Agenda
- 6:30 – 6:45 – Icebreaker, your childhood crush (not recorded)
- 6:45 – 7:00 – Amy from University Area Commission
Amy Elbaor, invited candidates from the neighborhood to the UAC, meetings are third Wednesday of the month, there is one immediate opening and the commissioners would vote on your candidacy until the next seat opens. The traffic patterns are a big topic for the UAC currently there will be a traffic study probably in the fall. Anyone interested in the seat should contact Amy.
Joyce Hughes Park, her house is on Grant Avenue directly across, Wagenbrenner/Thrive Development had a virtual happy hour with the homeowners on Grant Avenue and gave a timeline of the park being built, and Amy would like to continue to try to bridge the gap between Grant Park neighbors and Weinland Park, the neighbors are supporting it through the HOA and there are folks over there who want to close the park to the neighbors who are not part of the HOA. The neighbors want it to be a dog park, and they are upset that it’s open to the entire neighborhood. Some neighbors want a gate with access only to those in Grant Park.
Laura Bidwa would like to be part of the conversation since WPCCA Housing Committee that she co-chairs has been leading the park planning with Thrive.
New Communities Association (Grant and Jeffrey) will be asked to support funding it. $20/month from single family homes and condos will go into the upkeep. NCA is the oversight committee of public space upkeep between these private properties.
Bridget asked if the Civic Association should contribute, and fundraise to help the HOA to pay for it.
- 7:00 – 7:15 – Ray Leard from Compost Exchange
Invites the neighbors to participate in a free pilot program to dispose safely of food waste starting August 1. Ray has a membership compost recycling business, 1,000 drop-off members and 500 curbside, and collection can take place curbside. Most customers are Powell, Worthington, Clintonville west of 71 Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Offering a free 10-week curbside composting pilot program, in 2018 and 2019 he signed up Bexley. Ideal customer prep half of their meals at home. Last year 90,000 tons of food scraps went to landfill from this county. Looking for 25 participants starting Tuesday August 4.
Looking for 25 – 50 participants, to end on Tuesday, Oct 13. Interested participants would express their interest by contacting Ray Leard directly by email – rayleard <at> thecompostexchange.com
Chris Orban, says 4th Street Farms has a compost corner, most neighborhoods are not into having rotten veggies over there, but a reminder that we have that as an opportunity already.
- 7:15 – 7:30 – Jennifer Cheeks Literacy in Infancy Program
Thanks neighbors for meals and toiletry drop-offs when she and Kauwe were sick in March.
Literacy in Infancy Program is a new idea she has for an outdoor storytime near a free little library around 3p weekdays at private residences or at Weinland Park, to create a new way to read to the kids before libraries are all widely open again during the summer. Under 1, a lot of parents don’t read to children. Also a good way to get to know some of the young ones in the neighborhood. Key will be to share books with neighbors. Would promote through word of mouth and social media. Michael Wilkos, Ashley and Matt Martin, Tanya Long and Chris Micciche offer to host.
- 7:30 – 7:45 – Rob Dorans (radorans <at> columbus.gov) from City Council Airbnb
Lives between 4th and Summit between Weinland Park and Italian Village, discuss new regulations on short-term rentals including AirBNB and VRBO. It can be about protections for neighbors against nuisance parties but is also an affordable housing issue. A couple of years ago, the city instated a registration process for each rental, last year added the requirement of a background check for the landlord for the safety of the renters. In the past 6 months, seeing more and more party houses. Not people for an event, just gathering for a party. This has been exacerbated during COVID, being used as an event space. Creates trash and noise. Neighbors can file complaints with the city, which is a reactive process that may trigger non-renewal of the registration permit. The City Council is now proposing legislation that would allow immediate revocation of the permit. Also, the City Council is creating a map of properties. Visit https://www.columbus.gov/str/ for more details.
Roger Beebe asked about whether some landlords may not be aware that the renter will host a party. Rob Dorans said some owners are installing security videos to have a glimpse of the number of people who are entering and exiting the home. The last vote, AirBNB threatened to pull out of Columbus, Rob said.
Chris Micciche asked about days in a year that a rental is available? Rob shared info about the city’s efforts to seek to capture lost hotel-motel taxes through AirBNB sales.
Ashley Martin asked when map will be available, Rob said there was a meeting today about it to discuss the legalities.
Kauwe Caldwell asked if the city can regulate maximum occupancy, Kevin McCain said it’s a question they are exploring.
Matt Adair shared the research link: http://insideairbnb.com/get-the-data.html
Laura raise the issue of police behavior, and she urges city council to be decisive and assert the rights of our black and brown neighbors to be safe in this city, and that she hesitates to call police for issues they should be involved in because it puts those neighbors at risk. Rob said he’s been frustrated, there have been clear instances of police misconduct in recent days and has been looking for eye witness accounts, and today City Council action was taken that was new. President Shannon Hardin said City Council is executive branch, and we have authority to effect change, before July 31 will hold a hearing next week on de-militarizing the police and limiting purchasing, Liz Brown said police shouldn’t feel like military occupants, we are looking at banning no-knock, and codify the Mayor’s executive order to require external investigation of police force. We cannot have what looks and feels like one law enforcement agency investigate another law enforcement agency. Also going to look at budgeting earlier, to start early Fall, and adding a morality clause banning police from any affiliation with a hate group.