SWCC Minutes for 3/21/13

FIS briefing provided to City Council
Lynnette provided an update
3 1/2 years into process; we're ahead of the process in comparison to other neighborhoods
We can see evidence in lighting, gateways, commemorative plaques, sidewalks
Properties are showing visible signs of transformation
Lynnette doing application intakes for NeighborWorks
FIS progress report will be on City's website tomorrow

Business & Economic Development

Jeff Benjamin introduced himself - taking over for Thad Schofield; very hands-on; 428-6874
2 projects (facade grants) have been secured; working to secure Hi-Tech Video
Attended Chili Ave meeting; concerned about businesses with drug dealers in front of them; why aren't we using our resources (cameras and police) to address this issue. Common concern.

Other

Looking to redesign GVP Master Plan for west side of the river; includes the ice rink; City's website has an overview; Jeff Mrosak will be asked to give us an overview; steering committee is meeting regularly. Good time to get involved. Brooks Landing Phase II is a separate committee

Project Development

Bull's Head Revitalization - haven't heard about BOA grant yet
Vacuum Oil community meeting (also BOA) next week; further ahead than BH project; still waiting to hear about grant.
Flats development project at Brooks Landing will begin late this spring or summer
937 vacant lot next to NSC; clean up grant request submitted to EPA; will hear early summer or June; work to be done in fall

Other

Clean Sweep - May 11, Sat (looking at about 15 projects)
Community Uplift schedule has been established; May - October; during the day; Elba/Plymouth/Seward; 3 areas in the evening; Genesee, Plymouth and TBD; (Jefferson done last November)
Washington Square received grant from RACF to enable them to paint electrical boxes (neighborhood branding); will be reaching out to youth for input/drawings
GVP YouthHockey ended 3/9; Florence applied for $10,000 grant for hockey (enrichment, scholarships, ice)
GVP Baseball Program operating; 2-3 teams; Thank you to Jeff Beck for sponsoring
Somalians - no updates
Started the "Distinguished Gentleman's Program" for youth at Flint St. Rec; welcome older males to assist; Wednesdays, 5-5:30; next focus will be on youth entrepreneurship
Lynnette's been a support for client on Troup
Looking to QUAD-A for support

Neighborhood Associations

19th Ward - Marydan Cooper

Square Fair first Sat. in June; all welcome-students, neighbors, etc. Looking for vendors; pancake breakfast at 8 a.m. Parade at noon. Vendor fees vary; for more information, contact 328-6571
Sunday is Palm Sunday Breakfast at Presbyterian Home; speaker is Fran Weisberg; tickets at the door; tickets are $11 for a couple, $7 for a single, $15 for a family

Corn Hill Neighborhood Association - Bonnie Mayer

History Walk will include historic markers (10-12); designed to be connected with other historic areas already designated
Charrette update - vision group still meeting; focus groups with chairpeople have been formed
7/13 & 7/14 is Corn Hill Festival; Pittsford now thinking they'd like to do the same; may change their minds when they find out the amount of work involved. Event brings a lot of people into the city. Many people who now live in Corn Hill learned about it from the festival.
NA has a philanthropy component; have given space for free to community group; planning on doing a day of fixing up one home; bought soccer uniforms for kids; John C. noted that they were very generous to PLEX charrette
Go to website to learn more

COTS - John Lightfoot & Lynnette Robinson

Met new church neighbors on Waverly St. - pastors came to COTS meeting
7th Day Adventist to anchor Adams Street Block Club
FIS meeting on Monday, 3/25, 6 p.m. (lot at corner of Reynolds & Clifton will be on the table)
Lynnette reached out to new Property Manager at Anthony Square; already cleaning up trash on Main St.

PLEX - John Curran & Gloria Edmonds

Next Monday, SW Riverfront meeting at 12; health assessment done by UR will be reviewed;
River Romance in October; not funded this year; will look for alternative financing; looking to highlight history (e.g. Underground RR, Civil War, etc.)
Phase 1 - environmental aspects to be reviewed; physical aspects later on
Preparing to do Fish Fry Fundraising (pre Father's Day) Friday, 12-6
Monthly meetings begin again on the 2nd Tuesday of month at Carlson Commons; starts in April, 6:30 p.m.

Susan B. Anthony NA - Dawn Noto

Cunningham Ground Breaking March 28, 2 p.m. Rehabbing property that's been sitting there for 20 years; 69 affordable units, some for DePaul clientele; actual Cunningham Carriage will be brought to lobby to commemorate history
Zoning Board meeting on 660 W. Main was today; should it remain on City's Historic List (it was removed from the State List); we've asked State to reconsider because of German history; connected to St. Peter's & St. Paul's Street; State re-listed it on their List because of the social history.
Rochester Flower City Race happening again; coming down W. Main on 4/28; about 2,000 runners; neighborhood contest for prize money; asking SBA and Freedom Way to support the event
Meeting with Freedom Way Business Association to support businesses; will come up with advertising campaign
468 W. Main is available; recently rehabbed by the City
Cafe Underground Railroad is available
New stores coming; one is The Seedfolk Store at 540 W. Main - fresh produce; youth entrepreneurship

Committee Reports

Communications - John Boutet

John Boutet received a letter from Tarak/Frontier letting us know they are still in interested in supporting area Wi-Fi; confident we can get capital costs but the ongoing operational support would need to be determined
Eleanor working on church database; will talk with Margy Meath about resources her students collected
John has created a detailed explanation of how to navigate LocationSW
Communications will meet the 2nd Monday of the month at 5:30 pm at The Seedfolk Store, 540 W. Main Street.

SW Education - John Boutet

School #16 - RCSD says they will renovate school and bring it back in 2015
School #10 still slated to be moved to School #1; principal wants to stay in neighborhood; Board has tabled the approval of that decision to research more.
Need to pull together a 19th Ward School Committee to work on school when it gets back; need to keep parents near their children (community schools)
School #16 having a spelling bee; losing the UR preparation connection; contact is Kathy King; call Jackie Farrell at 19th Ward office 328-6571 (closed Mondays; Tues-Fri, 10-2)

SW Block Clubs & Business Associations

JABA

Applying for a Main Street Grant; have City support;

National Night Out meeting Tues, April 2, at 9 a.m. at 923 Genesee. New areas for caravan were picked up; Brown, Silver, Madison, Troup St; date is 8/6

Genesee St Business Corridor

Grant expenditures: (1) promotion (color, pack page once a month in Minority Reporter) and (2) planting Genesee St. planters; May 25, Saturday. Looking for young people with adult leaders to participate
Purchasing 5 benches to be placed near planters that are often used as places to sit
Now have several good places to eat on Genesee
California Rollin' selling VIP tickets; 10% off any purchase for rest of life (purchase for $100)

Sector 4 CDC

Pat Jackson, interim Executive Director for SWAN, has terminated SWAN/Sector 4 Community Development Corporation (CDC) partnership.

Neighborworks

March 26 - workshop for new home owners at 570 South Ave; vendor fair at 5:30 p.m.

Westside Farmers Market - Elizabeth McDade (224-3125)

Committee has begun meeting; signs to come up soon; opening day June 11, 4-7:30
FLHSA has some funding to help with program development and promotion of healthy eating; handing out food made in NYS; RIT students will be assisting
Asking community for suggestions and opportunities to talk with families, church groups, etc. to talk about eating, info on where people eat, etc. Will bring healthy food and market tokens.

Coalition to Prevent Lead Poisoning

Healthy Home CD available that talks about environmental health hazards available
City has grants available for lead remediation
Call Lynnette Robinson for home lead testing: 325-4170 x327

SW Safety Net