”) Meeting which was held on Tuesday, December 11^th at Goethe Elementary School. The meeting began shortly after 6:00 PM. In attendance were the following BOD Members: John Burns, Johnny Elias (Secretary and interim President), Bryan Hill (Treasurer), Sally Hamann, Ramon Tembledor, Doug vanderHoof, and Neil Trifunovski. These minutes are presented in an outline format similar to the agenda utilized at the meeting. The intent is to make these easy to follow without being too cumbersome as to discourage anyone from reading them. Your comments and suggestions are always welcome. Thank you!

1. Elect a Leader for Tonight’s Meeting - Johnny Elias (as Acting-President) was asked to lead the meeting until a President was elected.

2. Minutes from Last Meeting – John Burns read the minutes which were approved by the BOD.

3. Treasurer’s Report (Bryan Hill) – Bryan gave a brief statement about the GGNA’s finances. GGNA spent $115 on pies, etc. for the Humboldt Park Social Services Center (men’s Thanksgiving dinner); current balance in the GGNA account is approximately $2,900. Doug vanderHoof brought forth a motion to have a written Treasurer’s report presented at each BOD meeting. The motion was unanimously approved with the added stipulation the written report be e-mail to each BOD member.

4. Public Safety Committee (“PSC”) – Sally Hamann provided a brief update on the PSC. The Congress Theatre continues to be an issue; concerns about patron behavior both in and outside of the Theatre. Jim Rhodes is working with the theatre’s Manager to address these numerous issues. Sally will be posting the full PSC report.

5. Identifying Positions for Officers and Their Responsibilities

a. President –Johnny Elias was nominated and approved as the President of the GGNA the vote was 5 “for” and 2 “against.” Doug vanderoff asked to include into the record a letter he had drafted entitled “Board Malfeasance.” This was refused by the Secretary and President.

b. Vice-President – No nominations for the Vice President at this time.

c. Secretary – Johnny Elias resigned his position as Secretary. John Burns volunteered to run for the GGNA’s Secretary. No other BOD member volunteered. A vote was taken and John Burns was unanimously approved as the GGNA’s Secretary.

d. Treasurer – Bryan Hill was nominated and approved as the Treasurer of the GGNA. The vote was 5 “for” and 2 “against.” Doug vanderoff again asked to include into the record a letter he had drafted entitled “Board Malfeasance.” This was refused by the Secretary who referred to Doug’s letter and claims as “crap.”

e. Other Officer Positions – No other officer positions were voted on or approved.

6. Terms for BOD Members – The BOD discussed various ways to determine the term limits for the nine members as called for in the by-laws. Methodologies included volunteering for time limits, drawing straws and BOD Meeting attendance records. A motion was put forth to draw straws for length of terms. The motion was unanimously passed and it was decided the straws would be drawn at next month’s BOD meeting.

7. Formation of Committees/Committee Chairpersons – Members discussed the various committees and it was decided to table any selection of Committee Chairperson(s) until the January BOD meeting. However, the following committee chairmanships were discussed:

a. By-laws Committee – Doug vanderHoof volunteered to Chair a new by-laws committee. A vote was taken and Doug was not approved. The vote was 2 “for” and 5 “against.”

b. Healthcare Committee – Bryan Hill volunteered to chair a new Healthcare Committee. No other BOD member volunteered. No vote was taken.

c. Membership, Communication and Fund Raising Committee (“MCFRC”) – John Burns volunteered to Chair a new Membership, Communications and Fund Raising Committee. No other BOD member volunteered. No vote was taken.

d. Zoning and Planning Committee - The nomination and election of a chair for the ZAPC was tabled until the January meeting.

8. Discussion on Listserve Update

a. Updating the Leadership List – Sally Hamann agreed to update the leadership list.

b. Updating the ZAPC List – The ZAPC list will be updated after committee members have been approved.

c. Updating the Address and Phone Number for GGNA – The BOD agreed to change the address on the GGNA’s website to the P.O. Box. A decision on the GGNA’s “principal address” was tabled until the January meeting.

d. Communicating with the General Membership – The BOD had a discussion on how the BOD would communicate with the general membership. A motion was put forth stating all communication to the general membership should come from the Secretary of the GGNA. All correspondences should be distributed (via e-mail) to all BOD members who will have the opportunity to comment on the draft(s) of such correspondence prior to their distribution to the general membership. A simple vote would decide any contested issues. A vote was taken and the provision was unanimously approved. An additional stipulation would be that all BOD correspondences to the General Membership would be distributed via the listserve as well as e-mails to each GGNA member with an e-mail address.

e. Moderating the Listserve and Cutting- Off Harassing Participants – The BOD held a discussion regarding moderating the listserve. The BOD agreed to censor extensive profanity, gross racially-, ethnically-, racially-, or gender-based insults. Spam would also be blocked. Any topic related to the neighborhood and any opinion - no matter how distasteful, unpopular or heatedly discussed – would not be censored. Non-members may post to the list as well.

9. Future of GGNA Zoning and Planning Committee

a. Agenda for Monday’s Meeting – Sally to compile and distribute via e-mail.

b. Constructive Input for the Meeting – The BOD discussed the need for constructive and educated input during next week’s ZAPC meeting.

c. Items to be Distributed Prior to the Meeting – Sally to prepare memo with various web links and to distribute (via e-mail) to all participants.

d. Participants – The BOD would encourage all present and former ZAPC members to participate in the meeting on Monday, December 17th. A motion was presented and unanimously approved.

10. Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative – A motion was put forth to approve the GGNA’s funding of a computer, printer and ancillary supplies for Campbell Terrace Apartments. A vote was taken and the BOD approved an expenditure of $800.00 (capped) to purchase the equipment. The vote was 5 “for” and 2 “against” (pending further detailed information on the cost of the equipment). Furthermore it was proposed the printer be a laser printer versus inkjet because of cost and maintenance. BOD Meeting Schedule and Agenda – The Secretary will distribute a draft agenda for the meeting prior to that meeting. Comments and/or suggested revisions will be welcome.

11. Meeting Minutes Read and Approved – The Secretary did not have time to read the preliminary minutes for the December 11, 2007 BOD meeting due to a lack of available time for the room. The Secretary said he will distribute a draft of the minutes to all GGNA BOD members for their collective comments and/or suggestions. The minutes will then be approved and posted to the listserve.

12. Meeting Adjourned – The GGNA President adjourned the meeting at 8:30 PM.

GGNA BOD Meeting Minutes 11/20/07

2008-06-16T10:27:00.001-05:00

GGNA Minutes 11/20/07

1. Roll Call (present unless otherwise noted)

a. Pedro Borrero

b. John Burns

c. Johnny Elias

d. Mary Escobar

e. Bryan Hill

f. Remon Tembledor

g. Neil Trifunovski (Out of Town due to Thanksgiving Holiday)

h. Open Position

i. Open Position

2. Treasurer’s Report

a. The GGNA has approximately $3,000 (Details to follow).

3. Newsletter

a. Approval of Newsletter to update membership on election results and long and short-term initiatives.

4. GGNA Website

a. Consensus on need to update including a Spanish version.

5. Initiatives/Committees

a. Discussion on Initiatives and Committees to be made in 2008.

6. Youth Committee

a. Revive summer basketball tournament (Johnny Elias to head)

b. Initiate spring soccer tournament.

c. Coordination of high school students tutoring Campbell Terrace residents in computers

i. Mary Escobar to coordinate youth involvement.

ii. Johnny Elias to coordinate with Campbell Terrace.

iii. John Burns to spec computer, printer, etc.

7. Seniors Committee

a. Campbell Terrace Computer Initiative

b. Senior Citizens’ Days

i. Coordinate with local business for discounts for seniors.

c. Tutoring the area’s youth.

8. Neighborhood Beautification Committee

a. Re-establish Committee

9. Membership Committee

a. Establish Committee

b. Reach out to Residents and Businesses

10. Fundraising Committee

a. Habitat for Humanity re: Bingham Street lots (could come from Neighborhood Beautification as well).

11. Zoning & Planning Committee

a. Recent meeting boycotted by losing slate.

b. Need to discuss ways to rebuild.

12. Public Safety Committee

a. Committee to touch base with Sally, Joe, Jim, & Jon to see how we can work together.

13. Humboldt Park Social Services Initiative

a. Men’s dinners (+/- 70 homeless men)

b. Donate Pies & Salads

c. GGNA should try to establish relationship with this group to help in general and specifically with Holiday dinners and other events.

14. Organization

a. Identify final two board members.

b. Decision to hold next two BOD meeting privately to organize.

15. Preliminary Minutes Reviewed

16. Meeting Adjourned

2006-03-08T14:57:00.000-06:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association
Board of Directors Meeting
2/21/06

Location: Bob Inn @ Fullerton& Rockwell

Agenda

Notes taken by: Johnny

I. Call to order (Carl)

Attendees: Carl, Brian, Sally, Clarence, Pedro, Lorraine, Diane, and Johnny
· Minutes were approved
· Agenda was reviewed

II. Welcome and Introductions (Carl)

Diane Bienko was introduced. She is an active neighbor with a long history in our neighborhood.

III. Treasurers Report (Brian)

GGNA Balance to date: $100

· Tax documents were sent to neighbors that joined last year to show that contributions were made to GGNA Non for Profit Org.

· Johnny agreed to be the first to ask people on the list serve to become paying members.

IV. Committee Reports

Membership (Brian)

· We need more members!

· How do we do that?

Carl suggested we divide list serve and solicit for membership

Pedro mentioned that there is a meeting at Goethe this week regarding Haas Park, and that would be an excellent opportunity to seek members.

Brian mentioned the need to create membership applications.

Carl and Clarence agreed to create a tri-fold brochure for GGNA recruitment and general information

Lorraine mentioned that current members have no exclusive benefits and are no different than non paying members, therefore doesn’t give non members an incentive to join.

Carl talked about how other neighborhood organization members receive newsletters and benefits that non-paying members don’t get.

Zoning Committee: (Clarence)

· Talman and Medill Project has been trimmed down to 27 total units, Three townhouses less than last proposal. Eight units will be at affordable prices, but it is unclear as to the affordability to what standard.

· Johnny agreed to perform a market analysis at a later date.

List Serve Committee:

Moderators will rotate, and Sally agreed to be the first person to moderate the list serve.

Safety/CAPS Committee:

· Sally stated that it’s been quiet, but she saw a couple of deals go down recently.

· Pedro stated that surveillance cameras are coming to the ward, and if we know spots where they should go let him know. He also stated that these cameras can be moved throughout the ward.

The group stated that it is crucial to get community input before setting up cameras.

V. New Business

· Renewals/Memberships

There were seven paid membership renewals today and the term for membership is one year.

· Annual Fundraiser for GGNA

There were a couple of ideas tossed around which included:

A music event at The Congress Theatre, and a dinner at the Congress Pizzeria

The group decided to devote 90% of the next BOD meeting to our fundraiser.

Bob Inn Grill for the next general GGNA meeting:

OK’d by the BOD. The next meeting will take place at the Bob in grill which is next door to the Bob Inn.

Dog Park Sponsorship:

· Sally’s wants it to happen and the Board tentatively approved sponsorship with further consideration.

· The major point of contention and Pedro’s experience with this matter has been cleanliness and follow through of neighbors who commit to maintenance.

VI. Meeting was adjourned.

2005-11-09T20:18:00.000-06:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association

Board Meeting

November 8, 2005

At the El Cid, 2115 N Milwaukee

7:00

Meeting Minutes by Carl Wasielewski

Attendance included Bryan, Carl, Clarence, Michelle, and , Sally

The meeting opened at 7:00 with a discussion of the November 14, 2005 Neighborhood Social at El Cid. It was decided that Bryan would bring membership forms for new members, that a reduction of $1 on the price would be given to members, that Carl would bring a sign in, that Michelle would bring her organization's health care positions, that Clarence would bring Change, and that there would be at least a verbal announcement and possible a written announcement of next month's general meeting, including elections, that would take place at Goethe School. Carl promised to call the school to confirm their ability to host.

The board then discussed a nominating committee to recommend new board members. Each year, GGNA's 9 member board has three slots open, and three new neighbors are elected for three year terms. A number of names were suggested, and the nominating committee will make recommendations.

The board next discussed sending a letter to the Alderman's office regarding 2145-2149 N Talman, and 2150 N Rockwell. Two of these lots had a plumbing business, and a third was vacant. They were some of the several slots of land that were zoned commercial (C1-1), and that GGNA worked to get downzoned to residential (R3). The zoning committee had met with potential developers, and there was some confusion over what was the actual zoning of these lots. Carl will write a letter on GGNA's behalf to determine.

Clarence suggested that anyone with a GGNA tattoo get in free to the Neighborhood Social. There was unanimous agreement with this suggestion.

The board then agreed that it would be fun to have another Neighborhood Social in February, possibly around Valentine's.

Finally, Carl brought up that GGNA could very easily have a representative on the 35th Ward Zoning committee (Sally had brought this issue up at a previous meeting). In the 35th ward, every community organization has the right to appoint a member to represent them on the Zoning Committee. The portion of GGNA boundaries between Altgeld and Logan, and between California and Western is in the 35th Ward. It was recommended that we find a neighbor who lives in that area and would be willing to attend 35th Ward Zoning Committee meanings, as well as GGNA meetings. Anyone who would recommend such a neighbor, should speak to the Board.

Finally, Sally discussed whether GGNA should be involved in the Health Care Referenda project. It was decided that GGNA's 501(c)(3) status prevented us from being involved in political organizations like that, but that individuals could get involved if they desired.

The meeting ended with much conviviality, and more than one margarita. All neighbors are encouraged to attend.

Board Meeting, 10-11-05

2005-10-12T13:35:00.000-05:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association

Board Meeting

September 13, 2005

2335 N Rockwell

7:00

Meeting Minutes by Carl Wasielewski

Attendees include Sally Hamaan, Bryan Hill, Michelle Taufmann, and Carl Wasielewski.

Due to the White Sox Playoff Game, the meeting was held at the home of Carl Wasielewski, as the Bob Inn was likely to be to crowded. The First order of business was to discuss the development at 2214 N Rockwell. Members of the Zoning Committee had met with Alderman Manny Flores to discuss the curb cut and front driveway of that building and future developments. The Alderman agreed that a large garage right in the middle of the property was not the best form of development, and will set up a future meeting with the Department of Planning to figure out the best way to control curb cuts in that area, with a preference for side driveways, if there are to be any at all. The developer of 2214 was at the meeting and said he built it the way he did because that was what the city would have required. He would have built a side driveway if the city had required that. The developer kindly agreed to pursue changing his driveway permit to have as little concrete as possible, and as little diminishment of parking on the street as possible. The Board will send a letter affirming this positive development.

The Board then discussed publishing letters from GGNA in as wide a venue as possible. It was resolved that in the interest of greater public input, all letters from GGNA would be circulated on the GGNA listserve, and possibly published on the website.

The board then discussed the Neighborhood Bowl, that will take place at the Fireside Bowl some time in early November. This will be a great way to bring the neighborhood together, celebrate a small business in the area, and raise a little bit of money for GGNA. Sally will speak to the owner of the fireside about dates and prices to rent the place out for a night. GGNA will then host a planning meeting to put the event together, most likely Tuesday, October 18th.

The Board also discussed when elections should be held for new board members. According to Bryan, each year, three new board members are elected. It was decided that the usual meeting on the second Tuesday in December (the 13th) would not be too close to Christmas, so we could do it then. It would be a nice event to follow up on the Neighborhood Bowl.

Sally then mentioned she had just found a flyer stating that Alderman Colon was having a meeting about an upzoning of two properties in the northern most block of GGNA, between Altgeld and Logan. While officially a part of GGNA's boundaries, that area is part of Alderman Colon's ward, so our usual zoning committees standards (worked out with Alderman Flores) does not apply. It was resolved that, at a minimum, the information from the flyer should be publicized on the listserve, and that GGNA should work to be more active in that immediate area.

The meeting adjourned at 8:00. Sadly, the White Sox were down by three runs.

Board Meeting, 9-13-05

2005-09-14T11:35:00.000-05:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association

Board Meeting

September 13, 2005

At the Bob Inn, Rockwell and Fullerton

7:00

Meeting Minutes by Carl Wasielewski

Attendance included Bryan, Carl, Clarence, Dan, Sally, and Wayne

The meeting opened at 7:00 and Carl outlined the agenda, including putting on a GGNA event in the Fall/Winter, and reviewing a driveway permit for the developer of a single-family home at 2214 N Rockwell.

The developer had already started construction on the building, but apparently, had yet to get a zoning variance for the curbcut necessary for construction. There was some confusion as to how the developer could have started construction without getting a curbcut for his building. Nonetheless, given the developers desire to move forward, GGNA agreed to look at the project at our board meeting, as opposed to waiting for the regularly scheduled zoning committee meeting.

The building at 2214 N Rockwell is located in an area of the neighborhood that the GGNA had previously brought to the attention of the alderman. The west side of Rockwell and the east side of Talman, from Fullerton to Milwaukee, has no alley. As a result, any new construction will likely require a curb cut. The Zoning committee was concerned about future development like that of 2146 N Rockwell, where there is a two car garage facing the street, and a two-car wide driveway paving over the neighborhood.

Unfortunately, the developer never showed at the meeting, so the Board was unable to review plans, however, much discussion was had on the advantages of putting the driveway on the side of the building with a garage in back, as was done on 2338 N Rockwell. There was also discussion that this may or may not be possible, given the small confines of the lot, and that surprisingly, the developer has already started construction.

The board then discussed holding an event/fundraiser for the neighborhood sometime in the Fall/Winter. Carl originally proposed using a neighborhood resource like the Congress Theatre to do a unique event, however, the general consensus was that smaller is easier and better, and that maybe a nice bowling event at the Fireside would do great, possibly with catering done by a local restaurant.

Sally volunteered to talk to the owner of the Fireside, Clarence offered to create the flyer, and Dan offered additional general assistance.

The group also discussed crime briefly. In general, the consensus was that it has been relatively quite. One problem building was discussed, and it was recommended that it is possible to find out who owns a building by going to the Cook County Assessors Office and searching by address to get the PIN number for the building, and then going to the Cook County Recorder of Deeds and using that PIN number to find out who the owner is. By working directly with the owner, problems can potentially be solved.

At 8:00, with much conviviality over the new meeting space at the Bob Inn, but with some annoyance at the developer never showing up, the meeting was adjourned.

Board Meeting, 8-9-05

2005-08-09T12:48:00.000-05:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association

Board Meeting

August 9, 2005

At Carl's House

7:00pm

Meeting Minutes by Carl Wasielewski

Attended by Board Members Carl Wasielewski, Sally Hamann, and Bryan Hill

The Chairman of the Zoning Committee, Clarence Fraher, passed along a letter for the Board's approval rejecting the proposed 30 unit townhome and 6 unit condo development for Talman and Medil. This development proposal had previously been rejected by the zoning committee as being too dense (30 townhomes, 10 condos). The developers new plans only reduced the proposal by 4 units, and was hardly a reduction at all. It still required an upzoning from R3 to R4.5.

The Board strongly supported the letter rejecting the proposal. The developer is requesting a major upzoning of the property, and giving almost nothing in return. This is unacceptable for the neighborhood.

The Board then discussed moving the board meetings to a more public place. In GGNA's 2 years of existence, board meetings have always been held at the private homes of board members. Neighbors have always been welcome to attend, but due to the private nature of the homes, the meetings have primarily been attended by members of the board, not neighbors in general.

In an effort to generate more interest, Board meetings will be moved to a more public place, most likely the Bob Inn, and attendance by the wider neighborhood will be encouraged. Once a quarter, the meetings will take place at a more traditional venue, like Goethe School, and will be heavily publicized with special guest speakers to attract large audiences, but the Board meetings at Bob Inn will also be public.

The board also discussed hosting a large fundraiser for GGNA, most likely sometime in the winter. The Congress Theatre was suggested as the host for the event as it is, by far, the largest and most interesting venue at the center of the neighborhood, and as they have offered to host meetings and help out the neighborhood in advance. We have a number of very creative people in the neighborhood. We should assemble a team to put the event together and create something that is unique in the City and will raise money to support our neighborhood.

The next meeting is Tuesday, September 13, 2005. Most likely at the Bob Inn.

June Events

2005-06-01T23:21:00.000-05:00

CAPS Meeting, beat 1431
7:00 pm
First Thursday of every month
Call 311 for the location of this month's beat 1431 meeting

Community Meeting, 5-24-05

2005-05-31T09:24:00.000-05:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association
Community Meeting
May 24, 2005
At Goethe Elementary School
7:00pm

Meeting Minutes by Johnny Elias, Secretary

Carl Wasielewski, President of the GGNA Board welcoming everyone to the meeting, made introduction.

Carl encouraged neighbors to join our growing listserve and to communicate to other neighbors the existence of our active neighborhood organization.

Carl also stated that we need block leaders throughout the neighborhood to disseminate information about GGNA activities.

Carl introduced Jim Vertenten and Krista Reynen of Chicago’s Belgian American Society of Chicago Community Org.

Jim opened the session with some Historical background regarding Belgians contribution to our neighborhood, which included these facts:

The Wastyn family, owners of Wastyn bicycle shop on Fullerton and Talman are Belgian pioneers in our neighborhood. The Wastyns hosted big cycling events in our neighborhood.
That the Belgian Hall, erected in 1921 whose cornerstone is inscribed with “All Belgians are equal”, is located diagonally across from the Wastyn Cycle shop, hosted many social gatherings for the Belgian Community. The building was sold in 1976. Currently, the hall is being used as storage and the Belgian Community has had difficult getting into the hall.

Jim introduced Krista Reynen who back these facts up with vintage photos. These photos showed places we see daily.

These places included:

Stained glass at St. John Berchman Church honoring Belgian Americans.
Information and a photo of a wealthy Belgian philanthropist that owned the multi unit building at 2325 N. Rockwell, and actually owned the whole block of Rockwell.
Buildings on Fullerton Ave. that included Fireside Bowl and adjoining building all the way up to Wastyn Cycle shop, and the building on the northwest corner of Fullerton and Maplewood, with the peak that used to house a saloon.
The GGNA was invited to attend a walking tour of the neighborhood in appreciation of the hard working Belgian American Community on Sept. 10, 2005.
Alderman Flores directed the Belgian American Society of Chicago representatives to us. The group is requesting an honorary street sign honoring the Wastyn family’s contribution to the community and their culture.

Johnny Elias motioned that we honor the Wastyn family with the sign on Fullerton and Talman. Carl, second the motion, and called for a vote, which was unanimous in favor of the honorary street sign.

This recommendation will be sent to Alderman Flores.

The Belgian Society members expressed their gratitude and volunteered to become GGNA members.

Carl then introduced Clarence Fraher, GGNA Zoning Committee Chair.

Clarence asked members to step up as zoning committee members that meet on the 3rd Monday of every month. He also discussed that there are procedures in place to evaluate proposed developments before they are brought to the larger group, but that the larger group does get informed about what developments are being proposed.
Clarence spoke about a planned development architects presented for the land at Talman and Medill. They requested a planned development scheme with an R4.5 zoning. The zoning committee rejected that proposal but kept communication lines open for future options.
Carl explained that this plot of land was originally zoned commercial, until Alderman Flores changed the zoning to R3 at the request of GGNA.

Carl then introduced Erin, GGNA Gardening Committee Chair.

Erin stated that she was meeting on May 25, 2005 at Goethe School to plan the garden at Goethe School and Haas Park. Erin, also asked for donations of seeds, tools or anything that can benefit the GGNA gardeners.
Carl expressed interest in a neighborhood clean up. Pedro Borrero, offered assistance in obtaining equipment and all he needed was a date. A future date will be set for a neighborhood clean up.

Carl then introduced Sally Hamann, GGNA Public Safety Chair.

Sally stated that our GGNA website is proactive about posting CAPS minutes and she encouraged people to log on and see what is happening when it comes to public safety. She went on to say that the Chicago Police Department has gone through a lot of change but the CAPS facilitator, Jim Rhoads and other neighbors have consistently been involved to see things through. Sally also mentioned that we have to remain consistently observant because our community is always in turf wars between five gangs.

Carl then opened up the meeting to any comments.

Johnny stated that the Bowling fundraiser would be held in late July. We need Bowlers and volunteers.
Carl also mentioned that he is stepping down as GGNA President after two years of commitment and love for GGNA and the community.

The group expressed gratitude for the commitment Carl has given to GGNA.

The meeting was adjourned.

April Board Meeting

2005-04-21T17:10:00.000-05:00

Greater Goethe Neighborhood Association
Leadership Committee Meeting
April 12, 2005
7-9pm

Location: Fraher residence
Attendance: Sally Hamann, Erin Haase, Bryan Hill, Carl Wasielewski, Michelle Taufmann, Clarence Fraher, Johnny Elias and Will.

Agenda

Bank Accounts: Bryan Hill reported that Mid America on Western Ave. and Belden is our bank. There will be incentives for our members if they open accounts at Mid America.

Community Garden: Erin Haase reported that she will be seeking donations of seeds and flowers for the community garden; she also stated that we should look at beautifying the front of the school with grasses and other prairie grass that would grow well and require low maintenance. Other ideas presented by the group included planting at Haas Park and at traffic medians in our neighborhood. Last, but not least, there are volunteers who have stepped up through our website to volunteer. The count was nine and climbing. Erin stated she would contact businesses and organizations to help this effort.

Senior Study: Michelle Taufmann reported that GGNA and Alderman Flores teamed up to conduct a senior citizen research study from April 23rd to 30th, 2005. Currently, the study is in an outreach stage to get people involved. There where several methods brought up to seeking participation from seniors. There seems to be a roadblock getting into Campbell Terrace, but we will keep trying. We were encouraged to talk to our senior neighbors and give them fliers. The study will be in English and Spanish.

Newsletter: Michelle Taufmann reported the next one comes out in June. Bring your ideas for the next one. This is an opportunity to get ads and raise funds from a publication that has gotten good public reviews.

Fireside Fundraiser: Johnny Elias reported that so far there has not been much feedback about this fundraiser. He shared that we are seeking bowlers for $10.00, who should seek pledges to bowl, per pin or for a flat rate. We are seeking lane sponsors from local businesses for $100.00 and or any donation that may be used for a raffle or silent auction. Johnny also recommended the date get pushed back to May 21, or May 28, 2005. Therefore, it did. Carl will make a solicitation letter for sponsors and Clarence will design it. Pedro and Johnny have agreed to get donations.

Zoning: Clarence stated that the current owner is proposing a 40 unit planned development at the large vacant lot on Talman and Medill. The project is divided into 30 town homes, and a 10 unit condominiums. Four affordable units would be offered. The owner is seeking a zoning change to R4.5. The zoning committee will be presented with this proposal on Monday, April 18, 2005. IF the zoning committee approved the project, it would go before the community for a vote. Strong objections to the project were raised from many parties. Sally and Carl talked about curb cuts on Rockwell, and that these cuts will deplete parking spaces and that we should talk to the Alderman’s office about bringing these proposals to the zoning committee for review before they are granted.

March Board Meeting

2005-03-11T16:55:00.000-06:00

Leadership Committee Meeting
March 8th, 2005 at 7:00 pm
at Carl Wasielewski's house

Board Members Present: Carl, Michelle, Lorraine, Sally

Due to the light turnout on a cold March day, we had more of an adivsory meeting, than an official board meeting.

Our primary discussion was the Haas Park Fundraiser at quenchers. Sally is organizing people to volunteer at the door and we're all going to work to get a good turnout and have a good time.

Quenchers our local drinking establishment has graciously offered their bar for an additional benefit event or fund-raiser in the future. What/Who or what organization can you suggest that might benefit from such an event? Some one or group that does something that the Greater Goethe neighborhood benefits from. i.e. Boys and Girls Club, a Senior group, or an organization that targets the youth or teens. You are requested for your impute. Contact Carl.

We discussed an April Family Fun event. Bowling!!!!! On a Saturday/Sunday 3-6pm. Carl will contact one of the board members not present at tonight's meeting to request assistance on this. But of course we all are eager to help as well.

Leadership Committee Meeting Minutes 1/5/2005

2005-01-08T16:20:00.000-06:00

LEADERSHIP COMMITTEE MEETING
January 5, 2005, at 7:00 pm
Lorraine Schoenstadt's House

Board Members Present: Johnny, Carl, Sally and Lorraine

Items discussed

GOALS FOR 2005

OUTREACH

In addition to current methods, new strategy proposed by Carl to get the word out about our meetings is to post "sandwich" signs throughout GGNA boundaries. Neighbor's parkways and high traffic areas would be prime locations for the signs to sit for about two days prior to meetings. We will start this for the March meeting.

MEMBERSHIP

One hundred to 200 dues paying members is our target for the year. There will be a $15 per person $20 per family membership fee that will go towards future GGNA activities. It was discussed that if someone is going to serve on a committee they have to be a member. There was further discussion about how long someone may have to be around before serving on a committee and the delicate nature of certain committees. For example, there cannot be an overload on the zoning committee while the health committee needs participation. Of course, the community is welcome to attend, but only members can vote.

COMMITTEES

That they become structured and active like the zoning committees that will report to the larger group. Committees discussed were Youth, Health, Zoning, Membership and Crime committees. We went into the crime committee a little more, seeing there's need to keep the police more accountable for service and to be more active in creating letters to be sent to problem buildings. We can do this by maintaining a consistent presence at CAPS meetings because there seems to be a lot of police personnel and neighbors who have come and gone recently.

EVENTS

Socials spread throughout the year were recommended. On a rotating basis, we could have socials coupled with a meeting to break the monotony of meeting at the school every time.
We conduct business then hang out with each other afterwards. We are going to start that this month by hosting the meeting on January 25, 2005 at Fireside Bowl on Fullerton and Washtenaw.

We also discussed hosting an annual event to raise money. This could be at the park or another venue. This takes more planning but if we can get a crowd the same size that we did a few months ago at Goethe Playground we can raise some funds.

OTHER BUSINESS

WEBSITE

We will be working with Aspira students on our website.

NEWSLETTER

Articles due by January 17, 2005

ZONING

Committee meeting January 11, 2005 at Clarence's place

NEXT LEADERSHIP MEETING
2201 N. Maplewood