Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
University Hill Neighborhood Association
Executive Committee Meeting Minutes
The Castle House, 01/12/2017, 5:30 pm-7:00 pm
ATTENDING: Nancy Blackwood, Scott Thomas, Beanne Rothenberg, Lori Schuyler
EXCUSED: Stephen Clark, Andrea Clark
GUESTS: Celeste Landry, Abby Daniels (Historic Boulder ED), Tyler Keyworth (CU Restorative Justice Coordinator), and Sarah Wiebenson (Hill Community Development Coordinator)
UNIVERSITY HILL ELEMENTARY SCHOOL: Potential BVSD sale to CU UPDATE (Celeste Landry and Abby Daniels)
Neighborhood concerned about serious lack of transparency and community/neighborhood outreach. BVSD and CU are not forthcoming with any information on the process and the timeline seems to now be rushed (after initiating the conversation over a year ago). It appeared, at the last School Board meeting, a number of the School Board members have also not been kept in the loop on this project.
Group of concerned citizens has created a website that puts all the information in one place. (www.unihillschoolfuture.com.)
An architectural firm has been hired to undertake a feasibility analysis for a “New K-8 Campus” at the current New Vista site (Broadway and Baseline) that would incorporate a new bi-lingual elementary school, allowing BVSD to sell Uni Hill Elementary to CU. Another concern is that the New Vista school building is a potential landmark (designed by James Hunter, a prominent architect in Boulder)
SERIOUS TIMING CONCERN: Feasibility Study underway and will not be ready until February (when BVSD has agreed to initiate a neighborhood conversation) and the decision on this sale needs to take place in March. Not enough time for community input.
Questions: Why is BVSD considering sale to CU? Has there been an appraisal of the property? What would the appraisal be based on? (HIGH DENSITY STUDENT RENTALS?) Who can we talk to at CU since we have not gotten any feedback from CU per our request? (Frances Draper?)
School is Local Landmark (1998). Concern that CU will not be a good steward of this historic school (look at what has happened with Grandview Terrace….the demolition of a handful of significant historic homes).
Citizen Bond Oversight meeting: 18 January 2017. Celeste will get us the information.
UH Neighborhood representative(s) need to come to next School Board meeting (Tuesday24 January at 6 pm) and speak at the Citizen Participation portion of the meeting.
UHNA-EC agreed to add key information and links regarding BVSD sale of Uni Hill Elementary to CU to UHNA website. Celeste will send information to Andrea.
CU RESTORATIVE JUSTICE (Tyler Keyworth)
Tyler introduced the CU Restorative Justice program to the EC. He has been the Coordinator for about 9 months and is reaching out to the Uni Hill neighborhood to establish a “pool” of neighbors interested in participating in the program.
Program provides alternatives to punitive outcomes in the form of community “interventions”/conversations and community/neighborhood service projects.
Tyler will send us a more detailed description of the program to put up on our website and send out to the Listserv to recruit new community members.
The EC will send Tyler a list of potential projects in the neighborhood (shoveling, clean ups in alleys, cemetery, parks, etc.)
RESIDENTIAL SERVICES DISTRICT (RSD), HILL REVITALIZATION STRATEGY, UNI-HILL HOTEL, UNIVERSITY HILL COMERCIAL AREA MANAGEMENT COMMISSION (UHCAMC) RETREAT: Sarah Wiebenson
RSD “Reboot”: Ready-to-Work crew currently funded by the City and is making a difference. Looking to a more sustainable and fair model where the houses/buildings that are generating the trash fund the work. Currently Ready-to-Work crew picks up trash in the front yards (created the allusion that the residents didn’t need to pick up the trash in their front yards); now will only pick up in the public Rights of Way. Now the Neighborhood needs to be proactive and document (through Inquire Boulder app) violations on private property (photo and send). Inquire Boulder will track and identify problem properties and notice will be sent to the owner with potential penalties assessed (eg. potential loss of rental licenses).
HILL REVITATLIZATION STRATEGY: The framework is in place to move forward to make the Hill revitalization sustainable. (Opportunity to continue progress in Hill Revitalization: Extension of 2A Sales Tax (Community, Culture and Safety Tax) initially passed in 2014 to fund Alley Enhancement Project that is in the RFP stage.
HILL NEIGHBORHOOD RESOURCES Newsletter. Sarah passed out a DRAFT of the Hill Neighborhood Resources newsletter that will be a new page on the City of Boulder’s website. She asked for our feedback.
HILL HOTEL: Is in concept design phase. Looking to schedule a Uni-Hill Neighborhood meeting to present the conceptual design. TENTATIVE MEETING DATE: Thursday 23 February 2017 at 7:00 pm at Grace Lutheran Church. Will confirm with Grace and the Hill Hotel team.
UHCAMC RETREAT: Wednesday 25 January 2017. Hill Hotel concept to be presented to the commissioners. Majority of meeting will be a Community Engagement Workshop. (How Commissioners can communicate better with the community.)
FUNDRAISING RESULTS: Beanne
We have collected a little more than $300.00. Very disappointing
Will continue to fundraise at the Hill Hotel Neighborhood Meeting.
WEBSITE UPDATE AND TUTORIAL: Andrea
Postponed to next meeting.
NEIGHBORHOOD GRANT
Postponed to next meeting.
ANNUAL LETTER TO CITY COUNCIL from UHNA EC: Nancy
Will send out to EC early next week for review.
Aim to send to City Council by end of next week.
Minutes Respectfully Submitted By:
Nancy Blackwood
Executive Committee Member, University Hill Neighborhood Association