Minutes - December 17, 2007

Minutes for SENA Meeting: December 17, 2007

Those in attendance:
Carmela Triolo,
Nellie Morton,
Sandra Obiedo (with South End Improvement Corp.),
Bill Jones,
Matt Montesano,
Mark Beaudoin,
Robert Chaumont,
Noriko Chaumont,
Yoko Chaumont,
Marie-Elise Beaudoin,
Carolyn McLaughlin,
JoAnn Morton,
Scott Jarzonbek,
Rev. Victor Covington.

Joann Morton (President) led the meeting.
1) Regarding an official address for SENA: we were given permission to receive mail at 38 Catherine St. Albany, NY 12202.
2) Volunteers for a Job Fair Comittee: Mark Beaudoin, Rev. Victor Covington, Mrs. Nellie Morton and Carmela Triolo.
Trinity Institution's Job Fair is March 26th. Do we wish to do it jointly with them? Do we wish to hold our own and perhaps cater to different people?

Scott said the library was actively looking for people to take the civil service exams for library clerk positions (most are part-time jobs).

The T-Shirt machine is connected with the Weed & Seed Program. It had been budgeted for and supposedly purchased. Who owns it? Bill Jones would check to find out. Police application for Weed & Seed grant had been denied by government offices in Syracuse and Washington DC.

Bill Jones: 1) There has been a couple of fires in the South End recently. Apparently accidental. (Nothing suspicious).
2)There is now a "vacant building court" which is a whole different court. A lot of vacant buildings have been reoccupied. Code enforcement is being tightened up. First registered letters go out this week. Minimum fines have been raised.

Matt Montesano: 1) Block-by-block to combat urban blight is moving ahead. There are four zones.
2) Can offer crime prevention training for South End residents. Just need a location and a one hour block of time.

JoAnn Morton: 1) Regarding community outreach, it would be good to have a goal to enlist at least one person from each street who could serve as a block captain.
2) How much is bulk mailing? Scott will get information regarding the "Capital Neighbors" publication which is bulk mailed roughly every three months.
3) Membership dues? Need to decide how much for individuals, familes, and businesses. Should we have a sliding-scale?
4) Fund-raising? The Delaware Neighborhood Association has in past years sold ornaments around Christmas as a fund-raiser. We need a fund raising committee.
5) Newsletter committee. How often should the paper come out? First one should be jazzed-up to catch attention. Robert volunteered for the committee. Yoko could help with production.
On columns: Matt could give crime updates, Scott could give library news, Carolyn could have a column, and Houses of Worship might be listed.
6) Yoko Chaumont constructed a web site for SENA. www.southendna.blogspot.com
7) Guests to invite for future meetings: Chief Tuffey, Mayor Jennings, Ron Consolari, Gov. Spitzer, Carolyn McLaughlin, Luci McKnight, Perrry Jones, Capital City Rescue Mission. (What does a rescue mission do? Rev. Covington: More than one might expect.)
8) SEEJ meetings are scheduled for January. (405 Washington Ave)

Robert Chaumont: Gave CANA report. (Gershwin remembrance concert at the Egg Jan. 9th, 2008; Citizen's Police Review Board; Water pollution drain-off into Hudson when it rains heavily causing a big problem.)

Next Meeting is Tuesday Jan. 22, 2008 at 6pm.