Board Members Present: Nancy Norby, Heidi Kohne, Bing Wong, Paul Leistner, Cascade Anderson-Geller, Mark Bartlett, Nadine Fiedler, John McLaren, Dawn Smallman/Greg Snider, Stephanie Stewart

Board Members Absent: Bruce Treat, Jim Blackwood, Nadine Fiedler, John Laursen, Mike Shaver

Others Present: Tom Leiner, Dan Kyle, Barb Gamelgard, Janice Hogue, Leah Hyman (SEUL), Bunny & Gayle Marechal, Meghan Schuk, Bryan Brumler, Lydia Corran

The meeting opened with introductions led by Vice-President Norby. The corrected minutes from the August meeting were then approved on a motion by Mark Bartlett, seconded by Bing Wong.

The financial report was presented by Treasurer Wong. A check for $100 to the Middle School has been written, but not co-signed.

Neighborhood Issues and Concerns

Heidi Kohne announced, and Leah Hyman clarified, that MTNA has new sign-in sheets that require a check box for people to state if they want to be a voting member of the MTNA. MSC Barb Gamelgard, Dawn Smallman to rewrite our bylaws and to review ORS 65.131 to make sure we are in compliance.

Nancy Norby reported that the curb extension project going from Tabor to the river has been She also said that 52nd & 53rd streets will be asphalted.

Gayle Marechal made a request on behalf of a neighbor wanting to know if a NO OUTLET sign can go up on 65th and 66th avenues, and if so, who to talk to. It was determined that PDOT is who to go to.

Bike for Shelter: Held Sunday, September 27th from 7am-3:30pm, this event will be a bicycle ride through Portland streets starting at 76th and Burnside and travelling along Harrison, Salmon, 53rd, Belmont, Ankeny, and ending up near the river. This event will be raising money for Transitions Global, which will build a shelter for underage girls who are recovering from prostitution. All permits have been gotten, streets will not be closed, they’re not needing police presence, and all traffic laws have to be abided by the cyclists. The money-raising is happening by the cyclists prior to the event.

Ride Connection: Lydia Corran presented transportation options for seniors who can’t rely on other modes of transportation, including TriMet, and who need to get to doctors’ appointments, grocery stores, etc. They service the whole tri-county area. They are looking for volunteer drivers; contact Trink Easterday at (503) 528-1738.

Good Neighbor Agreement: Dawn Smallman reported that another good neighbor agreement meeting happened last week. It was attended by a number of business owners as well as an employee of OLCC and Kathryn of the police department. Discussions included police and patron safety, especially in the aftermath of the shooting in front of Sewickly’s. Dawn said that the meeting ended with a general agreement to meet again in about 6 months’ time to review the agreement and the state of the street. The OLCC representative said that the OLCC only regulates the locations of liquor stores, but not the locations of bars. Dawn also said that the bar owners are in a bind when it comes to cigarette butts, as business owners are not allowed to have ashtrays within 10 feet of doors, even though the cigarette butts are garbage that’s being thrown all over the sidewalks and streets. It was moved by Dawn Smallman, seconded by Nancy Norby, to write a letter supporting a new law that would allow bars to have ashtrays located within 10 feet of doors; approved. Dawn also said that the Water Trough has been given OLCC permission to sell carry-out liquor, but not consumed-inside liquor. Greg Snider said that there is interest from some business owners to have signs made saying something like, “Please be courteous to your neighbors.”

Zoning Violations: Mark Bartlett reported that Portland Public Schools has done some construction work that violates zoning laws. One of the zoning violations is when PPS merges two schools together, which is a violation of PPS’s own ordinance, and they haven’t informed the public. PPS is pursuing having the zoning code changed so that they don’t have to worry about violations anymore. Mark has written a letter to city council explaining why this is not a good idea. The Planning Commission will be meeting on September 22nd at 7:00pm to discuss this, and the public is invited. Mark also said that PPS is considering selling a few high schools, including Franklin and Madison. Leah Hyman of SEUL has agreed to work with Mark to get his letter to City Council condensed. It was moved by Stephanie Stewart, seconded by Heidi Kohne, that MTNA support Mark’s letter, withdrawn. It was moved by Dawn Smallman, seconded by Nancy Norby, to write a new letter to the Planning Commission by September 21st that broadly raises concerns about PPS’s zoning laws, written by Cascade, Mark, and Leah; approved.

Committees

SEUL