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
