SoDo NRZ Minutes rd November 19, 2014 – Hartford Public Library’s 3 Floor Activity Room Attendance: R. Zaleski, C. Ortiz, C. Lowell, M. DiBella, J. Howard, C. Sicbaldi, F. Gordon-‐Quiroga, M. Gottesdiener, Officer DeMaine, Officer Gorman, H. Lynch Minutes A motion to approve the minutes of the October meeting was made by C. Ortiz, seconded by C. Sicbaldi. M. Moriarty had previously voted by email. Approved. Police Report: As a reminder, the police activity that is reported at the meetings are for the 30 day period prior to the meeting (i.e. mid-‐Oct. to mid-‐Nov.) Overall, crime is down 8.2% YTD There has been a slight uptick in burglaries, and in auto thefts, the latter due to owners leaving their cars running to warm them up. There were 12 car breaks, down from 36 the month prior. One robbery of note was a Salute delivery person cutting through Bushnell Park, their cell phone and cash were stolen. Treasurer’s Report: Our current balance is $1,165.43. Our most recent checks were in June: $25.00 to HPL for use of their projector for our annual meeting, and $207.08 to reimburse C. Ortiz for materials for improvements to Buckingham Square Park. When Santander Bank took over Sovereign Bank, they required us to obtain and use a debit card three times/month to prevent monthly maintenance fees on our free checking account. To meet this requirement, C. Sicbaldi has been making small purchases (less than $1.00 each) of toiletries at CVS three times per month, resulting in a collection of items that the NRZ can’t actually use. R. Zaleski will discuss donating the items to the food pantry or other charity with President J. Palerma, as well as pursuing another avenue to avoid the fees. Committee Reports: Communications Committee: R. Zaleski requested that the Board vote to lower the fees for advertising, as no one has advertised in over a year and those who have been approached said the fees were too high for such a small audience (approx. 350 subscribers). The current fees of $25/mo or $200/yr (10 issues) were set years ago, at a time when people did not receive as many emails. A motion to lower the fees for advertising in the newsletter to $15/mo or $100/yr (10 issues) was made by C. Ortiz, seconded by C. Lowell. M. Moriarty had previously voted by email. Approved. Social Committee: R. Zaleski reported that the 2014 Holiday Party will take place on December 17, location will possibly be 50 Elm Café, which she is in negotiations with regarding a facility rental fee and menu items. The committee is also holding the same date at Vito’s On The Park if 50 Elm Café falls through. An email with event details will go out to all members as soon as the location is finalized.
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Strategy Committee: C. Lowell reported that the committee had reviewed the group’s feedback on the Vision Statement and made edits, which she will circulate to the Board, looking for final feedback in mid to late December. The Committee plans to present the final verbiage for vote at the January meeting. The Committee hopes to create small groups for projects and priorities and is looking to expand committees and scope. Old News: C. Ortiz reported that he had recently met with the City regarding Buckingham Square Park. They suggested no more work be done to the park’s soil or planting beds as they are planning to level the ground and remove the tree that is embedded in the fence (weather permitting). The round bed that was requested has been included in the City budget, Knox will maintain the grass, etc. There will be no work parties until next spring. C. Ortiz also reported that in researching the park, it appears that it may be the oldest public park in the City, pre-‐dating Bushnell Park. The land was given to the City in 1824 and the City took ownership in 1827 (Bushnell Park was founded in the 1850s). Further research reveals that it is the second-‐smallest park in the City (Charter Oak Park is smaller) and smallest usable park. New News: H. Lynch reported that the City Council approved a proposal to rename Engine House 16 in Blue Hills “The Kevin Bell Firehouse”, after the firefighter who was killed in action in October. To officially change the name, they need 8,000 signatures of city residents on a petition that will be presented to the City’s public buildings dedication committee. The petition was circulated among those present to sign. H. Lynch asked that we spread the word that the petition can be signed at any City firehouse. There will be no meeting in December, instead we will celebrate at the SoDo Holiday Happy Hour on Dec 17, 5:30 pm, Location TBA Next Meeting: January 21. Motion to adjourn by F. Gordon-‐Quiroga, seconded by C. Sicbaldi. Approved. Meeting adjourned at 6:50 pm. Respectfully submitted by R. Zaleski
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