Lewton-Rich Neighborhood Association Minutes

March 20, 2008

 

  1. Welcome 7:05pm
  2. Pledge
  3. Introduction, 24
  4. Minutes, not available
  5. Treasurer - no report tonight.  (Editor’s note:  Treasurer Stuckman’s wife passed away this past week.  Our condolences go out to Dick and his family and they are in our prayers)
  6. LPD
    1. Sgt. Frank Koenigsknecht and Team Officers
    2. Maps 30 days
    3. Problems at apartments, and was known persons.
    4. Deerfield, was day time and may have been prevented by person who saw suspicious activity – they could have stopped it.
    5. Don’t allow your children to show their friends the layout of your households.
    6. Damage to property in Averill parking lots. And spray painting, LPD wants all painting to be reported as to record patterns and possible gang activity.
    7. Colonial Village meeting (last night) went well.
    8. Call for paintings SOS unit, 483-4264. and or Sgt. Frank at 272-7488
    9. LPD encourages people to call for any suspicious activity.
    10. Thank you to LPD for investigation about break-in on Victor, re: blank checks.
    11. Please call Franks’ number on anything you have questions on.
    12. Please call Dispatch (483-4600) about suspicious people, immediately.
    13. Riffling cars can be attempt to get personal information. Such as old mail.
    14. Deerfeild/Dunlap in Averill, asked about difficulty with LPD phone calls being responded to.
    15. If you need to speak with a person, please call dispatch and ask for Sgt to call you back and leave number that will be attended by you.
  7. Lt. Mike Yankowski / Judge Garcia – Ingham Youth Academy at Our Savior Lutheran Church, located across from Logan Center on Holmes Road.
    1. This location was chosen as most attendees are from our Zip Code.
    2. Juvenile Justice mileage allows court to access each person, giving pupil the best chance to graduate from a normal high school.
    3. Programs have been developed to target similar and like problems.
    4. Our areas biggest problem is not attending school. In response this will be a school operated by the court in conjunction with education dept. allowing parents to ensure their children go to school.
    5. Currently 20 kids attend the Grady School which is court operated.
    6. Attendees are not high community risk.
    7. 70% come from Lansing.   42% are from the zip codes:  48910/48911
    8. In the courts’ estimation the property value of adjacent property may benefit as it will offset neighborhood problems.
    9. Direct effort needs to attempt to target candidates from the 48910/48911.
    10. The academy will allow kids with 0.3 GPA in 2nd semester to the full credit of 2.67 to 3.5 GPA
    11. Also pregnant mothers.
    12. All 20 children have now tested drug free.
    13. Rather then expel or suspend the child, they are temporarily located at High Fields.
    14. The goal of the program is to graduate.
    15. Recently had 1st Graduate.
    16. Six days week / full year.
    17. Evening reporting center will close to our neighborhood, for about 40 kids, to provide after school activities.
    18. Court Officers will provide oversight for all kids on a custody order.
    19. Parents are held accountable. Family are required to be cleaned up with support of Family Support Services.
    20. A goal is to help family and smaller siblings by helping the older children.
    21. Designed to provide alternatives to Protective Services, which can be invoked if needed.
    22. Question from neighbors:  why wasn’t our area was not notified about this prior?

                                                              i.      600 persons were notified.

                                                            ii.      Board members had attended LRNA meeting prior.

                                                          iii.      The transaction of property was a recent and fast move.

    1. This high school is at the low end of risk. Suspended due to time.
  1. Mayor Virg:
    1. Thanks to the prior speakers.
    2. Speaks in support of Francis Park upgrades and hopes all can support it.
    3. Pot Holes have been attacked and the roads department has put 2x of persons and started early for hot-patch program. Asking Board to bond $3M of seven miles to repair.
    4. Budget recommendation on Monday, will not raise tax and not use reserves. Attrition 117 are currently working hard, faster and smarter.
    5. Will fight attempts to raise taxes.
    6. Our growth with +1m this year and our costs will be higher, a problem with structural deficit.
    7. Because 80% is personnel cost, any cuts come down to personnel.
    8. Public Safety is always priority and 55% of the budget.
    9. Theme: Invest Change and Protect.
    10. We are the donor city of resources to our surroundings, to improve mutual aid.
    11. Because Lansing has the best facilities, townships use it as insurance.
    12. Vetoed Boat Club Resolution of Boat Club. They should provide something close to fair market value when using public property. As support eviction. They have not had a lease for 10 years.
    13. Mayor has been negotiating, and they refuse to sign the lease.  There are 41.26 acres and they occupy around 2-3 acres; 3 linear acres along water.
    14. Mayor supports reduction of Waverly and Red Cedar Golf Courses. Asked to put it on the ballot
    15. Voters of City and County wanted to keep Potter Park, and recommend similar actions with Waverly and Red Cedar.
    16. Neighbors should help to support our out-skirting programs. Pamphlet handout.
  2. Back to Judge Garcia.
    1. Courts Mileage will provide funding.
    2. Kids are able to learn better in this program.
    3. Cap of 100 kids at location.
    4. Court Officers can make arrests.
    5. This location is not a locked down detention facility and such offenders will be moved if needed to such facilities, if needed.
    6. One High Fileds worker for each 20 kids ( 2 class rooms)
    7. This, if kids that can retain in residential community, without shipping them off.
    8. Kids with different requirements, such as low functioning IQ’s, are provided for by other programs.
    9. Operational 7am to 8pm by staff and 8 to 8 for kids.
    10. This Thursday, at 4pm, is truancy at court and you are invited to see candidates at Veterans Memorial Court House.
  3. Dale Copedge – County Commissioners Report:
    1. Vic Celentino was unable to attend and asked to be excused.
    2. Thanks to the prior speaker.
  4. Park Director, Murdock Jemerson
    1. Question about Red Cedar and financial improvement and concerns about votes for sale of property.
    2. Property is dedicated park land and part of the land came to Lansing by way of the State. It has clauses about reversion of ownership.
    3. Angie Allen stated that city will be out in the city on this issue.
  5. Judy Felice: 
    1. Francis Park & Moores Park will be celebrating a 100-year anniversary.
    2. Want to make park available to all of city and just nice homes nearby.
    3. Address safe passage and concern about road.
    4. Request grant for funding for DNR
    5. To create final link to River Trail.
    6. Local meetings at Gier School 3/25 and 3/27 at Dwight Rich School.
    7. 1998/99 was last improvement of Francis Park.
    8. Drawing in City Pulse on March 19th 2008 about plan.
    9. Joint effort with MSU to design project.
    10. Q: about Parking at Francis Park, new student design has options for newer parking.
    11. Goal is to keep the park year round (not rose garden)
  6. Two Main Points about Parks.
    1. Grant proposal for interior path and two boats slips for a Grant
    2. Master Plan for Francis Park by Friends of Park.
  7. City Council
    1. A’Lynne, thanks people for coming on the 2nd Saturday of the month; work groups.
    2. Next meeting is April 12th, 10 am to 12, between VIP and Plasma Center.
    3. Announced Master Plan and Our Savior Lutheran Project.
    4. Inter-Governmental Relations, working to bridge discussions.
    5. Working with BWL
    6. Working with Lansing School District and restructioning and possibility of going K8.
    7. Entering Budget season and please attend community meetings.
  8. Jonathan, South Side Coalition.
    1. Going for grant to provide 15 vendors for a farmer’s market.
    2. Request letter of support requesting farmer’s market is good for neighborhood, due on the 3/24.
    3. Kathie Dunbar had survey regarding the support need.
    4. Motion to support such letter -- voted and passed.
  9. Kathie Dunbar
    1. SLCDA, Lindsay will be in the neighborhoods, to help with unorganized areas.
    2. She will also assist with guest speaker. Such as speaker about history of our neighborhood.
    3. Jan/Feb letter discussed trail through consumer powers space, to link river trail.
    4. Would help 2nd ward patrons to link Ceder/Pennsylvania, etc..
    5. Possible 15 miles connecting 19 city parks.
    6. Hunters Ridge is privately owned and is not public and possibly the State will help city to buy the land via DNR trust match.
  10. Dale Copedge will be opening advisory committee with neighborhood representatives.
  11. Raffle;
  12. Close 9:10am

 

Respectfully Submitted,

Mike Flaga, Secretary and Web Master