Dietz Neighborhood Association

Jan. 15 meeting minutes.

 

 

Dietz Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes

Thursday - Jan. 15,2009 - 7:00-8:20 pm

Tucson Meadows Community Center

Meeting was called to order at 7:00 PM by President, Ed Brousseau. _ people were in attendance.

Hand outs were provided at the sign in table: Minutes, Agenda, Dietz School Information, Flow Chart for Easter Egg Hunt & Association 2009 Membership Forms The Pledge of Allegiance was said. Guest Speakers:

Sgt. Plummer from Tucson Police Department

Sgt. Plummer reported on Crime Statistics in our neighborhood for the previous 3 months. There had been 11 burglaries in our neighborhood. This seemed high to TPD and they researched. Burglaries have happened in daytime at rear of homes, accessing through sliding doors with cash, jewelry & video games targeted. There was 1 sexual assault. There were 12 calls reporting suspicious activity. TPD has an interactive WEB site citizens can access to check crimes. Audience questions related to speeders on 29 . Try to get license plate numbers. Barking dogs are low police priority. Try speaking with neighbor or calling animal control. Yard sale signs not being picked up were also mentioned. Sgt. Plummer mentioned he is retiring in two months.

Shirley Scott councilperson, Ward IV and her Aide Andy Squire

• State of the City reported. There is not very much money in City of Tucson. Funds come from sales tax revenues. Shopping has been way down by individuals and families. The state wants
  two million dollars from Tucson. More people are buying things on internet and avoiding
  paying taxes. This has really hurt Tucson.

 

• City primary property tax is 2%. Secondary primary property tax is only for paying off bonds.

Enterprise funded self supporting departments are water & trash pickup & are funded by fees.
There are core services such as public safety, fire protection, courts, jails, transportation that
need the funding to be protected. Park facilities & buses were mentioned. Park programs are
not self supporting. Example: Bus riders pay only 25% of actual cost of riding while 75% is
subsidized.

 

• Federal Community Block Grants have been coming to the city for years. The wards have always shared. Outside agencies apply for grants. Ward aides have presented to city to not use
  this money for individual wards but use it to help overall city funding. This means some fees
  would go up for other stuff that had been covered in wards with Back-To-Basics money.

 

• Ed asked if the proposed intersection upgrades at Kolb & Golf Links would still happen. This should still happen as the bond money was approved by voters in RTA.

 

• Rio Nuevo is funded by state by returning some of the sales tax, and some funding is from private sector. Rio Nuevo money is restrictive & can only be used there. It is in a tax
  increment funding district within a defined boundary. The state receives 5% of all sales tax.
  2.5% of that tax raised in the defined boundary area comes back to Rio Nuevo and can only be
  used in Rio Nuevo and no where else. 60% of that money is generated at Park Place Mall.
  Someone mentioned reading that the state wants to kill Rio Nuevo. If Rio Nuevo is canceled
  the state would assume the debt.

 

• Someone mentioned the State Legislature is proposing a bill to change the method that Tucson uses to elect council members for the wards to conform to all other cities in state.

 

• Pantano Road is discussed. Shirley said the cost estimate to improve is around 1.5 million dollars. Originally it had been hoped to fund improvements through impact fees. Since there is
  no new construction there have been no impact fees. There is still a little Back-To-Basic money ($15K) in Ward 4 for this fiscal year and it must be used up by July 1, 09. Shirley's office is trying to get the city to at least install a simple nothing fancy curbing in medians. She is irritated when told outrageous cost estimates like $20,000 for a bus stop pad.
• The other outrageous cost estimate for weed spraying 29^th Street and Prudence Road medians is $25,000 dollars. Shirley and Andy mention some projects are over estimated because they
  think the departments don't want to deal with them. The original agreement with city &
  neighbors was to use volunteers to help maintain. Andy wants to start a neighborhood work
  force based on volunteers. Group would go around door to door with flyers notifying with
  schedule of actual dates and targets for cleanup & maintenance.

 

• The new Children's Performance area at Lincoln Park is constructed and not just something being talked about.

 

• There were also some comments from audience about traffic cameras. Are cameras fund raisers? No, the camera ticket money goes to Phoenix not Tucson.

 

Minutes:

Copies of January 17, 2008 meeting minutes were provided at sign in table for review.

President, Ed Brousseau, calls to audience for comments and approval. Minutes were approved.

Treasurer's Report:

The Treasurer's Report was given by Barbara Thompson.

There is $446.69 in Special Event Fund and $227.12 in general fund for total of $723.81

President, Ed Brousseau calls to audience for comments and approval. Report was approved.

Old Business:

• Ed explains that the office of First Vice-President is still open and asked for volunteers.

• Ed presented outgoing officers Kathy Van Home, First Vice-President and Jeri Ward, Secretary with certificates of appreciation.

 

New Business

• Ed introduced incoming officer, Linda Howell as new secretary.
• Jeri Ward will still maintain the Newsletter.
• Ed shared information on the new Arizona Law for License Plate Covers & fines.

• Ed talked about needing volunteers for the Easter Egg Hunt special event on April 4^th. He told us a neighbor has a jumping castle business and has volunteered to bring it and set it up. There
  was question about insurance. This company has a two million dollar liability insurance
  policy. It was mentioned that extra people would needed to assist the children using jumping
  castle.

 

• Ed mentioned that we need to do the annual audit of the association funds. Marvin Humble & Fred Haag have volunteered so far. If any others wish to volunteer they should contact Ed
  Brousseau.

 

• Ed reported on public mini parks located within the Dietz boundaries and held up a map. There are four parks. They are located east of Prudence on Juarez, 24^th, 25^th & north of 27^th on
  Logan. They look like landscaped medians and all city rules should be observed if using park.

 

• Ed reported on graffiti and that the city no longer cleans up alleys & trash bins. Power & light poles will only be cleaned if on main streets.

 

• There was no additional new business from the floor.
• The next meeting date was announced and is Thursday, April 16, 09, 7pm, at Dietz School

 

• Reminder of Easter Egg Hunt, Sat. April 4^th, 09 at school playground & need volunteers.

50/50 Drawing was held. Marie Colette won $11

 

Additional information was shared by Georgia Brousseau about her volunteer teaching of a Pima College Citizenship Class at Eastside Learning Center near 27^th & Alveraon. She was present when 25 new U.S. Citizens were sworn in. The classes are free but the government paper work cost to applicants is not. If anyone knows of someone needing to take citizenship classes they can get information at the Eastside Learning Center or speak with her.

Meeting was adjourned at 8:20 pm