Mitman Neighborhood Association Annual meeting minutes
Thursday, October 10, 2013, 6:00pm 7:30pm, Van Buren Apartments, 625 N. Van Buren
Approximately 28 people attended the meeting including Council Member Steve Kozachik and Council Aide, Amy Stabler plus TPD East Division, Captain Carla Johnson. Steve gave an in depth explanation about two propositions on our next election.
City of Tucson General Plan will appear as Proposition 402: the State requires municipalities to have a general plan that is approved by voters. calculated for a new general plan which will be a general guide for future growth. The last general plan was approved in 2001.
There has been some misrepresentation about this and it does not involve pensions, debt or policy.
[more info online: http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/files/planning/Plan_Tucson_Flier_for_Web_10213.pdf]
City of Tucson Base Expenditure Limit Increase Proposition 401 would allow the city to spend more than the state spending limits would normally allow. If passed, this proposition will allow Tucson to use monies generated by increased economic development above and beyond the existing debt limit. It will not raise taxes nor does it authorize a tax revenue increase. Steve is voting in favor of both of these propositions.
City Tucson Pension Reform Initiative Proposition 201 will not be on the ballot.
The State Attorney General has released an FBI report that Rio Nuevo had no criminal Malfeasance in their dealing; mismanagement but no criminal indictments. Steve was commended by his thoroughness and questions at an El Rio / Grand Canyon meeting by a neighbor who is on the El Rio Committee. The City of Tucson is in the process of negotiations for a suitable site for Grand Canyon University to build a facility in Tucson.
Everyone thanked Steve and Amy for attending the meeting and for Steve giving such thorough Explanations of both propositions. [Steve was asked to talk about what he thought was most Pertinent for him to discuss in the next 25 minutes or so at the meeting].
Sandy Paris suggested neighbors use the Mitman website for information on the neighborhood and City departments, contacts, etc: www.mitman.org and encouraged everyone to let neighbors know about it and to contact her if they would like to be on the Mitman email distribution list.
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Mitman Neighborhood Officers were voted in: Sandy Paris, President; Mary Martin, Vice President and Treasurer; and Lou Bright, Secretary.
Mary Martin reported that we have $1,201.32 in the Mitman account and thanked everyone who supported the association.
Carla Johnson, Captain, Tucson Police Department, Eastside Division has been with TPD for 27 years and recently took over as captain. She reported that there were 9 burglaries; 11 vandalism; 3 stolen vehicles; 9 larcenies in September in Mitman. More stolen property has been exchanged for drugs and being fenced in out of town pawn shops. There is a need to lock homes and vehicles at all times. Do not leave anything visible in the car. Keep neighbors you trust apprised of your vacation plans and when your property will be vacant. Fifth Street has been noted as a street that needs more speed control especially at Sewell School crossing. Captain Johnson asked if there was a time when speeding occurred more often and several voices said no, it can be any day, any time of the week. Neighborhood Watch is done on a block by block basis and needs block captains to implement their block. Required meetings are only once a year.
Everyone thanked Captain Johnson for attending our meeting and requested she pass the word along to her division that we all appreciate the hard and dedicated work TPD officers do for all of us.
Mitman traffic circles have been ‘adopted’ as part of the Tucson Clean and Beautiful Adopt a Park program. Neighbors have been very good about pitching in and picking up litter and hopefully some of the struggling plants will look better in a year or two. Sandy has been in contact with them and Transportation is supposed to replace the reflector posts [bollards] and install white reflective domes around the circles. By adopting them we are responsible for cleanup which we have been doing since they were installed.
Another traffic circle or changing the STOP sign orientations and installing speed tables at Rosewood and Jefferson [with public input from the neighborhood would inform that decision] with a Bike HAWK at Craycroft and Rosewood is in the ‘3rd Street Bicycle Boulevard’ plans but there is not enough funding to complete them at this time.
Tina Pacheco from the El Rio Coalition gave a summary of the events that have happened between the City and the coalition dealing with the almost sale of City of Tucson Park and
Recreation El Rio Golf Course to Grand Canyon University. The coalition studied numbers that were given by Grand Canyon University for new positions there if it was built and they felt they were inflated and many colleges and universities now hire only part-time teachers/instructors.
Submitted,
Lou Bright, Secretary, Mitman Neighborhood Association
Mitman Neighborhood Association
Annual Meeting October 10, 2013