06/16/2011 - Minutes 41
City of Tigard
Committee for Neighborhood Involvement -
Minute s
MEETING DATE/TIME: March 16, 2011 — 7:00 p.m. —Library Community Room (!)
1. CALL TO ORDER
In a recent computer update, the room reservation for tonight's meeting was erased, giving our room
to another group from Public Works. All study rooms and gathering space was taken, so we used the
library's community room.
Chairman Christopher called the meeting to order at 7:12 p.m.
2. ROLL CALL:
Present: Chairman Basil Christopher, Sue Carver, Bev Froude, Connie Ramaekers, Cathy Olson.
Absent: Patty Anda
Staff. Joanne Bengtson
3. APPROVE JANUARY 19,2011 MINUTES
Ramaekers motioned to approve the January 19, 2011 minutes, seconded by Froude, no opposition.
4. ANNUAL OPEN HOUSE POST-EVENT REPORT
Bengtson reported that 78 packets were distributed at this year's event on February 5. It was unique
for regular open house crowds —this was the first year that people came through the doors
specifically looking for the Neighborhood Network event. Also unique, attendance remained steady,
and people stayed to talk with representatives instead of browsing the room and leaving.
Neighborhood Involvement Committee member Connie Ramaekers attended the event to represent
the school district. She (and two youth volunteers) shared information about the PSO (Parent
Support Organization) Scrip program, Stop Teenage Underage Drinking (STUD) youth group and
Tigard Turns the Tide Coalition—all valuable ways for residents to connect and support our schools.
Another success was the number of Neighborhood Web Administrators who attended (and stayed
for) the event and how their dialogue that jump-started their excitement for the program. By the end
of the event they had created a list of topics to explore further at a Wleb Admin Saturday gathering with
Tigard's Webmaster Nancy Lof and program coordinator Bengtson.
Chair Christopher asked how we measured the success of the event. He commented that for a public
open house, the numbers were impressive, but did we achieve the event objective? Bengtson replied
yes, she believed it was a success because the event focused on raising awareness of the program and
Area Steering Committees, and she received new applications for membership consideration.
5. MEETING DATE SCHEDULE
Discussed the memo titled "Due Dates for Planning NIC meetings."At the January 19 meeting,
committee members requested a list of due dates for city processes requiring public input, as well as a
Committee for Neighborhood Involvement MINUTES — March 16, 2011
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list of recurring events related to the Neighborhood program. The dates will help plan the next year
of meeting dates and to develop guidelines for accepting and awarding grants to area steering
committees.
Discussion resulted in the identification of these milestones for consideration in the planning process:
February: Annual Program Open House
April 29: Due date for submitting event application from active areas to for unclaimed grant
money. This refers to a mini-process for unused grant funds which must be used before June
30, 2011, the end of the current fiscal year.
Annual meeting with City Council. Evaluate and report on the overall effectiveness of
the neighborhood network program.
June 30: Fiscal year end for city budget.
JWy 1: New fiscal year begins.
September-October: Capital Improvement Project (CIP) project suggestions and comments
are sought by the city.
Individual neighborhood area open houses are held: Active Steering committees (4-7 members
forward CIP project nominations and community building ideas and `small works'grant
projects from their annual meeting to NIC.
December: City's budget planning process begins for the next fiscal year. The NIC identifies
budget requests for the Neighborhood Network program. (In this fiscal year,we budgeted
$5,000 for seven neighborhoods ($35,000), plus program support dollars.)
Chair Christopher asked if there was a limit on the number of meetings the NIC can hold. Bengtson
replied that the plan calls for a move to quarterly NIC meetings, but until the committee is
comfortable that the program components are in place, every other month meetings are acceptable.
Committee members were in support of planning for every other month meetings,with the
understanding that they could cancel (within a reasonable timeframe) if there's no need to meet.
Ramaekers said she prefers having a regular schedule in place to help her schedule time for other
community involvement opportunities.
6. ANNUAL MEETING WITH COUNCIL
Christopher asked membership for possible discussion points to get ready for annual meeting with
City Council. Brainstorming included these topics:
NIC's mission,
Evaluation of how revised program is working,
Report on Open House (good turn-out, encouraged by attendance, biggest public outreach
opportunity)
Chair Christopher—ask Council what's important to them in the context of what the NIC
does?
Which features should be emphasized with the community? Are community-building events
important to gaining public support?
Committee for Neighborhood Involvement MINUTES — March 16, 2011
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Christopher proposed that each member write down a paragraph or two about what you
would like City Council to know about your perspective on the program.
Olson remarked that it's really about working on getting a message out to the people in the
way that best suits the way they want to hear it.
Bengtson replied that the annual meeting with Council is a dialogue between committee members and
Council and although Bengtson will be there, she will limit her remarks to introducing NIC and
answering any questions you may ask her. Council prefers talking with the committee members to
hear your views on the program and its effectiveness.
Discussion ensued about setting the date for the annual meeting with City Council, and the process
members can expect that evening. Committee members instructed Bengtson to reserve time on the
May 17 Council Workshop agenda. Christopher noted that all NIC members are welcome (and
encouraged) to attend. Upon further discussion, decision was made that the annual meeting will not
take the place of the regular meeting which is scheduled for the next evening,Wednesday, May 18 at
7 p.m. at the library.
Chair Christopher asked Bengtson whether or not the NIC should be thinking about the code of
ethics that all members signed. Specifically, should steering committee members sign the same form,
or make a verbal agreement? Bengtson said she would follow up and respond to committee via e-
mail.
(3117111: City Manager Craig Prosser fates: The Code of Conduct is only for Council-appointed boards and commissions.
The neighborhood Steering Committees are not appointed by Council, so Council will not be asking them to sign. If NIC wants
to provide the Code to Steering Committees and the Steering Committee chooses to do something with them, that would be entirely
up to them.)
7. NEW STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Steering committee applications were unanimously approved for Rochelle Villenave (area 2),Beth
Woodard (area 3), Kouri Chavez (area 8) and Melody Graeber (area 13).
As the number of active and nearly active committees increase, Chair Christopher asked if staff could
request neighbors hold a contest or develop a way to assign a name to their neighborhood area. The
assignment of a number to each neighborhood area doesn't connect with NIC members, or describe
their location within the city or what's special about their area.
8. PROCESS FOR REVIEWING GRANTS
Committee is in favor of Bengtson contacting the current active steering committees (Areas 3, 10 and
11) to ask if they are interested in applying for a community building grant before the end of the fiscal
year. Chair Christopher said more attention should be focused on these grants as a benefit of living
in Tigard. Froude and Carver agreed. Bengtson will make sure that steering committees are aware
that the event must be held on or before June 30. Applications would be due April 29 at 5 p.m.
9. OTHER
Chair Christopher raised the topic of a regular Cityscape feature from the NIC. He said he would
draft the first article encouraging people to be part of a Neighborhood Network.
Committee for Neighborhood Involvement MINUTES — March 16, 2011
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Chair Christopher thanked Bengtson for following through with his request for Mayor Dirksen to
send a thank you letter to committee members who complete their service—whether through term
limit or resignation.
Bengtson will speak at the County's CP04M meeting on March 23 at Metzger Hall to discuss the
Neighborhood Network Program. This is a reschedule from February which was cancelled for
weather. Some members of the CPO reside in Tigard city limits,Area 4.
The Committee's Annual meeting with City Council will be Tuesday, May 17 at 6:30 p.m. in the
City Hall Town Hall
The next regularly scheduled NIC meeting will be Wednesday, May 18, at 7 p.m. in the library 211d
floor conference room (really).
10. ADJOURN
Chair Christopher adjourned the meeting at 8:24 p.m.
Committee for Neighborhood Involvement MINUTES — March 16, 2011
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