Meeting Minutes - Tuesday, January 21, 2003

2024 Meeting Schedule

Normally meetings alternate between
Alice West Fleet Elementary Library
and the
Public Montessori School of Arlington Library.
Meetings start at 7:00 PM.

Please check the newsletter for details.

Quarterly Membership Meeting (7:30 pm)
Patrick Henry Elementary School, Arlington, VA

DRAFT

The meeting was called to order at 7:40 pm.

Attendees:

Patricia Bullington-McGuire, Richard Bullington-McGuire, Joseph (Adam) Croswell, Bob Dannemiller, Jim Gill, Joan Gill, Mark Healey, Eileen Janas, Carole Lieber, Brent Tenney, Betty Siegel, Jay Jacob Wind.

Guests:

None

President's Report:

    Jay reported that the name of "4th of July Park" for the park at Garfield and Route 50 was opposed by the HALRB. He explained that the process in naming parks is generally that someone proposes a name and the Parks and Recreation Commission can dispose it or put it forward to the NCAC and HALRB. If the NCAC and HALRB approve the name, then Parks and Recreation will usually go ahead and ratify the name and recommend it to the County Board for approval.

    However, in this case, HALRB has opposed the name and now AHCA has several options:

    Discussion ensued. Someone was curious about why HALRB turned down the name, and concern that we appear to have been given no reason for the rejection. Jim Gill recommended to stick with the name as it was dully voted on by AHCA.

    Motion: To tell the Parks and Recreation Commission that AHCA stands by its previously selected name for the park of "4th of July Park". The motion was seconded, passed unanimously.
 

Secretary's Report:

    Motion: To accept the minutes as written, with the correction of the spelling of Ken Nagle's name. The motion was seconded, and passed unanimously.
 

Treasurer's Report:

    Bob Dannemiller reported that there were a total of 98 family members and 8 business members in the Association for 2002. To date, he has 28 family members for 2003. There is currently $2451.79 in the AHCA bank account, and Bob received an additional $205.00 at the meeting in membership dues for a total of $2656.79. However, $300 of that has been committed to be spent on flowers and plants for the 4th of July Park. In 2002, there had been a total income of $2457.50 and total expenses of $880.38. He attributed the low expenditures to not having a float, decorations for the signs being lower than anticipated, and newsletter expenses less than anticipated.
 

Committee Reports:

County Trees

    Arlington County's Department of Parks, Recreation, and Community Resources (PRCR) has invited neighborhood associations to assist them in locating areas that would benefit from the planting of additional trees throughout the county. Mark Healey collected numerous recommendations from residents in AHCA for possible tree planting sites including (but not limited to): Walter Reed behind Patrick Henry, Columbia Pike (doesn't think there is any place that meet the criteria), S. Garfield, 4th of July Park, T.J. (along the walking path). Mark explained that he intends to put together a map to show all the potential sites in AHCA where the trees might go.

    Motion: To authorize Mark Healey to speak on behalf of AHCA regarding this request for trees from PRCR. The motion was seconded, passed unanimously.
 

Holiday Decorating Contest, Caroling and Sign Decorating

    Jay reported that once again Pattie DeLoatche did a great job conducting the Holiday Decorating Contest and thanked her for her efforts. Joan Gill reported that despite having to switch the date because of inclement weather that the caroling drew a good crowd and it was great fun. Joan also reported that decorating the signs went well.
 

Civic Federation

    Carole Lieber reported that the January meeting was devoted to hearing the incoming Board members. Everyone was very impressed by Charles Monroe whose subsequent death and loss to the County will be sincerely felt. Carole also reported that Kim Smith talked about the Community Emergency Response Teams (CERT), which will allows neighborhoods to be more responsive in emergency situations. There will be an eight-week training course to learn about emergency response with openings in the fall. Carole will send out additional information about this training course.
 

NCAC

    Betty Siegel reported that AHCA was not approved for a project to be funding in the most recent funding cycle. However, the point system was tweaked such that there might be a good chance of AHCA getting funding for its first priority project on S. 2nd Street in the next funding round. The AHCA updated plan is still having some corrections made, and Jim Gill recommended finishing it up and submitting it as soon as possible.

    Someone asked about adding a project to the AHCA list of NCAC projects. Betty explained that AHCA already has eight projects in queue and that technically we are only allowed three projects (but that our eight were "grandfathered" in). To add a project, we would need to get six of the current projects funded (or drop the six projects) be down to only two projects left in queue.

    Jay wants to go on record to say that the agreement on project number 4, on S. Fenwick, is that the neighbor on the NW corner will not lose his garden or mature tree for a sidewalk, but that the neighbor on the NE corner would be only too willing to lose the utility strip on her side.

    Motion: To approve the AHCA priority list for NCAC as it had been approved at the last meeting. The motion was seconded, passed unanimously.
 

Traffic Calming:

    Jay reported that County Staff Ron Hicks has said that none of the other streets submitted for traffic study in AHCA have enough points to meet the warrants for traffic calming measures. Jay thinks there have been 4 studies in AHCA and that these all come out with 40 to 45 points and the county is now doing projects that have 80 to 90 points. Jay mentioned that the county bases its traffic calming points system largely on the number of cars that exceed the speed limit. Someone recommended that the county should look at more than velocity but also things like excess volumes, lane crossings, etc.

    Motion: To recommend to the County that it consider other warrants beside excess velocity in assigning points for traffic calming projects. The motion was seconded, passed unanimously.

    At South 5th and Glebe: The "no turn on red" sign at South 5th and Glebe has been removed. However, a "no turn on red" sign was recently installed at the corner of S. 2nd Street and Glebe. We wondered if they just moved the sign from 5th to 2nd.

    Motion: To request that the sign for "no right turn on red" at the South 2nd Street and Glebe Road intersection be removed. The motion was seconded, and passed unanimously. Eileen Janas volunteered to call the County with this request.
 

Neighborhood Watch:

    Patricia Bullington-McGuire reported that the group had one meeting and that now they need to follow a few official steps to get started. One step is to get a police officer out to speak. There are also some requirements for a certain percentage of households to sign a petition stating that they want a neighborhood watch program. Patricia will follow up on all of these steps.
 

Election of Officers:

    Jay passed out the by-laws which define the duties of the various officers. In addition to the duties listed in the by-laws the 1st Vice President also is in charge of membership.
    Nominations where opened, made and seconded as follows:
    President - Carole Lieber
    1st Vice President - Adam Croswell
    2nd Vice President - Patricia Bullington-McGuire
    Treasurer - Bob Dannemiller
    Secretary - Betty Siegel
 
    Votes were taken, and each of the nominees was voted in unanimously.

    Jay briefly stated that he was pleased that many of the things he hoped to have accomplished during his presidency had occurred. He wanted to see NCAC projects in the queue for all interior streets of the neighborhood; to see the Columbia Pike Initiative move forward; and to see property values increase. He enjoyed the job and was grateful for all the help he received from everyone in the association.

    Jay will continue, at the request of the new President, Carole Lieber, to continue to monitor and build the AHCA web site and to moderate the Yahoogroups e-mail list.

    Carole took the gavel and continued the meeting. Carole confirmed the following individuals were still willing to serve on the following committees.

Confirmed non-elective positions:

    Carole will contact those individuals not in attendance at the meeting to confirm their willingness to continue to serve and solicit interest for vacant committee appointments.
 

New Business

Fenwick Renovations:

    Betty reported that the county plans to do some renovations to the Fenwick Center (opposite the Library). Most of the changes will be internal. The significant external change will be to the front entrance closer to Walter Reed, eliminate the looped drive and fill that in to create 2-story office spaces. Recommendation was made that the county be asked to look at the landscaping as well.

Neighborhood Advisory Committee for the Residential Program Center

    Eileen Janas announced that this group intends to suggest to the County that it be disbanded since there no longer appears to be a need for it.

Neighbor Moving

    Carole mentioned that Wayne Cofer may be moving out the neighborhood and wanted to acknowledge his years of participation and service to AHCA.

Upcoming Events

    There was some discussion about asking the county to move Neighborhood Day away from May 10 and Mothers Day weekend. It was also mentioned that the Blues Festival will be on May 4, 2003

AHCA Next Quarterly Meeting

    Since the third Tuesday in April falls on April 15, it was recommended to move AHCA's next meeting to April 22.

    Motion: The next meeting of the AHCA will be April 22, 2003 at Patrick Henry Elementary School in the school library. The motion was seconded, and passed unanimously.

    Meeting Adjourned at 9:40 pm

Respectfully submitted,
Betty Siegel, Secretary