Present: Alan Beach-Nelson, President; Rob Cox, Secretary; Gary Weiss, Treasurer; Judy Hoyem; Patrick Crogan; Mary Edna Harrell; Aaron Seivertson; Mark McHale; Steve Clark-Hall - emeritus
Absent: Tim Eicher
Guests: John Golinger – No Wall on the Waterfront
Dave Perry – Lucas Cultural Arts Museum
Orie Zaklad –Board Candidate and presenting a report on the Castro Business Mix
Welcome and Introductions
Treasurers Report
As of September 5, 2013 EVNA has $15,780 cash on hand, with $1,225 in receivables. Projected year-end balance $14,680, a year over year increase of $3,400. The balance sheet was handed out to the Board.
September Meeting
Panel on Formula Retail
Deb Kinney: Impacts of DOMA and Prop 8
Collingwood Park
New Business
No Wall on the Waterfront
Jon Golinger presented arguments for No on B & C campaign to prevent the development of the property at 8 Washington. Major point in the No Wall on the Waterfront campaign are:
Height Limits: The project would raise height limits from 84 feet to 134 feet along the waterfront
Affordable vs. Luxury: The project builds 134 luxury condos with no onsite affordable housing raising the rents and housing costs citywide.
Appropriation of land: 1/3 of the property and the most valued is public land. The project creates private recreation and open space, not public.
SF BOS voted 8-3 to support height increase
Motion: Gary Weiss, 2nd, Aaron Seivertson to support No on B & C; vote 7 to 1 in support.
Lucas Cultural Arts Center
Presidio Trust is considering as part of the master plan by the Trust to put a museum funded and sourced by George Lucas. One of three short listed proposals being considered. The Lucas Cultural Center is the only project that’s fully funded (all told a $1B gift from Lucas to the Presidio). It would be located at the old Commissary Bldg (old Sports Basement). This proposal is already supported by Governor Brown, Mayor Lee, other museums in the City.
Prospectus was provided to the EVNA Board.
Motion: Rob Cox, 2nd Mary Edna, for Alan to email the link for the three proposals to EVNA Board and the Board will vote yea, nay or abstain – no discussion (reply only to Alan). Motion passed. BOD are encouraged to research competing proposals.
Business Mix Audit
Fascinating project taken on by Orie Zaklad to take a census of businesses currently located in the Castro as of June 12, 2013. Orie presented research and published his findings which had several surprising discoveries. For example there are 43 “salons” in the neighborhood and there are only 6 “cafes” while there are 7 banks.
EVNA hopes to use this research to be better informed about which types of businesses the neighborhood needs and really doesn’t when reviewing development proposals. EVNA will refine this research a bit further and hope to use it to inform its policy on Formula Retail.
September Newsletter
Topics and articles should be in to Mark McHale by now. The edit date is 9/10.
November Newsletter
Board Election - All but Mark and Mary Edna need to send Mark a Brief Bio for inclusion of the November Newsletter by October 9, see November 2012 issue for samples.
PTPM – Jack & Justin
Assessor/Recorder Carmen Chui (Alan navigating)
Castro Ambassador program – Alan
Love Where you Live – Mark
By-Laws change, addition of a Vice President to the Board Officers - Alan
Year in review – Alan
Neighbors Faves – Rob
Presidents Column - Alan
Advertiser update
Our advertiser ratio in the Eureka is @ 44% which is a bit high but not unreasonable. Ad revenue for 2013 is $11,095.
Community & Member Engagement
HMCRA fundraiser - Board member Mark McHale heard of a break-in at Harvey Milk Civil Rights Academy and organized a fundraising campaign with EVNA, MUMC and Hearth. Amazing results - over $25,000 raised.
Rainbow Honor Walk - RHW would like to engage EVNA and MUMC in a fundraising campaign to support the RHW and its expansion. The Board felt that given our recent push for HMCRA, and the need for a campaign for PTPM at year-end, that we should wait until January or February to conduct such a campaign once our new committee, Member and Community Engagement, to be chaired by Mark McHale is up and running.
Board Development
Executive Committee nominations are due for the positions of President, Secretary and Treasurer by October 1st
All Board members except Mary Edna and Mark are up for reelection. Board members are asked to advise Alan if they would like to be up for reelection by October 1.
Considering a By laws to be changed to include VP
2 New Board candidates James Kelm and Orie Zaklad
Motion to present James and Orie to the membership in November for approval. Motion passed unanimously.
QOL (Aaron)
1st meeting was held last month. This was a meeting to open up discussion about what types of issues the committee should begin to tackle. The following items were agreed upon to begin
• neighborhood watches – Aaron will begin connection local neighborhood watches and encouraging other blocks to organize
• homelessness – Rob will contact HOPE office to begin a dialog about homeless problems and solutions/approaches
• beat police – the committee will invite beat officer Ligget to the next meeting to discuss how we can work to make the beat officer more visible and effective for the Castro
• Walgreens parking lot has become a nuisance and the QOL committee will help the Collingwood neighbors navigate a solution
Planning (Judy)
Judy highlighted three project in the neighborhood and presented written minutes from the latest Planning committee meeting.
Of particular concern , still, are the AT&T Boxes
Motion: Gary Weiss, 2nd Patrick Crogan that EVNA oppose boxes in the neighborhood defined by EVNA. Motion passes unanimously.
Gary Weiss will be the point person for the effort for EVNA Board
New Business
Sign up to volunteer for Street Fair on October 6!
Meeting adjourned 9:05