Thursday, November 2, 2017

WECAN November 2017 Board Meeting Minutes• Draft


WECAN Board Meeting Minutes November 2, 2017  
Board Members present: Danny Aull, Jared Fischer, Lynn Hall, Rebecca Lance, Rachel Larson, Caroline Mullis, Luke Perry and Pattiy Torno.  Members not present Byron Ballard, Tom Gibson, Mike Kenton, JoAnn Skinner and Suzanne Willis.
At Large Members not present: Floree Lowery and Rafael Rettig.
Also Present: Joe Fioccola and APD Officer Justin Wilson, Rev Brian Combs.
INTROS: Rachel called the meeting to order at 6:35 pm.  
MINUTES/ TREASURER”S REPORT: Rachel moved and Pattiy seconded a motion to approve the draft WECAN minutes from October 5 as emailed. The motion passed. The Treasurer reported a balance of $695.31. Pattiy reported on the pass thru proposal for New Belgium tips to RADA for the Fall Studio Stroll. She suggested 70% go to RADA for printing the Studio Guide and 20% go toward the maintenance of the Clingman Streetscape and 10% go to the WECAN Garden Club for Kudzu removal, public gardening and beautification. The size of the donation is unknown. The board approved the suggestion.
APD/CRO Update: Justin responded to the graffiti at Hunter Volvo that Duke was taking care of cleaning it. Also that he found who did it and charged them with 30 counts since July. There was a theft of a stroller from a porch which suggests to not leave valuables on open porches. There was a robbery of a cell phone after an altercation at Clingman and Hilliard that appeared to not be random. Doors were left open at 95 Roberts S and graffiti found inside and they need to better secure the building. More tents have been seen in the usual areas. Also Jared’s renter’s stolen motorcycle was found in a homeless camp at the top of Club St a block north of where it was stolen.
BLOCK JESSIES:  JoAnne’s birthday is on Friday.  About 70 people enjoyed the potluck at the Halloween Party. Great job Rebecca!  Jared’s box elder bugs have returned again this year. Pattiy remarked on the construction near the old 12Bones where they are creating a new waterway to divert the creek during the installation of a new culvert. She hopes it will have a good affect on the creek that sometimes floods.  Unfortunately AT&T broke a water line there but the Water Department was on it and got it restored as predicted.  She reported that Duke is still waiting on word from NCDOT for permission to use the city’s encroachment agreement for the tree replanting on Clingman. Pattiy will ask JoAnne about getting Jessie Mae plants for the Owens Bell/Jessie Mae Garden.
DUKE-ENERGY SUBSTATION Update:  The last meeting was set for November 1 but was canceled due to lack of progress on the residential properties.
HAYWOOD STREET CONGREGATION: Rev Brian Combs was invited to speak to WECAN because we seek greater understanding of homelessness and how we might support people getting “off the streets”.jasked what brings people to homelessness and how to engage better since the city policy doesn’t seem to be working. He explained that the congregation tries to help people suffering from poverty, addiction and mental illness. Their theology is to engage and listen to people’s needs and to that end they have set three programs: WELCOME TABLE: Every Wednesday they serve fresh home-made meals in four 45 minute sittings beginning at 10:30 am. They have also added Sunday night dinners. RESPITE: provide healthcare for chronic ailments with 8 beds to return to a baseline of health. Also free acupuncture, haircuts, yoga, dog food and needle exchange. WORSHIP SERVICE: Their strategy is to serve first then worship and not qualify or justify services. Chronic Homelessness remains a challenge. It is characterized by a dual diagnosis of addiction, PTSD and generational poverty and personalities that can’t abide the many shelter restrictions. Camping also has risks besides the weather such as theft of precious possessions (and identification needed for services), disease, violence, etc. Pattiy observed that in Japan there is a different reality with homelessness and recalled that John Payne had complained years ago that some campers under bridges are just not good neighbors defecating and littering. There are competing strategies to address needs: ‘Housing Last’ is one. It calls for being worthy first by getting off drugs, getting education, getting jobs first and then being rewarded with housing. ‘Housing First’ is the opposite strategy to provide housing security first and then provide the stabilizing services. Brian favors the second and has been trying for years to get a hard-to-house complex built because economically it makes sense. One study showed the cost in services to keep people homeless is $40,000 per person per year.  It is also hard to assess the size of the problem because even though there is an annual point-of-time count there are seasonal surges drawing people from all over the country. One estimate is about 100 chronically homeless and maybe 1000 occasional. Brian volunteered drug use is not uncommon among homelessness and he has experienced and is dealing with use and distribution in his church, but chooses tactics to curb it without involving the police. When asked about safety, he said it was not his mission’s first priority. Brian’s faith informs his trying creative approaches, getting people involved and giving with no expectation of any kind but it is very difficult to measure effectiveness. Brian does not coordinate with other nonprofits and the city to obtain services for people he serves. His mission is to provide condition-free and judgment-free comfort to the homeless by feeding them. After Brian left the conversation continued. Gentrification changes the physical landscape and reduces the spaces where homeless camp. Gentrification will make it more difficult for homeless. It is here now and homeless will be displaced. Joe observed that with Haywood Street Congregation, Western Carolina Rescue Mission, Salvation Army’s Red Shield Lodge, Homeward Bound and AHope day shelter within a few blocks of each other and of WECAN that the homeless and indigent will be with us for a long time. Rachel offered trash and sharps receptacles near campsites but we can’t give permission to camp on rights of way. When he sees campers Luke struggles with the options of calling the police and burdening the ineffective system or calling Brian. Pattiy framed the question how can WECAN be inclusive of everyone in our neighborhood. 
RAD FORM BASED CODE Is now set to go before City Council on November 14 with the issue of lodging in the RAD.  Pattiy explained the history and politics of the issue and the implications for the RAD and the city at large and the pressure from short term rentals and their effect of residential neighborhoods.
WECANEWS: Joe showed a draft of the Newsletter. Dave Campbell has offered to print 300 copies for free. In a discussion of delivery methods hand delivery of a paper copy for every address is preferred since we don’t have a good clean email/snail mail list and postage costs so much. Rebecca is considering hosting a folding party again. Joe will insert an appeal for email addresses and reassure that it will be used infrequently.
COMMUNITY GARDEN Rebecca will do a general email invite for a work date later this month to clean and tidy and prepare for spring planting.
ADOPT-A-HIGHWAY: Joe has set Thursday November 9 at 10am.
OTHER ISSUES: Rebecca reported that Asheville Redefines Transit has changed companies again. There was a problem with busses idling behind their house and Lee met with the new management. They are kind, nice and approachable. Lynn has asked NCDOT to undertake a study of Hilliard /Clingman intersection to determine if they can implement left-hand turn arrows for East and West bound traffic. As well as address rudh hour grid lock and pedestrian safety.
Meeting adjourned at 9:03 pm
Minutes submitted by Joe Fioccola, Secretary Emeritus
Important Upcoming Dates:
Nov 3                              JoAnne’s Birthday
Nov 7                              Election Day           
Nov 9                    Adopt A Highway 10 am
Nov 11                              Community Garden Workday?
Nov 11                              Cotton Mill Studios Grand Opening
Nov 11-12                  Studio Stroll
Nov 13                      C.A.N. Meeting 7 p.m. Oakley Community Center
Nov 17                              NH leaders Roundtable 8:30 @ Riverlink
Nov 16-17                  Folding Party?Distribution Date for WECAN NEWS
Dec 7                                Next WECAN Board Meeting/Potluck Thursday 6:30 pm

WECAN Board Meeting Minutes 4January 2024