Swan Lake Neighborhood Association

Minutes of the SLNA Executive Board: 2008

Apr 25, 2008

Archived Executive Minutes

The following minutes from the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association Executive Committee.

The minutes are posted in most recent to the oldest dates.

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

APRIL 22, 2008

MINUTES OF MEETING OF EXECUTIVE BOARD
OF
SWAN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
April 22, 2008

A meeting of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs of the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association (the ?“Association?”) was held at 7:00 p.m. on April 22, 2008 in the Marquette School Cafeteria (15th and Quincy), Tulsa, Oklahoma. Those in attendance were:

Stacey Bayles, President
Caroline Benediktson, Vice President
Mary McMahon, Treasurer
Jake Crissup, Secretary
Mark Mobbs, TPC COA Subcommittee Representative
Chip Atkins, COHN President and Neighborhood Representative
John (last name?), COHN Neighborhood Representative

Kevin Doyle, President, Swan Lake Waterfowl Society, and Eric Scholl, Editor, Sign of the Swan Newsletter were absent.

Stacey Bayles, President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Jake Crissup acted as Secretary of the meeting. The March 2008 minutes were presented and accepted. The following matters were discussed and acted on at the meeting:

1. Variance request - A parking variance request was approved by the BOA at 1701 S. Quaker.

2. COHN Report ?– Chip Atkins reported on the April Coalition of historic neighborhoods (COHN) general meeting. These meetings are held the third Monday of each month at the Harwelden mansion. Chip discussed the COHN booth at the Historic Preservation Conference in which the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association may be able to leverage to get information handed out to conference attendees. Chip also discussed COHN?’s initiative to educate people on the distinction between HP overlay zoning and national trust properties. He also stated that COHN is planning on updating their website soon.

3. Swan Lake Park Restoration Fundraising Report?– Approximately $50,000 to date has been donated for the Swan Lake Park restoration fund. Several trusts and foundations have been approached for fundraising efforts related to this project. Jake Crissup updated the group on an alternative approach to the water quality improvements proposed in the original study, including the addition of naturally occurring bacterial enzymes to digest the sludge versus dredge it, and 3 surface/subsurface fountain/aerator combo units instead of 3 compressor driven diffused disk aerators. Cost savings could be significant, but City approval is required before any action is taken.

4. 17th and Utica Construction ?– Slated for completion on July 1. Issues have occurred where a sub-contractor entered into the back neighbors backyard to do work and damaged the yard without permission.

5. 15th and Utica Street Project ?–Requesting the city place blinking lights on Utica at the ?“S-curve?” near 17th and a pedestrian crossing at 21st and St. Louis were discussed as safety measures that should be taken in conjuncture with the intersection widening. A pedestrian crossing would also serve to link Woodward Park and Swan Lake Park in a meaningful way. A possible sheltered picnic area was also discussed on the west end of Swan Lake Park if the existing trees (and the shade they provide) are removed.

6. General Membership Meeting ?– Mailers and flyers have been distributed for the April 26th, 2008 meeting to be held in Fletcher Hall from 10 am ?– 11:30 am. Meeting agenda and participants were discussed.

6. Property Value Report - Mark Mobbs presented a property value analysis for single family homes sold in the boundary of the Swan Lake neighborhood since 2000. It was noted that over time the sales price (on a $/SF basis) has generally trended up over the last 7 years with 2006 providing the ?“peak?” year of the analysis. Mark was quick to point out that this does not take into account the ?“upkeep?” or status of the houses that sold in any particular year.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Jake Crissup, Secretary
Approved:
Stacey Bayles, President

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

MARCH 18, 2008

MINUTES OF MEETING OF EXECUTIVE BOARD
OF
SWAN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
March 18, 2008

A meeting of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs of the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association (the ?“Association?”) was held at 7:00 p.m. on March 18, 2008 at the home of Caroline Benediktson, 1569 Swan Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Those in attendance were:

Stacey Bayles, President
Caroline Benediktson, Vice President
Mary McMahon, Treasurer
Jake Crissup, Secretary
Eric Scholl, Editor, Sign of the Swan Newsletter
Mark Mobbs, TPC COA Subcommittee Representative
Chip Atkins, COHN President and Neighborhood Representative
John (last name?), COHN Neighborhood Representative

Kevin Doyle, President, Swan Lake Waterfowl Society, was absent.

Stacey Bayles, President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Jake Crissup acted as Secretary of the meeting. The February 2008 minutes were presented and accepted. The following matters were discussed and acted on at the meeting:

1. Swan Lake Lights On/Historic Preservation Conference Event - Setting up lights around Swan Lake for the holiday season and the Historic Preservation Conference were discussed. Dates prior to the Conference of Saturday Oct 18th and Monday Oct 20th were considered as necessary to have the lights up before the conference attendees arrive to town. The conference is Scheduled for Oct 21-23. Also, in order to coordinate with the Utica Square lights on Event around Thanksgiving a special permit needs to be filed by August to ensure the event can be open to the public. The neighborhood application to the Preservation Conference to host a Tulsa run watch party was initially accepted and then denied on March 18th, 2008 due to a conflict with the closing session of the conference. Board members agreed that a Tulsa run watch party should still proceed for neighbors as an event that will raise awareness and money for the Swan Lake Park restoration project. Jake Crissup agreed to plan/organize the event. Chip Atkins reported that a candlelight tour in Maple Ridge was being coordinated as a conference event and that he will talk to that group to see if the tour bus could be routed through Swan Lake as part of the tour.

2. COHN Report ?– Chip Atkins reported on the march Coalition of historic neighborhoods (COHN) general meeting. These meetings are held the third Monday of each month at the Harwelden mansion. Chip discussed HUD rehab loan programs for historic preservation districts that are available. He also updated the group on a Conservation District forum that will be hosted by COHN in the June/July timeframe. The forum will consist of TMPAC, realtors, builders, and neighborhood/preservation advocates. Also, COHN is planning on setting up a booth at the Historic Preservation Conference in which the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association may be able to leverage to get information handed out to conference attendees.

3. Swan Lake Park Restoration Fundraising Report?– Approximately $50,000 to date has been donated for the Swan Lake Park restoration fund. Several trusts and foundations have been approached for fundraising efforts related to this project. The Bunson (sp?) Trust reportedly has $50K set aside for the project if we can earmark/allocate those funds for immediate use for improvements. Chapman Trust may be willing to donate as much as $200K. Bumgardner, Helreich, and Kaiser have also been approached with limited/no success other than Kaiser possibly interested in donating as much as $200K, but we need momentum to show these groups that their money will be put to good use soon.

4. Trees in Swan Lake Park Slated for Removal ?– There are three trees in the west park area that are significant in size that have an orange x on them for removal. Additionally, several trees around the lake itself have been identified for removal. Jake Crissup brought this to the group?’s attention and Caroline and Eric indicated they would discuss it with their contacts at the City. Eric also indicated he has taken pictures of the trees in the event we need to provide pictures of the trees in question.

5. 15th and Utica Street Project ?– This project has been on the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list for 10 years, and plans are available for the street widening. A left turn lane is proposed in all directions. Anticipated construction to begin in April/May 2008 and run through the end of the year (approx 270 days). During construction traffic will be 1 lane in all directions and left turns at the intersection will be prohibited. Street closings will be intermittent with the possibility of Sat/Sun closings. PSO underground work anticipated to be complete 02/08. Cox and ATT will do above ground work. Signs will be installed in all four quadrants to mitigate cut-through traffic. Pre-construction meeting expected to be called in February 2008.

6. General Membership Meeting ?– Dates for the Spring 2008 meeting were discussed for an April meeting. April 1 is an election day, and so it was ruled out. Tuesdays and Saturdays were discussed as being the best day of the week, and Saturday was given favor over the two as the farmer?’s market will bring people out in April. Fletcher Hall (Christ the King Church) was proposed as the best location given a Saturday morning meeting. Stacey will pursue Fletcher Hall and coordinate with City employees as to a date most suitable. Once a date is selected we will need to hand out flyers (door to door) as well as mail them to property owners with at least 2 weeks notice. The concept of Block captains was discussed to coordinate the door to door effort.

6. Property Value Report - Mark Mobbs presented a property value analysis for single family homes sold in the boundary of the Swan Lake neighborhood since 2000. It was noted that over time the sales price (on a $/SF basis) has generally trended up over the last 7 years with 2006 providing the ?“peak?” year of the analysis. Mark was quick to point out that this does not take into account the ?“upkeep?” or status of the houses that sold in any particular year.

7. Website/Communication ?– Eric stated that we have until June 19th to set up and run another online survey. He also recommended involving the ?“Village Voice?” in our neighborhood discussions?…this is the group that has organized on the north side of Cherry St and south of the BA expressway between Peoria and Utica. Setting up a link to the Park restoration website (www.swanlaketulsa.org) to the neighborhood website was proposed, and vice versa. We also discussed having an online pledge form on either/both of these sites to aid in the fundraising efforts.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.
Jake Crissup, Secretary
Approved: Stacey Bayles, President

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

JANUARY 15, 2008

MINUTES OF MEETING OF EXECUTIVE BOARD
OF
SWAN LAKE NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATION
January 15, 2008

A meeting of the Executive Board and Committee Chairs of the Swan Lake Neighborhood Association (the ?“Association?”) was held at 7:00 p.m. on January 15, 2008 at the home of Caroline Benediktson, 1569 Swan Drive, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Those in attendance were:

Stacey Bayles, President
Caroline Benediktson, Vice President
Mary McMahon, Treasurer
Lon Foster, 2007 Secretary
Jake Crissup, 2008 Secretary
Eric Scholl, Editor, Sign of the Swan Newsletter
Mark Mobbs, TPC COA Subcommittee Representative

Kevin Doyle, President, Swan Lake Waterfowl Society, was absent.

Stacey Bayles, President, called the meeting to order at 7:00 p.m. Jake Crissup acted as Secretary of the meeting. Lon Foster, as the 2007 Secretary, presented the December 2007 minutes. The following matters were discussed and acted on at the meeting:

1. Board/Committee Member Changes and General Business?– Mark Mobbs was nominated, voted on and approved to continue to act as the Tulsa Preservation Commission Subcommittee Representative for the neighborhood. Jake Crissup and Mary McMahon were introduced and accepted as incoming Board Members based on the December 6, 2007 general meeting election. Lon Foster was thanked for his time and efforts as an outgoing Board Member. Mary McMahon, Treasurer, noted that new signature cards would need to be filed for the Association?’s bank account. Mary McMahon also requested an updated neighborhood membership list (for collecting association dues of $25) and stated that landlords in the neighborhood need to be approached to become more active in neighborhood activities. Membership dues should be mailed to Mary at:

1509 E. 19th St.
Tulsa, OK 74120

Eric will update the website to reflect this. Executive Board meetings for 2008 were proposed by Stacey to be held the third Tuesday of each month at Caroline?’s house (1569 Swan Drive). General meetings in 2008 are to be held quarterly in/around March, June, September, and December, possibly to continue in the F&M bank building basement. Mary McMahon volunteered to host the Christmas party on/around Dec 8, 2008.

2. December 2007 Ice Storm ?– The impacts of the December 2007 Ice Storm to the neighborhood were discussed. Topics of discussion included taking down the Christmas Lights around the lake as access allows (tree and limb removal is anticipated by the City over the next several weeks and months).

3. Parks Department/Swan Lake Park Restoration Fundraising ?– Approximately $50,000 to date has been donated for the Swan Lake Park restoration fund. Money may/may not be in an interest bearing account. Greg Warren is retiring from the parks department, and the Swan Lake Park restoration project has also been impacted and put in limbo due to the parks department resources being diverted to ice storm activities. Furthermore, Caroline reported that the parks department will now only have jurisdiction of parks with recreational centers and that all other parks are now under Tulsa public works authority. Maurine Turner, the city horticulturist, said they are creating a plan on what to do about taking down limbs/trees in/around Swan Lake. It was noted that we still need participation from neighborhood residents to show the neighborhood supports the park restoration project. Even a few dollars from residents is important to show that we have a high percentage of people in the neighborhood who are contributing financially. Some ideas for fundraising discussed:
?• Maria Barnes was reported as looking into what additional funding may be available for the project at the city level.
?• Jack Frank may have some old photos that could be used to show fond memories of Swan Lake in prior years.
?• A neighborhood and/or Cherry Street fun walk/run was discussed as a possibility.
?• The National Trust Conference to be held in Tulsa in Oct 2008 was also discussed as a forum were money/awareness could be raised. Possibly hosting a home tour on Swan Lake with food and refreshments is a possibility. Jake Crissup agreed to submit an application to the Conference organizers.

4. 15th and Utica Street Project ?– This project has been on the Capital Improvement Project (CIP) list for 10 years, and plans are available for the street widening. A left turn lane is proposed in all directions. Anticipated construction to begin in April/May 2008 and run through the end of the year (approx 270 days). During construction traffic will be 1 lane in all directions and left turns at the intersection will be prohibited. Street closings will be intermittent with the possibility of Sat/Sun closings. PSO underground work anticipated to be complete 02/08. Cox and ATT will do above ground work. Signs will be installed in all four quadrants to mitigate cut-through traffic. Pre-construction meeting expected to be called in February 2008.

5. Cart Service Demo Project - Cart service has been extended. Individuals who want twice a week can make a request. Seems to be going well.

6. Website/Communication ?– Eric stated that he thought a blog could easily be formed on the website to improve neighbors ability to communicate with one another in cyber space. He also stated that he will check on the online survey results and re-submit them to the board members and look at setting up a new online survey.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

Jake Crissup, Secretary
Approved: Stacey Bayles, President