SUMMIT MEETING NOTES

March 12, 2009

Location:  Grace Episcopal Church

Approved Summit minutes can be found at the following website: collegehilloh.net

ACTION ITEMS

The key action items as agreed to in this meeting are as follows:

Item                                                                                                                   Responsibility           

1.   Find  replacement facilitators to run the April Summit meeting,               Ron Cowgill &

and to take notes, since Ron & Valerie will be on vacation with              Valerie Hershberger

family that week.  (Note: Ken Lyon volunteered to run the April

meeting, but no one has yet volunteered to take notes.)

2.   Contact Avondale about Youth Council, and email to College                Sheena Parton

Hill team (Ric, Ron, Arnice, Joan)

ATTENDEES:  (in alphabetical order)

Name                                                               Organization Represented

Karen Barrett                                                  Aiken High School

Pete Bauer                                                       CHCURC

Jim Bodmer                                                     Community Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP), Forum

Joan Burger                                                     CCHMC College Hill

Ron Cowgill                                                    Facilitator

Valerie Hershberger                                        Facilitator

George Jacquemin                                           Ministerium

Ken Lyon                                                        e-newsletter

Mary McLain                                                  Grace Episcopal

Chris Miller                                                     CHPC

Sheena Parton                                                 CHBA

Officer Jason Pechiney                                   CPD, Dist. 5

Cassandra Robinson                                       Community Police Partnership Center

Rick Schroer                                                   CH Rec Center

Arnice Smith                                                   CH Library

Dan Weyand-Geise                                         CCCH, Ministerium

Ron Whitt                                                       CCCH

Officer Governor Williams                             CPD Dist 5

ABSENT:

ARCH

College Hill Fundamental Academy

McAuley High School

Pleasant Hill Academy

College Hill Gardeners

Mercy Hospital Mt. Airy Foundation

WIN

AGENDA

Welcome and Introductions

Host Greetings

Opening Prayer

Special Announcements

Previous Minutes Review/Approval

Action Items From Previous Meeting

CPOP/COP/CPD

CHCURC Update

Schools Updates

Library Update

CH Business Association

Ministerium

Housing Team Update

Discussion Topic

Community Activities & Announcements

DISCUSSION:

1.   Special Announcements

None

2.   Review of February 2009 Minutes
The minutes for the February meeting will be approved at the April meeting.   Several changes have been requested. 

3.   Review of Action Items from Previous Meetings

Action items have been moved to the long term follow up list.

4.   Citizens on Patrol/CPD/Probation/Court Watch – by Jim Bodmer and Officers Pechiney & Williams

Since the NEP started, with significantly increased police presence, the community has been pretty quiet.   The one trend of concern is that jail overcrowding is particularly acute for women offenders.  Space is needed for more violent male offenders.  Right of Entry needs to be renewed, and forms are available from Jim Bodmer.

CPD reported that Crime Stats for February were down slightly, but a larger drop is expected for the months the NEP is in effect.  Every officer is expected to spend 15 minutes of every hour walking the business district.  A focus of the NEP will be curfew sweeps.  They will start with at least one per week, and may increase to twice per week.  Curfew for kids age 15 and under is 10 pm.   Curfew for kids age 16 & 17 is minight.  After the sweep, the young people picked up are taken to the substation,  interviewed, and parents are called.   If parents cannot be contacted, the kids are kept until 2 am, then sent to juvenile detention.  CPD needs volunteers to help with the interviews.  Contact Cassandra at District 5 (659-4216) if you are interested.  Training will be provided.

CPD will conduct a personal safety training at 6 pm at Llanfair on Thursday, March 19.  It will last about one hour.

5.   CHCURC Update – by Pete Bauer

Pete reviewed a number of items:

o       $1.5 million is still be kept for College Hill by the city.  CHCURC officers met with city administration this month.

o       CHCURC is still hopes to buy the Saba building to demolish it.  Funds have again been requested through the CNBD program.  In that program, every neighborhood can request funding for both a major project and a minor project.  College Hill’s requests this year are $200,000 for the Saba purchase & demolition, and $30,000 for the community signs.  The application deadline is April 15, after which, CHCURC expects to hear from the city.

o       A grant of $23,000 was received by CHCURC, which CHCURC though could be used for operating expenses.  However, it cannot.  So CHCURC will need to develop other sources of funds for operations.

o       This year’s Rhythm Race will be Aug 8.  They also hope to have a Bike Race.

o       The summer fete will be done again, in June.

o       The Guest Bartender fund raiser will be done again this year at Clovernook Country Club.  It will be held Tuesday, April 7, from 6 -9 pm at Clovernook’s Tavern on the Green.  A week at the Schwartz vacation home in Florida will be the prize for the raffle.

6.   Ministerium Update – by Rev. Dan Weyand-Geise

The Ministerium is continuing their Bridges program this spring.  The next step is to have 5 meetings in a row, starting mid-April. 

There will be a Good Friday Service from 12 to 3 pm at Grace Episcopal Church, sponsored by the Ministerium.

There is a team exploring how College Hill can get involved in the Interfaith Hospitality Network, in which churches host homeless families.  They hope to be up and going in late 2009 or early 2010.

7.   College Hill Schools Updates

Aiken High School – by Karen Barrett

Aiken is really pleased with how the work-study program is going with Llanfair, in which supervised work experience is provided for special education students.

Aiken had a great celebration of Black History month, including a door decorating contest, a Taste of Soul luncheon, Character presentations (where students dressed up as famous African-Americans, current or historical), and Lunchtime Flow (where students could spontaneously stand up and present their talents).   Everyone both enjoyed it and learned from it.

OGT is this week (week of March 8), and Aiken had a pep rally for it.

Aiken Sports is going really well.  The basketball team is in the district finals in Dayton, and is up against Moeller.  The girls’ basketball team won their first tournament game since 1992. 

Conversations are ongoing with CPS about their proposal to substantially increase the number of students at Aiken.  The next meeting is on Tuesday, March 17^th.   The leadership of Aiken, both staff and parents, would prefer to have a smaller school of about 850 with more emphasis on academic achievement, including entrance testing like Walnut Hills High School.

College Hill Fundamental Academy – by Jim Bodmer

The primary contractor for remodeling has been selected.  The work will start soon.  There is a remote possibility that the building may have to be torn down, as they get into the work and understand more fully about the chronic water problems in the basement.  The water table is high in that area, and basement flooding has been a long term problem for the school.

8.   Library Update – by Arnice Smith

Last Friday (March 8), the Library put on an “after hours” gaming party for 6-8:30 pm for youth 12-18 yrs old.  Volunteers from other Libraries came to help, and food (pizza & snacks) was provided for everyone.  The kids were able to play electronic games.   It was a great success, and the College Hill Library is going to do this once per month.  More volunteers could be useful, so Arnice invited all Summit members to participate. 

The Library has also arranged for author Sharon Draper to visit Pleasant Hill Academy to talk and sign books.  This will be Friday, March 13, at 8:30 pm.

9.   CHBA Update - by Shena Parton

There were several significant items of progress by CHBA reported by Sheena:

·         The students from the University of Cincinnati DAAP (Design Art, Architecture and Planning) District will present their final plan at Llanfair on Monday, March 16, from 2-4 pm.

·         CHBA is still in correspondence with the Community Development Dept of the City.  There are still many requirements to fulfill in order to get the promised funding.  There also continues to be a need for the wireless node on a building in the mid-district.

·         CHBA’s Annual Dinner is coming up.  Watch for more information soon.

·         Within the NEP initiative, CHBA is working with the City on several improvements in the business district.  These include :

-          Working with Traffic Engineering on crosswalks and traffic lights.

-          Dealing with an increase in billboard benches.

-          Dealing with an increase in free newspaper racks.

-          A B&I (Buildings & Inspections) sweep.

-          Meeting with Roxanne Qualls on Form Based Codes.

-          Examining the current Business District in light of developmental guidelines for successful urban business areas.

·         Sheena handed out “Call It In” magnets, which CHBA is sponsoring to encourage residents in the community to call in various issues to the police and other depts. of the city government.

10. Children’s Hospital Update – by Joan Burger

Joan recounted how the Summit met at Children’s in December, and how she had asked the community for help in making sure a number of children being treated would have even a minimal Christmas celebration.  Joan gave a BIG THANKS to the community for all the donations, many of which were anonymous.   At that time, there were 33 children in residence at the College Hill Campus, and another 60 getting treatment on an in-patient basis.  Around $600 was donated from the College Hill community, which enabled the staff to provide at least 2 presents under the tree for every child.

Joan also shared that Neil Armstrong’s family came through the facility because of a sick grandchild, then had a meal at Bacall’s restaurant.   The Armstrongs were very impressed with the warmth of the community.

11. College Hill Housing Team – by Valerie Hershberger

The two new homes that have been built by WIN are under contract, and WIN hopes to close both within the next month.   WIN will be starting the rehab of the house on Lantana in March.   WIN will also put on two Homebuyer classes in June at St. Clare.

12. Discussion Topic: Youth Council

Sheena suggested that it would be very useful for the College Hill community to establish a Youth Council, which would be set up like an adult Community Council and would help with local youth issues, planning events and putting on events in the community.  Ric Schoer indicated that the Rec Center has done a Teen Council in the past, and he volunteered to help start this one.  He recommended, based on his experience, that it be done in fall to match up with the school year.   Ron Whitt also volunteered, as did Arnice, and Joan said that one or more people on her staff may also want to help.  It was also suggested that local church youth pastors may want to participate. 

Sheena handed out a newpaper article about a youth council functioning in Avondale.  The team may want to contact Ozie Davis in Avondale to learn more about how they started their program.  Sheena said she would contact the Avondale community and then email what she finds out to the team (Ric, Ron, Arnice, Joan).  Sheena will not be an ongoing member of this team, although she is very supportive of getting it started. 

It was also suggested that one or two youth should be part of this planning team, and that the Young Men of Aiken program might be a place to find some responsible young people to participate.

13. Community Events & Announcements

St. Clare 100^th – St. Clare is celebrating its 100^th Anniversary this year, with many internal and external events.   Go to the St. Clare website for more information. 

Lenten Fish Fries – St. Clare will have a Fish Fry every Friday of Lent, from 5-7 pm

National Night Out – this year, National Night Out is August 4.  Planning for the annual Block Party has started.

Great American Cleanup – this year, the Great American Cleanup will be Saturday, April 25, from 9 am to noon. All are welcome.  Participants will receive a T-shirt.

Life Hurts God Heals – There will be a counseling program at CHPC on March 23 for some local kids who have had a rough life.  Participants will be recruited via word-of-mouth, no advertising.  This will be a small group.  

Next Summit Meeting: April 9 @ 8 am at McAuley High School. 

The meeting will be run by Ken Lyon.   Someone is still needed to take the notes.

                                                                                                Summarized by:

                                                                                                Valerie Hershberger

                                                                                                March 30, 2009

Summit Meeting Schedule

2009

General Meeting Time: Second Thursday of the Month, 8:00 am to 10:00 am.

Location Rotates

tbc = to be confirmed