WASHINGTON PARK NEIGHBORHOOD ENHANCEMENT AND PRESERVATION COUNCIL MEETING
February 12, 2004
Our meeting started at 6:31pm.
Council members present Eugene Franklin President, Yvonne Sumlin Vice President, Idella Wright Public Relations Assistant and Julia Porter Secretary.
Yvonne Sumlin made the motion to approve the minutes from January 8, 2004. Idella Wright seconded the motion. There were no questions. The vote was unanimous to accept the minutes.
Our guest was introduced Mike Hammad.
Item 1 we need to add a Policy to the Neighborhood Enhancement and Preservation Plan. The additional Policy to Section V1 Strategies and Policies to Enhance the District would read as follows. Policy 16 ?“The Washington Park Neighborhood Council shall continue to work with the Broward County Planning Services Division to develop strategies to enhance the redevelopment of the NW 27th Avenue commercial corridor within the District.?” We want to have it on the agenda for the County Commissioners for March. The no food dispensing vendors signs are posted. The wrong Ordinance Number is on the signs. We have to correct this. Currently they will only get a citation. Our Plan doesn?’t address standards for businesses in the Washington Park District.
Yvonne asked Mike what businesses he owns on NW 27th Avenue. He owns Diamond Girl and the Community Store next to it. There was a complaint about delivery trucks parking on 27th Avenue. Mike has spoke to them and asked them to avoid parking in the street prior to 9am. Mike asked when the Neighborhood Enhancement and Preservation Plan were established. Eugene told him in 2001. The Civic Association was established in the Eighties. He explained the boundaries are from Sunrise Boulevard on the North, NW 27th Avenue on the East, NW 6th Street on the South and Martin Luther King Boulevard on the West. The time for the Civic Association meeting is the second Thursday of the Month at Lafayette Hart Park in the Trailer. Mike said he thinks everyone should come to the Civic Association meetings. He wants to come to the meetings or have one of his Managers come. He also owns the Sunoco Gas Station on Sunrise Boulevard and NW 24th Avenue. He owns businesses in Delray also. He wants to address issues as they come up. He said that there are guys that get picked up for work from 7-9am mornings and they park in the vacant lot. This has been going on for years.
He is here for the long run and wants to add a Deli to his business. He wants to have a Grocery Store in the future. He will need workers and wants to hire people from the Neighborhood.
Julia Porter made a motion to approve Section VI Strategies and Policies to Enhance the District Policy 16. Yvonne Sumlin seconded the motion. There were no questions. The vote was unanimous to approve the motion.
Eugene gave out a copy of our Organization Chart. Eugene will work with the Business Associations and Building, Zoning and Code Compliance. Yvonne will work with Youth and Seniors, Senior?’s Complex and BSO Law Enforcement. Sandra Bloodsaw and Idella Wright will work with the Street & Block Captains, CERT and Crime Watch. Julia Porter will do Correspondence, Minutes and Agendas. He explained this way Residents and Businesses know whom to call to handle a situation. He told Mike we have to operate in the Sunshine Law and everything has to be done in public. Our meetings are published in the Sun Sentinel and posted in the Commissioners Office. Idella motioned that we accept the Organization Chart to the Neighborhood Enhancement and Preservation Plan. Yvonne seconded the motion. There were no questions. The vote was unanimous to approve the Chart.
Eugene has emailed Cynthia Chambers about a copier, paper and a digital camera. He has spoke to Mrs. Hinton and Gretchen Thompson. The camera can be left in the Community Action Office. They will have a form to sign the camera in and out. We will be given a copy of the form returning the camera. The camera is needed for noncompliance problems. Pictures would be taken of the problem for Courtesy Warnings that are given out.
Mike said that we could put up a Display box on the sign of his store for our handouts and flyers. If we provide copies he would also be willing to give them out to his customers with their purchases. Yvonne will work with Mike on this project.
Yvonne said we need permanent signs in the entryways with a Plexiglas cover so we can slide the signs in when we need to have special meetings. Eugene said Natalie Harrah is working on this.
Saturdays in the Park Michael Jackson is going to assist us with this. The Audubon Society also wants to setup a booth. Ted Vitale wants to bring free paint. We can use the kids to paint the houses to earn Community Service hours. Madd Dads is an organization against drugs, they want to come out and do a presentation to the Civic Association. This will be referred to the Civic Association.
Mike said his business is up to code but all the businesses on NW 27th Avenue are not and they don?’t receive violations. He wanted to know why. Yvonne said we need to work on that so that everyone is treated the same.
The NUSA conference in May was discussed. Yvonne will narrate the bus tour and Julia Porter will assist. The African American Library will be the ending place. There will be a Barbeque at Delevoe Park.
Yvonne met with the Chief?’s secretary for BSO to work on a program for our students who need volunteer hours. She will be referring kids from our neighborhood and one student will start on February 13, 2004. Volunteer hours are a requirement for students to graduate. There are different tiers for the program. We need to let residents know that students need to work for a High School Diplomas not a Certificate of Completion.