Benton Park Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes
Date: Tuesday, August 6th
Location: Epiphany UCC - 2911 McNair Ave
Meeting Start Time: 7:02 PM
Attendance: 41 People
Welcome & New Member Introductions
-New Members
- Linda from Lafayette Square (Breath Better St. Louis)
- Chrissy, recently moved in a month ago, looking to get involved
- Ryan and Kristoff, residents for a few years
- Mohammed and his wife, property owners in the neighborhood
- Holly and Nady, moved in January
- Matt, resident for 4 months, in St. Louis for 2 years
Old Business
Approval of Prior Month's Minutes:
- Minutes approved as presented.
Police Report - Officer Rosa Rojas
- Introductions to new members.
- Contact for information on vacant homes or derelict vehicles.
- Neighborhood crime report from July 8th to August 4th:
- 0 murders, 0 sexual assaults, 0 robberies
- 2 assaults (could be fights or shootings), 1 burglary, 1 theft, 6 auto thefts
- Reminder: Do not leave valuables in cars.
- Observations: 41 vehicles reported, all with out-of-state plates.
- Emphasis on community involvement in Benton Park.
- Contact details provided for questions or reports.
### Alderman’s Report - Cara Spencer via Isiah
- Legislative updates:
- Tree trimming and pothole repairs ongoing.
- No questions from attendees.
### New Business
- **Pup Crawl:** August 31st.
- **Social Announcements:**
- No September social set yet.
- No November meeting.
### Committee Reports
- **Events:**
- Upcoming Events:
- September 22nd, 4-7 PM in Benton Park with music by Alligator Wine
- Tunes on Tap: Saturday, October 19th
- Santa Parade and Holiday Party: Friday, December 6th at Bluewood Brewing
- Contact: Email Brittany at eventscommitteechair@bentonpark.org to join the events committee.
- **Building Review:**
- No new notes.
- **Safety:**
- National Night Out: Tuesday, October 1st (Wyoming between Illinois and Missouri)
- Flyer Campaign: Details to be posted on social media and GroupMe Chat
- Carnegie Park Clean-up: Sunday, July 28th
- CID Information: Coming soon
- **Garden/Cave:**
- Bill Kranz reported plans to add an optical camera to explore the caves.
- **Parks:**
- Not in attendance.
- **Membership:**
- Not in attendance.
- **Volunteers:**
- No updates.
### Guest Speaker
- **Linda Weiner from Lafayette Square (Breath Better St. Louis):**
- Discussed efforts to address odors from the incinerator in Sauget, IL.
- Issues with burning toxic materials and non-compliance for 5 years.
- Health impacts of toxins from the incinerator.
- Permit renewal process and EPA meetings.
- Encouraged reporting odors via their website.
- Rally for community support and attendance at EPA meetings.
- **Q&A:**
- **Question:** Why not focus on all plants?
- **Answer:** Focus is on plants with EPA permit renewals.
**Meeting Adjourned.**