by Amy Hoover
amyh@talentzoo.com
Berkeley Park Neighborhood Association
January 2010 meeting minutes
The meeting was moved to Atlanta Global Prep Academy to the Senior Center being inaccessible at the time of the meeting.
11 members were in attendance, plus Angela from the Academy (mentioned above), and Officer Ormond of APD Zone 2, who attended in lieu of Lt. Cotter.
First subject discussed was status of the BPNA account. The current balance is $8577. Expenses in 2009 included the 08 and 09 holiday party, newlsetter printing costs, meet & greets, lawncare, and the chili cookoff.
It's a new year, and that means dues are due. Please be on the lookout for renewal forms via flyers, mail, or email.
We discussed at length the desire to gain more members in 2010 and grow our group of participating residents in the BPNA. Amy briefly outlined ideas for an early Spring membership drive, targeting residents who haven't joined the Association in the past. Ideas included designating a special week for the membership drive, buying tote bags with the BPNA logo that would be given away with memberships (similar to PBS drives), and a coupon book from local businesses to be given to dues-paying members. Also discussed regarding memberships was the price, and modifying the dues to include access to both the chili cookoff and the holiday party. It was agreed upon that a door-to-door effort should be put together to truly make an impact during the membership drive which would likely mean 2 block captains from each street to spearhead the efforts. Joel and Amy agreed to work on putting more formal marketing plans for increased membership and participation.
Jim Martin proposed taking $2,500 from the BPNA account to purchase new flags to have available for sale to residents; the cost is $100 each. Those in attendance agreed by vote.
Mike Wagoner showed samples of new neighborhood signs that are being considered to replace the current signs reminding the neighborhood of our meetings. They will also include a designated area for specific announcements.
Office Ormond then spoke. He distributed Lt. Cotter's cell phone for all residents to keep in case of need: 404-617-0830. Also, Lt. Cotter oversees the impact team now, which often works behind the scene but has been recently successful in our area. It was noted a recent arrest was made on Holmes based on a call from a resident that there was a suspicious person attempting to enter multiple houses through the front doors. Various zoning enforcement issues were also discussed. And as always, Office Ormond reminded us as residents to call 911 when you see anything at all suspicious, and when you do have a need to call 911, please be specific about the immediate threat level to yourself or others at that time so your call can be prioritized correctly.
Angela then spoke about a playground project she is pursuing at the Prep Academy. She would like BPNA to fund 1/2 of the cost to turn the courtyard between the Sizemore buildings on Bellemeade into a semi-public playground so that it can also be a recreation area for residents outside school hours. A more formalized set of plans was requested so that the request can be considered. It was mentioned this may be a project that some of the funds awarded to BPNA from Selig Corp could be used toward.
Finally, Michael let us know that many of his contacts downtown turned over at the end of the year and with the new administration so he is working to determine who to contact for neighborhood needs as they arise.