Sunday, February 19, 2006

LONA Meeting Minutes of January 9th, 2006

Lyell-Otis Neighborhood Association Meeting Minutes of January 9th, 2006
 
Announcements
- proposal for next year to NOT meet during winter months
- not many items in our burglary/robbery report; break-ins were mostly in Edgerton and Dutchtown areas; we have better homes and better prevention techniques
- still requesting street captains; the more eyes the better!!
- no Housing Report as the next meeting is on January 26th @ 11am at the Lyell NET Office; help report “bad” houses; those in need of repair or with suspicious activity
 
Policeman Joe Hayes
- Officer Hayes passed the Sargent Exam (CONGRATULATIONS!), but leaving our NET for the Westside Office (We are sad to see him leave us!)
- Officer Vaughn on maternity leave (CONGRATULATIONS! Is it a girl or a boy?)
- Introduced Officer Nina Simeno - she is currently in training to join the Lyell NET team
C.P.O. (Crime Prevention Officer) 60 day transfer to NET - great experience, here to help people!
- many successful drug raids!
Dix St - confiscated cocaine, marijuana, $500, guns, cut down rifle; made 2 arrests at owner occupied property; nuisance points attached to property
Emerson St - officers shot pit-bull dogs when threatened with being attacked as they raided a drug house; found crack, cash, guns - made 4 arrests at 2 known drug homes
Lyell Ave - confiscated 22 bags of crack
- Since tactical unit stationed on Sherman St - decrease in robberies, dogs - animal control
Introduced Officer Nina Simeno: she’s been an officer for 10 years, now back on the Westside of Rochester; worked 4 years in Narcotics, formerly worked in the Maple Section
 
NET Report from Chuck Stechna
- Flower City Work Study program; reviewing 200 applications, needs assessment - the top 40 properties are helped by about 500 kids and 100 adults
- NET going through many changes; Sharon Conheady is no longer with the NET
- Mayor Duffy is replacing lots of people; 4 of the 6 NET administrators are to be replaced
- Lyell’s New NET Administrator is Jose Cruz, Marisol Lopez - new at Clinton office/section
- Molly Clifford is in charge of all NET offices
- changes have to do with the CGR review/report; NET’s been around since1997
- any changes in code enforcement, inspectors; review of specs - enforcement
- what is NET doing / inconsistencies in performance among all the NET offices
- new administration and direction; how much is prevention versus putting out fires
- 920 Glide St, no C of U; NET working on that property
- 480 Emerson corner of Santee St, demo meeting, nuisance
 
Sunset Group - Jim Thurston
- since A+ has been closed, much less criminal activity; prostitution has dropped significantly, along with the colder weather, not as conspicuous
- off site surveillance of sound and video will be monitoring all Sunoco activities in and out of store; also, better employees will be hired           
- awaiting 6 month trial for being open 24 hours, based on calls to police
- if you see suspicious activity like prostitution or drug activity, call 911
NET’s Chuck: collect all kinds of info to give to police - address, like a deposition, suspicious activities, dates, times, time line, license plates, sex, race, age
Jim: problem with response time by police, one instance he waited over a half hour
- Otis/Mt. Read, prostitutes, no records, nothing taken down
Chuck: police short handed, they will go over at next NET meeting
 
Guest Speaker: Rosemary Rivera of The Alliance for Quality Education
- graciously addressed our group; focused on some of the disparities faced in our urban schools. She is asking for support for a bill which calls for a fair funding system, smaller class sizes, universal pre-kindergarten and money for the resources needed in our schools.
- She suggested that we use “HOT SPOT”info sheets, created in Syracuse by neighbors who were worried about repercussions, sent in to police anonymously
Rosemary worked with Syracuse United Neighbors; fought crime, prejudicial housing, worked on nuisance abatement; also works for Metro Justice, for social, racial, environment
- a brief history: a group of parents in NYC didn’t like the quality of the education given to their children, took the district to court, currently in the NYS court of appeals
- Gov. Pataki was quoted as saying he’d be OK with kids getting an 8th grade education
- fighting for equality in educational financing, lots of disparities;
 ie: $250 per year for music program at Madison HS in Rochester - $3559 per year in Irondequoit
resources, computer labs; school aid system does not make sense
- Senator Roebach believes in campaign for fiscal equity, David Gantt is a sponsor as well
- “fair funding formula” is the ability to pay compared to need
Webster, Rochester 750 under, Greece, 84% increase within 4 years of implementation
- the money comes from the state, thereby alleviating any extra property taxes
- regressive versus progressive taxes since the 1970's, the wealthier you are - the less you pay
- must close loopholes for companies, like in COMIDA, tax breaks, no economic development
- she passed out an info sheet on her organization, a flyer for an event in Feb at the School Without Walls at 7pm, and an article on education from Metro Justice
- $55Million goes to private schools out of our budget; contracts tie their hands, very small amount that actually can be decided on; contact her via LONA Secretary, Pam, for more info.
   
John Rouse Jr - Peace Action Collaborative
- to reduce violence, increase peace; collaborated with Metro Justice
- sick of hearing that Rochester=violence, #1 murder rate in NY State
- seeks to enhance area with groups such as PAC-TAC; doesn’t see younger ones on patrol
- it takes us caring about our neighbors; contact him at:
JTHENJR@rochester.rr.com
 
Kathy Pierce, Executive Director of Cameron Communities Ministries
- located at 48 Cameron Street, near #30 school
- 210 attended their Christmas lunch on the Friday before Christmas
- blessed with food donation from a local church
- kids café attendees, usually number over 30 each afternoon
- reading and software contest: books read and tests passed receive recognition          
 
Next Meeting: Monday, March 13, 2006 - see you there!