Meeting Minutes
Board Members
Christine Laliberte, Allan Whiting, Lauren Ross, Brooks Barth, Sam Yerke
Neighbors
Julie D
Speakers or Guests
Tiffany Mancillas EMSWCD, Kim Kasch - running for Commissioner #3, Brian from OCCJR
Action Items
CL - Share EMSWCD workshops: https://emswcd.org/workshops-and-events/upcoming-workshops/
CL/SY - Post Bike Loud flyer to socials
AW - Asking Justen NECN how reorgization will affect VNA
NR - Include newsletter accountability for action item from neighborhood survey
AGENDA
7-7:05p Introductions
7:05p quick mentions & updates
PPF Grant (Brooks)
NECN Blood Drive May 11
August 18th Movie in the Park (Goonies)
7:20-7:30p Kim Kasch city commissioner candidate
7:35-7:45p Brian M Douglass from Oregon Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform
7:45p onwards
Recap on Clean Up Efforts & Next Steps Office Of Mayor Ted Wheeler meeting (Sam)
Discuss including updates on the feedback we were given and the actions items that have been taken from the feedback in each newsletter
Discuss vendors we may want at movie in the park for food
Pip's
Shaved Ice (would need vendor name)
Choose vendors/businesses we want to reach out to for tabling - not for selling, can do give aways & share info
Collage - craft table ■ Mamey - juice bar
MEETING SUMMARY
Tiffany from EMSWCD
Tiffany introduces herself and shares resources: https://emswcd.org/workshops-and-events/upcoming-workshops/
Kim Kasch running for Commissioner #3
www.kimkaschforportland.com
kimkaschforportland@gmail.com
Kim has lived in Portland for 60 years. She’s involved in different runs in Portland, Big Sister, and other endeavors. She wants to bring back “Fareless Square.” Kasch wants to focus on homeless situation - want to help coordinate basic care, for mobile showers, laundry facilities, community gardens to reduce food insecurity. Top four top agenda items: 1. safety & sanitation 2. affordable housing 3. Economy 4. Climate
Brian M Douglass from Oregon Coalition for Criminal Justice Reform (OCCJR)
occjr.org
There is currently no oversight commission for the state DAs. New York State is the first to implement this kind of commission. Douglass is asking people to go to state reps to vote in 2023 for a DA commission.
Sam - Clean Up Efforts by the Office Of Mayor Ted Wheeler Meeting
Ted Wheeler is starting a weekly problem solving meeting to address trash and litter issues citywide. They will host weekly meetings with various bureaus of the city, NAs, business associations, etc.. to talk to them directly about what people are seeing in their neighborhoods and cut the red tape. The office will use “emergency declarations” to help them to act faster, meetings help bureaus interact with each other. They will have 5-6 groups that will meet weekly or bi-weekly. The office wants to pay someone a stipend to go around the neighborhoods to identify issues. This initiative should be rolling out in the next 3 weeks.
Sam - Bike Loud
Bike Loud is an advocacy group that will be hosting Sunday Parkways on Going St. They want to have an event on Going St every Sunday approx between Interstate and 54th St. Bike Load’s mission is to incentivize people to get out and bike. Christine will post flyer to socials
Allan - Northeast Coalition of Neighborhoods (NECN) updates
Allan reported there’s a new director, Justen, who is interested in reinventing NECN by doing some big internal changes. FSP system might be limiting NECN capacity - unclear what that means and if that will affect VNA. They are asking for input from NAs for DEI efforts. It will be an opportunity for NA’s to show what we are doing, in order to meet metrics so they get funding from the city. The neighborhood clean up money has been reinstated - not sure how it will be distributed yet.
Group Discussion
Movie in the park. How to organize fundraising efforts. Discussion around selling tables and having different pricing.
Talked for a while about fundraising that was done pre-pandemic to organize with other neighborhoods for a “clean up” day where people could bring their things from home (paint cans, old clothes, recycling etc.) and volunteers would sort through them. It would cost ~$15 a car.
Discussed including in newsletter action items from the neighborhood survey to show ongoing accountability. Nikki will be in charge of including this in the newsletter.
