January 2nd, 2024 General Assembly Meeting

Meeting Minutes
Written By Derrick Kilgore


BPNA GENERAL ASSEMBLY MEETING 

TUESDAY JANUARY 2ND

Meeting began at 7:11pm


Welcome:

Introduction and new member welcome by Courtney Armistead.  


Old Business:

Meetings from the last minute have been approved and are available on the website.


Guest Speaker: Isiah Santiago (Cara Spencer Representative)

There is going to be a speed hump bill coming soon.  

https://docs.google.com/document/u/2/d/1NvFfooY-F8FnnlBmA4C4a1U14PWd7NvGlDSuns1DTjU/mobilebasic?urp=gmail_link

The EPA visited St. Louis in November regarding the smell from Sauget.  They have created a website about the smell and how to complain about it through the site.  

Good neighbor Guide fact sheet that answers a lot of general questions.  Cara wanted to communicate that they are here to listen, and if anyone has any questions please contact her office.

Email: spencerc@stlouis-mo.gov Phone: (314) 622-3287

Update coming soon on speed humps.  Tentative locations are 2700 block of Salena, 2415 block of Salena, and 2200 block of Wyoming.


Questions:


  1.  What percentage of recycling bins getting recycled?  Would like a monthly report on the percentage of bins that are actually being recycled.


Answer:  Date is currently not available.  Isaiah will follow up with Alderwoman Meghan Greene, Cara Spencer, as well as specific departments involved.


  1. Neighbors are having a feral cat problem in their area.  Started with 3, and now it’s 9 with kittens.  The cats are also attacking dogs.  Animal control is unable to help.  How can they get this resolved?

Answer: Isaiah will attempt to contact animal control to further investigate why they cannot help, and proper steps to rectify the situation.


Sidenote: Courtney Armistead

Moving forward we may be looking to get a better understanding of the city website and guides that are geared to educate the actions of the neighborhood association.  Civic engagement is important to building the neighborhood.  We want to make sure we are promoting diversity and inclusion in the neighborhood.  We will be working on the 2024 budget, and will have an approval meeting next month at the neighborhood meeting. 

Questions:

  1. A request to decorate highway bridge in Benton Park with holiday lights in Winter 2024.

Answer:  Lori White will assist in making this happen.

  1. It has been requested that we create a monthly night for neighbors to connect.

Answer:  That is something we will look into, and follow up with in the future.

  1. It has been requested that our meetings become more participatory with the community.

Answer:  We are looking for ways to increase the voice of the community, and we would like feedback on any ideas on the matter.  

  1. It has been suggested that our website is updated with more current information and links to city services.

Answer:  Lori White will investigate.

Committee Reports:


Events: There will be no events until Spring 2024.

Building Review:  N/A

Safety:  The next meeting will be Thursday January 25th at Chemistry PR and Multimedia (location may change).

In 2024 we will be reinstating the Block Captain Program, and further expanding the Benton Park Surveillance Initiative (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd2xldvaHWPf_hDYgyzaQQtQTXdfUIuTQT0lkeukriekWk2aA/viewform).  

Garden Cave: The work continues on the cave.  More information will be available on the website.

Dog Park: The dog park is still there.  The dogs love it.  Reseeding in the spring.  The dog park is looking to do fundraising going forward. 

Parks:  N/A

Question:

  1. The small lake in Benton Park looks bad, as well as a floating trash can.

Answer:  This needs to be brought up to our former Alderman Dan Guenther.

General Comments, Questions, or Concerns:


Comment:  The person who does the street cleaning does an excellent job.  On your phone you can set a reminder on your phone to move your car on street cleaning. 

Guest Speaker:

Scott Vogel: Benton Park Cafe will now be open Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings.  There will be a speakeasy themed party Thursday February 8th from 5-10pm.  




Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

Meeting Topics:

1. Website Enhancements and Donations

During the meeting, we delved into the idea of adding donation options to our neighborhood association's website. The discussion revolved around making the donation process as user-friendly and accessible as possible. We agreed to form a small committee to investigate various online payment platforms that align with our needs.

2. Social Media Strategy

Our attention turned to our social media presence. We brainstormed and proposed engaging posts for Instagram and other platforms. These posts would serve to highlight upcoming events, such as Scott Vogl's party and the latest EPA initiatives. An interesting idea was to encourage members to set reminders for street cleanings in their personal calendars, ensuring active community participation.

3. Traffic and Safety Concerns

The issue of traffic speed and neighborhood safety took center stage. We discussed the effectiveness of speed hump bills in slowing down vehicles and shared anecdotes of their impact. Specific locations like Small Change on Lynch, 2415 Salena, 2700 Salena, and 2200 Wyoming were brought up as areas where traffic management needs improvement. Some members suggested exploring alternative solutions, like using brick below the pavement to naturally discourage speeding. Additionally, we touched on the EPA's website as a resource to address concerns related to unpleasant odors in our neighborhood and considered distributing good neighbor guides to foster a stronger sense of community.

4. 2024 Neighborhood Association Pillars

Our association is committed to making 2024 a year of progress in specific areas. We identified two main pillars for the year: diversity and inclusion, as well as civic engagement. A key point of discussion was the February meeting, which is slated to be a budget-focused session where we will outline strategies to fund our initiatives.

5. Tangible Change Requests

Members passionately voiced several requests for tangible change within our community. These requests included:

  • Regular monthly recycling reports to keep residents informed.

  • A plan to clean the lake, remove dead fish, and install more trash cans to combat littering.

  • Addressing the challenge of feral cats in the neighborhood, with a focus on humane relocation options.

  • A commitment to promoting diversity at our events and meetings, in response to Lori's request for a more inclusive atmosphere.

  • An enthusiastic call for more cave-related activities to tap into our unique neighborhood resources.

  • Formation of an Xmas committee to organize festive holiday events and decor

  • Exploring the idea of lighting up the bridge, with involvement from Scott Vogel, Ashley (wife of the membership guy), and several of our new members.

  • A recurring request for monthly recycle reports to stay eco-conscious.

  • A pledge to hold more active meetings, including brainstorming sessions to generate fresh ideas.

  • The need to revamp our website, making it a better resource for connection and information.

  • Emphasizing the importance of feedback and accountability among our members.

  • Organizing volunteer clean-up events to maintain our beautiful neighborhood.

  • Establishing the Tangible Change Committee to oversee requested changes and provide regular updates at each meeting.

Summary:

This comprehensive meeting addressed a wide array of topics, including website enhancements, social media strategies, traffic and safety concerns, our neighborhood's 2024 pillars, and various tangible change requests, such as recycling reports and feral cat management. Members were engaged and committed to making positive changes within our community.

Action Items:

  • The formation of a committee to explore online donation options for our website.

  • Scheduling and creation of engaging social media posts for upcoming events.

  • In-depth investigation into traffic-calming measures for the specified locations.

  • A renewed focus on diversity and inclusion initiatives within the neighborhood.

  • Detailed planning for the February budget-focused meeting.

  • The establishment of the Tangible Change Committee to oversee requested changes and provide regular updates.

  • A commitment to keeping members informed about progress on action items and upcoming events.

The meeting concluded with a sense of enthusiasm and dedication to addressing the outlined action items and ensuring the success of our upcoming events and initiatives.


Key Follow-Ups:

  1. Website Enhancement Committee: Continue researching online donation options for the neighborhood association website. Email: marketing@bentonpark.org

  2. Social Media Team: Coordinate and create engaging posts for upcoming events and community updates. Email: marketing@bentonpark.org

  3. Traffic and Safety Subcommittee: Investigate traffic-calming measures for specific locations mentioned in the meeting. Email: safety@bentonpark.org

  4. Diversity and Inclusion Working Group: Develop strategies to promote diversity at neighborhood events and meetings.

  5. Tangible Change Committee: Form this committee to oversee requested changes and provide regular updates.

Contact Information:

Committees and Chairs:

Additional Contacts:

Feel free to reach out to the respective contacts for follow-ups, questions, or collaboration on the discussed topics.














Derrick Kilgore
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November 7th 2023, General Assembly Meeting Minutes