WILLEMETTE VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION

MONTHLY MEETING MINUTES

 

THURSDAY, JULY 12, 2001

6:30 P.M.

 

Karla brought meeting to order at 6:40 p.m.

 

Business Meeting

 

Robin read minutes and they were approved.

 

A special thanks went to David Cosby for the neighborhood flyers and to Greg Stillwell for the letterhead.

 

Karla gave the crime report – Randy sick.

1.    Theft from vehicle

2.    Property thefts

3.    Vandalisms

4.    Accidents on Morgan Avenue

 

August 7th – National Night Out

          Roberts Stadium – Wesselman’s Park

          Need soda donations

 

A special thanks went to all who helped with the Operation City Beautiful Project.

          John White and his wife

          Karla Effinger

          Harlon and Doris Jones

Ray and Peggy White – Special thanks to American Disposal

          Chris and Rod Lang

 

Neighborhood Issues

Bushes need to be trimmed.

Parked cars that need to be tagged.

The Ice Cream Social was cancelled.

 

Karla encouraged everyone to keep coming to the meetings.

 

Chris Stuard recommended having a community bulletin board for used items.  (Washers, Dryers, etc.)

 

Soccer Field Discussion

 

Special Guests

          Mike Madriaga

          Jim Angermeier

          Steve Melcher

 

Upcoming City Council Meetings

          June 25th

          July 2nd

 

Soccer field as a project – okay

 

$675,000 taken out of Oak Hill Cemetery’s budget and put into the Park’s Department budget.

 

Looking into other sites – Kleymeyer.

 

The stoplight at Aviation was presented to the council.

 

$1,038,000.00 is all that the council is going to give.

 

Greg Stillwell:             Has anyone checked with INDOT regarding the stoplight at Morgan Avenue?

Response:                  This is being investigated.

 

Greg Stillwell:             Why should $600,000.00 go to soccer and not to something else?

Response:                  The riverboat revenue is to be spent on capital projects and it is the mayor’s option to choose revenue makers for the city.

 

Greg Stillwell:             If the cemetery property was going to be developed, why not 100 years ago?

We discussed the cemetery expansion and the soccer field expansion.

 

David Cosby:             Commended Steve Melcher for taking a stand.  Commended Karla for her proactive role.

 

Chris Lang:                 How did the vote go?

Response:                  6 Democrats in favor

                                      3 Republicans against

 

Chris Stuard:              Who brought up the traffic issue on First Avenue?

Response:                  The soccer community.

 

Chris Stuard:              If First Avenue can’t handle it, Morgan certainly can’t.  It would be easier to manipulate First Avenue (city street) rather than Morgan Avenue (state highway).

 

Chris Stuard:              Property values?

Response:                  No study done yet.

 

We discussed the sanctity of buried graves.

 

Mrs. Stillwell:              Questioned problems with the right turn lane on Weinbach.

Response:                  Activated stoplight at Aviation.

 

Mike Madriaga introduced himself and gave a brief history of his experience.

          EVSC – retired after 35 years.

          Head of Parks & Recreation

 

Robin Stuard:             Recommended making improvements to other parks, specifically Wesselman’s Nature Preserve.

 

Greg Stillwell:             Stated that Garvin Park is a disgrace to Evansville and it needs to be a #1 priority.

Response:                  Mike agreed, but stated that he has 55 other parks to deal with.  He stated that with time and money, the Parks & Recreation Department will do a better job.

 

The general consensus of the group was to use existing parks.  Why sink good money after bad?

 

The City Council has appointed Mike Madriaga and David Wagner as the Mayor’s Site Search Committee.

 

David Cosby:             Questioned Mike’s integrity.  If the soccer complex goes in, will it be a Parks & Recreation project?

Response:                  The site search would focus on city owned property, then the private sector, and finally, donated property for a tax write-off.

 

The final decision will be made by the mayor.

 

The big difference between useable property and not is due to topography.

 

Jim Angermeier spoke briefly about the situation and those involved.  He applauded our efforts.

 

Karla thanked the speakers and announced that the mayor, as well as some other officials, declined to come to the meeting tonight.  She encouraged everyone to come to the city council meetings.  The next city council meeting has yet to be announced.

 

The next meeting of the Willemette Village Neighborhood Association will be held on Thursday, August 9th.

 

Karla adjourned the meeting at 9:00 p.m.

 

Respectfully submitted,

 

 

 

Robin Stuard, Secretary