Mitman Neighborhood Association Board Meeting
November 1, 2023
PRESENT: Ali Bickford, President, Robin Steinberg, Vice President, Mary Martin, Chief Financial Officer, Susan Patania, Chief Information Officer, Jennifer Beard, Advisor, Harold Hallikainen, Advisor
The meeting was held at Ali Bickford’s house from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. It was dedicated to reviewing ongoing projects from past years and establishing goals for the future. Transparency and providing access to all neighbors were identified as priorities.
The discussion began with basic logistics:
- Board meetings will be held monthly according to a fixed schedule, e.g., first Tuesday of the month. The schedule and agenda will be posted on Mitman.org., along with minutes of previous meetings. Meeting rooms at Murphy-Wilmot library or Ward 6 offices were suggested as future locations. Ali Bickford will follow up.
- All neighbors will be invited to the monthly meetings and will be encouraged to participate, however only Board members will formally vote. Board decisions will be made by a simple majority vote.
Ali presented an informal agenda of issues carried over from past year(s), and those raised by neighbors at the Annual Meeting:
- Advisor Jennifer Beard gave an update on the ongoing multitude of problems caused by the Love Cabaret strip club on Speedway. The latest nuisance is intense glare from lights recently installed in the back parking lot. Jennifer has advocated on behalf of her 1st St. neighbors for years. To date, the club’s efforts to get a liquor license have failed.
- Advisor Harold Hallikainen is looking into the requirements for obtaining 501(c)(3) status for the Association.
- Robin Steinberg and Harold Hallikainen are working on a final draft of the Association Bylaws. Their draft will be reviewed and voted on by the Board.
- Electronic applications like Venmo or Paypal will be made available for payment of dues or donations.
- Ali described her successful effort last year to obtain funding to turn the empty lot just N. of 5th St. on Van Buren into a pocket park with greenery and water harvesting. Board leadership at the time was not supportive, and the grant money was returned. It may be possible to re-submit the grant application.
- Traffic circles and speed bumps have improved the safety of our streets. The Board would like to expand neighborhood improvements to the next level by participating in the city’s GSI (Green Stormwater Infrastructure) and Street Calming infrastructure programs.