May 5th Minutes

MINUTES

May 5, 2007
6:30 – 8:00 pm
Bedford Stuyvesant YMCA
1121 Bedford Avenue and Monroe Street

Welcome and Introduction

Kisha welcomed everyone to the meeting and asked people to introduce themselves and state their address. After the initial introductions, Kisha read the minutes from the April 7 meeting.

Toya reminded everyone to sign the attendance sheet and take a welcome packet. The welcome packet contains a lot of important information about the block association such as our by laws, a calendar of our monthly meetings, a community resource list, and upcoming informational meetings around the neighborhood. The association has a new email address for the block association in addition to our blog page. Please send all comments and questions to Madisonstreet3@gmail.com.

Committee Updates

Michael reported about the community garden. The fence has been repaired thanks to help from Green Thumb. Andrew and a team of dedicated volunteers have been out in the garden almost every week end getting things together. The garden has received several in kind donations such as wood and plants from Green Guerrillas. GG will deliver top soil in the next 7-10 days. According to the contract with the Department of Parks the community garden is required to be open at least 10 hours a week. We are in the process of creating a sign which will list the hours for the garden. If you would like to volunteer at the garden please contact Michael – all are welcome. Michael can be reached via email at Mbroder@mbroder.com.

Kisha is working with a small committee to organize the block party. The date has been set – July 14 with a rain date of July 21. Kisha provided a draft budget for the block party – see attached budget. In order to pay for the block party, Kisha has organized a few fundraisers including the plant sale. To date, she has raised about $500. Kisha estimates that the total cost of the block party will be about $900. Kisha is working with Christian and a few of the DJ’s on the block on the music for the party. Please contact Kisha if you are interested in helping to plan the block party. We need everyone’s participation in order for this event to be a success. Kisha can be reached at kishaonmadison@yahoo.com.

Toya asked Kisha to read the notes from the meeting with Police Captain Donald Lyons. The purpose of the public safety committee is to promote safety on the block and maintain positive communication with the local police precinct. The association needs volunteers to attend the monthly precinct community council meetings which are held on the fourth Wednesday of every month. The next meeting is May 23 at 7 pm. The meetings are held at the Job Corps building which is located at 585 DeKalb Avenue. Dennis, Kisha and Maliza offered to attend the meetings on a rotating basis. If anyone else is interested in volunteering on the public safety committee please contact Toya via email at madisonstreet3@gmail.com.

Toya gave a brief review of the past fundraising efforts. The block association received a $600 grant from Citizens for NYC to support activities and outreach to encourage all residents to participate in the block association. The grant will be used to purchase food for the Meet and Greet Mixer in June, to purchase supplies for window boxes which will be raffled at the Meet and Greet in June, to purchase light refreshments for the monthly meetings, and to create a welcome kit for the association members. This grant, in combination with the member contributions, will support the activities of the block association during the 2007 calendar year. The association can apply for another grant in December pending successful completion of the work plan.

Andrew gave a brief overview of the budget. He passed out a financial report which details income and expenses to date. So far the association has collected contributions from 17 members totaling $520. Member contributions are $5/month or $60/year. Kisha raised $1,049 through her plant sale. Total incoming funds - $2,169. To date, the association has made two outgoing payments: 1) $535 payment for the plant sale and 2) $132.38 for supplies and flyers. Balance - $1,501.62.

Discuss Work Plan

Toya reminded everyone about the work plan that the association submitted to Citizens for NYC as part of our grant. According to the work plan, the block association agreed to host a Meet and Greet Mixer to encourage more participation in the block association. The association will host the party at the YMCA from 6 to 7 pm on June 2, 2007. The purpose of the party is to build membership and to promote positive and respective lines of communication among the residents of the block so we can create a place where everyone feels welcome and safe. We will have our monthly meeting after the party at 7pm.

A second item detailed in the work plan is the Greenest Block in Brooklyn Contest. This is an opportunity for the residents to beautify the block with window boxes, street planters, small potted plants, and other times that will add greenery to the block. The contest begins in June and culminates in August when the winners of the contest are announced. First place winners receive a cash prize for their association. All finalist blocks receive small prizes such as gift certificates or plants. We will raffle off window boxes at the upcoming party in June to jump start the process. Please be on the look out for additional information about the contest and join the block to support this greening effort.

A third item listed on the work plan included hosting informational meetings. The first meeting was on April 19, 2007 with the 79th Police Precinct. Upcoming meetings will include representatives from Just Food, Green Guerillas, Dept. of Sanitation, NY Fire Department, Brooklyn Green Bridge/BBG, and the American Cancer Society. These meetings may be part of the monthly meetings or they may be scheduled on a week day evening depending on the availability of the organization. Please let Toya know if you have a personal contact with a particular group or if there is a specific issue you would like to address during the informational meeting.

At the last meeting, several residents mentioned the need to provide positive activities for the youth on the block. In response to those requests, Kisha and a group of concerned residents collected information about local programs serving youth. If anyone needs a copy please contact Kisha.

Kisha also has plans to work with the parents on the block to address some of the issues that have been raised at past meetings: noise, youth hanging out and littering, vandalism, etc. She is trying to organize a pizza party on Brooklyn Queens Day which is June 7. If anyone is interested in learning more about this project or has ideas about working with the youth on the block please contact Kisha. The association needs everyone to support this effort if we are going to address the youth on the block and begin a positive and respective dialogue with them and their friends.

Another way to learn more about what can be done to promote positive dialogues with the youth on the block is to attend a training session organized by Citizens for NYC. The session will talk about positive ways to engage youth in community organizing. The session will be held on May 31, 2007 at 7pm at Magnolia Tree Earth Center which is located at 677 Lafayette Avenue and Marcy. There is more information about this session and other workshops in the welcome folder.

New Business

Reschedule July 7 meeting – The meeting scheduled for July 7 will be held on June 30.
Community Liaison - Toya asked for volunteers to attend the monthly Community Board and Precinct Council meetings. Ajamu Brown volunteered to attend the Community Board meetings which are held on the first Monday of the month at Restoration Plaza. Kisha, Dennis and Maliza volunteered to attend the Precinct Council meetings which are held on the fourth Wednesday of the month at the Job Corps building.

Interim Elections - Toya announced that we would have interim elections for officers in two months. When the block association was restarted, the current officers agreed to serve six month terms. Those terms end in July which means the members of the association need to vote again. Toya, Andrew and Fran have agreed to remain in their positions. Kisha and Christian have decided to step down which means there are two open officer positions – Vice President and Secretary. If anyone is interested in running for either of these offices please review the job descriptions as outlined in the by-laws and come prepared to make your case at the June 30 meeting. We will vote at the June 30 meeting and the new officers will serve an interim term of 6 months until the annual election in December 07. Please read the by-laws if you have any questions about the duties of each officer position.

General Announcements

Ajamu Brown asked everyone to save the date for a health fair on Saturday, June 16 at St. John Recreational Park. He is working with several organizations to host the 2007 Healthy Village and Safe Street Festival. Please see the attached flyer for details of contact Ajamu Brown at (212) 244-4664 x279 or Dawn Cook at (718) 771-2787. You can also get information at www.myspace.com/175142631.

Lauren Melodia gave a presentation on the Bedford Stuyvesant Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). A CSA is a mutually beneficial partnership between a local farm and a neighborhood. The farm brings fresh, affordable produce to the neighborhood, and the residents provide a stable financial base for the farm. CSA members join by buying a “share” in the farm in early spring and then receive a weekly shipment of fresh, organic produce from June to October. Members pick up their shares at Magnolia Tree Earth Center at 677 Lafayette Avenue on Saturday from 10 am to 2 pm. If you have additional questions about how to join the CSA please call (347) 403-4050 or email at bedstuycsa@gmail.com. This is a great program for people looking to support a farmer of color in our region and purchase fresh produce at an affordable price.

The meeting was adjourned at 7:50 pm.
Twenty-two people in attendance.
Minutes submitted by Toya Williford.