October 1, 2020
I. Meeting called to order at 6:30 PM by Vice President Addie Calhoun in light of Pres. Powell absence.
II. October meeting agenda was accepted; purpose statement read. Minutes were read.
III. President’s Report was given by Ms. Calhoun
A. Ms. Calhoun provided a video recap of neighborhood clean-up. It was suggested that we consider scheduling another clean-up during the MLK Holiday in observance of the “Day On- Not a Day Off” movement.
IV. Report of the Committees:
A. Beautification: Welcome to Miranda Blais. Miranda will be spearheading the beautification committee and has requested that neighbors email MirandaBlais@gmail.com to share suggestions and assist with coordination of events.
B. Communication: The official CHNA shirts have been designed and you can now place your order. As of today, only 7 shirts have been reserved, and we would like to order shirts this month. In order to multiply the impact of the monetary gift to be used for t-shirts, Jason would like the neighbors to consider reallocating some of the t-shirt donation money to secure yard signs promoting CHNA. So that we honor the donor intent, and with the full support of the association by an 8-10 vote, Jason will work to get Mr. Abebe’s approval. As a cost savings and beautification measure, neighbors are encouraged to grab unauthorized “We buy homes” signs so we can recycle the metal stakes. Residents are also able to grab voting signs after election day.
C. Education: No report. Open position.
D. Environmental: Ben Norman Letter of Intent Form for Community Building + Legacy Grants was filed on 9/1/2020. The grant award is for $25,000. The application indicates that CHNA needs assistance with clearing out undergrowth and building walking/biking trails through the wooded areas; adding walking paths connected by a few bridges over Proctor Creek to create easy access between existing ball fields; adding bicycle racks to front entrance. Individuals at Park Pride suggested that the first phase include creating “mini trails” (about 990 feet long, 4’ wide trail) through walking areas by clearing out the area by basketball pavilion and run parallel against Proctor Creek. The estimated cost is about $20 per foot to clear. There’s about 30 acres ripe for trail access. If the city clears the land, it’s up to the neighborhood to maintain it. (We may be able to enlist high school kids for community service projects to help maintain.) The official application is due November 1st. November 8th is presentation date to City of Atlanta Park and Rec. Next step: Ben, on behalf of the Environmental Committee needs a letter of support from CHNA and NPU-J.
A motion was introduced to officially submit project on behalf of CHNA. Motion carried.
CHNA voted to submit an official letter of support on behalf of CHNA to Park Pride as part of our application (along with letter from NPU-J)
E. Public Safety: In regards to the uptick in gunshots heard around the community, a discussion was had regarding what measures the city has put in place to correct this. Since “Shot Spotter” hasn’t been that effective, we should look into a way to track this at a neighborhood level. The idea of a members only area on the website to document gunshots on Google Forms as opposed to a forward-facing FB document. Jason Davis and Chris Bartlett will explore a prototype and ways to deidentify data and protect the privacy of neighbors. CHNA is still in need of someone to chair this committee.
D. Finance: Balance 383.70. Pay dues online at centerhillatl.com
E. Zoning: No zoning updates
V. New Business
- The Bylaws Committee (Addie Calhoun, Chris Bartlett) provided an overview of the revisions to the bylaws to better facilitate voting next month. Suspend rules that would prohibit neighbors from voting due to the COVID pandemic. The annual $12 membership due will be voluntary and not affect eligibility for voting. All members in attendance at the November 2020 meeting will be able to vote. Qualification of officers: must have attended at least 2 of the regular meetings within the last 12 months. Voting will be done virtually.
- Officer Nominating Committee consists of the following neighbors: Gail Character, Gwen Lee, Aline Malone-Farrar
Meeting adjourned at 7:53 PM