COUNCIL OF ALBANY NEIGHBORHOOD ASSOCIATIONS

MEETING MINUTES – May 7, 2003

ALBANY PUBLIC LIBRARY

1)       Introduction

2)       Minutes:  Minutes of the April 2, 2003, meeting were accepted without change.

3)       Discussion/Guest Speakers: 

Albany City School Budget – cancelled due to budget being revised

Albany City School Facilities Plan – Ken Gifford and Shawn Hamlin of the Albany City Department of Education presented information about the status of the facilities plan.

The planning phase is essentially over and implementation is underway.  Forty-eight percent of projects are presently being implemented and additional ones are scheduled to begin before fall.  Continued progress is dependent upon the approval of a referendum on June 3, 2003 , approving additional funding and development of the Kelton Court site for the new middle school. 

The contract for construction of the Schuyler B School has been awarded. 

Under the facilities plan, the elementary schools will enroll 400-450 students each.  Classrooms will be between 770 and 900 square feet.  Technology and media centers will be built into each.  Schools will be staffed late and be available to community groups such as YMCA, after school programs, etc.  There will be expanded medial facilities, small break out areas, team teaching, much improved lighting and noise reduction.  Each includes public spaces, meeting spaces, science areas, and video systems in the classrooms.  Classroom space will be built in such a way that it can be reconfigured to meet teachers’ and students’ needs.  Buildings will have expended parking where possible.  It is anticipated that residents will have an ownership interest in their neighborhood elementary schools. 

Members expressed their concern about the prevention of cost overruns.  Cost overruns during the renovation of School 23 (ASH) can be attributed to the fact that an “owner’s representative” managed the work.  Under the new facilities plan, work will be managed “in house” by professional staff of the school district.  

The June referendum is for the approval of an $8.7 bond.  After bonding the cost to each property taxpayer will be about $.18 per week.  Fifty-seven cents of each dollar is reimbursed by New York State .

Regardless of the declining number of families residing in the city, population will support the new schools.

The Harriman Campus is not being considered at this point for a new middle school.  It may, however, be considered in the future for a high school.

A motion was made that CANA endorse the June facilities plan referendum.  It was unanimously approved.

4)       Communications/Announcements

o        Attention was called to the financial report in the agenda as well as the list of members who have remitted dues.  Mansion Neighborhood has also paid, but was not listed.

o        The Neighborhood Resource Center annual members meeting will be held on May 15, 2003 , at 6:00 PM at the Sage College Campus Center .  Awards and certificates of recognition will be presented.

o        In the near future the City will consider its renewal of its Time Warner cable television franchise.   CANA and neighborhood association members with an interest in this subject are encouraged to attend a public hearing on this subject on May 21, 2003 at 5 PM .  Of particular interest to CANA members is the subject of public access television.

o        Melanie Trimble, Director of the New York State Civil Liberties Union explained the USA Patriot Act, legislation passed hastily by Congress shortly after September 11, 2001 , which gives the Executive Branch sweeping new powers with regard to the Bill of Rights.    The act is seen by many as being only partially acceptable, dangerous, and a violation of the rights extended to all persons, citizens and non-citizens.  Only two or three of the hundreds of provisions expire and the government is considering removing others.   The ACLU and citizen groups such as the Bill of Rights Defense Committee are campaigning to ensure that rights are not “a casualty of the war on terrorism.”  Members were encouraged to support Common Council member DominicColsolaro‘s resolution   number 30.32.03R “Opposing the Infringement of Civil Liberties in the Name of National Security. “   CANA unanimously passed a resolution to support Council member Colsolaro’s resolution.

5)       Neighborhood Report:  Hudson Park

Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association President Kathleen Kearney explained the need for reform of the Board of Zoning appeals and urged CANA to reactivate its Zoning Committee and appoint a task force to review the jurisdiction of the BZA.  The Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association recommends (1) BZA members have term rotation (staggered terms) (2) BZA members receive land use training; (3) notices of meetings with written agendas be published and available to the public; (4) BZA members take oaths; (5) BZA meetings be made open to the public; (5) Minutes of BZA meetings be taken and made available to the public and include decisions, documentations, records, findings and conclusions. 

A motion was made moving that CANA re-activate its Zoning Committee and that the first responsibility of this CANA Zoning Committee will be to address BZA reform.  The motion was passed unanimously.    Stephanie Richardson and Tom Clark of the Hudson/Park Neighborhood Association will undertake the coordination of the committee.  Stephanie Richardson can be contacted at StephanieRichardson@yahoo.com or 463-0668.  

6)       Committee Reports:

o        Community Police Council – Fred Perkins

Members of the committee recently toured the 911 Call Center.  CANA members are urged to submit information for the council’s revised brochure before the June meeting. 

o        Committee on University and Community Relations – Tom Gebhardt

The next meeting will be at 7:00 PM on Wednesday, May 14 at the Albany Police Department at 526 Central Avenue .  There will be an update on the “Spring 2003 Seven-Point Plan” to deal with issues of safety, behavior and trash.  There will be further discussion of the current atmosphere in the neighborhoods regarding safety, behavior and attitudes.  UAlbany students and fraternity and sororities were recruited to help with the “Project Spring Clean 2003 on April 12 in the Pine Hills Neighborhood.  The Adopt-a-Block (Hudson-Quail to Ontario ) Planning Committee will be meeting over the summer to plan monthly events beginning in the fall when the college students return to that block.  Advertising campaigns will also be discussed.

7)       Other:

o        Leonard Morganbesser announced that Major Jennings has established an advisory board to address the issue of gun violence and suggested that CANA should seek to participate.  That board met today; however, the meeting was not open to the public and there was no advance notice.

The meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM .

CANA MONTHLY MEETING ATTENDEES

May 7, 2003