June 2015 General Meeting Minutes
JUNE 2015 SRG GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING
June 3, 2015
Location: Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church, 1919 S. 7th St.
Meeting started at 7:09 p.m.
Board members in attendance: Mike Ziemann, Beth Bennett , Sean Cochran, Luann Denten, Nancy Kelly, Jeremy Mehrle, Jackie Parker, Steve Parker
Board members absent: Bill Clendenin, Alicia Stellhorn
Aldermen in attendance: Jack Coatar, Ken Ortmann
Secretary’s Minutes:
Minutes from the April 2, 2015 General Meeting and April 21, 2015 and May 31, 2015 Board Meetings were approved after a correction was made on the date (Tuesday, Aug. 4) of National Night Out in the May Board Meeting minutes.
The SRG Annual Membership Party was held May 6, 2015 at the Great Grizzly Bear, 1027 Geyer Ave. and no minutes were taken.
Mike Ziemann delayed approval of the minutes until later in the meeting so that members had an opportunity to read them. Actual approval took place after the police report ended.
Treasurer’s Report:
Treasurer’s Report was approved.
New Members
Nine new members introduced themselves.
Police report by Officer Brian Min:
Officer Min gave a crime report for both April and May since no SRG General Meeting was held May 6.
April crime included:
· Four stolen autos
· Four burglaries
· Five robberies, including two purse-snatchings
· Eight larcenies, including five car break-ins
May crime included:
· One assault, near Soulard Market
· Three stolen autos
· Three burglaries
· Four robberies. One involved a juvenile who stole a cellphone from a woman. One was an attempted carjacking, foiled when a panic alarm was pushed. One was a carjacking in which the victim was texting; the car was recovered and an arrest was made of the same suspect involved in the foiled carjacking. One was a robbery in the drive-thru at Jack in the Box, 1807 Gravois Ave.
· Nine larcenies, including seven car break-ins. In several instances, beer was stolen.
Kathy Barkey asked Officer Min if children age 8 to 10 can legally drive golf carts. She was told no and advised to call police if she sees such activity.
Julie Price reported that she had seen graffiti at four or five places and wondered if there was any significance. Ann Chance, the city’s Special Events coordinator, said that the graffiti was “just tagging” and not a sign of gang activity. She said the graffiti markings in Price’s neighborhood were red while those closer to Soulard Market tended to be blue.
A somewhat light-hearted discussion was held about drones, the subject of several recent posts on NextDoor Soulard. Jack Coatar said that he had placed a call to the Justice Department to see whether it’s legal to operate drones in a residential neighborhood. New member Melissa Corsaut, employed by the National Park Service, said that it is illegal to fly drones in certain areas, such as near the Arch. Drones are allowed elsewhere for private use only. Mike Ziemann light-heartedly said: “If it’s you (flying the drone over a neighbor’s yard), stop it. You are being a bad neighbor.”
Minutes:
All three sets were approved at this point after the correction was made on the date of National Night Out (Tuesday Aug. 4) in the May Board Meeting minutes.
Julie Price noted that the minutes mentioned the “Good Neighbor Agreement.” She suggested it might be a good idea for businesses to sign one biannually. Jim Price asked for a copy of the agreement so that he could take it to the Soulard Business Association. Jackie Parker said he could get a copy off the SRG website. (Click here for copy of agreement.)
Old Business:
Entry Markers:
Mike Ziemann said that Anheuser-Busch InBev has donated the money to pay for the nine new entry markers. He said the company had done so as “good neighbors of Soulard” and asked for nothing in return.
Bids were awarded and fabrication has started on the markers. An example should be ready for approval in a week.
Sentencing Hearings:
Mike Ziemann said he had attended a sentencing hearing at which the defendant received a 12-year sentence. At a previous sentencing hearing, he said, the judge noted the presence of Soulard residents and said that the defendant’s crimes had an effect on their lives.
Residents were urged to attend the sentencing hearing for Anthony Swift, convicted in the mugging of the visiting sister of a Soulard resident. (Subsequently, he was sentenced to 13 years.)
Ziemann thanked Bill Clendenin and the Safety Committee for spearheading the effort to get residents to attend sentencing hearings. He said would-be criminals are learning that they should avoid Soulard.
New Business
Tap ‘N’ Run (Neighborhood impact/Volunteers still needed)
Billy Tomber said this would be the fourth year for Tap ‘N’ Run in Soulard. He said the first year was pretty much a “disaster,” with problems with communication. The SRG received about $6,000 two years ago, and $4,000 last year. This year, the communications effort is much-improved, he said, with fliers distributed in the neighborhood. About 1,600 runners have signed up. He circulated a volunteer sign-up sheet, and said that the SRG would receive an $800 bonus by bringing 50 people.
Tomber said that between 1:45 p.m. and 3 p.m. there would be three “hard closures of streets.” Paul Kjorlie noted that earlier SRG minutes had mentioned the possibility of closing just one lane. Mike Ziemann said that idea was discussed early but dismissed because it didn’t make sense to have one lane open on smaller streets. Ziemann explained that cars wouldn’t be towed from closed streets, but that people parking on those streets wouldn’t be able to drive during the closures.
MGI Report:
Mike Ziemann appointed Jackie Parker to a three-year term as one of three SRG representatives on the MGI Board. She succeeds Michael Pastore, whose last meeting is June 4. Ziemann said that a frequent complaint about MGI is that people don’t know how it works. He asked for more information about MGI and a better flow of communication.
Pastore said that the MGI Board would be discussing the MGI budget at its June 4 meeting and hearing information from Director Tim Lorson about his proposal for a side business. He said that volunteers were still being sought for the St. Louis Uncorked event at Soldiers Memorial, 13th and Chestnut Streets, downtown June 5-6.
American Legion Post 422 Report:
The SRG Board approved $500 for the purchase of planters as part of the parking lot improvements at the Legion, 2601 S. 11th St.
Mr. Bill Wirtel said the Traveling Vietnam Wall exhibit would make its third visit to St. Louis the weekend of June 4-7, at Eternal Flame Park at Soldiers Memorial.
Judith Howard will perform during the Legion’s Happy Hour on Friday June 19 from 5 to 8 p.m.
Committee Reports:
Beautification:
$9,300 was raised at the fundraiser May 19 at Molly’s, with Molly’s owner Luke Reynolds contributing $1,900.
Richard Eaton explained the Weed Warriors operation to new members, saying that people can earn a Weed Warriors T-shirt by working just three times. Weed Warriors will be in Pontiac Square Park from 9 a.m. to noon on June 20.
The Art in the Garden Tour will be June 27, with nine artists and eight sets of live music. Luann Denten called it a “total sensory experience.”
Communications:
Jackie Parker thanked Beth Bennett, Linda Kurdi, Richard Eaton, Luann Denten and Margaret Schroeder for delivering the Renaissance. The deadline for the Oktoberfest edition of the Renaissance is Sept. 4.
She said that the soulard.org calendar has been updated.
Code and Zoning:
Jay Gibbs gave an update on the development at 9th and Soulard Streets. The new owners want to use plans for developing the property that had been drawn up by previous owners before the recession. It calls for four attached townhouses priced from $499,000 to $590,000.
Gibbs also said there’s a request to turn the two-family structure at 2100 S. 11th Street into a single-family unit.
Residential Promotion:
Luann Denten said she was about to place an order for flags with the SRG logo. The flags will be green with gold lettering, two-sided and measure 3-feet by 5-feet.
She said our inventory of merchandise includes tapestries, hoodies, T-shirts, hats, wine glasses. She said an online sales system is being developed.
A potluck will be held at Pontiac Square Park June 7. Bring a side dish and games to play.
The Bastille Days Celebration will begin at 5 p.m. Friday July 10 with the Gathering of the Mob at Howards, 13th and Lynch Streets. Denten said Soulard hasn’t had a complete Bastille Days celebration in many years. Residential Promotion will provide “surprises” for attendees. A guillotine will be available as a photo opportunity. Bastille en Vogue will again be at Franco on Sunday July 12.
On Saturday July 11, Liquid Gold will play at 6 p.m. as part of the Soulard Concert Series in Soulard Market Park.
Membership:
Jill Weissgerber thanked the Great Grizzly Bear, 1027 Geyer Ave.,, for providing the venue for the SRG Annual Membership Meeting on May 6. She said the New Member Social would be 6 p.m. June 11 at the Soulard Station, 1911 S. 12th St.
SRG Night at the Gateway Grizzlies game will be Aug. 8. Tickets are $35 a person and includes shuttle rides to and from the game, a ticket to the game, beer at the ballpark and free admission to SRG’s own private after-party at the OZ nightclub prior to its regular nightly opening.
Safety:
Scott Plackemeier echoed Mike Ziemann’s earlier comments about the importance of residents attending sentencing hearings. The next Safety Committee meeting is 7 p.m. June 29 at Soulard Station. Plackemeier thanked those who participated in the April Safety Walk.
Fundraising:
Rick Dungey repeated Billy Tomber’s earlier calls for volunteers to work Tap ‘N’ Run. Mike Ziemann gave a shout-out to iTap for dedicating its April 21 Kegs for a Cause fundraiser to the SRG. $275 was raised.
Announcements:
Julie Price asked to make a few announcements on behalf of the SBA. She said that Liquid Gold would be playing at 6 p.m. as part of the Soulard Concert Series in Soulard Market Park.
She said SBA would have a couple food tents and beer tents at Slide the City July 11-12 downtown on Market Street.
Mike Ziemann said that while the SRG traditionally doesn’t hold a General Membership meeting in July, one will be held at 7 p.m. July 1 at Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic Church.
Richard Eaton said that plants to attract monarch butterflies are being planted on two sides of Soulard Market Park, with help from volunteers from Nestle Purina and Operation Brightside.
Tonight’s Social is at the home of Eric and Leah Sutphen, 2336 Menard Street.
Adjournment:
The meeting adjourned at 8:12 p.m.