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Attendance
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Community Concerns
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Dan Scott discussed efforts to acquire 4398 Gibson as a business and office space. It is an LRA-owned building. Saundra Moss indicated the property was proposed for another use, with out designating the use.
Harold Brown from Senator Pat Dougherty's office invited everyone to the Wohl Center on June 28 beginning at 10 a.m. for a health fair and to meet elected officials.
Kim Jayne made announcements and invited others to participate in a pesticide forum on August 6 at 7 p.m. at Genesis House Coffee Shop, 6018 Delmar. She asked members to call Alderman Roddy with support of Board Bill 47 which would establish a civilian review board for the police department. Gibson Heights Presbyterian Church has a summer program from 9-12 Mondays - Thursdays.
Pastor Tony Davis announced Lamb's Bride ministry on the northside which hires 16-24 year olds as journeymen carpenters. They are starting on the northside but want to soon expand to the southside. Pastor Davis will continue to keep the Council informed.
George Jones discussed the condemnation and demolition of property on Vista, across from the community center. He stated there was a property slated for demolition that was not supposed to be in the plan. An elderly woman owns and lives in the home and legislation was supposed to have included the property around her. Saundra Moss informed the group that the City often makes these mistakes and the people who came out simply put the sign on the wrong building. George was to attend a hearing the following day.
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Minutes
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The May minutes were accepted as corrected: Saundra Moss clarified the Annie E. Casey evaluation was to evaluate not only FPSE but all of the areas the foundation funds.
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Treasurer's report
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The Treasurer, Ms. Ernestine Isiah reported there was a balance of $733.04 after expenses for the month.
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Adams Park Community Center (APCC) / staff reductions
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Saundra Moss reported from the Board that the organization needed
reconstruction from the top down and the Board has agreed
to restructure.
Several people were let go. She said that all
programs were running as normal and the center has "over 160 children
in parogramming and it's growing."
"Annie E. Casey
gave $2,500 for transportation" of FPSE kids to the Forest Park
Community College summer programs, Moss said. Currently, Brian Phillips
is an employee of Washington University Redevelopment Corporation
and a volunteer for Adams Park Community Center. Brian is directing
the youth clean up team ($100,000 from Alderman Roddy). Esther Shin
from Urban Strategies is also volunteering for APCC and is in charge of
the youth program.
Sharonica Hardin (Adams School Principal), and Edna Campbell are also
volunteering.
Saundra added, " WE ARE
COLLABORATING WITH THE COMMUNITY AND THEY ARE RECEIVING THEIR FUNDING AS
WELL. Yes, everyone is volunteering and I still will train anyone in the
community who would like to assist any of us."
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Development Corporation
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George Jones introduced Irving Blue, the new Executive Director of the
FPSE Development Corporation (DC).
Mr. Blue described the new four-leaf DC logo (representing connection of the four neighborhood areas). He said the DC's activities must fit into one of the following
categories: Housing Development, Commercial Development, Human Investment,
or Public infrastructure. He announced the DC is planning a Town Hall Meeting
for September 30, 2003, and DC staff
will be working with the various FPSE organizations to develop a
one-year goal statement. He described other activities since being hired
as getting the house in order since there had been no financial accountability, no established office hours, no reporting to residents.
The Board elections as of July 2 are: Phil Minden, president; Joe King, vice-president; Saundra Moss, treasurer; and Lara Theil, secretary.
The DC has two committees: the Housing Committee and the Main Street Committee. There is now a voting process which will send issues to the Board. Anyone can attend committee meetings but only committee members vote.
Mr. Blue is working on a 5-year plan as well as the 1-year plan and has
taken a windshield survey of the neighborhood. The first year will be used to put boarded/vacant property into the system for home owner acquisition. He felt that there had been no human investment being made by the DC and that needed to change. He also believes the public infrastructure must be improved and a better liaison created with the City.
Mr. Blue said planning might include, for example, creating opportunities for
residents who are interested in doing so to do complete rehabilitation of
their homes. He explained that this is particularly difficult because of
safety concerns, such as dealing with lead paint and asbestos and may
require providing temporary housing in order to make rehabilitation affordable.
Mr. Blue gave his background as directing the Block Grant Funds for
Kansas City at an agency similar to the St. Louis Community Development
Authority (CDA) and added,
"I and my family are very excited to be a future resident and
working for FPSE, and hope that the residents of FPSE join me and the
Corporation as well move forward to improve the quality of life in the area."
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Sustainable Neighborhoods "immediate" funding
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Bob reported tat the leadership team had advised SNDO to do family
literacy first and follow up with mental health and housing programs.
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Meeting location
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A suggestion for moving from Lighthouse to the Community Center was rejected. Kim Jayne reminded the group that Vince Bennett from McCormack Baron had agreed to provide air conditioning at Lighthouse several years ago.
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